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US can’t rely on foreign supply chains

Decades ago, corporate greed led U.S. companies to search for cheap labor in other countries — starting a trend that has relocated entire American manufacturing sectors and left millions of hard-working Americans without good-paying jobs, all while rich CEOs grew richer. Building trades, labor unions and old-school, America-first political leaders like the late Congressman John Murtha fought against this corporate ransacking of our economy, which devastated entire industries, starting with steel and manufacturing. Time has proven that Murtha, the building trades and the labor unions ...

Lawmakers must act to mitigate crisis

In the wake of the corona­virus pandemic, Pennsylvania workers, health care providers and students and families are faced with unprecedented obstacles that demand action from Harrisburg. Gov. Tom Wolf has taken a strong approach by closing schools and shuttering so-called “non-life-sustaining” businesses. But could the cost of these drastic measures outweigh the perceived benefits? State legislators have a critical role to play in answering that question. In this time of uncertainty, lawmakers must not be passive. Instead, they should advance their own solutions to the problems ...

Trusted info is magnified in crisis

In these tumultuous, chaotic times, the new corona­virus pandemic has spawned shortages of such essential products as face masks, protective garments and ventilators. One thing is available in abundance: Information. In the age of the internet and the 24-hour news cycle, information on the coronavirus is everywhere. So much information is out there that the World Health Organization described it as an “infodemic.” The problem, of course, is that a lot of the information is incorrect. Some of the misinformation comes from scams; half-truths twisted into a political viewpoint ...

Not crying Wolf: All business is essential

It’s funny the things that occupy your thoughts when circumstances like a pandemic afford you rare opportunities to think. It has been little more than a week since Gov. Tom Wolf rendered our chamber of commerce “non-essential” and mandated that whatever we were doing on behalf of the local business community should come to an abrupt halt. He didn’t really say that to chambers in particular, of course, even though that’s what I heard as I tried to assess our value pitted against those on the essential business list. So, as I reluctantly emerge from crybaby mode, allow me ...

‘These are the heroes among us’

If we follow the advice from the Center for Disease Control, as well as Gov. Tom Wolf and Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine, we will be able lessen the potential effects of COVID-19. While their directives and recommendations may seem challenging — social distancing, working remotely, limiting travel, frequent hand washing and avoiding crowds over 10 people — we must all work together to limit the spread of the virus while we await the development of a safe and well-tested vaccine. From a recent historical perspective, this moment calls for the same national ...

Lack of parity hikes telemedicine costs

My family physician’s office is transitioning into telemedicine services. What I’m most concerned about is the potential for additional fees due to the lack of parity laws throughout the commonwealth. Due to the recent pandemic of the coronavirus, many aspects of our daily life have been affected — Whether that’s the lack of toilet paper availability, the shortage of hand sanitizer, or the recent preventative measure of online classes for college-level students. Other experiences such as highly-recognized sports teams and traveling opportunities are suffering the ...