Happy Labor Day weekend + Pothole update

Rep. Joseph Ciresi August 29, 2025 | 11:10 AM

Dear Neighbor,

No other holiday celebrates the various contributions of workers like Labor Day. When you drive to work, you deserve a smooth ride on state and local roads that your tax dollars pay for. This week’s update includes a map of scheduled pothole repairs along State Route 422.

Speaking of work, if you didn’t complete a core part of your job, you might not have that job for very long. That is one more reason why Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate need to wrap up negotiations and come to an agreement on a new budget.

It is our constitutionally mandated job as legislators.

Budget impasses affect all of us -- but most of all -- it is those who can least afford it:

Increased borrowing by school districts, which may show up in future local budget hikes.
Public library reductions in services or hours.
Reduced public transportation service and clogged roads.

Enough of the games. We need the Republican-controlled Senate to pass a budget that is a fair compromise with the House version. In fact, earlier this week, Gov. Shapiro spoke to the media about his latest compromise agreement.

No one will get everything they want. Time is up.

PA Mentor-Protégé Program expanded to support

more veteran-owned businesses

The Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP), launched by the PA Dept. of General Services in May 2024, pairs experienced contractors with small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses to help them grow, compete, and win state contracts.

Companies that participate in the year-long program become part of a “cohort.” The second cohort began this week and is comprised of vendors approved under PA’s Consulting Services Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) contract.

Additional cohorts will be added to the MPP soon. Interested firms can learn more and apply online. If your company is not a current ITQ vendor with PA, you should begin the ITQ prequalification process to become eligible. For questions, please contact Charlie White, MPP Manager.

To be eligible for the MPP:

Mentors must be active PA prime contractors in good standing with at least one contract award of $300,000 or more in the past three years.

Protégés must be verified as a Small Diverse Business (SDB) or Veteran Business Enterprise (VBE) by DGS and listed on Consulting Services ITQ.

Expanding the MPP is part of the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s broader effort to open doors for businesses of all sizes and backgrounds. Earlier this summer, DGS also launched new Micro and Midsize Business Programs.

PennDOT ride along and potholes

This week, I invited PennDOT District 6 Executive Din Abazi to take a first-hand look at the condition of Route 422. I’m told I was not a bad back-seat driver. We reviewed local bridge projects as well. His staff provided the following map of scheduled mechanized patching (September and October).

The map shows the locations that will be addressed by a contractor in red and the areas that will be addressed by the Department in blue. The only reason to note that is because it’s not clear as of today if the work by the contractor and the Department will take place at the same time, although it likely will be concurrent.