PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE: …The Electoral Integrity Project, affiliated with Harvard University and the University of Sydney in Australia, evaluated states’ electoral systems based on interviews with more than 700 political scientists. Researchers scored states on the perceived integrity of 11 aspects of the electoral process, from how congressional and legislative districts are drawn to how votes […]
Education gone berserk: The pursuit of the empty 4.0
By Robert Field Perhaps you have read the articles on the chase by parents that begins in New York City and elsewhere for placement of children in a prestigious pre-school program as the first step in getting into a good school, college, post graduate and job! Yet this is a perceived as a necessity by […]
US elections still vulnerable to rigging, disruption; PA Especially Vulnerable
CNBC / AP: ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Jill Stein’s bid to recount votes in Pennsylvania was in trouble even before a federal judge shot it down Dec. 12. That’s because the Green Party candidate’s effort stood almost no chance of detecting potential fraud or error in the vote — there was basically nothing to […]
Putin loses some support of Russians
By Slava Tsukerman: According to the Levada Center Survey made in late November, 2016, 29% of respondents admitted that in recent years their attitude toward the Russian President Vladimir Putin has worsened. At the same time 55% of respondents said that their attitude toward the head of state in recent years has not changed. And […]
LETTER: My Confession
Dear Hillary, I realize nobody is going to read this email on your end, but I’m writing it anyway. A lot was riding on this election. Your losing it to an ignorant, immoral con man and bigot was not merely an epic fail, it was THE epic fail of all time. Yes, Russia, Wikileaks, fake […]
Changes in education, P-1
By Dick Miller: (First of two parts) WE.CONNECT.DOTS: With new players in place as a result of last month’s general elections, the political battle on the who, how and why of education is certain to escalate. At the Federal level, President-elect Donald Trump promises to “drain the swamp.” Education will feel the changes through […]
The day may come when Lancaster City will need to sell its antiquated sewer systems
A lengthily article appeared in the New York Times entitled “In American Towns, Private Profits From Public Works” which starts with the situation of Bayonne, NJ which sold its waterworks but then goes on to deal with the issue in general of public / private partnerships. The article bears especially relevance to residents of the […]
PA license won’t be valid for federal buildings in January, air travel in 2018
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Starting on Jan. 30, Pennsylvanians most likely will need an alternative, more secure form of identification to enter federal facilities. And starting in January 2018, current state licenses won’t be sufficient for boarding commercial flights. The problem is that Pennsylvania licenses and state IDs don’t meet the requirements of the federal REAL ID […]
Maine Legalization Opponents Give Up on Recount.
By Phil Smith DRUG WAR CHRONICLE: The anti-legalization group that challenged the narrow victory of Question 1 in last month’s elections has given up the ghost. No on 1 said Saturday it was apparent that the recount would not change the outcome. “We promised folks that if we came to a point where we could […]
Rare Russian article on anti-semitic incident
By Slava Tsukerman There is no official state anti-Semitism in contemporary Russia. So until recently there were no publications about substantial acts of anti-Semitism. But lately the political tension and mutual hatred in Russian society keeps growing and it was inevitable that such an act should finally happen. And it happened on December 11, in […]
Layoffs were foreseen
By Dick Miller WE.CONNECT.DOTS: Some 521 employees of the PA Department of Labor and Industry (L & I) are set to lose their jobs tomorrow, less than a week before Christmas. Perhaps this is as good of a time as any to review Gov. Tom Wolf’s business prowess for the top state government job. […]
AG Decision not to prosecute Manheim Township School Board vindicates County Commissioners of 2006
LNP: December 18, 2016: “Attorney General declines to prosecute in Manheim Township School Board case” “The state Attorney General’s Office said Thursday it will not prosecute members of the Manheim Township School because its investigation ‘did not reveal any evidence of an illegal intent’ to violate the Sunshine Act. The state’s top law enforcement […]
In Legal Marijuana States, Consumers Are Turning to Buds Over Beer
by Phil Smith (smith) DRUG WAR CHRONICLE: A new industry study says access to legal marijuana is having a negative impact on beer sales. That’s bad news for the brewing industry, but good news from a public health perspective. According to the industry site Brewbound, the research firm Cowen & Company analyzed the beer industries […]
Lancaster city accused of ‘under the table’ deal for selling West King property at ‘extraordinarily low’ price
LNP: Lancaster city used legally questionable means to sell two historic downtown properties to its preferred buyer at a steep discount without advertising the prime real estate or inviting bids, a city business owner told City Council on Tuesday… Taking all factors into consideration, sale price is “extraordinarily low,” and “perhaps less than half the […]