Robert Field had lived in Lancaster for 45 years but his business and political activists interests were mainly national and international. It took the Convention Center issue to attract his attention and, to his horror, the realization that what had once been one of the fairest and most democratic counties had fallen under the control of a few predators and their many dupes.

Having made the annual Halifax pilgrimage to the in-laws and with wife Karen off visiting with her brother, son Benjamin off with his older cousins, and daughter Sarah staying with her aunt and uncle on their horse farm, the Watchdog walked over for lunch to McDonalds, one of only two open neighborhood downtown restaurants.

For years, economists have complained that China was artificially holding down the value of the renminbi in relationship to the dollar in order to make Chinese goods cheaper to American consumers and U. S. exports more expensive for Chinese consumers. This has contributed to the huge trade deficit and export of American jobs and investments to China.

From the POST-GAZETTE: …Mr. DeMint did not appear by name in Mr. Specter’s speech, but it was no secret whom the Pennsylvanian meant when he said, “Eating or defeating your own is a form of sophisticated cannibalism.” Continuing themes he has stressed repeatedly in recent months, Mr. Specter attacked the Supreme Court for its controversial decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission…

From USA TODAY: The long-term impact of the Gulf Coast disaster could be relatively minor, and the Gulf is likely to fully recover from the April oil spill, the government-appointed compensation chief said Monday. Speaking to USA TODAY’s Editorial Board in a year-end interview, Ken Feinberg said his optimistic prediction is based on opinions the government has solicited from experts.

It doesn’t take genius to know why the USA has been in such sharp decline over the past three decades.

#1. The misdistribution of wealth which has kept middle class incomes flat for over three decades while the wealth of the nation has been concentrated in the hands of the top 0.01% of the nation.

Because the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster has been unable to pay the Lancaster County Convention Center Authority the final $741,254.50 it owes to pay for work already performed inside the convention center on the Stevens, Kleiss, and Smith historic buildings, all agreements between the HPT and LCCCA are in the process of being terminated.

Capitolwire: – A plurality – but not a majority – of Pennsylvania voters say U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. has earned re-election to another term.

“Although there is a sense in the political community that Casey will be a strong bet for re-election, his numbers are not overwhelming,” said Quinnipiac Poll assistant director Peter Brown said.

The American and Danish embassies in Hungary jointly sponsored a symposium for the discussion of the plight of the Roma population in Hungary which was attended by perhaps 150 persons, with rooms filled to full capacity and chairs brought in for the break-out sessions. Romas make up approximately 5% of the Hungarian population, although there is no exact count.