Month: February 2020

Last Saturday the Susquehanna Art Museum in Harrisburg unveiled their new exhibit, Many Visions; Many Versions: Art from Indigenous Communities in India. The exhibit is on view in the newly renamed Beverlee and Bill Lehr Gallery until May 10, 2020.

The exhibit features 47 drawings and paintings from contemporary artists that highlight the four major indigenous artistic traditions known to India. The work is displayed thematically, rather than being separated into different sections based on their cultural association, to showcase the shared artistic styles and traditions of all four indigenous artistic traditions.

Alice Anne Schawb, Executive Director, and Lauren Nye, Director of Exhibitions, from the Susquehanna Art Museum appear on Friday’s Smart Talk to discuss the new exhibit.

Also, Friday is Valentine’s Day when the world is thinking about love or at least that’s how we have been conditioned. On Valentine’s Day, those who aren’t in a relationship may be looking for one.

No doubt there will be some who will utilize what’s thought of as a pick-up line to attract a mate. Often, its men using language they think is catchy or clever. However, research at Bucknell University has found women also will try to attract a man they have just met with what they say, but in a different way.

Appearing on Smart Talk is Dr. T. Joel Wade, Professor of Psychology at Bucknell University, to talk about new research.

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Ninety percent of firefighters in Pennsylvania are volunteers and there are far fewer of them than in the past. There were more than 300,000 volunteer firefighters in the state in the 1970s. Today there are about 38,000. The problem may get worse too because the average volunteer firefighter — at least nationally — is over 40 years old.

The numbers alone indicate lives could be in danger when there is a fire or emergency.

Why aren’t more people volunteering? Many cite time constraints, going through the training required and fundraising by volunteer fire companies.

Moves are in the works on the state level that include tax credits for volunteers. Some municipalities have implemented taxes to help defray expenses but that does little to recruit firefighters and emergency personnel.

Thursday’s Smart Talk addresses the volunteer firefighter shortage and the needs of local fire departments.

Appearing on the program are Jerry Ozog, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Fire & Emergency Services Institute and an active volunteer firefighter in Hampden Township (Cumberland County), Mike Ibberson, Chief, Swatara Township Fire Rescue (Dauphin County), Justin Eberly, Volunteer Firefighter & Active EMT from Cumberland County who is also a Volunteer Recruitment / Retention Trainer for VFIS/Glatfelter Insurance Group, and Duane Ober, Commissioner Warwick Emergency Services Commission (Lancaster County).

 

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For years, Pennsylvania has trailed other states across the country by not offering ways to vote other than at voting precincts or by absentee ballot. That all changed last fall, when Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation that allows voters to submit ballots in other ways.

Mail-in voting may be the most significant of the changes. Starting this year, voters can opt to apply for a mail-in ballot with no excuse or reason needed and mail their completed ballot to the state. Other changes include the voter registration deadline has been shortened to 15 days before an election, rather the traditional 30 days. Also, the deadline for a county to receive an absentee ballot is now 8 p.m. on election day.

There are other changes as well and county election directors have expressed concern that there may be additional staff or funding needed. Counties have also cautioned that counting votes and final results may not be available as quickly.

Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State Kathy Bookvar and Deputy Secretary of State Jonathan Marks appear on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to explain the changes and discuss elections in this important election year.

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Most people probably associate polluted, unhealthy air with large metropolitan cities — that’s entirely accurate in some places across the country, but in Pennsylvania, the metropolitan areas with the most days of unhealthy air in 2018 were Lancaster, Harrisburg and Lebanon. York wasn’t far behind. All four places had more days of unhealthy air than the state’s largest cities, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Lancaster had 119 days of elevated air pollution in 2018, followed by Harrisburg with 114.

Those numbers come from a recent report titled “Trouble in the Air: Millions of Americans Breathed Polluted Air in 2018.”

The report was released by the environmental group PennEnvironment and the Frontier Group.

The statistics came from the federal Environmental Protection Agency and focused on fine particulates in the air and ground level ozone pollution.

What can done to make the air cleaner?

Appearing on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss the findings are Zachary Barber, Clean Air Organizer with PennEnvironment, and Dr. Kelly Kuhns, Chair of the Department of Nursing at Millersville University and a member of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. Also, Senate Minority Leader, Democratic State Senator Jay Costa of Allegheny County joins us as well.

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The three-decade long effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay appears to be entering a critical stage.

In 2010, the federal Environmental Protection Agency established what it called the total maximum daily load or TMDL, which set limits for the amount of nutrients that drain into the Chesapeake. Six states and the District of Columbia were part of the agreement. Even though Pennsylvania does not border the Chesapeake Bay, the Susquehanna River is the biggest source of freshwater running into the Bay.

Progress has been made in the past 30 years and even since the 2010 agreement. Maryland and Virginia, in particular, are on track to meet their goals. However, Pennsylvania appears to be lagging — especially when it comes to nitrogen runoff into waters that enter the Bay. Pennsylvania is reportedly about nine million pounds short of meeting its nitrogen reduction goal by 2025.

It’s gotten to the point where Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has threatened to sue Pennsylvania to force it to meet its goals.

Dan Aunkst, director of EPA’s Chesapeake Bay program has said the TMDL goals were an aspiration and not enforceable.

