Help me return $3.5 MILLION to you!
A computer search indicates our State Treasurer is currently holding more than $3.5 MILLION, belonging to approximately 38,270 citizens who live in my district. To file a claim, or check to see if they have your Unclaimed Property, you may visit www.ShowMeMoney.com or write to the State Treasurer at P.O. Box 1004, Jefferson City, MO 65102-1004. This property, and another $70 to $80 million a year, is turned over to the State Treasurer from banks, government agencies and insurance companies from accounts that have been inactive an whose owner could not be contacted for five or more years.
Please be my guest!
What: Town Hall Meeting
When: Thursday, June 24th – 7:00 pm
Where: Wentzville City Hall – 310 W Pearce Blvd
Why: Information on what the University of Missouri Extension Office can do for you as an individual… or as a small business. Scott Killpack from the University of Missouri Extension Office in St. Charles County will explain what is available and how you can take advantage of their services. For example… did you know they can help you with your yard problems? Your health & nutrition questions? Your small business ideas? Your needs as a dislocated worker? Your family financial maze?
Also, James Gremaud from the Missouri Department of Transportation will be on hand to give you an update of MoDot projects in the 13th District and get your thoughts on Truck Lanes.
You won't want to miss this very important information session… so please mark your calendars now!
More than 70 people attended my last Town Hall Meeting in Wentzville
For questions on the content of this meeting you may contact my Capitol office at (573) 751-3572 or e-mail me at Chuck{dot}Gatschenberger{at}house{dot}mo{dot}gov
Please note: My Capitol Office will be closed starting Friday, July 2nd until Tuesday July 7th… for staff vacation.
Job Creation Information
GM plant in Wentzville to build vans powered by alternative fuel
Production line answers demand, official saysBy Joe Scott
Tuesday, May 25, 2010 3:11 AM CDT
[Link to Original Story]
General Motors' Wentzville assembly plant will begin producing compressed natural gas- and liquefied petroleum gas-powered cargo vans for 2011. The alternative fuel options will be offered on Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans for fleet and commercial customers later this year.
"It won't have an impact on hiring or additional jobs, but it will allow us to get penetration into an additional market," said Bob Wheeler, a spokesman for the plant. "The demand is increasing enough to add this product to our portfolio. We've had fleet and commercial users asking about this." Production of CNG- and LPG-powered versions of the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans probably will begin in September, Wheeler said. About 85 percent of the vehicles made at the Wentzville plant are sold for fleet or commercial use. Alternative fuels have become more attractive for fleet and commercial users as gasoline prices increase, Wheeler said.
Wentzville Community Development Director Bob Swank said even if the plant doesn't add jobs, a new product line should further stabilize the workforce. "It's bringing back this product to the Wentzville area," Swank said. "The more environmentally conscious people get and the less we want to rely on oil, the more the LPG and CNG market grows."
Brian Small, general manager of GM's fleet and commercial operations, said in a news release that GM officials listened to fleet customers and dealers about offering options to help achieve business objectives. "The industry commitment to expand the CNG and LPG infrastructure in key fleet markets was an enabler to allowing us to introduce these options now," Small said.
Swank said the city of Wentzville will offer a CNG fueling station on East Pearce Boulevard at Business Highway 61 near Pete's Drive-In for public use. The fueling station was put on hold after GM discontinued production of CNG-powered vehicles at the Wentzville plant several years ago, he said. "It will be one of three CNG fueling stations in Missouri," Swank said. "Fleet and commercial users can pull right off Highway 61 and refuel."
GM's announcement on the new Wentzville plant production line followed news the car manufacturer had a first-quarter profit of $865 million and is expanding manufacturing in North America. Before its bankruptcy, GM lost $6 billion in the first quarter of 2009.
MasterCard plans new research labs in O'Fallon
By Joe Scott
Tuesday, May 4, 2010 3:10 AM CDT
[Link to Original Story]
MasterCard Worldwide's O'Fallon location will be one of four sites to host a new research and development initiative.
The credit card company will invest "tens of millions per year" on people and resources through the company's new research arm, called MasterCard Labs, according to Bank Systems and Technology, a banking industry publication.
The O'Fallon site serves as the company's Global Technology and Operations headquarters. Other sites to receive the labs are in Singapore, Dublin and Purchase, N.Y., the company's global headquarters.
"With the launch of MasterCard Labs, MasterCard will create a robust global virtual team to execute our vision for the future of payments," Rob Reeg, president of Global Technology and Operations for MasterCard Worldwide, said in a statement released to the Journal Thursday.
"The team will include creative development engineers and programmers who know how to turn an idea into something that can be quickly and effectively brought to market and scaled to meet the diverse needs of cardholders around the globe," Reeg said.
Reeg said MasterCard will build the new team using a mix of internal resources, vendors and new hires. He said he couldn't provide specifics on timing or number of new hires in the St. Louis area, but the new positions would be posted online as needed. The company also announced Garry Lyons would oversee MasterCard Labs.
House and Senate Accomplishments, 2010 Legislative Session
Budget: Protecting Missourians, No New Taxes
Together with the Senate, we shaved a total of $484 million from the Governor's proposed budget, making the tough decisions necessary to keep Missouri afloat in our harsh economy.While neighboring states are sinking further into economic crisis, raising taxes and having a difficult time paying their bills, Missouri has remained steadfast in our fiscally conservative practice.
Not only were we able to pass a balanced budget, we made the tough decisions necessary to avoid raising taxes on Missouri families. Thirteen budget bills totaling $23.1 billion for the fiscal year beginning July 1 were agreed upon by both chambers and will be sent to the Governor for final approval.
