As a child I spent summers in Lancaster visiting an aunt who live on College Avenue near Buchannan Park. I have many fond memories of riding the escalators in Watt and Shand. I remember the blind man who sat outside selling soft pretzels. At the time Lancaster was one of the few places where one […]
Month: August 2010
Sweet Pea Project Plans Events for National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month
October is National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, and Sweet Pea Project has planned two events to raise awareness in the community and offer support to those who have suffered the profound and permanent loss of a child. Sweet Pea Project kicks off the month with Kids Cookie Creation Station, a three day long […]
Experts: Drilling Ban May Not Be Needed Any More
NEWSMAX: A ban on deepwater drilling may no longer be needed now that the oil industry and the government appear to have developed safer drilling regimes, an expert panel said Thursday in a report to the presidential commission investigating the Gulf oil spill. The report by the Bipartisan Policy Center is likely to boost oil […]
Surprise slowdown in US credit card losses
FINANCIAL TIMERS: US credit-card losses are falling faster than expected, with the six largest card issuers expected to earn nearly $10bn more in the coming 12 months than predicted, says a study by Moody’s. Historically, US credit-card write-offs have tracked the unemployment rate. But for the first time in a decade, loans considered uncollectible by […]
LETTER: How the stimulus bill saved America
At last the secret is revealed. Not only has the stimulus saved us in the short term from a depression and given tax relief to 95% of taxpayers, but it is much broader and deeper in providing medium term foundations to help solve many long term challenges of our country and make it competitive in the 21st century. Too bad it has been such a carefully guarded secret. Hopefully if the truth were to be known we might yet be able to save the country from its obstructionist forces.
Gambling on Gettysburg
From the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Honoring more hallowed ground in Gettysburg with links to the pivotal Civil War battle and President Abraham Lincoln’s historic visit makes far better sense than bringing a casino to the neighborhood. As the state Gaming Control Board convenes a hearing Tuesday on the proposed casino in Gettysburg, gambling proponents will argue […]
A poll finds the Senate and governor’s races toss-ups with registered voters
From the PATRIOT-NEWS: …The poll points to ominous signs for Democrats. Voters are pessimistic about the state’s direction, the economy, and the performance of President Barack Obama, Madonna said. And Democratic voters say they are less likely to vote than Republicans. Republican Pat Toomey, the former Lehigh Valley congressman and Wall Street banker, leads Democratic […]
Local examples of why American health care is broken
A youngster visits his Otolaryngologist (hearing doctor) for a routine examination and is billed $175 for the consultation, of which his insurance company pays $145. He came from the barber shop and he mentions that he has an itch in his ear. The doctor takes a look, removes a hair with tweezers, and adds a charge of $215 for “Foreign body removal external ear canal” of which the insurance company is charged the full amount.
What can happen with electronic voting machines
Editor’s note: Despite efforts on the part of NewsLanc to disuade the prior Shellenberger Commissioners from purchasing discarded electronic voting machines, some were purchased. Fortunately the current board of commissioners have declined to purchase more. The below press release from www.BlackBoxVoting.org is an example of what can happen when there is no way to verify each […]
New Home Sales Fell 12.4% in July
From AOL / AP: Sales of new homes dropped sharply last month to the slowest pace on record, the latest sign that the economic recovery is fading. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that new home sales fell 12.4 percent in July from a month earlier to a seasonally adjusted annual sales pace of 276,600. That […]
Republican party being usurped
The Republicans have replaced the incompetent RNC led by mistake prone Michael Steele with a Karl Rove led 527 and 501(c)(4), American Crossroads. It will do the nuts and bolts of campaigns that the RNC usually does but can take unlimited sized donations from individuals and corporations as well as keep donations anonymous. Will the […]
The sale of Conestoga View nursing home revisited
For those of us with memories that stretch back five years, the following headline and opening paragraph from the Intelligencer Journal / New Era come across as bitterly ironic:
“Conestoga View set to kick off expansion: In its biggest upgrade since becoming privately owned, Conestoga View next week will embark on a $2.3 million expansion and renovation.”
Penn State to lead ‘energy innovation hub’ at Navy Yard
From the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: A research consortium led by Pennsylvania State University won up to $129 million in federal funding to develop an “energy innovation hub” at the Philadelphia Navy Yard – a project expected to create and retain 1,200 jobs in the area immediately and as many as 100,000 over the next five to […]
U.S. Senate campaign is a race to the political middle
From the PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: Candidates run to the political middle in every general election, but rarely do they have to go as far as Pennsylvania’s Senate candidates. As many as 13 Senate seats are considered toss-ups this year, but the divergent voting records of Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak and former Rep. Pat Toomey make this […]