U.S. Senator Pat Toomey has been in office for less than a year, but in that short period of time he has emerged as something rare in present day Washington, D.C. – a principled officeholder who is willing to work with the other side of the aisle to arrive at solutions to the serious problems which confront our nation. This is not easy to do, which is why so few members of congress are even trying. Two successive wave elections have sent to the national legislature groups of representatives who are polar opposites both in terms of party affiliation and ideology. This has gridlocked congress both rhetorically and legislatively. The danger for any senator or congressman is that the slightest movement away from ideological orthodoxy results in immediate condemnation from their party’s base, seemingly making compromise impossible. But, for those willing to peel back the outer layers of the policy onion there are often obscure and archane details that provide opportunity for agreement and progress. And so it was that Senator Toomey became the only member of the so-called “super committee” on deficit reduction to actually put on the table a new proposal that remained true to principle, but offered...
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Tough Times Nonprofits struggle to deliver as recession lingers The lingering national recession continues to have a profound negative effect on Pennsylvania nonprofit organizations, causing some to doubt their ability to fulfill their mission amid a growing sense of pessimism about the future. That is the overall picture to emerge from the Lincoln Institute’s 2011 Pennsylvania Charitable Organizations Survey. Conducted in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) the annual poll of nonprofit leaders from across the commonwealth found 89% have been negatively impacted by the recession. This has caused a third of the respondents to report they are less able to fulfill their mission than in past years. But, nonprofits are accustomed to doing more with less; as a result over half say their ability to fulfill their mission remains about the same, while 11% reported a greater ability to fulfill their core mission. “For now nonprofits are able to continue providing essential services,” said Joe Geiger, Executive Director of PANO. “But, they are doing this without the capacity to sustain their operations. Many challenges lie ahead.” As with their for-profit counterparts, 2011 has been difficult economically for nonprofits. Forty percent said that business conditions in...
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Some days in retirement I miss the soap opera “As The World Turns.” Its cheesy plots, thin acting and poor attempts at humor were often a lunch time treat until the historic series ended just over a year ago. But I no longer have to miss the drama.  Cheesy plots, bad acting and poor judgment are all alive and well.  All one has to do is follow the politics of Montgomery County. Last week, County Commissioner Chairman Jim Matthews was indicted for perjury.  An 18 month grand jury investigation into a number of ‘irregularities’ resulted in him being charged, surrendering to county detectives in a convenience store then being perp walked, with handcuffs high on his chest, before a well briefed press corps to be the ‘big story’ that night on all of Philadelphia’s TV stations. The irregularities have been well documented.  Just take a look at the archives of the Norristown Times Herald or The Philadelphia Inquirer.   Political payoffs for lucrative health care contracts, the squandering of the American Revolution Center Museum that Matthews called “a great move” and ultimately Matthews’ real sin: his unbridled ego since he was selected by Lynn Swann 5 years ago as the...
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November 19 will mark the end of the 2011 season for the Upper Merion Farmers Market. For an event that you won’t want to miss, the UMFM will host their own version of a Mummers’ parade. Mummers will be at the market to perform their music and will be dancing around the market and teaching patrons how to do the mummer strut. The popular Annual Chili Cook Off sponsored by the Valley Forge Optimist Club will again be taking place, with trophies being awarded to the best three chili entries. Taste testing by patrons for any of the chili entries will be $5.00. Artisans of the Week will be Jazzming, Gayle Flaer, and Nancy Garner. There will also be some activities for the children, including face painting and a moon bounce. There will be a modified winter market to be held twice a month beginning in December. Information about the winter market can be found on the UMFM website. For information about the Upper Merion Farmers Market, visit www.UpperMerionFarmersMarket. Uncertainty Stifling Job Creation By: Lowman S. Henry The Occupy Wall Street protestors are focused on the wealthiest one percent of Americans and President Barack Obama is engaging class warfare...
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By Scott Paterno Four years ago President Obama’s victory was attributed in no small part to the youth vote – both in terms of their increased turnout and the 69% of it they gave to Obama. But as the realities of the Obama economy have smacked those same voters in the face they have started to abandon him. Which is why it is hardly surprising that the President offered a plan for student loan relief this past week – it’s a literal twofer, serving two of his favored constituencies: the education lobby and the youth vote. Ironically – given that it is billed as a populist measure – the lower and middle classes will pay it for disproportionately, especially the vast majority of blue-collar working people without a college degree. Think I am exaggerating? Let me show you how. Let’s start with the basics of the plan. Under his proposal, the President would reduce the maximum amount of repayment per year from 15% of discretionary income to 10% and caps the maximum number of repayment years at 20, down from 25. The unpaid loan and interest balance at the end of the 20 years is forgiven, a bill paid...
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Montgomery Cemetery Caretakers No Longer Welcome EDITOR’S NOTE: We first brought you this story back in August, 2011, about the workings of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, and their attempts to keep the W.S. Hancock Society volunteers from caring for the Hancock Mausoleum, and conducting commemorative services at the Montgomery Cemetery.  A November, 2011, update by Bruce Stocking now appears at the end of this article.  We welcome additional comments and feedback to the story and will gladly print what we receive. Background: The W. S. Hancock Society was formed in 1995 to seek the preservation of any and all sites related to the General and his family prior to, during and subsequent to his lifetime. Through our use of interpretive history displays, lectures and programs, we account the chronicle of events that make up his narrative, as well as, his bearing on the events that shaped American history. In conjunction, it is equally important to cultivate an understanding of his ancestors that forged the individual and the times in which they lived. Yearly, in deference to the esteemed life of W.S. Hancock, they gather at his final resting place in Montgomery Cemetery, West Norriton Township, Pennsylvania and...
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