High on my list of favorite Christmas movies is Miracle on 34th Street (original version please). In it is an all-purpose, every season piece of wisdom: “Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to.” Faith in institutions, secular and religious ones, is taking a shellacking these days. Confidence-measuring polls of public mood […]
The Edward H. Arnold Institute for Policy Studies
A Letter to America: United Kingdom Independence Day from the EU
The endorsement by the EU of the UK Withdrawal Agreement is the final step enabling the UK to return to being a sovereign state and a free agent on the world stage, this happened on the 29th January 2020. For 47 years, the UK has seen a European Economic Zone the EEC, similarly based […]
United Way Pursues Productive Partnerships; Say Hello To ALICE
Maybe there has never been a true golden age for running non-profit organizations and charitable groups. This is certainly not the best of times, with aggressive pushes to cut back on government spending and programs at every level, to impose higher standards of performance, to apply more rigorous tests of accountability, to tighten spending on […]
Plugging Into Modern Medicine Requires Legislative Signoff
Trailing only education, health care resembles an endless philosophical and political war, with sharp, persistent disagreements over direction and policy. The list of disputed matters includes but is not limited to: the merits of public versus private insurance coverage, the fairness of provider networks, the utility of health care subsidies, the considerable costs of technology […]
Closing State Facilities: Saving Money But Sacrificing Trust
Since Neil Sedaka released “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” in 1962, the song has been covered multiple times. The tune might be experiencing resurgence as the unofficial anthem of the Wolf administration. There are heated controversies in several Pennsylvania communities over suddenly announced plans to close state facilities. Luzerne County is facing a double […]
Saying Farewell To A Mentor And A Friend
Thanksgiving is a season when we count our greatest blessings, the family and friends who surround us and those who have gone ahead to their eternal reward. Many of us are fortunate to have a special person who sees hidden qualities in us, who goes above and beyond to guide and inspire us, who […]
Rescue For Rural Hospitals A Healthy Move Forward
Given our entrenched political and regional differences, Pennsylvania teamwork tends to conjure thoughts of sports rather than governance. Frustrated citizens, commentators, and advocates believe that Pennsylvania rarely embraces substantial reform or change. In their view, our state moves only in dire crisis, and even then only once the patches have blown and the cans […]
Anti-Semitism Stains Our Character And Principles
Our virtuous civic observances serve to remind us of distinguished Americans who have faded into history. This past Memorial Day, speakers recalled Rabbi Roland B. Gittlesohn. The first Jewish chaplain in the Marine Corps, he was awarded three combat ribbons for his actions during the battle of Iwo Jima. This admirable circumstance was merely […]
State Policy And Funding Fertilizing Farming Future
Fall fair season and Farm Show week are prominent occasions when public attention is captivated by the bounty and prowess of Pennsylvania agriculture. These spikes in enthusiasm are great for sustaining the reputation of farming, but do not mean the role and perils of farming are understood and appreciated by all. There are few states […]
Alarms Over Gun Violence Obscure Deadly Tool From Child Abuse
With the plague of mass shootings afflicting America, the casualty toll adds up quickly and alarmingly. Child abuse claims victims one or two at a time, but is so pervasive that these sad numbers pile up too. While each sparks calls for adding effective preventative measures, emotionally fraught debates, rallies, and marches over gun violence […]