I am pleased to report that we voted to maintain the school funding formula at its current levels. In addition, Missouri's K-12 schools will receive the same level of funding in the 2011 Fiscal Year as they did this year.
The largest savings, anticipated to be millions, came from looking at state departments and identifying how they may run more efficiently by eliminating more than 1,000 government jobs, including taxpayer-funded lobbyists and items like equipment, travel and expenses.
I am extremely proud that we completed the budget more than one week in advance of the deadline set by the state constitution.
Because we continued down a fiscally-conservative path while balancing our state's budget, we are able to keep Missouri in a leadership position when it comes to being financially stable.
Protecting the Lives of the Unborn
Both Chambers passed SB793, seeking to protect the lives of the unborn. This act modifies the informed consent requirements for an abortion by adding new requirements to be obtained at least twenty-four hours prior to an abortion by adding the following provisions:- The physician who is to perform or induce the abortion or a qualified professional must present the pregnant woman with various new printed materials (to be developed by the Department of Health and Senior Services by November 30, 2010) detailing the risks of an abortion and the physiological characteristics of an unborn child at two-week gestational increments;
- The woman must also be provided with the gestational age of the unborn child at the time the abortion is to be performed and must be given an opportunity to view an active ultrasound of the unborn child and hear the heartbeat of the unborn child;
- Prior to an abortion being performed past twenty-two weeks gestational age, the woman must be provided information regarding the possibility of the abortion causing pain to the unborn child.
- The abortion cannot be performed until the woman certifies in writing on a checklist form that she has been presented all the required information and that she has been given the opportunity to view an ultrasound, and to choose to have an anesthetic or analgesic administered to the unborn child.
Health Care Freedom Act: Opting Out of the Federal Plan
Missouri citizens are outraged with the health care legislation that President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have pushed through Congress. I want my constituents to know that in the General Assembly, we share your outrage and we passed a bill that seeks to protect you and your family from these harmful federal mandates.When the United States House of Representatives passed their health care bill, yielding over two thousand pages, they immediately took away our basic rights. Congress and the President have ignored the cry of the American people and they pushed their own agenda – leaving our citizens to pick up the expensive tab.
There is a fine line when it comes to government mandates, and Congress and the President have crossed that line. Even though no Republicans in the House voted for the bill, the Democrat majority found the votes they needed for it to pass.
The federal health care bill costs approximately $940 billion, which is concerning as we face such a serious economic depression, not to mention our national debt which has shot up into the trillions. Someone has to pick up the tab, and that someone is you and me. We will be taxed through penalties if we refuse to buy health care and adhere to federal guidelines.
I have no direct influence over the actions of our President and Congress, but I do have a say when it comes to what we do in the Missouri House of Representatives to protect citizens from federal health care mandates. Why should the government dictate what you must and must not do – especially when it comes to your own health care insurance?
On the first day of this year's session, we introduced the Health Care Freedom Act on the floor of the House and approved it for final passage in early March. Now that's it has passed the Senate, it [HB1764] will go to the ballot in August for a vote of YOU, the people.
The Health Care Freedom Act would give individuals and employers the opportunity to pay directly for lawful health care services without being subject to federal penalties and states that the purchase or sale of health care insurance in private health care systems cannot be prohibited by law or rule.
A majority of states in the country have filed legislation to oppose the federal health care legislation, and we are hopeful that you will join us in this fight. States should retain the power to regulate health care and allow their citizens the freedom to choose between health care options in the open market.
To the Federal Government: Balance the National Budget!
You are a hard-working Missouri taxpayer. You have bills, expenses and every day items that run up costs. You know what it means to sit down and balance your budget so you can keep your family on track. In state government, we do the same thing. Every year, we go through the budget line by line and make the tough decisions necessary to balance our budget. It's not easy, but it's the right thing to do.Our federal government is a completely different story. It's almost as if a balanced budget is a foreign concept to them. This year, the national budget was out of balance by over 40%.
We are in the midst of what economists are calling "The Great Recession" and spending our way to prosperity isn't the answer – but wise fiscal planning and responsible use of your tax dollars is the answer.
Both chambers passed House Concurrent Resolution 34 and 35 sponsored by our Budget Chairman, Allen Icet and Representative Chris Kelly, asking Congress to balance the national budget.
The HCR 34 & 35 comes as an official message from the Missouri General Assembly, and if adopted by Congress, it has a chance of becoming an amendment to the United States Constitution. An official change will depend on ratification by ¾'s of our nation's states.
With a budget that is over 40% out of balance, and a recent vote to raise the debt ceiling by 1.9 trillion dollars, we need to bring our elected officials in Washington DC back to reality.
Congress needs to stop spending and start standing up for the future of America. You, as constituents, can help. If you agree with our resolution to require the national government to balance the budget, contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives and let them know you support us in this effort.
STAY IN TOUCH
As always, please let me know your thoughts about these or other matters of concern by calling my office at: (573) 751-3572 or by emailing me at chuck{dot}gatschenberger{at}house{dot}mo{dot}gov
FUN FACTS
You made it over the hump! June 21st… the first day of Summer Solstice: the longest day of the year!
If you can stay awake that long… cast your eyes heavenward… there will be a Partial Lunar Eclipse on the 26th!
It's getting noisier out there… with cricket frog breeding at its peak and dog-day cicadas singing away… joining the fireworks melee for Independence Day!
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