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Federal Reserve can’t pump oil

I think the Fed should hold. Inflation is still too high. But the most important question is not whether inflation went up. It is why. Consumer prices rose 0.4% in August and 3.4% from a year ago. Much of that acceleration came from energy. Gasoline prices jumped 3.9% in one month. Wholesale diesel prices surged 24.1%. Oil prices have climbed above $100 a barrel as conflict in the Middle East disrupted supply. That is a very different problem from an economy where consumers are spending too much and businesses cannot keep up. The Fed can make borrowing more expensive. It can slow ...

Government unions making a comeback — at taxpayers’ expense

Government unions looked like they were up against the ropes in 2018. Then, a landmark Supreme Court decision, Janus v. AFSCME, cut them off from a major revenue source. Janus ruled that unions could no longer force public employees to pay “fair share” fees to unions they never joined. In the years that followed, the four largest government unions — the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) — lost hundreds of ...

State can still avoid self-inflicted wound

How do you intentionally cut the income of tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians? By undermining an industry that’s become essential to local businesses, veterans’ organizations, fraternal clubs and small businesses across the commonwealth. For nearly two decades, skill games have been part of Pennsylvania’s local fabric. They help keep neighborhood establishments open, support VFWs and American Legions, fund volunteer fire companies and provide a financial lifeline for organizations and social clubs. In all, thousands of Pennsylvanians rely on the supplemental income from these ...

‘Trump power plant’ coming to Pennsylvania

UNIONTOWN — Scott Dunn did not get a call from Washington. Instead, he received calls from his constituents. The chairman of the Fayette County Board of Commissioners had watched the March announcement like everyone else: a $17 billion natural gas generation hub somewhere in southwestern Pennsylvania, with 4.3 gigawatts of capacity, financed through Japan’s investment commitment under the U.S.-Japan trade agreement, with NextEra Energy Resources as developer. The federal government called it Project South Mon. It would not say where. Dunn did the arithmetic anyone from Dunbar ...

Are we forgetting what this day means?

(The Sun-Gazette published the following column in its Sept. 11, 2021 edition) We all remember the emotions of Sept. 11, 2001 – fear, horror, sadness. But do we remember the defining collective emotion of our country on Sept. 12, 2001? It was unity. We were united by the sense that our great nation had been violated, and that we would only get past the horror to a viable, stable future by being one. Pettiness and arguments that lead to nothing were not going to cut it if we were to overcome this immense tragedy. We were not divided by political party, ideology, race, culture, or ...

Looking back on the 79th World Series

Now that the Little League World Series (LLWS) has come and gone I wanted to take a moment to recognize some of the special moments. We can agree that some of the highlights this year include Curaçao’s pitching domination in the final game, Japan’s heartfelt celebration after winning their final matchup with help from their smallest player. There was also the record-setting play of both “girls with game,” Kinley Rasmus of Phenix City, Alabama, and Carsynn Meyer of Paseo Verde Little League in Las Vegas, Nevada. One of my favorite moments of the series didn’t even occur on ...