SCRANTON TIMES-TRIBUNE Editorial: The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission don’t know exactly what is causing the disfigurement of smallmouth bass throughout the southern stretches of the Susquehanna River.
Month: April 2013
Pennsylvania Turnpike contract strings exposed
Giving money to candidates to help win lucrative contracts was common and expected, according to two contractors mentioned in a damning grand jury report that produced criminal charges against eight people connected with the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
In a first, black voter turnout rate passes whites
USA TODAY / AP: America’s blacks voted at a higher rate than other minority groups in 2012 and by most measures surpassed the white turnout for the first time, reflecting a deeply polarized presidential election in which blacks strongly supported Barack Obama while many whites stayed home. Had people voted last November at the same […]
Rand Paul Stirs Business Ire Over Blocking Tax Treaties
NEWSMAX: Citing privacy concerns about Americans’ tax data, Paul, a Republican and libertarian, has single-handedly blocked Senate action on treaties with Hungary, Switzerland and Luxembourg that have been signed by authorities on both sides, but have been awaiting Senate review since 2011… Paul has said he is concerned that recent treaties would give foreign governments […]
Anthony Foxx tapped to head Transportation
USA TODAY: With his pick of Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to be his next Transportation Secretary, President Obama has decided to tap a young mayor from one of the country’s most vibrant cities to join his nearly completed second-term Cabinet… White House officials, who said that the president will announce the pick on Monday, noted […]
Are you a “host” or “sponger?”
Hosts foot the bill for services and benefits, not only for themselves, but for most spongers. Hosts must pay taxes to support work places, libraries, airports, schools, hospitals, stores, social and fraternal clubs and more. Hosts pay for care of the streets leading to these necessities, fire and police protection and other municipal services.
Karzai’s Office Gets Bags Full of C.I.A. Cash
NEW YORK TIMES: …The C.I.A., which declined to comment for this article, has long been known to support some relatives and close aides of Mr. Karzai. But the new accounts of off-the-books cash delivered directly to his office show payments on a vaster scale, and with a far greater impact on everyday governing. Moreover, there […]
Abrams Tank Pushed By Congress Despite Army’s Protests
HUFFINGTON POST: …Lawmakers from both parties have devoted nearly half a billion dollars in taxpayer money over the past two years to build improved versions of the 70-ton Abrams. But senior Army officials have said repeatedly, “No thanks.” It’s the inverse of the federal budget world these days, in which automatic spending cuts are leaving […]
Let’s lease capacity, not purchase, Harrisburg incinerator
Re: “LCSWMA board minutes shed light on long road to buying the Harrisburg incinerator” Kudo’s to Newslanc for digging into this. What? Confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements between public (taxpayer funded) institutions? Prices set by Dolphin County Commissioners? Dolphin County sets the price and LCSWMA pays it? Borrowing 150 Million dollars to buy a troubled incinerator […]
The Criminal Mind
WALL STREET JOURNAL Column: …The field of neurocriminology—using neuroscience to understand and prevent crime—is revolutionizing our understanding of what drives “bad” behavior. More than 100 studies of twins and adopted children have confirmed that about half of the variance in aggressive and antisocial behavior can be attributed to genetics. Other research has begun to pinpoint […]
LCSWMA board minutes shed light on long road to buying the Harrisburg incinerator
• The original purchase price of the Harrisburg incinerator was only $45 million which has now swollen to as much as $150 million.
• LCSWMA proposes to pay off Covanta’s $25 million loan.
LANCASTER SUNDAY NEWS
“Here, officials say they’re generally pleased with the generosity of local health care systems. In Lancaster city, the health system’s $237,000 in tax payments and $1.38 million payment in lieu of taxes mean that in fiscal year 2013, it will pay about 95 percent of what its tax bill would have been without the exemptions.”…
Safety first: The motorcycle death toll argues for a helmet law
But since 2003 most motorcycle riders in Pennsylvania have been allowed to go helmet-less in the name of freedom. The results have been predictable. The Governors Highway Safety Association reports a rising national epidemic of motorcycle fatalities, including 210 in Pennsylvania last year — a 5.5 percent increase.
Pa. beer laws adding volatility to liquor debate
PHILLY.COM: Where you can buy beer in Pennsylvania will be the subject of debate in the coming weeks in the state Senate, pitting profit-seeking businesses against one another and perhaps even against residents’ wishes. The debate about beer is largely a passenger in Gov. Tom Corbett’s drive to privatize the state-controlled sales of wine and […]