Coatesville resident addresses state lawmakers
Debbie Willett (second from left) is joined in Harrisburg by Karen Brenneman (from left), former director of the Family Outreach Program at Child and Family Focus, Inc., a nonprofit advocacy agency; Rep. Tim Hennessey, who invited Willett to speak; and Deb McKinley, a grandparent from the support group.
Debbie Willett, who runs a GrandFamilies support group in Chester County, spoke in Harrisburg...
Op/Ed.: Cultivating economic development in Coatesville
By Josh Maxwell, Mayor of Downingtown
Josh Maxwell
Cultivating economic development is often a tricky endeavor. On one hand, we want to incentivize job-creating businesses; on the other hand, we want to avoid missing out on valuable tax revenue for our communities. In Downingtown we have been recognized for being able to use infill development opportunities with limited tax incentives to expand...
Letter: Dinniman calls on McCord to pull down ad
To The Editor:
Politics is admittedly a rough game but Rob McCord’s TV ad that essentially accuses Tom Wolf of being a racist goes beyond all levels of acceptability. I join forces with former Governor Ed Rendell, Senator Bob Casey, and other Democratic leaders in condemning this add and urging McCord to withdraw this offensive ad. When will we Democrats learn to stop shooting ourselves...
Spring brings out the senseless in politics
May brings flowers and Silly Season, Part I
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
Ah yes, it’s May. The blooms are on the trees, warm sunshine is here (that is when we don’t get washed away by five inches of rain), the birds are singing and Spring is in the air.
Oh, and the crazy is really ramped up in the political world. From the 158th state house district to Gov. Tom Corbett, the red mist has...
Letter: Maxwell is the best choice in the 74th
To The Editor:
Democrats in the newly-created 74th legislative district in Chester County have a clear choice to make in the May 20th Democratic primary. Only one candidate has proven capable of representing our party’s high ideals and earning the Party’s endorsement. We must send a strong, honorable, and experienced leader to Harrisburg, Downingtown Mayor Josh Maxwell. I personally know...
Letter: Fleecing the public
To The Editor:
Last year, the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development Fund (RHDF) was given $264 Million of state revenue. This year it is budgeted to receive $301 Million. Since the passage of the 2004 Gaming Act that established this fund, $1.7 Billion has been given to wealthy horse owners and breeders.
Most of this money is not used for racing infrastructure; 80% of it is simply used to increase...
State campaign finance Website is a fiasco
‘New and improved’ site less useful that HealthCare.gov
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
And they said HealthCare.gov is bad.
Try spending some quality time searching campaign finance reports on the Pennsylvania Department of State.
I did this past week, as Tuesday was the always dreaded deadline for the Cycle 1 campaign finance report that has to be filed for state legislative candidates,...
Op/Ed: Help us protect Pennsylvania’s kids from sexual predators
By David Heckler, Bucks County District Attorney,
Tom Hogan, Chester County District Attorney
Jack Whelan, Delaware County District Attorney
Risa Vetri Ferman, Montgomery County District Attorney
Seth Williams, Philadelphia District Attorney
As prosecutors, we confront harrowing and heart-wrenching cases nearly every day. It is the child sexual abuse cases that are among the toughest...
Letter: We must work together to protect our community
To The Editor,The current application by Sunoco Pipeline L.P. to exempt itself from local zoning control in its efforts to bring a natural gas pipeline through Chester County should be a serious concern for all Chester County residents.
Sunoco’s proposal involves repurposing the current Mariner East Pipeline to deliver Marcellus Shale liquids from Western PA to the Marcus Hook refinery in...
Op/Ed: More opportunities needed for Pa. higher-ed. students
Proposed REACH scholarship would put school in reach for many
By Josh Maxwell, Mayor of Downingtown
Josh Maxwell
Over the last few years, higher education has become one of the most controversial issues facing our state. When Gov. Tom Corbett unveiled his first budget in 2011, it included roughly $2 billion in cuts to education, including steep cuts to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education...
