Op/Ed: Letting state schools leave will hurt entire system

If bill passes, expect higher tuition, less opportunity By Joshua Young, Caln Township Commissioner Joshua Young Recently Senators Andrew Dinniman and Robert Tomlinson proposed Senate Bill 1275 that is aimed at allowing larger and financially stable universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education to break away from that system and become a state related university like Penn State,...

Letter: end gifts to legislators

To The Editor: In Pennsylvania, giving gifts to legislators is big business. Under current law, only gifts valued over $250 or transportation and lodging over $650 must be disclosed however in Pennsylvania any gifts of any value can legally be given to legislators, as long as it can’t be linked directly to a vote. This is an improper law and practice that is counter to the principles on which our...

CASD super candidates have vetting issues

Who looked into these folks and decided they were the best option? By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times There are times when reality trumps fiction for the completely incredible. I had no plans to write again today about our pals at the Coatesville Area School District and frankly, would have been happy to work on the half-dozen other topics I have going elsewhere in the county. But, alas, sometimes you...

CASD state takeover is no longer far-fetched

Auditor General’s report show lack of oversight with chilling potential By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times If you read through the auditor general’s report on the Coatesville Area School District and its financial performance — the implications of the report have to be chilling. The short form is this: The district under-collected or overspent a total of $31.1 million during a seven-year period...

Letter: UCF residency still an issue

To The Editor: At the UCF Board’s work session on Monday, March 10th, it was reported that Dr. Sanville had privately discussed the situation of non-resident students that were attending our schools. The Board was satisfied with the explanation of this probable illegal situation. After 3.5 months of raising the possibility of out of district students attending our schools and enduring several...

Do petition numbers really matter?

As campaigns trumpet numbers, do they tell us anything? By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Well, they’re everywhere. Media announcements about the number of signatures a given candidate has gotten to get on the ballot as if it means something. For those who don’t know, political candidates must collect signatures from registered voters in their district — they must be of the same political...

Letter: County official thanks Penn Township residents

To The Editor, It is an honor to have been elected as Clerk of the Courts of Chester County, which I began January 2014. The cost-effective and efficient administration of the court system is a vital component of our local government. The trust placed in me by the voters is a tremendously positive motivating factor as I approach the challenges of this office. Thank you for the vote of confidence! As...

County conventions leave May questions

Few primary battles were settled at either county convention By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times There was a little high drama at the two county party conventions, and in many ways the status quo was largely maintained. There were just a handful of endorsement battles at the meetings — and maybe only one vote there changes the landscape for May. We’ll  get to the Democratic endorsements, which amount...

Hope for revitalization may finally bear fruit

Community Benefit Agreements could be a win-win for developers, Coatesville By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times COATESVILLE — For nearly two decades, revitalization has been the ongoing refrain in the city. With a handful of notable exceptions, it is the failure of that effort — especially as similar efforts in West Chester, Phoenixville and Kennett Square have taken root — that has left some in...

Letter: Fracking ruling restores power to locals

To The Editor, The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has rejected Tom Corbett’s request to reverse the Act 13 decision, which struck down key provisions in the natural gas drilling laws as unconstitutional. Locally, Newlin Township, the little township that could, stood up, fought back and won in 2012 when these provisions of Act 13 were first struck down. Now all of Pennsylvania has won because of the...