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Who are the ‘occupiers?’

It is becoming commonplace and almost accepted to refer to Israelis as “occupiers,” people who are living on someone else’s land. Bob Dylan, in his song from the early 1980s entitled Neighborhood Bully sang, “His enemies say he’s on their land.” The false claim against Israelis, and Jews in general, is as old as written history. Abraham was concerned about being called an occupier. It was for that reason that he overpaid for the cave of Machpelah so that no one would ever say that he buried his dead on the land of another without permission. Perhaps the definitive ...

Everyone wants affordable energy — nobody wants to cut the ribbon

Northeastern states are scrambling to address rising energy costs. New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and others are even considering abandoning some of their most restrictive Green New Deal-style emissions policies to increase the supply of affordable sources. Such new energy projects are among the most difficult endeavors to bring to fruition. Requiring massive investments and at least a modicum of public support, they have no chance of becoming reality without people of influence standing for their success. Take the proposed Constitution Pipeline, for instance. The benefits of ...

Single-payer health care lacks credibility

Billionaire progressive activist and California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer recently remarked: “Health care companies only care about one thing: profits. Single-payer now.” This is the same Tom Steyer who opposed single-payer when he ran for president in 2020. “Bernie Sanders was right,” he says. “Boy, was I wrong.” He still cannot explain how to pay for it. Can anyone? Single-payer health care has been the progressive left’s signature domestic demand for four decades. It has generated presidential campaigns, mass rallies, congressional cosponsors and an ...

Informed debate — not party lines

Laws are created for many reasons: for protection, regulation, to promote fairness and safety, establish consistency, resolve conflicts, and enable trust. When legislators vote, we are responsible for educating ourselves and being open to hearing both sides of an issue. At times, I can vote on a bill with firm conviction. Other times I listen to arguments for and against and find myself changing my mind with each new speaker. What will be best for everyone in the long run? This was the case with House Bill 1814, which passed in the House on June 1. House Bill 1814 would ban the ...

First responders deserve cost-of-living bump

For decades, Pennsylvania’s police officers and firefighters have answered the call when their communities needed them most. They worked nights, weekends, holidays, and in dangerous conditions to protect our neighborhoods, respond to emergencies, and keep our families safe. Yet many of these dedicated public servants now find themselves struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living in retirement. The members of Susquehanna Valley FOP Lodge #52 represent municipal law enforcement officers serving seven counties in north-central Pennsylvania: Columbia, Clinton, Lycoming, ...

Governor wants energy affordability — here’s one simple way to prove it

Gov. Josh Shapiro often talks about “energy affordability.” It’s a phrase that shows up in his stump speeches and his attacks on PJM and utility companies whenever electricity bills come up. But the governor’s political theater won’t lower utility bills. In fact, basic supply-and-demand economics suggest otherwise. The surging demand from data centers, electric vehicles, and the onshoring of manufacturing have pushed our grid to the brink. Meanwhile, government policies have artificially suppressed supply. State mandates and yearslong entanglements in carbon-tax schemes ...