A brave new world for local Congress members
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
It is a brave (cough-cough) new world for some of our elected officials — specifically the three gentlemen who hold congressional seats in Chester County and find themselves coming home to districts this week they may not recognize.
Yes — we’ll grant everything is new for U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, who is little more than a month in from joining the world’s most...
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: Why can’t the CASD board negotiate a contract
To The Editor,
As of August 2016, the Teachers of the Coatesville Area School District have been working under an expired contract and have been negotiating since January 2016. Over the past 13 months, there has been very little movement by the School Board to find mutual ground with the teachers to reach a new, fair and equitable Agreement.
The teachers in Coatesville are the lowest paid in Chester...
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...
Silence equals assent
By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times
And so it begins.
President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order halting border crossings from seven Muslim-majority nations as new “extreme vetting” procedures are being put in place. The fact that not one terrorist attack in the U.S. has come from folks from those nations, seems less germane than a rush to do something, anything — despite no credible threat,...
Letter: Costello must reveal stance on Executive Order
To The Editor,
In a Facebook post following the attacks in Paris in November of 2015, Congressman Ryan Costello said that we must “prioritize the resettlement of oppressed religious minorities” when considering refugees being admitted into the United States. Although this statement is rather callous considering groups such as ISIL do not discriminate when it comes to their ravage killings, this...
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 our...
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 from...
