WITF Smart Talk Podcast

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, August 21, 2018:  

Last weekend a 22-foot-deep sinkhole opened up on the Cumberland Parkway. It was the latest in a series of sinkholes that have formed recently in Pennsylvania. Last Friday, one swallowed several cars in the parking lot of the Lancaster Tanger Outlets. At the end of July two opened up in Palmyra. 

The formation of sinkholes is often caused by changes in water levels, and Pennsylvania has experienced some heavy rain lately. 

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources explains that sinkholes develop in karst landscapes which are formed when bedrock such as limestone is dissolved, creating a network of tunnels that are reminiscent of a natural plumbing system. Water flows through these channels, and when water levels change, the tunnels can cave in and create sinkholes.  

Sometimes sinkholes form through natural processes like heavy rain or draught. Humans can also be involved in their formation, though. Drilling, dams, vibration from traffic, and heavy objects on the surface can contribute to the development of sinkholes, the Department of Environmental Protection says. 

A DCNR map shows that there have been sinkholes and surface depressions throughout much of Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania. 

When sinkholes open up, they can cause damage and inconvenience, and they may cost thousands of dollars to fix. 

On Friday’s Smart Talk to discuss sinkholes is Bill Kochanov of the DCNR Bureau of Topographic and Geological Survey. 

Bill Kochanov

What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, August 20, 2018:? 

Each day, newspaper headlines recount conflicts happening in countries around the globe. The civil wars in Syria and Yemen, the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan, and the never-ending sectarian violence in Iraq.  

What newspapers rarely say, though, is that these modern-day conflicts are, in many ways, connected. An Associated Press report observed that never in the last 70 years have conflicts seemed as interconnected as they are now.   

The big players on the global stage are, of course, the United States and Russia, but also Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Powerbrokers and nation-states, vying for influence throughout the world, often far away from their own borders, play a role in most of the world’s current struggles.  

A nation-state must balance many factors before engaging in a proxy relationship with another nation or opposition group. The stakes are high, and the cost of intervening could set the condition for a larger proxy war.  

Joining Smart Talk on Monday to discuss the ethics of proxy relationships and global trouble spots is Dr. Tony Pfaff, Research Professor, Strategic Studies Institute.  

Dr. Tony Pfaff

Also, the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund is scheduled to expire September 30 unless Congress reauthorized funding.  For more than 50 years, the fund has provided money to preserve and maintain parks, open spaces, forests, wetlands, and historic sites and improve access for hunters and those who enjoy the outdoors.

The Conservation Fund is using a portion of revenues from offshore oil and gas royalty payments.

Ed Perry of the National Wildlife Federation appears on Monday’s Smart Talk to discuss renewing the fund.

What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, August 13, 2018: 

At one point in the last decade, the city of Harrisburg considered bankruptcy as a way out of a downward spiraling financial situation. The city was millions of dollars in debt due to a now-sold, and often maligned, incinerator project.  

Harrisburg sought protection through a state oversight program for “financially distressed” Pennsylvania cities, called Act 47. The name comes from the Municipalities Financial Recovery Act (Act 47 of 1987). 

For the past seven years, Harrisburg has operated under Act 47, which also gives the city taxing authority to increase revenues to elevate itself out of the distressed status. Once out of Act 47 protection, that taxing authority would go away.  

WITF Capitol Bureau Chief Katie Meyer reports that Harrisburg can now keep its special, high earned income and local services taxes through at least 2020. 

According to Meyer, “the state Department of Community and Economic Development, which oversees the capitol city’s financial recovery, released the news in its latest proposal for Harrisburg’s exit from its ‘distressed municipality‘ status.“ 

Rep. Patty Kim (D-Harrisburg), wants the special taxing authority extended indefinitely and she is sponsoring legislation to secure the authority. She and others say that because Harrisburg has such high commuter levels, a lot of tax-exempt property, and a poor tax base, the taxing authority is necessary.  

Representative Patty Kim

Representative Kim is in the studio to talk about the legislation and Harrisburg’s financial future after Act 47.  

Do your kids spend too much time on their tablets and phones? If so, you’re not alone. Two Pennsylvania college professors offer a solution on their website screenfreeparenting.com. They argue that childhood creativity is on the decline and too much screen time is one of the reasons.   

Their advice is to SPOIL your kids every day, which is an acronym for five screen-free activities to engage children. 

Dr. Meghan Owenz and Professor Adam Owenz

Professor Adam Owenz, Albright College, and Dr. Meghan Owenz, Penn State Berks, are in the studio to talk about how to engage kids without using screen time.  You can visit their website Screen Free Parenting to learn more about their work.

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, August 10, 2018: