Our hospitals and health clinics are constantly evolving, perhaps never more quickly than during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across Pennsylvania, medical facilities have made rapid changes to accommodate new patients while keeping staff safe as they treat patients with COVID-19. But the crisis is…
We sometimes think of states as competitors, given the competing interests of attracting investment opportunities and growing commercial activity. That said, the twin developments of the shale boom and ensuing manufacturing renaissance show that doesn’t always have to be the case. Recently a…
When it comes to addressing the pandemic, the federal government gets a grade of D- on its public health policy and a B+ on its monetary policy to help the economy. In explaining the poor grade on public health, the daily news cycle has rightly focused on the absence of presidential leadersh…
Recently in a social media post, Congressman Guy Reschenthaler blamed the violent unrest in Portland, Ore., and other cities around the country on “anarchists and communists” and “spoiled brats.” This cannot be further from the truth. These peaceful protests, like the various ones held in Wa…
Our son Jack graduated this past weekend from Central Catholic High School. Nothing about the day seemed ordinary. It was hot and sunny like much of the summer, sure. But in my stomach I was twisted. I felt so many things. Sadness. Frustration. Bitterness. Pride. Mainly pride. Jack is soon o…
”Freedom is Never More Than One Generation Away From Extinction.” –
Growing up across the river from Clairton, the glow of the steel plant, a clanging spectacle of industrial might, was a constant reminder of who we all are.
At President Trump’s speech at Mt. Rushmore, he warned: “As we meet here tonight, there is a growing danger that threatens every blessing our ancestors fought so hard for, struggled, they bled to secure.” What is this existential threat? COVID-19, which is once again raging through the count…
The job of president of the United States is tough. It is physically and mentally demanding. The incumbent of the office must be able to think through problems as well as deal face-to-face with a multitude of people in various forums. The president must stand before cameras and audiences and…
A public library is the most enduring of memorials, the trustiest monument for the preservation of an event or a name or an affection; for it, and it only, is respected by wars and revolutions, and survives them. – Mark Twain
Police unions present a dilemma for progressives. Progressives appreciate the importance of unions generally in helping workers secure better wages and benefits, more control over their workplace, protection from being fired, and workplace safely. But police have historically been used to pr…
In late June, the Trump campaign sued the 67 county election boards in Pennsylvania in federal court over the recent expansion of mail-in ballots in the state. Joining the Trump campaign in the filing are U.S. Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (who represents Washington County), Mike Kelly, John Joyce…
In the event that you did not read Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s 243-paged natural gas report in its entirety, here’s the key takeaway: factually, legally inaccurate.
“There is really nothing more to say – except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how.”
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the word “privilege.” It’s the idea that one group of people, through no fault or doing of their own, has been dealt a better hand in life than other groups. And because of those purportedly winning cards, they are able to sail through life more easily…
The nearly 150,000 registered voters of Washington County are quickly arriving at decision time. Will they be better off for the next four years with the policies of President Trump that have brought record employment, low taxes, low regulation, protection from illegal immigration and a boom…
There is no denying that the world around us is a mess.
Recent newspaper commentaries and discussions with Black friends have focused my attention on the issue of “white privilege” and compelled me to take a fresh look at the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. I am convinced that white privilege colors the way many whites view BLM. Moreover, BLM …
There’s nothing short of a crisis in our state capital.
The death of George Floyd during his arrest by Minneapolis police has reenergized demands to reduce police violence. The police are state-authorized to use violence to maintain order. How and when police use that authority has a problematic history, especially for African Americans. Inherent…
“Disingenuous and misleading.” That’s how a researcher at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy characterizes the American Lung Association’s continual misrepresentation of air quality in the greater Pittsburgh region.
”Freedom is Never More Than One Generation Away From Extinction.” –
Growing up across the river from Clairton, the glow of the steel plant, a clanging spectacle of industrial might, was a constant reminder of who we all are.
