Michelle Chamberlain - Suburban Philadelphia Mortgage Broker

A few weeks ago I sent an email to US Senator Arlen Specter letting him know that I opposed the massive spending bill that was about to be voted on in Congress. Specter was one of three Republican Senators who was considering voting for the bill and being a resident of Pennsylvania, the state which he represents, I wanted to let him know that I opposed this bill and that he should as well. Today I finally received a response back from the Senator. Here it is:

Dear Mrs. Chamberlain:

As a senior member of the Appropriations Subcommittees on Foreign Operations and Defense, I have been uniquely engaged in foreign affairs while serving in the U.S. Senate. The 110th Congress is faced with many important international issues: the reconstruction of Iraq, the spread of nuclear technology, state sponsorship of terrorism, human rights, and global epidemics. To examine the challenges faced by the U.S. internationally, I have traveled extensively and entered into dialogue with the leaders of friendly and adversarial countries alike. My experience has led me to the conclusion that active engagement, open dialogue, and the strategic use of America's position on the United Nations Security Council is critical to achieving international peace and security.

With respect to our foreign aid budget, I believe it is important for the U.S. to give valuable assistance overseas while keeping with our national interests. On December 18, 2007, I joined many of my Senate colleagues in writing to President Bush, to urge that in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 the Administration's continue its past efforts to increase U.S. investment in the International Affairs Account.

I supported the FY08 Foreign Operations Bill. This measure included $1.03 billion for the Migration and Refugee Assistance account, with $45 million designated specifically for the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund, a funding level that reflects America's fundamental commitment to helping those who have been forced to flee their native countries. I also supported the inclusion of $1.56 billion in funding for the Millennium Challenge Account, an innovative foreign assistance initiative that provides assistance to countries committed to pursuing healthy political and economic policies. Additionally, the bill included an important contribution of $550 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

I believe that a U.S. emphasis on international diplomacy and development is critical to achieving global security. Rest assured that I will continue to advocate for dialogue with the international community and robust funding for vital U.S. international assistance programs.

Thank you again for contacting me. The concerns of my constituents are of great importance to me, and I rely on you and other Pennsylvanians to inform me of your views. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office or visit my website at http://specter.senate.gov.

Sincerely,

Arlen Specter

Honestly, do you think that whoever took the time to send me this canned response could have at least bothered to address my concern? Could they at least have read it and pretended to care? Needless to say, guess who I will NOT be voting for next election?

Written by Pennsylvania Mortgage Professional Michelle Chamberlain

For mortgage information visit www.mortgage411center.com and www.aboveallmortgage.com.

For small business financing visit www.ezmerchantadvance.com.

A few weeks ago I opened my front door to find a new larger recycling bin on my porch with a pamphlet inside introducing the new recycling program in Upper Darby Township. Ironically, I received the exact same pamphlet in the mail a few days later (so much for wanting to save trees). However, I was pleased to see that Upper Darby has expanded the recycling program to include glass and plastic bottles and that items to be recycled now can be placed all in the big blue container instead of having to separate everything.

Items to recycle now include:

• Cardboard
• Food Boxes
• Glass and Cans
• Plastic Bottles (numbers 1 and 2)
• Mail, Magazines & Newspaper
• Phone Books

Items NOT to be recycled are:

• Lightbulbs or Windows
• Dishes, Pyrex or Ceramics
• Foam Packing or Styrofoam
• Plastic Bags
• Unmarked Plastic, Toys, Chairs, Laundry Baskets.

Unfortunately, recycling is still collected every other week. The schedule and map can be found in the 2009 calendar distributed by the township to residents. Additional information on the Upper Darby Recycling Program can be found online, although the website is not yet updated to reflect all of the changes for 2009.

Additionally here are some other resources I've used for recycling in Upper Darby Township:

• Primos Elementary School collects paper (newspaper, mail, magazines) in a bin which is located in the side parking lot of the school. The paper collected helps to raise money which benefits the school. This is a great alternative to the every other week at home collection since you can drop off paper 24 hours a day and it benefits the students. Check to see if your neighborhood school participates in this type of progam as well.
• The Clifton Heights Acme has a bin for the collection of plastic bags inside the front entrance. Although I try to reuse plastic bags whenever I can I sometimes end up with more than I could ever use and drop them off here. Other supermarkets in your area may possibly collect plastic bags as well.
• Also outside of the Clifton Heights Acme is a mailbox for the collection of eyeglasses that are no longer needed. This collection bin is sponsored by the Lions Club , contact your local branch for a collection box nearest you..

A complete list of Pennsylvania Recycling Drop Off Locations can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection website.

Information courtesy of Pennsylvania Mortgage Broker, Michelle Chamberlain.

