Op from the Ed: GOP, Insurance industry causing move toward single-payer

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Do no harm. That is the first precept of modern medical care. This doesn’t mean standing there while someone is bleeding out, of course, which is the current state of American health care. I was happy to give Guy Ciarrocchi, the president of the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry, his say last week about not expanding government’s role in health...

Spare me the ‘outrage’ on Sims’ abortion comments

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times So there it was, the screaming email this morning from someone named Marian Casillas declaring “Bully Brian Sims must RESIGN!” Sims is a state legislator from Philly who got a little over the top when calling out anti-abortion protestors (they are decidedly not pro-life when they want to cut food stamps, slash health care, and fight against gun safety) they...

Осенью этого года у местных республиканцев может быть только российская проблема

Translation: This fall, local Republicans may have a Russian problem By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times So, comrades, how was your week? If you happen to be a Republican, and hold public office locally, the guess here is: not too great. Between the missteps, lies, new infidelity claims (and tapes, lordy) and policy decisions of El Presidente For Life Donald J. Trump (seems about right for a would-be...

For GOP candidates the question is: To Trump or not to Trump?

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times With summer bearing down on us (finally!), it seemed like a good idea to take one quick snap shot of the local political scene before moving into our summer hiatus (and yes, we already skipped an edition of Politics as Unusual (PAU), sensing something of a politics overload for you, the reader). As this could well be the final edition of PAU until — gasp —...

The new map is here! And it’s probably doomed

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Those of you old enough to remember Steve Martin’s film tour de force (yes, tongue in cheek), The Jerk, may remember the scene when his character runs about shouting “The new phonebook is here! The new phonebook is here!” might find the Pennsylvania GOP’s dump of a new Congressional map Friday night a bit of deja vu. Those of you too young to remember The...

Letter: A troubled and troubling tax reform bill

To the Editor, I don’t know how we have found ourselves in a situation where the President of the United States who is promoting the most quickly thrown together and noxious tax reform policy in U.S. history without our citizen input, can, himself, never have publicly revealed his own taxes so that we can judge just how partially or impartially this bill is geared to the Greater Good vs....

Moore, Trump put local Republicans at severe risk

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times As we head into the 2018 election season, we see that the two major political parties find themselves at crossroads, with one party seemingly finding its roots after years of wandering and pandering and another so lost, to as be unrecognizable from just a few years ago. For Democrats, heading into 2018 with a wind at their back — and locally, the biggest series...

Tuesday’s election results were not all about Trump

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Not to mince words, but Tuesday was a bit of a stunner. With the county’s Democrats sweeping the county row office races and making pickups in virtually every category from township supervisor to District Justice, it is clear that Chester County is no longer a one-party county. And yes, to be sure, it was a bit of a referendum on President Donald Trump, as we...

SHOCKER: Democrats sweep row offices, win up and down ballot

Updated: 3 p.m. with Comments from Chesco Dems chair Brian McGinnis By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Democrats (from left) Patricia Maisano for County Treasurer, Christina VandePol, Coroner, Margaret Reif, Controller and Yolanda Van de Krol , Clerk of Courts, swept to historic wins, Tuesday. Photo courtesy Chester County Democratic Committee. Chester County’s Democrats won a stunning victory...

How is Tropical Storm Harvey like Donald Trump?

By Nathaniel Smith, Columnist, The Times Tropical Storm Harvey and Donald Trump both were foreseeable disasters that have caused a lot of damage and suffering. Republicans knew Trump would be trouble. His campaign was accompanied, but not at all impeded, by a whole litany of negative comments about him by his fellow primary candidates, former candidates and presidents, and other Republican leaders....