Letter: Army vet suffers from vague gun laws
To The Editor,
I am currently being prosecuted by the state of Pennsylvania for applying for gun ownership. I am 31 years old, an army veteran, and recently applied to PICS (PA instant check system) to own a shotgun. On this background check it asks if I have ever been adjudicated mentally defective or been 302’d (involuntary commitment). I checked “no” to this question....
Op/Ed.: Is ‘settled science’ really settled?
By Gerald K. McOscar
Gerald K. McOscar
Contrary to what some scientists and politicians profess, one need not look far to see that science is rarely settled and that much of yesterday’s “science” is today’s old wives’ tale.
In June, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the case of Han Tak Lee who nearly 25 years ago was convicted of the July 1989 arson murder of his 20-year-old daughter...
Poll numbers don’t always tell the whole story
Also: is it time to fire legislators too busy ‘on vacation’ to do their jobs?
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Ah, the sweet smell of late summer. Fruits ripening, corn growing, backyard grills fired up, maybe even a whiff of chlorine from the pool all in the air.
Also floating in the air: polling data, much of which might leave folks scratching their heads a bit.
You may have seen...
Letter: GOP protests costing tax dollars
To The Editor,
As we move into this election season, it’s interesting to me to see what fear and panic produces as Gov. Tom Corbett, sinks to 20% below his opponent, Tom Wolf in the polls. Could it be that the polls are right? Could it be that the Republican legislators from Chester County, all of whom supported Governor Corbett’s failed policies, are worried about losing as well?
Traditionally,...
Op/Ed: time to deliver justice
By Susan Rzucidlo, Candidate, State Representative, 158th District
Susan Rzucidlo
I am disappointed that the Republican House leadership in Harrisburg continues to fail to help victims of abuse.
HB 832 and HB 878 as well as SB 1392, all bills focused on helping victims of past abuse find justice; all were left to die in committee. Recently, state Sen. Anthony Williams brought forward SB 46, a bill...
Letter: DA’s back pre-K to fight crime
To The Editor,
The passage of the 2014-15 state budget included an important funding increase for future crime prevention – a $10 million increase for PA Pre-K Counts.
What does Pre-K have to do with crime prevention?
Considering that approximately 70 percent of our nation’s state prison population failed to receive a high school diploma, education is a pivotal factor between incarceration...
Letter: GOP pension claims ring hollow
To The Editor,
The claim made in the recent OP/ED that Southeast Pennsylvania’s GOP backed Corbett’s pension revamp rings hollow. What the GOP fears is that Corbett is likely to be replaced by Tom Wolfe in the next election and some of them will go down with Corbett.
Frankly, it will serve them right. If the GOP had truly supported revising the pension system for the teachers union...
Op/Ed: An irresponsible budget
By Kathi Cozzone, Chester County Commissioner
Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone
I worked in the private sector at large and small companies, in various financial management roles, for about two decades before becoming a Chester County Commissioner. During the Corbett administration, I have watched from afar as legislators and the Governor concocted one bad budget after another. Previous...
Letter: Gifts to legislators must stop
To The Editor:
Giving gifts to legislators is big business in our Commonwealth. Pennsylvanians were rightfully outraged when they learned legislators were accepting cash gifts, and it was all done legally.
Under current Pennsylvania law, any gifts of any value can be given to legislators. Legislators only need to disclose gifts valued at over $250 or transportation and lodging valued at over $650....
Op/ED: SE GOP leaders back Corbett on pension fight
Editors Note: This op-ed was submitted by Patricia Poprik, Chair of the Bucks County Republican Committee; Valentino DiGiorgio, Chair of the Republican Committee of Chester County; Andrew Reilly, Chair of the Delaware County Republican Committee; Mike Vereb, Chair of the Montgomery County Republican Committee; and John Taylor, Chair of the Philadelphia Republican City Committee; Michael Meehan,...