At President Trump’s speech at Mt. Rushmore, he warned: “As we meet here tonight, there is a growing danger that threatens every blessing our ancestors fought so hard for, struggled, they bled to secure.” What is this existential threat? COVID-19, which is once again raging through the count…
The job of president of the United States is tough. It is physically and mentally demanding. The incumbent of the office must be able to think through problems as well as deal face-to-face with a multitude of people in various forums. The president must stand before cameras and audiences and…
A public library is the most enduring of memorials, the trustiest monument for the preservation of an event or a name or an affection; for it, and it only, is respected by wars and revolutions, and survives them. – Mark Twain
Police unions present a dilemma for progressives. Progressives appreciate the importance of unions generally in helping workers secure better wages and benefits, more control over their workplace, protection from being fired, and workplace safely. But police have historically been used to pr…
In late June, the Trump campaign sued the 67 county election boards in Pennsylvania in federal court over the recent expansion of mail-in ballots in the state. Joining the Trump campaign in the filing are U.S. Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (who represents Washington County), Mike Kelly, John Joyce…
In the event that you did not read Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s 243-paged natural gas report in its entirety, here’s the key takeaway: factually, legally inaccurate.
“There is really nothing more to say – except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how.”
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the word “privilege.” It’s the idea that one group of people, through no fault or doing of their own, has been dealt a better hand in life than other groups. And because of those purportedly winning cards, they are able to sail through life more easily…
The nearly 150,000 registered voters of Washington County are quickly arriving at decision time. Will they be better off for the next four years with the policies of President Trump that have brought record employment, low taxes, low regulation, protection from illegal immigration and a boom…
There is no denying that the world around us is a mess.
Recent newspaper commentaries and discussions with Black friends have focused my attention on the issue of “white privilege” and compelled me to take a fresh look at the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. I am convinced that white privilege colors the way many whites view BLM. Moreover, BLM …
There’s nothing short of a crisis in our state capital.
The death of George Floyd during his arrest by Minneapolis police has reenergized demands to reduce police violence. The police are state-authorized to use violence to maintain order. How and when police use that authority has a problematic history, especially for African Americans. Inherent…
“Disingenuous and misleading.” That’s how a researcher at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy characterizes the American Lung Association’s continual misrepresentation of air quality in the greater Pittsburgh region.
Our region understands the consequences of China’s malicious behavior better than most. In 2015, Washington County made national headlines when a deadly batch of fentanyl-laced heroin, an illicit substance exported from China, tragically caused 25 overdoses in the span of 48 hours. In 2014, …
Education means more than checking off academic boxes and sending students along. To ensure our students are ready and excited for the careers of tomorrow, we, as educators, must be willing to try new approaches and take informed chances that provide diverse learning opportunities.
I miss the conservative political ideology I spent most of my life opposing. I miss the principles of conservatism that I vigorously argued against. I miss framing responses to the commentaries of conservative journalists. I miss debating the policies of past conservative Republican presiden…
Mass protests of the murder of George Floyd have swept the nation and have even made their way to Washington County. In the past few weeks we have seen two protests in the city of Washington, another at California University of Pennsylvania and another scheduled for Canonsburg. All have been…
Pennsylvania’s general fund coffers took a major hit because of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. But the full scope might not be evident until next year, and state government must take serious steps to facilitate recovery, concludes a new analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy.
Over the past few months, our way of doing business has changed. Where we once crammed into a conference room with our co-workers to finalize a presentation, we are now practicing it over Zoom from our dining room tables. Parents, many of whom are working from home, are balancing their child…
My boys were sitting around the kitchen island the other night, eating dinner and sharing some favorite memories about growing up together. Their age range – 20, 18, 14 and twins who are 11 – makes the “remember when” conversations hilarious to overhear, even though my husband and I are almo…
The Washington Branch NAACP wishes to explain its position on events in which unarmed black men and women have died at the hands of police officers.
