Pa. needs master plan for aging

June 21, 2023

Governor Josh Shapiro recently signed an Executive Order laying the groundwork for creating a Pennsylvania Master Plan for Older Adults. The master plan will serve as a roadmap to building and maintaining a commonwealth where every resident can live and thrive at any age. AARP and the Department of Aging stood together on May 25 to support Governor Shapiro’s Executive Order, and we’re committed to working together throughout the process to ensure all older Pennsylvanians are represented in the plan. The 50-plus demographic is a growing population in Pennsylvania and ...

Offering hope for teacher shortage

June 12, 2023

Pennsylvania’s children — many of whom face academic and social-emotional challenges — deserve high-quality, well-prepared teachers, but due to teacher shortages many school districts are struggling to hire and retain well-qualified candidates. The teacher shortage is real and alarming, but there is hope. The shortage has been building for many years. Since 2010, new in-state teacher certifications have decreased by nearly 70% to record low levels. In response, the state has issued more emergency teaching permits than new certificates. According to 2021-22 data, 6,366 people ...

Search for tolerance shouldn’t be elusive

June 6, 2023

John Hartsock stepped out of the Altoona Mirror’s sports pages in the May 27-28 edition to deliver an important message, that awareness and education effectively combat the stigma attached to mental illnesses. In the Mirror’s news pages, readers have seen what clinical depression looks like and how it can be treated effectively. Look no further than the continuing recovery of Pennsylvania’s junior U.S. senator, John Fetterman, who was hospitalized for depression this spring and has returned to his Senate duties. A stigma, it should be noted, is in the mind of the beholder, ...

Census data can be quite misleading

May 25, 2023

The Census Bureau collects a great deal of demographic data on U.S. residents. Governmental and private entities use this data as a basis for public debate and policy decisions on economic and social issues. For example, the bureau provides data on income distribution in the U.S. Unfortunately, if the data is not properly adjusted, it can lead to inaccurate and misleading conclusions about the degree of income inequality in the U.S. Demagogues can then use these conclusions to stir class envy and promote bad policy. The bureau data recognizes only cash income received by ...

Cemeteries are treasures; treat them as such

May 20, 2023

Do you realize that most of us live within a few miles of one or more museums of art and history, open during daylight hours, with free admission, created by past and current citizens, on land that was likely donated by a generous benefactor? I’m talking about the cemeteries that dot the landscape. They contain a wealth of historical information and display a variety of artistic expressions. In less than a week, on Monday, May 29, we will observe Memorial Day. In the years following the Civil War, in which more than 600,000 men died, veterans in small towns in both North and ...

ALS is not incurable, but is underfunded

May 1, 2023

“ALS is not an incurable disease. It is an underfunded one.” You may have read those words as part of fundraising campaigns by institutions and organizations working to combat ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. But here in Pennsylvania, it could soon be the reality if the ALS funding level in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget doesn’t change. As a member of the PA House Appropriations Committee, part of my job is to review the governor’s proposed budget requests and to interrogate department secretaries at budget hearings about funding requests for their respective ...