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‘COVID sense’ — a mix of common sense, sense of responsibility

A few weeks ago, on a morning warm and sunny and not yet impacted by the smoky wrath of the Canadian wildfires, I sat on our outside steps, enjoying the beautiful breeze, when out of the blue my left ear suddenly began to ache. It wasn’t a minor ache — this had attitude, and unlike previous aches, was in for the duration. By evening the pain had intensified to the point where it had made itself known and was not going to let me forget it. Eventually I developed an aggressive tickle cough, which led to a sore throat, and ultimately fatigue, as the combination of these symptoms ...

Donald Trump and ‘Russia Russia Russia: No collusion’

Donald Trump has consistently denied colluding with the Russians during the 2016 campaign. From all we know right now, no one can prove that’s not the truth. So as we continue to vivisect the 2016 Presidential election, let’s accept what he is saying about this subject as true, and just confine our examination to what we know the Russians did during the 2016 elections and what former President Trump did in response. To me, the argument that Donald Trump did not collude with the Russians is like the argument of a husband trying to make up with his wife after she finds out he “has ...

Speech ultimately a reminder that ‘hypocrisy is the mother of all evil’

“Hypocrisy is the mother of all evil and racial prejudice is still her favorite child.” Don King. What is remarkable about hypocrisy, and perhaps people in general, is that anyone can be a hypocrite and all people are capable of bigotry. It is not just the majority that can be guilty of racial prejudice. Just like disease can affect all people regardless of race, color, origin, or any other trait, the disease of hate can be disseminated by a variety of disagreeable, irrational, and repugnant people. Just such a person gave the commencement address recently at the law school of ...

Bloated budget proposal disappoints

Adopting a state budget each year is one of the most important tasks of the General Assembly. I take seriously my commitment to ensure your tax dollars are invested responsibly to support the core functions of government. That’s why I was very disappointed last week as majority House Democrats piled on to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s already bloated budget and forced through a nearly $46.5 billion spending plan. That’s a $5.7 billion, or 14%, increase over the current year! This level of spending is unsustainable and, if enacted, would lead to a 30% tax hike in the near future. It is ...

School property taxes fund cyber charter schools’ excesses

More than $3.4 million spent on advertising over a 3-month period. Over $75,000 spent on tickets, parking, and concessions for Major League baseball games–including $50 per person for rooftop catering. Tens of thousands of dollars spent sponsoring minor league baseball and hockey teams. Over $100,000 spent on branded clothing and other swag. These aren’t the expenses of a large private corporation. Instead, these are a few examples from nearly 3,000 pages of invoices Education Voters of PA received from Right to Know requests for cyber charter school advertising costs in the ...

Volunteer — get more than you give

Most of us have heard people say something along the lines of “I get more out of it than they do” when talking about the volunteer experience. Some will even couch that statement with “I know it sounds cliché, but …” as if others may not believe the genuine feeling they get from their belief. However, it’s a statement that should be celebrated without an ounce of shame, because it highlights the truth about the volunteer experience. When we volunteer, we can find common ground with others we may have perceived as different from ourselves. We discover new passions and ...