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‘That dog won’t hunt?’ — or will he?

I am not sure why, but I just love the adage “That dog won’t hunt.” Of uncertain origin, but often said to originate in the southern United States, “That dog won’t hunt” literally means that an ill-suited or poorly trained dog will never catch its prey. By extension, the saying refers to something that is never going to work or be successful, The saying “This dog won’t hunt” is often considered an axiom, that is, a self-evident truth that requires no proof. Today, I would like to introduce to you to a different kind of dog, a dog who can be counted on to hunt ...

Standing with UPS workers to deliver safe workplaces and fair wages

Pennsylvania’s history is the history of organized labor. Our fathers and mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers, and generations beyond literally risked their lives to stand up against the robber barons and their corrupt allies in government that put the rich above the people. They shed their blood in dangerous mines and factories. They died in preventable accidents caused by greed and indifference toward the plight of working people. They led the fight for the things we take for granted today: 40-hour workweeks, paid holidays, health insurance, a chance to retire, and so much ...

Parenthood is a sacred duty and responsibility

Though it’s been a couple of weeks since the Sun-Gazette first reported it, I am haunted by the headline, “Two mothers jailed after 3 kids found in ‘deplorable’ apartment.” Two women, ages 22 and 31, are alleged to have abandoned three children, ages 1, 2 and 9, in an apartment in Williamsport. Only because the kids were screaming so loud did neighbors hear them and rescue the children while calling authorities. The women had left, locked the kids in the apartment and came back much later that day, police said. They allegedly did that regularly. City police described the ...

Low-income students deserve a PASS

Governor Shapiro recently reneged on his support for the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) program, leaving students set to benefit from this lifeline desperately trapped in schools that are failing them. To understand how dire the situation is for these students, let’s talk about how low-achieving those low-achieving schools are. Only 20% of students in low-achieving high schools are proficient in math, and 28% in English. That means 80% are not proficient at math for their grade level and 72% are not proficient at English for their grade level. If that is not ...

They bear witness to panic, neglect

Given recently slashed public health funding, Katelyn Jetelina, Ph.D., remarked that “public health is a cycle of panic and neglect.” It doesn’t take someone from out of town to tell us that. Indeed, several people who have shared their stories in this space since 2021 want others to know how they have been managing the aftermath of COVID-19 disease in their lives. We should heed their concerns about how to protect all our communities and follow soon-to-be-announced recommendations for fall immunizations. “It has been just over two years since I contracted the SARS-CoV-2 ...

Shapiro can still rescue himself — and the kids depending on him

Sealing a deal with an old-fashioned handshake may seem like a throwback to a bygone era. After all, does anybody still rely on a handshake promise in an age of lawyers, contracts, and endless documentation? Well—yes. Under Pennsylvania’s capitol dome, it happens every year. A complex negotiation between the governor and legislative leaders over how to spend tens of billions of taxpayer dollars all boils down to a handshake. Arguably, that’s how most lawmaking happens. I saw it myself during my eight years as a Pennsylvania state representative. Trust is the coin of the realm, ...