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....

Van de Krol to replace Crossan as Clerk of Courts candidate

Yolanda Van de Krol WEST CHESTER – The county’s Democratic Party announced formally on Wednesday that Yolanda de Krol will replace Maria Crossan on the fall ballot for Clerk of Courts. Crossan withdrew from the race, citing family concerns, earlier this month. The party’s Executive Committee voted unanimously Wednesday night to back Van de Krol. She will face Republican Robin Marcello,...

Nobody asked me, but…

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times To be clear, the small number of misguided souls who call themselves Neo-Nazis, White Supremacists and the like should have no serious place in our public discourse (I’ll make the same argument for anyone, left, right, middle or otherwise who would use violence or intimidation to further their political aims). And aside from the small group of vocal, angry folks...

The final straw

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Maybe it was when the U.S. House Representatives voted Thursday to blow up the increasingly popular Affordable Health Act and replace it with a non-vetted, closely-held replacement supported by less than 20 percent of voters (the cheering and beer party at the White House didn’t help, either). Or maybe it was when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents...

A Q&A with Kate Young on Fair Districts PA and the fight against gerrymandering

By Nathaniel Smith, Columnist, The Times Recently I spoke with Kate Young about Fair Districts PA https://www.fairdistrictspa.com/ and its campaign to do away with gerrymandering in Pennsylvania. Several Fair Districts presentations this spring have generated great interest. West Chester Public Library didn’t have materials on gerrymandering in its collection, so Fair Districts PA donated three...

Time for Costello to show just a hint of courage

By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Sometime later this afternoon, U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello (R-6) will hold a town hall meeting. That’s the good news. The bad news is that he’s holding it in Historic Courtroom 1, limiting it to 100 people, it was announced Thursday and filled up within minutes — and no one can record the video. Some sort of modern-day Stasi will be at the door, demanding “papers,...

Indivisible KSQ holds first meeting, plans 2nd March 4

KENNETT SQUARE — Dozens of people from as far away as Coatesville and West Chester packed the meeting room in the Kennett Library to participate in the organizing meeting of Indivisible KSQ. Organizers Megan Bushnell and Laura Florence opened meeting by sharing their reasons for getting an Indivisible chapter started in Kennett Square then opened the meeting to participants to share why they...

Fair DistrictsPA forum takes on Gerrymandering

Carol Kuniholm, Chair of Fair Districts PA, addressing the audience, Wednesday night at West Chester Henderson High School. By Eliza Mohler, Staff Writer, The Times WEST CHESTER – Political strategist Karl Rove once said, “He who can control redistricting can control Congress.” At her presentation Wednesday at Henderson High School, Fair Districts PA Chair Carol Kuniholm used this quote to...

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....

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...