Category: Politics

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Statement on PA Supreme Court Decision in Wolf v. Scarnati

  By Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties, COVID-19, PA Constitutional Law, Pennsylvania

Originally published by KRC-PBPC here. All Pennsylvanians should be gratified by PA Supreme Court’s ruling today that the General Assembly’s attempt to unilaterally end Governor Wolf’s emergency orders is unconstitutional. The Court made its decision, as it should have, on the basis of the plain words of the Constitution which states that a concurrent resolution by the two houses of the General Assembly must be presented to the Governor for his approval or veto. But, as we pointed out in our amicus curiae brief to the Court, and as recent evidence in many other states shows, the consequences of ending the governor’s orders prematurely would have been devastating to the health and economic well-being of us all. Continue reading

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How Many Lives Have We Saved?

  By COVID-19, Pennsylvania

While Republican legislators have been insisting on an early reopening of businesses in Pennsylvania, we have seen one of the most dramatic declines in both COVID-19 cases and deaths of any state in the country. From a height of 1965 on April 19, the number of new cases dropped to 346 on June 21. And from a maximum of 554 deaths recorded on May 5, we had only three recorded on June 21. We have seen, and no doubt will continue to see, fluctuations in these numbers depending on vagaries in testing and reporting and how well Pennsylvanians adhere to guidelines meant to protect us as businesses reopen. But there is no doubt that the sacrifices we have made to limit the transmission of COVID-19 have had an impact. And the experience of states that have reopened businesses early and seen sharply rising numbers of people infected and deaths has… Continue reading

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Legal Brief by PA Budget and Policy Center and Keystone Research Center Supports Gov. Wolf in Stay-at-Home Order Court Case

  By Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties, COVID-19, PA Budget and Policy Center, PA Constitutional Law, Pennsylvania

Originally published by KRC-PBPC The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center and Keystone Research Center submitted an amicus curia brief in Wolf v. Scarnatti, the Supreme Court case deciding if the PA General Assembly can end Governor Wolf’s emergency orders by itself, without submitting it’s concurrent resolution doing so to the governor for his approval or veto. The PBPC-KRC brief presents important context regarding the benefits of the governor’s executive actions to date and the critical importance of maintaining them to battle the pandemic. Continue reading

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1968 and 2020

  By Democracy, Fascism, US

I was talking on a national call about this time and 1968. I was only 13 then and maybe don’t recall how crazy and unsettled and uncertain that time felt, what with the Tet Offensive (which made it clear that Vietnam was a lost cause), the assassinations and riots, the Democratic convention, and the election of Nixon (and probably more I don’t remember). But this time feels more uncertain and scarier. I’m not exactly sure why but I suppose it’s mostly Trump and the support he has from half this country. Police brutality, property destruction in cities, even COVID-19 wouldn’t feel utterly unmanageable if we had a president who was not both incompetent and a threat to our Constitution, democracy, and freedom. And while Nixon’s possible election was scary, he was never nearly as scary or as bad as Trump. The immorality of Vietnam weighed heavily on us, but it… Continue reading

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No “Buts”—Really Seeing White Supremacy in America

  By Racial Justice, US, White Supremacy and Structural Racism

Prefatory note: I start more writing projects than I can finish and usually have 20 or 30 half-finished pieces that I’m waiting to complete at the right moment. This seemed the right time to finish and post this one on racial justice. There is nothing new here at all. But it seems important for white people to be talking about these issues at this moment. My colleagues in the State Directors Racial Equity workgroup of the State Priorities Project State Directors helped me immensely with the hard thinking and personal reflection that led to this piece. Of them, I particularly want to thank James Jimenez of New Mexico, a great colleague and friend who contributed in many ways to this piece. I’ve been part of a group of directors of organizations that parallel mine who came together to better understand how racial equity should fit into our work. And those… Continue reading

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Racism in America and the Current Moment

  By White Supremacy and Structural Racism

Originally published by the PA Budget and Policy Center. By Marc Stier and Kadida Kenner The attention of the public and political leaders in our state and country has understandably been focused in the last few days on the civil disturbances in our cities and how to quell them. We write, however, to urge that we all return our attention as soon as possible to the profound issues facing our country, the issues elevated by the murder of George Floyd that have led tens of thousands of people—Black, brown ,and white—to engage in peaceful protests all over Pennsylvania, the United States, & Europe. Click here to read this full screen or print. Continue reading

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New Polling Supports Aggressive Action to Address Economic Inequities in the Recovery from COVID-19

  By Pennsylvania, Progressive Politics, Public Policy

Originally published by KRC-PBPC here. New polling shows support for aggressive government action to address economic inequities in the recovery from COVID-19. A new 10-state poll carried out by Global Strategy Group of “unheard middle” voters—those who are neither strong Democrats nor strong Republicans—revealed broad support for bold state government action both to relieve the economic distress created by COVID-19 pandemic and to address the inequities revealed by it. By a huge margin, middle of the road voters believe that large “the state government still needs to do more to protect the economy and hard-working families” (91%) than “the state government doesn’t need to spend more taxpayer dollars in response to the economic impacts of the pandemic” (9%). Public policies that focus on protecting working people and small businesses are enormously popular, including “requiring workplaces to provide paid sick days to their employees” (supported by 90%); “providing low-interest loans to… Continue reading

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The Far Right Has Given up on America

  By Pennsylvania, Politics

When you demand that businesses reopen immediately and the stay-at-home order ends, and when you are saying the “cure is worse than the disease,” you are basically saying that our country doesn’t work anymore and can’t work anymore. You are saying that the country that defeated Hitler; that went to the moon; that has created extraordinary technology and vibrant art; and that has tried to created a multi-ethnic, multi-racial, pluralistic society that, however much it fails to live up to its ideals, is still widely respected in the world for the attempt, is no longer capable of dealing with a crisis in a way that protects our lives AND restores our economy in a way that is fair to all of us. There are countries in the world that cannot protect their citizens’ lives and economic future (and if we could help ourselves we could, and should, help them.) But… Continue reading

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The Second Time as Farce: Trump’s Failed Fascism

  By 2020, Fascism, Politics

A conflation of two Facebook posts has given me a little hope today. I first saw someone post that they don’t understand how Trump is seen as a strong man by his supporters when he is so evidently a whiny, complaining, insecure, inarticulate fool desperately pretending to be what he obviously is not and looking for affirmation from everyone. And reading that, I realized that this is almost exactly how I described all the folks complaining about business closures and stay-at-home orders. They pretend to be tough and criticize us “snowflakes” who they say are afraid of the virus. They say that our freedom depends on people like them. And yet they aren’t rushing to do essential, frontline jobs; they don’t seem to care that anyone else is sick or dying or that what they seek might lead to more illness and death; and they are certainly not willing to… Continue reading

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Tears and Rage

  By Politics

I go back and forth between tears and rage. We are witnessing the greatest failure of political leadership by one person in the history of this country and one of the greatest failures in human history. Tens of thousands of people are going to die. Our economy will suffer immensely, and the burden will fall most heavily on the most vulnerable among us. And why? Because the narcissistic moron who sits in the chair of Washington, Lincoln, and FDR has not, and still will not, prepare for the crisis and take charge of meeting it. The virus was going to affect us. But it did not have to be nearly this bad and in so many ways. Continue reading