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Truth and the free press

I have a bone to pick with those who are badmouthing the media. The first Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees the rights of a free press. This is vitally important. Think about how non-democracies use state run media to spread what they want people to believe. Although there are a lot of biased news outlets, we have a choice as to which ones we follow. Many spew lies and what politicians of a particular leaning eschew. But again which ones we watch, read or listen to is up to us. There used to be a creed for news. It called for reporting to be unbiased and to allow equal ...

Steps to be taken by governor’s budget plan provide optimism

In a recent address, and in testimony before the state House and Senate Appropriations Committees, Dr. Val Arkoosh, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) made me feel optimistic. As the brother of an elder with significant life challenges due to intellectual disability, autism, physical disabilities and dementia, I’ve spent most of my life waiting to hear state leaders speak of the concerns of people with ID/A as an actual important state issue. As family members of people with disabilities, a lot of us were taught growing up that our family concerns ...

Defining the needs of a City Hall

The Williamsport city administration and City Council have been struggling with decisions over how to house city government offices. Before engaging an architectural and engineering firm to provide ”…professional services related to identifying and designing the optimal long term facility to house city government offices” (to quote the recently issued RFP), we really need to decide if we want a traditional City Hall or a more expansive Civic Building, as defined below: • A City Hall houses the City Council, its associated departments and their employees. It also usually ...

Governor’s mantra of campaign slogans won’t fix Pennsylvania

Though elected in 2022, Gov. Josh Shapiro remains stuck in campaign mode, offering one empty platitude after another while avoiding the hard work Pennsylvanians elected him to do. Despite his incessant mantra of “getting stuff done,” Shapiro has done the opposite. His first year ranks him as the least productive governor in recent Pennsylvania history, with few accomplishments during his tenure. Case in point: the 2023-24 budget debacle. Shapiro undid months of good-faith negotiations by jettisoning one of his top campaign promises: Lifeline Scholarships, which he renamed the ...

By their fruits ye shall know them

On Easter Sunday, perhaps the most venerated day of the year for Christians, two men who were selected to lead our country sent greetings to the people. President Joe Biden wrote, “Jill and I send our warmest wishes to Christians around the world celebrating Easter Sunday. Easter reminds us of the power of hope and the promise of Christ’s Resurrection. As we gather with loved ones, we remember Jesus’ sacrifice. We pray for one another and cherish the blessing of the dawn of new possibilities. And with wars and conflict taking a toll on innocent lives around the world, we renew our ...

Governor wrong about the border

In the midst of the southern border crisis, the Pennsylvania Senate took action by passing Senate Resolution 251, calling for the Pennsylvania National Guard to be deployed to Texas to help secure the border. One would think that securing our border and protecting Pennsylvanians from human trafficking, crime and fentanyl would be a bipartisan priority. Sadly, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Senate Democrats referred to it as “political theater and grandstanding.” Facts are stubborn things. According to U.S Customs and Border Protection data, more than 7 million illegal immigrants have ...