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Education as economic investment

College is many things to many people. It may be the next logical step after high school. It may be a career change. What we often focus on is the financial weight of it. College comes with an increasingly high price tag that can mean years, if not decades, of student loan debt. But there is something else to consider: the return on that investment. Not for the students. For the state. Pennsylvania is noted for its place on the high end of tuition costs. The Education Data Initiative puts the state at third highest in-state public tuition, tied with New Jersey, behind only Vermont ...

Lunch shaming has no place in our schools

June is the month when Pennsylvania public school districts finalize work on their budgets for the new fiscal year that begins July 1. It’s a busy time consisting of trying to grasp the best possible final estimates of incoming and outgoing revenue for the new fiscal calendar, settling on tax rates for the upcoming 12 months and identifying and implementing internal funds moves to ensure that, at least on paper, the budget has the semblance of balance. It’s also a time for reflecting on the fiscal/school year ending and the one that will be getting underway. Amid that exercise, ...

Decision means lawmakers must regulate games

Did a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling just change the game for Pennsylvania’s gambling industry? No, lawmakers did. Skill games are gaming machines that might look at home in an arcade or a casino. For years, they have lived in a legal midway point. They make money like a slot machine but aren’t regulated as one. Recently, the court changed that, deciding they are slots under existing state law and must be treated accordingly. The state Legislature has four months to figure out what to do next. Does it finally write laws that address the situation, or does it let the Supreme ...

Platner wants redemption, others a refund

Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna conceded at a rally for the Maine senatorial candidate that Graham Platner's actions have not been sterling. Voters considering Platner don't like his "shameful" actions against women, the Californian said, but "they are willing to extend him grace and redemption." Maine Democrats have just chosen Platner to challenge five-term Republican Susan Collins in November. Maine is a purple state, and Collins is a moderate by current Republican standards. But here's the problem for Platner: Redemption is a theme in religion whereby someone who has committed ...

Ways to deal with a bad year for ticks

From what we’re hearing, it may well be the worst season for ticks that anyone has seen. Tick season is in full swing and with it, the danger of contracting one of several nasty infections that are becoming all too common in the area. But ticks shouldn’t keep you out of the woods, if that’s something you enjoy doing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has these suggestions to avoid contact with ticks: Before going outdoors: • Know where to expect ticks. Ticks live in grassy, brushy or wooded areas, or even on animals. Spending time outside walking your dog, ...

Billing abuses for autism assistance unacceptable

Most people cannot imagine the challenges autism poses to families caring for someone afflicted with the developmental disorder. But when those challenges are exacerbated by unscrupulous individuals and companies, people need to take notice and not be shy about projecting their disgust and calls for remedial legal action and stiff penalties, criminal as well as civil. Those who would try to take advantage of the families in question — and, in the process, the victims of the disorder themselves — don’t deserve any leniency in any court of law. Meanwhile, there should be no ...