THIS Interns meet Governor Rendell

On Wednesday, the THIS interns were fortunate enough to meet with Governor Ed Rendell. We introduced ourselves and had a brief discussion with him. He thanked us for interning, saying it was especially helpful to have extra workers with the budget cuts. Governor Rendell called the cuts cost saving. One of his goals as Governor was to trim wasteful spending and increase governmental efficiency. (He cut $1.75 billion out of the cost of government operations.) The interns were grateful to have the opportunity to meet Governor Rendell.

Week 9 Seminar

This week Mr. John Guyer spoke at our seminar. Mr. Guyer is the Director of the Bureau of Budget Analysis within the Governor’s Office of the Budget. Mr. Guyer is responsible for directing the development and administration of the Commonwealth’s operating budget. He also reviews fiscal policy and legislative issues to make funding recommendations. Monitoring program performance and the alignment of spending plans with agency goals is also one of his duties.
During the discussion Mr. Guyer reviewed the budget process. Mr. Guyer discussed the timeline of the process. As soon as a budget is passed for any fiscal year, agencies begin looking at their own budgets. The Office of the Budget gives agencies guidelines to help them make decisions on the funds that they will request. These guidelines include projections of the economy. What made this latest budget impasse so hard was the fact that the projections underestimated how hard Pennsylvania would be hit by the declining economy. Mr. Guyer helped us to understand the budget process.

*In the photo, Mr. Guyer (left) is speaking with Dr. Geiser-Getz

Arepa City

On Thursday night some of the interns met at Arepa City for a group night dinner. One of the interns highly recommended the Latin Eatery and said it serves the best authentic Venezuelan cuisine in Harrisburg. By the end of the night all of the interns agreed. The Tostone (fried grean plantains) appetizer and the Miliciosa Arepa (roasted pork shoulder, grilled queso fresco and sliced avocado) seemed to be the favorite among the interns.

*Pictured is the Carne Mechada Arepa. It consists of shredded flank steak and cooked with onions, peppers and tomatoes. Yum!

Week 8 Seminar

Dr. Peter Garland, Executive Vice Chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), joined us for our Week 8 seminar. He has been in this position since October 2006. His duties include overseeing the major functional areas in the Office of the Chancellor; serving as liaison to university presidents and the System's Board of Governors; leading major System-wide projects, programs and initiatives; and coordinating the work of vice chancellors and other executive staff. The discussion highlighted the importance of study abroad for people within all academic majors. Dr. Garland also told us that he uses his undergraduate work the most in his day-to-day job activities. (He earned bachelor’s degrees in English and psychology from The College of William and Mary, as well as other degrees later on.)
*The photo is Dr. Peter Garland's portrait from the PASSHE website.

Week 7 Seminar

In lieu of our weekly seminar, we were invited to a Recognition Reception at the APSCUF Headaquarters in Harrisburg. As interns, we invited our sponors to attend the reception. Dr. Steve Hicks, President of APSCUF, and Dr. John Cavanaugh, Chancellor of PASSHE, were also present. The Reception was a nice way for the interns to express their appreciation to their sponsors, Dr. Geiser-Getz, APSCUF, and PASSHE for their support of the internship program.

*The photo is of the Fall 2009 THIS Interns on the staircase of the beautiful APSCUF office building on Front Street in Harrisburg.

PA has a Budget

101 days into the 09-10 fiscal year, Pennsylvania finally got a budget. The commonwealth was the last state in the country to pass their budget. On October 9, 2009 Governor Rendell signed legislation to enact a $27.799 billion state General Fund budget for 2009-10 that increases education funding while reducing overall spending. It contains no new broad-based taxes. We can finally close the books on the long, uphill battle that was the 2009 budget impasse.

Visit the following links for more information on the budget from the media:

Pennsylvania, we finally have a budget
100 reasons it has lasted 100 days
Let's make sure budget impasse never happens in Pennsylvania again
Layoffs, uncertainty are impacting state employee morale

Week 6 Seminar

Dr. Duane Milne State Representative of the 167th district spoke at our Week 6 seminar. He is in his second term of service and full of enthusiasm. Dr. Milne has always wanted to work in public service. He found his ideal job in being a Representative. He offered us an in-depth understanding on the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In addition, Dr. Milne explained the five areas that he draws from in making decisions. They include:
1. Personal Beliefs
2. Opinions of the citizens of his district
3. Party affiliation
4. Party leaders within the House
5. Interest groups.
He explained that for any given decision the weight of each of these areas changes. Dr. Milne also gave us advice on learning from internships and deciding on career paths.

Below Representative Milne can be seen while on the House floor in July 2009 expressing his concerns over House Bill 1416 and its effects on higher education.

Breast Cancer Awareness at Capitol

The fountain at the Harrisburg Capitol Complex has turned pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Each day in October a gallon of red dye is added to the fountain's water. The Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition hosts a Breast Cancer Awareness Month Kick-Off Ceremony and an annual conference in Harrisburg. For more information about the coalition, visit their site.

Altemare Organizes Art Exhibition

In concordance with National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), THIS intern Ashley Altemare organized an art exhibition to be put on display in the Harrisburg Capitol Building during the month of October. The purpose of NDEAM is to increase the public's awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. Artists with disabilties whose work is featured include Charles Domsky and Linda Fry Goschke. More information about the exhibit can be found in this News Release. Also, for more information on the artists and their work view the Reverberation Information Booklet.

Ashley is a student of California University. She is an intern in the Office of the Speaker of the House.

*The photo is of a few pieces of art showcased in the exhibition.

Reapsome attends dinner, hears Rice speak

Current THIS intern, Lacey Reapsome attended the 25th Annual Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry dinner in Hershey on September 29, 2009. (To visit the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry's site click here.) The keynote speaker for this event was Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Reapsome said that the Secretary of State focused on promoting the United States as a leader in the world, especially during these hard economic times. Reapsome noted that Rice said that if the United States cannot be optimistic during these hard times, then what country will be? During the speech, Rice made the valid point that with the free market in our country, we are in a better position to recover and get back on track after this slump in the economy. Reapsome liked that Rice talked about her perspective as a federal working during and after the attacks on 9/11.

Lacey Reapsome is a student of Shippensburg University. She is an intern at the Governor's Office of the Budget.

*The photo is of Lacey Reapsome and Condoleezza Rice at the dinner.

Week 5 Seminar

At the Week 5 seminar, we had the opportunity to meet Gabrielle Sedor Communications Director from Pennsylvania Association of Resources for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities (more commonly known as PAR). During the discussion with Gabrielle, we learned about the role of PAR. PAR is a non-profit association that works with state agencies and the public sector. They are responsible for a variety of tasks. PAR represents various providers who offer services to families and individuals facing the issues associated with autism and intellectual disabilities. In addition, we learned more about the regulations in place to protect individuals. Our discussion with Gabrielle allowed us to learn more about PAR's role in the lives of families and individuals and in state government.

(Former THIS intern Tori Bayliff, who also works at PAR, was unable to attend due to illness. She has talked with THIS interns each semester since she graduated. Tori was an intern in the Spring of 2007. Her dedication to helping THIS interns shows her personal support of the program.)