Television host Johnny Carson once described happiness as “a rare steak, a bottle of whiskey, and a dog to eat the rare steak.” Pennsylvanians pursuing happiness in these difficult times would love to relax with their favorite drink – but our government-controlled liquor system has left them…
As I took a knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds on Friday to protest the brutal killing of George Floyd by police, I thought about the adage of “think global, act local.” Eight minutes and 46 seconds doesn’t seem like a long time until you are kneeling on the concrete, thinking about how long …
DMI Companies started 41 years ago with three guys in a garage outside of Pittsburgh trying to solve a problem. Today it is the largest provider of HVAC components in North America. The company prides itself in being forward looking, seeking to stay ahead of the curve on energy efficiency an…
In 1968, a new local government article to the Pennsylvania Constitution guaranteed the right of all Pennsylvania counties and municipalities to adopt home rule charters and exercise home rule powers. The constitutional change was hailed as a watershed in the history of local government in P…
A dozen years ago, as our economy began to heal from the depths of the Great Recession, natural gas development lifted our region’s economy, creating good-paying jobs, filling union halls, and getting Western Pennsylvanians working again. Today, as we begin our gradual pandemic recovery, nat…
Once again, Washington County businesses and residents should be proud. Our continued commitment to the stay-at-home guidelines, practicing social distancing and personal safety protection to prevent COVID-19’s spread has yielded the result we have all worked for – Governor Wolf’s announceme…
When we think about rights that the U.S. Constitution grants us as citizens, the first ones to come to mind are generally the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, the right to religion, or even the right to peaceably assemble. And the thought of infringing on any of these stirs up g…
When I was growing up in the 1970s, my friends and I called her Marge. Marge was never her name. But it sounded about right. She acted a lot older than she was. You know. Out of touch. Uptight. Controlling. A know-it-all.
Here’s a question all of the two million unemployed Pennsylvanians, their families, people about to lose jobs, homes, businesses and most of the rest of us are interested in: When does an emergency cease to be an emergency? It might continue to be a problem, even a serious one, but at some p…
Opening up state economies is proving to be more problematic and politically charged than shutting them down and staying in place. This fact has fostered a lively debate over the role of government-directed public health in a democracy.
The federal government’s Payroll Protection Program (PPP) has become a lifeline for businesses struggling to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. The $670 billion program was created to help businesses remain open, keep their workers employed, and cover some overhead costs by providing forgivable …
In his recent articles on the 1918 influenza pandemic, Tom Milhollan has shown us how remarkably similar this current crisis is to the one that caused so much pain here a century ago. That we have been compelled to stay at home, shutter our businesses, forego entertainment, socially distance…
During a recent news conference, Gov. Tom Wolf described his response to the pandemic as a war against COVID-19. Although almost none of us has experienced fighting a pandemic, fighting in a war is something that I am familiar with. In 2005, I was deployed to Afghanistan as an airborne infan…
I’m wearing my favorite and most comfortable T-shirt as I write this. It’s a super-soft, bright blue short-sleever with red letters that say “Reagan/Bush 1984” on the front. Rarely in my 50 years have I looked back upon past eras or administrations and wished we could return to the “good old…
Many of us are looking for a path forward in our political leadership, work lives and long-term health. We are in the middle of a highly charged partisan presidential election year, which just happens to be occurring during the worst economic and medical disaster in over a hundred years.
Washington County businesses and residents should be proud. After weeks of committing to the Pennsylvania Department of Health’s stay-at-home guidelines, practicing social distancing and utilizing masks and other personal safety protection to prevent COVID-19’s spread, our dedication has pai…
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Ronald Reagan called these nine words the most terrifying in the English language. During this pandemic, we have continuously heard these words, and Reagan’s suspicion has been confirmed. At the state level, we have seen failures of dramatic pr…
Increasingly, our government, at all levels, forgets the immortal words of Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg when he spoke of our government as being a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
In all my years in public service, there has not been a crisis that has had such wide-ranging effects. What started as a disease in a foreign land has now advanced throughout our great nation. With the spread of COVID-19 has come disbelief and fear which has grown into frustration and anger.
If the word hypocrisy did not exist, there would be no context in which to speak of Democratic behavioral standards.
There has been much talk recently about the financial issues surrounding the U.S. Postal Service. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought economic uncertainty to many businesses, and the USPS has not been immune. While many of us are ordering more online, the use of first-class and media mail has …
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted daily life for everyone here in the commonwealth but it is encouraging to see that regulators for essential and life-sustaining industries are doing their part to maximize the well-being of Pennsylvanians.
I remember riding the bus home from middle school when two popular girls sitting cross-armed in the back row decided to take aim at me. Cynthia and Sue. Those were their names. Cynthia was blonde and mean with a pebbly complexion and angry eyebrows. Sue was her taller sidekick with dry, stri…
President Trump is fond of referring to the COVID-19 pandemic as the plague. Like many of his science-related pronouncements, this is a misstatement. Plague is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium. COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus.
Just be patient. That’s what we’re being told. Just be patient.
