Chris Ross talks Harrisburg and good government

By Nathaniel Smith, Columnist, The Times Former state representative Chris Ross (R-158) recently was so kind as to spend an hour and a half talking with me about his 20 years representing a district that stretches from eastern and southern West Goshen west through the Bradfords and then south as far as London Britain and the Delaware border.   I had interviewed him before back in the fall of 2012....

Letter: Did UCF board violate the law?

To The Editor: At the UCF School Board public meeting on January 23rd, the Board members took the remarkable action of accepting Superintendent John Sanville’s resignation with two years remaining on his current contract. This is probably the best thing this current board has ever done. However, right after this action the board took what is probably the worst decision ever made in our district....

Letter: Are we paying attention?

To The Editor, Our U.S. citizens need to think seriously about a number of compelling facts affecting our nation right now. There is overwhelming evidence that even well before the November election, when the Republicans have had the power, they change the rules in mid-stream, as long as it is convenient for them. Here are some examples of change-overs and suppression on their part:

Abortion ban makes no religious, moral or political sense

Rushing through SB3 is a suicide play for Pa. GOP By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times On a very special Monday edition of “Why Your State Legislature Sucks,” let me chat with you for a moment about state Senate Bill 3. With the myriad of problems facing our commonwealth, it is this bill, which addresses exactly none of them, that will likely dominate headlines this week and beyond in Pennsylvania. With...

Op/Ed: It’s all in the planning

By Michelle Kichline, Chair, Chester County Commissioners   Michelle Kichline Chester County is widely known as a beautiful and happy corner of Pennsylvania. As a matter of fact, we are considered the fourth happiest county in America.  Ours is one of the best counties in which to live, work, and raise a family, and it falls upon our local government to maintain the high quality of life that...

Letter: Health coverage a necessity for all

To the Editor: In his first day of office, President Trump has already begun to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. As a citizen, a resident of southern Chester County, and a leader of a non-profit providing health care to the underserved, I must speak out on the critical role that having health insurance plays in the success of individuals, families, and communities.  I’d like to first speak...

Op/Ed: Volunteering to cuddle needy newborns

Drug-addicted babies need volunteers By Susan Rzucidlo, Special To The Times I confess, I typically read two newspapers a day as well as online papers and other news sites and listen to news radio. Occasionally, I share what I read on social media. Last week I shared a story on my Facebook page from The Philadelphia Inquirer about volunteer cuddlers, who hold and help newborns who are, in most...

Letter: The Times, citizens need to be vigilant

To The Editor, I am writing to encourage The Times of Chester County to remain an independent news organization that fact-checks statements made by all politicians (particularly the president-elect) and exposes false statements clearly while reporting on any issue. The president-elect has consistently derogated news sources that disagree with him or his positions. However, our success as a democracy...

Was BuzzFeed right to publish alleged Trump dossier?

By Nathaniel Smith, Columnist, The Times If those allegations weren’t news before January 10, they sure are now. The post that contains the download to the full 35-page version of the allegations was viewed over 5,000,000 times in its first 3 days online.  (The 2-page executive summary has not been posted.) Here is Buzzfeed’s self-justification: “BuzzFeed News is publishing the...

A shiny new year: things are about to get interesting

Congressional, legislative officials face new political minefields in 2017 By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times From Harrisburg to Washington, D.C., it is a bold, bright new year in politics. From fresh starts to fresh panics, 2017 looks to be among the most interesting ever in the history of our little republic — and possibly not in a good way, but time will tell. To kick off the year, we’ll...