To recycle your current mortgage into a low fixed rate visit www.aboveallmortgage.com

For small business financing visit www.ezmerchantadvance.com

With the economy the way it is and the recent announcement that we are officially in a recession (Since 12/07, why did it take so long to figure this out?) I've been doing my part to get the economy back on track. I don't know why, but there is something about the holidays that makes me want to spend money, and this includes not only buying presents, but new clothes, and stuff for the house like (more) Christmas decorations. It is also a time when I decide that I absolutely have to complete all of the projects around the house I've been putting off in order to ready my home for the holidays.

There was speculation that holiday sales would be down this year, but early indicators point to a successful Black Friday. While, I wasn't one of the crazy people who got up at 4am to wait in line at Walmart, I did take advantage of Black Friday deals online, as well as in stores on Saturday, then again today, and I also made a few purchases before Thanksgiving in order to get a head start. I just checked my order status on Amazon and it looks like the giant 3 ft tall life-like pony I ordered is due to arrive tomorrow. Hopefully, neither the kids nor the husband will be around when the FEDEX man rings the bell.

I'm helping out small businesses as well not just corporate giants. I had my sofa and loveseat cleaned today for the first time since I bought it 6 years ago. There is no longer any what can only be described as "gunk" between the cushions and the leather no longer makes a cracking sound when you sit down on it due to the cushions trying to become unstuck. (Thank you Metro Chem Dry in Havertown, PA)

Next up on the list is having a new light fixture installed over the stairs and finally painting the rest of the rooms in the house which still haven't been painted. Actually, this is pretty much a necessity because one of my children decided that sidewalk chalk can also work indoors and decided to color my walls a pretty pastel blue (and since the family room walls still have contractor paint on them, I can't even wash it off).

Which, leads me to wonder, are people really cutting back on spending this year because of the economy? Seems to me that if people have the money (or perhaps plastic) that people are going to spend regardless. I don't know that most Americans are so financially responsible that they are willing to forego buying unnecessary items like giant ponies, video games, etc. because of the economy. Did we all of a sudden realize that we shouldn't buy things that we don't need or can't afford? I would guess that those who are truly faced with hardships like unemployment or foreclosure will indeed have to cut back, but those of us who are more fortunate probably will not.

So, my next few weeks will surely include multiple package deliveries, trips to the mall, wrapping presents, hiding presents, and eventually the bill. It's all part of my personal economic stimulus package to help bail us out of this mess. Of course, if I can close a few more mortgage loans or help another small business get financing through our merchant cash advance program it would be even better.

Written by Michelle Chamberlain, Above All Financial Services

Homeowners, get the mortgage loan you need at www.aboveallmortgage.com

Business owners, get the cash you need at www.ezmerchantadvance.com

Reginald Rose's classic courtroom drama "Twelve Angry Men" opens this weekend at Colonial Playhouse in Aldan, PA. For those of you not familiar with it, "Twelve Angry Men" tells the story of a jury faced to reconsider its nearly unanimous decision during a murder trial, when one juror begins to try to persuade the other members not to convict based on reasonable doubt. The arguments get heated and the exchanges force all the jurors to confront their own prejudices, in order to render a fair decision.

The play runs on Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 PM, and Sunday afternoons at 2 PM through November 22. The shows stars local Delaware County residents and includes a theatre debut from Pennsylvania Mortgage Broker, Oliver Chamberlain as the guard.

Colonial Playhouse is a community theatre that has been entertaining Delaware County residents for over 68 years. It is located in Aldan at Ridley and Magnolia avenues, one block off of Oak. For more information visit www.colonialplayhouse.org or call (610) 622-5773

Business owners and residents in Chinatown and the surrounding areas of Center City are concerned about the new proposed Foxwoods Casino development in Center City Philadelphia. I received an email from a good friend who owns a business in the area alerting me to a Town Hall meeting to dicsuss those concerns. The information is as follows:

There will be a town meeting next Thursday, Oct 9th, 7pm at the Holy Redeemer Church regarding the proposed Foxwoods casino at the Gallery. City and State Representatives will be on hand to discuss and answer questions and concerns regarding the proposed casino. I urge you to please come and attend the meeting next Thursday, as a casino will most certainly have a negative impact on the Chinatown community. Many of the concerns include: traffic, parking, crime, and especially the quality of life and the negative social and moral impact in our community.

Holy Redeemer Church is located on 10th and Vine Streets and you are allowed to park in their parking lot for this meeting.

Personally, I think there has to many other better locations for this proposed casino than right on top of the Gallery Shopping Mall in an already congested area of the city. Perhaps the city of Philadelphia already has too many other planned casino developments and is running out of locations?

Anyone seeking more information or wishes to voice their concerns should plan on attending the meeting.