As a result, Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation may sue EPA over Pennsylvania’s not meeting its goals.

Monday’s Smart Talk focuses on the Bay cleanup and Pennsylvania’s plans.

Appearing on the program are Patrick McDonnell, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Will Baker, President of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

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In Pennsylvania, human services, emergency management, 911 services, and administration of courts, corrections and elections are all administered by the state’s 67 counties. However, those county governments often believe they don’t get the kind of attention from the state and even their residents that they deserve.

That’s why the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) makes a list of priorities at the beginning of each year. In 2020, priorities include increasing funding for mental health services, finding solutions to what they describe as the emergency medical services crisis, county property tax reform, rural broadband expansion, and funding for adult probation programs and services.

One of the biggest challenges many Pennsylvania counties have faced in the past year is updating or even replacing voting machines during this crucial presidential election year.

Appearing on Friday’s Smart Talk to discuss the CCAP’s priorities for 2020 are CCAP Executive Director Lisa Schaefer, Butler County Commissioner and CCAP First Vice President Kevin Boozel, and Bradford County Commissioner and CCAP 2nd Vice President Daryl Miller.

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There are more than a thousand lobbying firms and 12,000 lobbyists registered to lobby the federal government in Washington D.C. They present their views and try to influence government on many issues. Those that attract the most lobbying interests relate to business, healthcare, energy, pharmaceuticals and communications.

The Friends Committee on National Legislation is not a lobbying group that spends large sums of money like some other lobbyists. However, the lobbying group representing Quakers is the nation’s oldest faith-based lobbying group having formed in 1943.

According to the FCNL, they meet with members of Congress or their staffs to discuss issues of peace, equality and simplicity and they do it while usually focusing on one issue.

Right now, the Friends Committee is lobbying for “preventing endless war through the repeal of two outstanding Authorizations for Use of Military Force” that were enacted after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and the lead up to war in Iraq in 2002. The issue has taken on more urgency since tensions have increases recently between the U.S. and Iran.

On Thursday’s Smart Talk, we’re joined by Beth Reeves and Anthony Crocamo — advocates from the Friends Committee on National Legislation to discuss the issues important to Quakers and how they go about lobbying members of Congress.

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Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a $36.1 billion state budget Tuesday that doesn’t count on any widespread tax increases — even though Wolf’s plan increases spending by almost a billion and a half dollars.

Under the governor’s proposal, public schools in Pennsylvania would get an additional $100 million, the formula for funding charter schools would be changed to one set tuition of $9,500 per student compared to nearly $8,000 to $21,000 charters currently receive depending on which school district they’re in, raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2026, charge a fee to residents of municipalities that don’t have their own police departments but instead use the state police for coverage.

Republican legislators criticized Wolf’s budget for spending too much.

Even though not budget related, Gov. Wolf also called for stricter gun laws, including a red flag law that would temporarily take guns away from people considered a danger to themselves or others.

Franklin and Marshall College political analyst and pollster Dr. G. Terry Madonna appears on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to break down Gov. Wolf’s budget outline.

Meanwhile, Dr. Madonna also provides insight into two other political events with major consequences this week — President Trump’s State-of-the-Union Address and the problem-laden Iowa Caucuses.

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Technology gifts were a hot commodity this past holiday season.

Computers, flat screen TV’s and smart phones topped shopping lists. But buyer beware! If, and when, those electronics break down, fixing them will be a lot harder than you may realize.

Since the growth of the world wide web, manufacturers are no longer offering repair manuals in product packaging. If you can even locate a manual for the product, it may require specialized tools or instruments that are difficult to find.

A report by PennPIRG, a public interest advocacy group, found that while many Pennsylvanians want to fix their own property, they don’t have access to spare parts or technical information.

This is no accident, according to organization associates. By controlling repairs, manufacturers can set pricing. Often, it is less expensive to replace a product than it is to repair it; an obvious benefit to the manufacturer.

Advocates want to help consumers who want to fix what they own.  Appearing on Tuesday’s Smart Talk to discuss “right to repair” legislative reforms are Emma Horst-Martz, PennPIRG associate, Tim Mentzer, owner of Mentzer Repairs in Ephrata, Gay Gordon-Byrne, Executive Director, The Repair Association and Olivia Webb, outreach coordinator with iFixit.

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Twenty years ago, the first 2-1-1 system in the country was established in Georgia to fill a need for people seeking services for themselves and their families.

Today, more than 95% of the country is covered by the 2-1-1 system and Pennsylvania is part of the network, with 100% coverage.

The PA 2-1-1 system is a program of the United Way of Pennsylvania and putting people into contact with community-based resources like housing, putting food on the table, and paying for utilities.

PA 2-1-1 can help no matter where you are in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvanians can pick up the phone and dial 2-1-1, and the call will be directed to one of five contact centers in the state. They can also text 898-211 or email info@pa211sw.org to be connected.

Appearing on Monday’s Smart Talk to offer more details on the program are Kristen Rotz, President, United Way of Pennsylvania, Debbie Reihart Executive Director of PA 211, Kelly Gollick, Executive Director of PA 211 South Central and Chris Kapp, Coordinated Entry System Manager for the Central Valley region.

 

 

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