Newlin Green residents owe a lot of apologies

Behavior at Newlin Zoning Hearing Board was an embarrassment to Unionville By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times I didn’t know what else to say, so I apologized. Not that I’d done anything wrong, mind you, but watching the shameful and clueless behavior of some of the residents of Newlin Green Wednesday night at a Newlin Zoning Hearing Board hearing to determine whether a property meets zoning requirements...

Letter: Rzucidlo alerts voters in the 158th of voting issues

To The Editor: As an advocate, I have worked for many years to assist  families and individuals in the region navigate the complicated Education, Human Services, and Veteran services programs in Pennsylvania. I  help people find services they need and teach them how to they can in turn help others as well. I am also a candidate running for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the...

Two tales of taxes, but is there really a story here?

Are both presidential campaigns so focused on winning the day that they’re losing the country? By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times WEST CHESTER — Depending upon who you talk to, Pennsylvania is already a dead issue or it will be a key swing state in the 2012 Presidential election. While the media buy decisions of the Romney campaign — virtually no TV commercials were purchased here for August...

Who did build that?

The role of government — and how it needs to change — in terms of small business won’t fit on a placard or a sound bite By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times The burden — or helping hand — of government and its role with small business was placed front and center this week in a pair of back-to-back rallies on the old courthouse steps in West Chester Thursday. The furor over President Barack...

Arnold decision is an embarassment to all of us

District justice admits to lying, covering up complaint, gets a slap on the wrist By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times For some time, it’s been increasingly apparent that there are two Americas. One for most of us, where the law is, at times, harsh and unforgiving — one reason why this country has a larger number of imprisoned people than any other western democracy. There is an entirely other America...

The cost of deregulation

Big utilities such as Verizon, PECO no longer answer government or customers By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times Typically, this column runs on Saturday. Typically, it is also written on my MacPro, an eight-core aircraft carrier of a computer on Friday afternoon. That it is being written on a Monday morning, on my iPad and being uploaded via cellular Internet connection tells you things are not sweetness...

Letter: independent candidate should have had say on health ruling

To The Editor, In your article entitled “Mixed Reaction to Healthcare Ruling”, you disenfranchised tens of thousands of citizens in the 16th congressional district by only including the corporate candidates Pitts and Strader in your commentary. While we expect the corporate candidates to attempt keeping the political process entirely owned by corporate America and do everything possible...

The damage of narrow self-interest

These days, it’s everyone for themselves and we all suffer By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times We’re all in this together, right? I’ll pause while you stop laughing. The 1970s were supposed to be the “Me Decade,” but it seems that what really happened was the emergence of the “Me Generation.” As that generation took power in the halls of government and corporate governance,...

Dumping on municipalities seems like a bad idea

Chester County’s decision to impose $5.20 per person charge is weak policy and terrible politics By Mike McGann, Editor, The Times There are a lot of angry elected officials right now in Chester County, a lot of soon-to-be angry residents, and, as seems to be the usual case these days, a lot of passing the buck. At the time of year when one normally smells fresh barbecue, suntan lotion and ...

Letter: Who is Chris Ross working for?

To The Editor: Even after many phone calls and e-mails this week from the people in his district telling him that they did not want this Pay Day Loan Bill to go through, Chris Ross continued to champion a bill (HB 2191) that is really no more than a way to legalize loan sharks in Pennsylvania.  Who is Chris working for? No fewer than 50 organizations have gone on record as opposing this bill including...