One man stands between the people and medical marijuana

Our dysfunctional legislature hits new highs for foolishness By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Greetings from one of the last Internet outposts not hacked by the Chinese (we don’t rate) or calling from (allegedly) Microsoft Technical Support to assist you with your computer issues once you give us your password, credit card number and home address information. In comparison, the recent shenanigans...

Hogan, area DAs push for PreK to cut crime

Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan speaks at a legislative breakfast Wednesday in support of expansion of funding for pre-kindergarten programs. KING OF PRUSSIA — Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan and other southeast Pennsylvania prosecutors came out strong this week to support an initiative by Gov. Tom Wolf to fund pre-kindergarten programs as a long-term way to boost high school...

Op/Ed: Restore state tax exemption for active-duty military

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.” ~ President George Washington By Tim Gwinn, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Guard Associations Tim Gwinn For 47 years from 1965 to 2012, a grateful Pennsylvania...

GOP says Wolf’s tax math doesn’t add up

And they may have a point, when it comes to sales tax hike By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times WEST CHESTER — Five of the county’s state legislative delegation pushed back on Gov. Tom Wolf’s sales tax increase proposal Friday — arguing that it would cost Chester County taxpayers an additional $177 million a year in taxes. State Representatives Dan Truitt (R-156), Becky Corbin (R-155), Tim Hennessey...

Op/Ed: It’s time to overhaul state’s tax code

Gov. Wolf deserves credit for starting a conversation on taxing By Kathi Cozzone, Chester County Commissioner Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone Most Pennsylvanians would agree that our tax code needs some work.   I talk to many residents with long-standing complaints: senior citizens having trouble coping with rising school property taxes, small business owners paying the nation’s highest...

Wolf’s budget proposal brings out the silly from both sides

And…York area senator trash talks our senators, again By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times It was a bit frosty in Harrisburg this week — and I don’t just mean the “my gosh will this awful winter ever end” kind of frosty, but a less than warm reception to Gov. Tom Wolf’s first budget proposal and, because it is the time for giving (at least to political columnists), more Republican on Republican...

Is Wolf angling to make a deal with GOP legislators?

With his base secured, a deal on liquor privatization, pensions could be in play By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Depending on who is reading the tea leaves, Gov. Tom Wolf is either drawing a line in the sand — and guaranteeing four years of abject gridlock, or he’s securing the base with the idea that he’s going to have to make deals in the coming weeks and months that won’t be popular with...

Wolf pitches severance tax, education funding in Caln

Proposed act would put 5% tax on natural gas extraction, raise up to $1B By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times Gov. Tom Wolf introduces his proposal for a natural gas severance tax, with much of the proceeds to go to education funding, at Caln Elementary School, Wednesday. CALN – Gov. Tom Wolf visited Caln Elementary School Wednesday morning to introduce the Pennsylvania Education Reinvestment...