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Our opinion: State needs to ban ‘gas station heroin’

Our Opinion

The colorful packaging bears trippy names like ZaZa, Neptune’s Fix, Pegasus and Purple Magic. Sold as an elixir or in pill form, the products promise feelings of “euphoria,” “happiness” and “bliss,” and are marketed to grab the attention – and cash – of young and old consumers alike. What the labels don’t disclose is that the main ingredient, tianeptine, is a highly addictive substance, and in high doses can mimic the effects of opioids, causing seizures, cardiac arrest, respiratory issues and ultimately death. Unregulated, it’s being sold as a “dietary ...

Our opinion: Make Warren Gives even bigger this year

Our Opinion

Warren Gives has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception in 2013. Giving has increased from $146,000 in 2013 for the benefit of 87 charitable causes, to a record breaking amount of over $1,000,000 to 110 charitable causes that serve Warren County residents. That’s pretty impressive when you consider our population has decreased. It means the community continues to dig deep to support a growing non-profit community that works on behalf of everyone from children to senior citizens and a wide range of worthy public purposes. None of this would be possible without the public, ...

Inflation putting squeeze on household spending

Local Commentaries

The Fed held rates where they were – 3.5% to 3.75% – and nobody was surprised. What actually mattered was the friction inside the room. Three FOMC members dissented, and not over some technical disagreement. They wanted the committee to stop pretending its next move is still a cut. They have a point. The "easing bias" language is a holdover from late last year, when the Fed was more worried about the labor market cracking than inflation flaring back up. In December, officials cut rates and talked about calibrating "the extent and timing of additional adjustments." That framing made ...

Bilger will work for next generation

Local Commentaries

I relate to the surprisingly large number of senior protesters who held “No Kings” signs and expressed concern for their grandchildren’s future during a recent President Donald Trump visit to Florida’s The Villages, a senior retirement area. The Villages historically has been a solidly red area. The “grandchildren,” namely the Gen X and Millennial, tend to vote for change, seeking assistance and to rid corruption. Recent polls show only 13% of them believe America is heading in the right direction. A major change would be to replace Trump’s legislative enablers and to ...

Act 13 a smart deal for Pennsylvania communities

Local Commentaries

When Pennsylvania’s Act 13 was signed into law 14 years ago, the goal of the bipartisan policy was straightforward: encourage responsible natural gas development, further strengthen environmental safeguards and ensure local communities see real, lasting benefits tied to energy production. Nearly a decade and a half later, the results speak for themselves. Since 2012, the Act 13-created impact fee – Pennsylvania’s unique tax on natural gas production – has generated over $3.1 billion in revenue for counties and municipalities across the state, with hundreds of millions ...

Other voices: Congress must stop redistricting abuse

Our Opinion

Florida was supposed to be the finale of this year’s race to the bottom on redistricting. Yet a cacophonous encore is now playing across the South after a Supreme Court ruling last week. The GOP started it in Texas last summer. A back-and-forth ensued, with Democrats redrawing maps in California and Virginia while Republicans did so in Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. Simultaneously, a long-running constitutional dispute over the Voting Rights Act came to a head last week when the high court limited the consideration of race while designing districts in Louisiana v. ...