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Pennsylvania should use Constitution

When Pennsylvania lawmakers return to Harrisburg in 2027, congressional term limits should be near the top of their agenda. Pennsylvania should pass a resolution applying for an amendment convention limited to proposing term limits on members of Congress. Why? Because Washington is not going to reform itself. This is hardly a partisan issue. A statewide survey found 79% of Pennsylvania voters support congressional term limits, including 78% of Republicans and 79% of Democrats. Seventy-four percent want their state legislators to support an Article V application for congressional ...

Socialism begets chaos and decline

As Americans see chaos and rioting on the streets of Paris, we are not immune to that happening on streets across America. For decades, France has provided “free” healthcare, paid family leave, free childcare, free preschool, generous unemployment and housing benefits and heavily subsidized higher education. This has bred a culture of entitlement and an insatiable desire for the government to do more, while many demand to work less — if at all. As the government subsidizes these sectors, the price of goods and services rises. More housing aid and blocked building permits cause ...

Wealth taxes end up hurting us all

No matter what happens in Tuesday’s elections, support for wealth taxes keeps growing. Its justification is based on the idea that the very rich owe all of us something, and taxing their fortunes is collecting on that debt. We’re told their success fuels inequality and that it’s selfish of them to keep so much, especially if they don’t proclaim that they want to do more for society. Former International Monetary Fund chief economist Olivier Blanchard of France recently gave this narrative a clear voice. Writing on X, he wondered why California’s wealthiest are spending so ...

SOAR Act would help rural citizens

When I think back to my diagnosis of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1) in 1995, I’m struck by how much has changed since then. This rare genetic condition affects each patient differently – for my sister, it caused liver cirrhosis, and for me it caused lung damage. When my sister urged me to get tested for Alpha-1 after her diagnosis, my own doctor had to spend a week researching the condition before telling me what I’d be facing. Since then, research, education, and advocacy have advanced the understanding of Alpha-1, including how to best manage the condition and its ...

Data center should earn its place

As I stood shoulder to shoulder with Blair County locals sharing our concerns about the data center coming to Taylor Township, the tension in the room was tangible. It was clear the community didn’t want a data center, but that’s not why we were there. We were there to express opinions about an amendment to an ordinance that would actually help protect the community with greater restrictions. And yet nobody was discussing how the community should benefit from another industry moving into our backyard. I was born and raised in Altoona and live in Hollidaysburg. Although I’m not a ...

What happened to initiative?

Two years after voters tossed Democrats from power in Washington, polls show they are ready to switch sides again. Does it make sense to welcome back a party and its ideas that were so recently rejected? The reason so many voters are frustrated by both parties is that they have been putting too much faith in government and too little faith in themselves. It’s called initiative and the lack of it has contributed not only to dysfunctional government but also to a loss of the things that built and sustained America through challenges greater than high gas prices and “unaffordable” ...