Breaking News

Other Commentaries

A budget for the wrong direction

Pennsylvania’s population is shrinking as working-age families move away to other states. State policymakers’ most important challenge is how to make our commonwealth more competitive and attractive to families, workers, and job creators. Unfortunately, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s recently proposed state budget takes Pennsylvania in the wrong direction. Chock-full of startling spending increases and a myriad of new initiatives, Shapiro’s proposal would explode the state’s budget deficit and invite massive tax hikes on working Pennsylvanians. His plan completely ignores our actual ...

The impact of a tiny country church fish fry is immeasurable

PROSPERITY — If you make a fish fry dinner, people will come for miles around. They will even cross several state lines to get to your church basement if the fish sandwich is fresh and spilling out of both sides of the bun, the macaroni and cheese is homemade with just enough crisp on top, and the coleslaw is crunchy and tangy. It turns out that people will return if, when they leave, they aren’t just pleased with the food they’ve eaten but they’ve also found new friends among the hundreds of strangers that were sitting on the wooden folding chairs along the long, cafeteria-type ...

First responders need tools to help us save lives

The opioid epidemic continues to rage across the country — and Pennsylvania is not immune from it. It’s been seven years since it was first designated a public health emergency and it has continued unabated in the time since. Every day, news agencies across the Commonwealth tell of the recent overdose deaths or highlight the latest synthetic drug being pushed by the illicit drug market. Unfortunately, because there is a constant drumbeat on this issue, news of the opioid crisis can almost become white noise to the public at large. But as a law enforcement officer with 40 years of ...

Social determinants of health and the impact of COVID-19

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. The global, national, and local distribution of money, power, and resources influences these conditions. The social determinants of health play a significant role in shaping health outcomes and overall well-being. Factors such as income, education, and social support can profoundly impact an individual’s health and quality of life. In more technical terms, social determinants of health are a wide range of social, economic, and behavioral factors impacting an individual’s health ...

Carbon capture and storage can keep rural economies strong

Rural communities have an important role to play in advancing and shaping the transition to low- carbon energy and manufacturing across the United States. The significant growth of natural gas in Tioga County and other Marcellus Shale communities over the last two decades demonstrates how collaborative policymaking between state and local leaders can harness affordable, cleaner sources of energy to create good paying jobs and expand economic development across our region. In 2024, our Commonwealth has an opportunity to take another giant step forward. With smart investments, emerging ...

Education with students at the center

It is no secret that higher education institutions across our state and across the country stand at a crossroads. With costs rising, the number of college-bound students declining, and many students and families questioning the value of a college degree, colleges and universities bear the responsibility of remaining relevant and demonstrating the inherent value in earning a degree. In my own college experience, it took time and mentorship for me to fully appreciate how a degree would forever alter the trajectory of my life. My professors and coaches at Bloomsburg University saw ...