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Our opinion: State can’t sit on reassessment sidelines

Our Opinion

We typically represent our political parties either with an elephant or a donkey. But in the case of Pennsylvania lawmakers at the state and local level, the ostrich would be a better representation. No one wants to take on the issue of property reassessments because they don’t want to upset voters. The problem is property reassessments are a necessary pain in the tuckus that make sure our system of taxation to pay for public services is done in as fair a way as possible. One reason property reassessments cause ostrich-like behavior now is they happen decades apart in too many ...

Our opinion: Using caution as schools reopen

Our Opinion

Students are heading back to our county’s schools starting today. With this yearly occasion, we remind the public to discuss traffic safety with youngsters and, for those who also are motorists, to be careful as children will be along our streets and roads on weekday mornings and afternoons. The website for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers some tips. "Your child should arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus arrives," the website advises. "Ahead of the new school year, visit the bus stop and show your child where to wait for the bus, ...

Our opinion: Can animal hoarding be slowed?

Our Opinion

Legislation introduced recently in the state House of Representatives wouldn’t bring an automatic stop to incidents of animal cruelty that routinely pop up around the commonwealth. But we do think Rep. Eddie Pashinski’s House Bill 2279 could be a useful tool for local law enforcement and judges as they deal with animal neglect cases that happen with alarming regularity in both Warren County and the rest of Pennsylvania. While state law recognizes "neglect" and "cruelty" to animals, Pashinski wants state law to also include "animal hoarding" and provide for mental health ...

Hidden inflation drives up state costs

Local Commentaries

When most people think about inflation, they think about groceries, gasoline, housing, or electricity. But another form of inflation is quietly making Pennsylvania more expensive, and most people have never heard of it. It does not happen at the grocery store. It happens in the courtroom. A major new academic study by researchers from Georgia State University and Brighthouse Financial has confirmed that lawsuit costs are increasing faster than normal inflation and that the biggest reason is rapidly growing jury verdicts. The researchers analyzed more than 74,000 jury verdicts and ...

District 65 race all about representation

Local Commentaries

There is an election coming in November that I believe deserves more attention than it is getting. U.S. Rep. Kathy Rapp has represented Pennsylvania's 65th Legislative District for many years, and Destiny Howard is challenging her for the seat. District 65 isn't some distant political district on a map. It is Warren County, Forest County and part of Crawford County. The person we elect will go to Harrisburg and make decisions that affect our hospitals, our families, our communities and our individual freedoms. That is why I have been looking more closely at the differences between ...

Readers' Speak

Letters To Editor

Something is unfair Dear Editor, Fair week. Always fun. And always well done. Those people work hard. Was attendance down? Friday night was busy. Saturday was not bad. Not sure, but I can’t remember getting my hot sausage sandwich without having to wait in line, but this week I never did. And I ate four of them. And I only waited in line once for an ice cream cone — and I ate four of them too. I visited several booths. Sales were down. One business exhibiting at the fair said that they had $287,000 in business last year. This year they are on pace to do only ...