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Why everyone can get behind ‘American Dream’ accounts

Earlier this month, Philadelphia voters passed a city-sponsored retirement plan for workers without a 401k or other employer-sponsored savings plan. Workers can opt out, but by default, every worker without an employer plan will begin saving into an IRA that they own. This policy, supported by a democratic mayor and democratic electorate, is similar to state-sponsored programs in 15 states. This problem is bigger than Philadelphia — it’s national. According to AARP, 57 million Americans do not have a retirement plan at work. Everyone agrees: Americans are not saving enough. And ...

UPMC is here for our communities

Dear Editor, The health needs of a community can change over time, especially in rural areas. What matters most is making sure people can get care close to home, when they need it. You may have seen that Bradford Regional Medical Center recently closed its inpatient and emergency department services. Changes like this can be difficult for patients, families and the community — and can raise questions about where to turn for care. At UPMC, our focus is to make sure care remains accessible, reliable, and easy to navigate. We are committed to supporting people where they ...

Just one more Memorial Day remembrance

Editor’s note: Marcy O’Brien is in New England with family graduation festivities. Parts of this column have appeared previously. Memorial Day was a particularly important day of remembrance for my mother. Every year, she made sure we wore commemorative red poppies to honor her youngest brother, the family hero. Kenneth Arthur MacMillan was the youngest of four children. When their mother died, my mother, Alberta, was 6 and the siblings were 4, 2 and baby Kenny was months old. He never knew his mother who spent the last months of her life in a tuberculosis sanitorium. Alberta ...

Our opinion: Data centers spark concerns

Across Pennsylvania, data center developers are increasingly targeting agricultural land for new projects, and residents in affected communities are mounting opposition, concerned about the industrialization of their farmland. Last week, timesobserver.com posed the question: Are you concerned about data centers in Warren County? Respondents are fairly worried with 145 saying “yes” and 128 voting “no.” This region, however, is much different than national findings. Seven in 10 Americans oppose constructing data centers for artificial intelligence in their local area, ...

Families in state still waiting for paid leave

Another Mother’s Day has come and gone, and once again too many Pennsylvania families marked it with gratitude for the mothers in their lives—and frustration at what our state still fails to provide. As the sponsors of the Pennsylvania Family Care Act, we introduced this legislation because we have seen firsthand what it means when a family life collides with a paycheck. In our districts, we hear from workers who are doing everything “right” and still facing impossible choices when illness, childbirth, or caregiving needs arise. These are families trying to hold it all together, ...

Honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice

As the United States prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of its founding, on this Memorial Day, let’s remember and honor the men and women whose sacrifice made this country possible by finding ways to serve and give back. Memorial Day gives us a chance to acknowledge the shared values that hold us together amid our different backgrounds, beliefs and experiences. It’s a time to express gratitude for what has been given so that we might have the freedoms we treasure. At its core, it’s a day that honors service. This Memorial Day, let’s renew our commitment to service, in ...