In his op-ed titled “Why I opposed the ‘stimulus’”, Rep. Joe Pitts states the following: ““So the bill we voted on this week was not a bipartisan product, but rather a trillion-dollar pork-barrel spending spree, written by Nancy Pelosi, without input from Republicans, that expands government and rewards special interests.” WATCHDOG: For a brief moment […]

In his Feb. 1st column “Getting our history right”, Gil Smart starts off “The letter to the editor was about American history, something I know something about.” He then goes on to say “George Washington owned slaves. Thomas Jefferson owned slaves, though he felt badly about it and ultimately freed them.” WATCHDOG: Smart got the […]

In its Jan. 31 editorial “How to keep a happy home”, the difficulty in seeking an accommodation from a mortgage service organization is described and persons at risk of losing their houses through foreclosure are encouraged to contact Tabor Community Services. “Tabor helps distressed homeowners navigate the myriad of state and federal programs that are […]

The Jan. 29 article “An unpopular message; Speaker: Sex offenders should get 2nd chance” quotes former state representative Tom Armstrong as telling the Rotary Club: “…a lot of these sex offenders will never get out of prison” for lack of a place to reside when allowed to leave prison. “It’s destroyed their lives.” According to […]

In an article titled “FBI: No evidence Fumo consultants did any work”, the Inquirer reported: “An FBI agent testified yesterday in former State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo’s corruption trial that the state Senate was unable to turn up a single example of work done by three consultants paid a total of $637,000 by taxpayers at […]

Headlined on Jan. 27 “Humble hero saves boy, 3; Pulls child from burning Solanco home.” Said Jamie Sheetz: “I’m just a hillbilly…I did what a man’s supposed to do.” WATCHDOG: Sheetz, although only 40, is a throwback to an earlier time before the confusion of gender roles. There were things that women were expected to […]

The Jan. 21st editorial is headed “Table games not good bet for Pa.” WATCHDOG: Let’s remember this and see what they have to say two years from now if the convention center comes a cropper and Dale High and the Lancaster Newspapers make use of the casino license that many think that then Sen. Gibson […]

The Jan. 22nd editorial “A way to simplify federal tax code” advocates a federal income flat tax of 20% for everyone. “If all or most of the tax deductions were eliminated – including the one for home mortgages (although, we don’t see that happening) – virtually the entire federal tax code could be pitched, according […]

In his Jan. 23 column “Sen. Brubaker busy doing your business”, Jeff Hawkes reports: “Brubaker expressed a particular interest in wanting to know if prison reform could result in savings without jeopardizing public safety.” WATCHDOG: That is for sure. As NewsLanc’s recent article on the Justice & Mercy organization described, some prisoners who are eligible […]

In a Jan. 22 article “SDL names Jon Mitchell athletics director “, it quotes Mitchell: “It’s ridiculous that we don’t have more students out for athletics than we do. I’d like to increase participation in all sports…It can’t be only the coaches’ job to recruit (athletes).” WATCHDOG: If Mitchell is serious rather than engaging in […]

A Jan. 19 editorial headlines “Radon: danger lurking beneath” and goes on to warn “It’s a life-threatening problem that’s largely being ignored. It’s radon, a cancer-causing, radioactive gas that can collect in basements of homes or on the first floor of homes built on cement slabs.” WATCHDOG: It is a good idea to test your […]

In his Jan.18th column “Readers can’t picture this,” Editor Marv Adams describes the difficult decision concerning printing shocking and disturbing pictures, one today of the facial expression of a Moslem girl undergoing ritual circumcision. In contrast, the photo of a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza was restricted to their web site. “When it’s delivered in […]

It’s Jan. 17 editorial is headed “Obama nominees off on wrong foot.” It goes on two address two cabinet level appointments: Of Secretary of Treasury nominee Timothy Geithner it states: “…there is a terrible irony in having a tax scofflaw run a federal department that oversees the Internal Revenue Service.” Of Attorney General nominee Eric […]

On Jan. 15, Jeff Hawkes in his column “What Donegal needs to build is a better case” reverses course at the end and states “The best answer is a shift from property taxes to a broader, fairer revenue source, such as the income tax.” WATCHDOG: We second that. Every youngster deserves a good education, no […]