Day: April 30, 2020

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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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Statement on HB 2412: Is Real Estate Really Essential?

  By COVID-19

Originally published at KRC-PBPC here. We want to reiterate our opposition to HB 2412 even as amended, a bill to require the secretary of Community and Economic Development to issue waivers to allow real estate-related business activities to continue provided that they adhere to “applicable mitigation measures defined by the CDC…” As we have pointed out, with regard to broader legislation aimed to undermine the preventive health measures required by Governor Wolf there are few commercial activities that do not involve people traveling outside their homes, coming into relatively close contact with others, and passing physical objects, including papers, between them. This certainly includes many activities connected with the buying and selling of real estate. Thus, these activities pose a danger to public health—and whether they should continue or not should be regulated by medical and scientific analysis of how fast the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is spreading in particular… Continue reading

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A Statement on HB 1776: Property School Tax Freeze Is a Wrong Move for PA

  By Education, K-12 Education in PA

Originally published by KRC-PBPC here. Pennsylvania, like every other state in the country, faces an unprecedented budget crisis at both the state and local levels. It is so unusual that we do not really know how severe it will be. There is still great uncertainty about how far we will fall. And there is also uncertainty about how quickly we will be able to climb out of the hole in state and local revenues caused by the necessary health regulations put in place to limit the impact of COVID-19 on our lives and our health care system. Estimates of the two-year decline in state revenues range from $3 to $7 billion. A recent analysis suggests that the decline in school districts’ revenues could range between $850 million and $1 billion for FY 21. This is a time for all of us, in government office and outside of it, to think… Continue reading