A contributor asks: “Would someone please explain to us exactly what the government is doing in the hotel and convention center business? If ever there were an ‘industry’ that should be completely dependent on private investment—primarily because of the unusually high degree of risk involved—it should be the ‘hospitality’ industry. “I have no problem with […]
Year: 2009
AP / INTELLIGENCER NEW ERA
“Body of missing Maryland girl found in woods” reports:“The body of a Maryland girl who authorities say was abducted by a registered sex offender was found Friday in a wooded area near the Delaware state line after thousands of volunteers spent Christmas searching for her.” WATCHDOG: Tears came as we read the above. Here we […]
Retailers expecting plenty of post-Christmas traffic
With droves of receipt-carrying, gift card-weilding, bargain-hunting shoppers, the day after Christmas has been long known to local retailers for its heavy store traffic. Revenues are typically strong, though not quite proportionate to the number of shoppers due to the abundance of gift returns and clearance sales. For this December 26, however, retailers are expecting unusually heavy traffic and revenues healthily surpassing the dredges of 2008…
FINANCIAL TIMES / REUTER
“China revises up 2008 growth to 9.6 per cent” continues “China on Friday revised up its 2008 growth rate to 9.6 per cent, taking it well above the originally reported 9.0 per cent after calculating that the service sector had been more productive than previously thought.” WATCHDOG: In comparison, here are the Gross National Product […]
NEWMAX.COM
An article reports “Poll: Just 29% Say U.S. Heading on Right Course” and continues: “Just 29 percent of U.S. voters now say the country is heading in the right direction, the lowest level measured since early February, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. “The percentage of voters who felt the country is […]
NEW YORK TIMES
An article “As Revenue Plunges, Stadium Boom Deepens Municipal Woes” reports: “Years after a wave of construction brought publicly financed stadiums costing billions of dollars to cities across the country, taxpayers are once again being asked to reach into their pockets. “From New Jersey to Ohio to Arizona, the stadiums were sold as a key […]
LETTER: The night before Christmas. Se hablan…
I’m sharing our experience in the hopes that some people might learn a little from it. My stepson has been dating a young lady from Lancaster Township for several months now; both are in their early 30s. To say that she is attractive would be a serious understatement; she is a professional photographer, who does some really impressive work (including works of art in addition to portraits)…
NEW YORK TIMES
“A 32-year-old woman hanged herself in a holding cell at an East New York police station Friday evening, police said.
“The woman was found unconscious and hanging from the front of the cell, with a pair of pants around her neck, about 45 minutes after being brought in. A police official said the woman had been arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana.”
WATCHDOG: While we enjoy the Christmas holiday with friends and family, let’s also reflect on the hundreds of thousands of individuals in prison for, at most, crimes against themselves…things that millions of others do each year without being arrested…things that are far less dangerous than drinking alcoholic beverages or smoking…
Colloquy re annual number of tourists
(The following discussion appeared on NewsLanc’s private e-mail list.) Visitor #1: The December 2009 issue of “Small Market Meetings” has a three-page promotional piece about the Lancaster County Convention Center….Visitor #2: Project backers for years have claimed that the County attracts some 8 milion tourists a year…
WASHINGTON POST / INTELL
In an article “Seizing the moment on health-care reform” (“Winning ugly on health care” in the Intell), Eugene Robinson writes: “When all is said and done — and, yes, there is a bit more saying and doing to endure, which means that anything can happen — the health-care reform legislation that President Obama now seems likely to sign into law, while an unlovely mess, will be remembered as a landmark accomplishment…
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
In an editorial “A chance to reform state government”, the Intell opines “A constitutional convention would allow people to address systemic shortcomings in Harrisburg to improve state government. It could propose a smaller, more efficient Legislature. It could establish term limits. It could reduce, if not eliminate, unfunded mandates the state imposes on local government. […]
Harrisburg Pike better streetcar route
Concerning the “Streetcars vs. light rail” article of December 11th, 2009: Hm. Don’t be surprised if this http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/1115096.html winds up coming down our pike: “The federal government recently said it will distribute $125million nationwide for transit projects that could include streetcars – an announcement that Charlotte officials said could help the city’s planned center city […]
Martin: County should consider cutting Urban Grants in 2010
On Wednesday, December 23, the county commissioners formally passed the County’s 2010 operating budget. In the course of related discussion, the commissioners weighed in on the County’s anticipated capital expenditures for next year, which total about $31 million. According to Commissioner Scott Martin, however, those expenses could—and perhaps should—be reduced by cutting the County’s Urban Enhancement grant program in 2010…
Higher and progressive taxes better for the economy
A NewsLanc visitor posed a question: “Is a tax system using VAT progressive or regressive compared to our system combining sales taxes and income taxes?” (‘Progressive’ means that the poor pay less tax on every additional dollar than do the well off; ‘Regressive’ means that the poor pay the same of more taxes for each additional dollar than those who are well off.)…