LEHGH VALLEY MORNING CALL COLUMN: …I am not going to go into the facts about the merits of the increase and the opponents’ claims that it will cost jobs, the world will come to an end, blah, blah, blah. The facts are all there and they overwhelmingly support the increase. But this isn’t about the facts. This is fundamentally about values and what we want our world to look like. Do we use public policy to level the playing field? Do we make sure every child has enough to eat?
So, there’s something else in play: politics. Shocking, I know, but this is about winners and losers. The people in control not only want to win but also want to stand on the throats of their political opponents. Committee chairs won’t even let the rank and file vote on these legislative proposals because they rather like looking down at the losers from the other party.
So, with each passing day, increases in the cost of living set our neighbors back still further. The lines at our food pantries are loaded with people who work but can’t afford to pay their rent… (more)
