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Hits and Misses

3 min read
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been among the elected officials urging constituents to stay at home, don masks and avoid large holiday gatherings. But the Democrat was shown to have been spectacularly hypocritical when he was photographed seated at a table in a San Francisco restaurant where meals can cost up to $450 apiece with a group of lobbyists. No one was masked or practicing social distancing, and Newsom’s later claim that it was outdoors was rebutted by the photos, which showed the dinner was, in fact, indoors. Newsom fessed up, admitting, “The spirit of what I’m preaching all the time was contradicted and I’ve got to own that. I need to preach and practice, not just preach.” Newsom will have his work cut out for him to regain credibility where the coronavirus is concerned.

The Marshall Plan helped rebuild Europe after it was devastated by World War II, and the mayors of Pittsburgh, Morgantown, W.Va., Huntington, W.Va., Columbus, Ohio, and other cities, have called for a new Marshall Plan, this one aimed at Middle America. In an op-ed in The Washington Post published Monday, they noted that the Ohio River Valley had not been paid major attention by the federal government since the Appalachian Regional Commission was formed in 1965, and called for investments in infrastructure, renewable energy and job training. The op-ed warns, “{span}We’ve seen the consequences of inaction before. Pittsburgh, for example, never prepared for deindustrialization of heavy manufacturing and steel in the 1980s, and it took 30 years to build its new economy. It was a painful demonstration of how people and communities can be destroyed by believing the world will not change. Pittsburgh and other cities should not repeat this mistake.”

Once upon a time, it was fashionable in some circles to call for the release from prison of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of killing a Philadelphia police officer in 1981 and, for years, was housed at the state prison in Greene County. Hollywood celebrities, academics and assorted activists argued that Abu-Jamal was framed and should be tried again, despite overwhelming evidence that Abu-Jamal killed the officer and received a fair trial. Abu-Jamal has faded from the headlines in recent years, but former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has taken up Abu-Jamal’s cause. Kaepernick has trotted out the same threadbare and much-refuted arguments that Abu-Jamal is a wrongly accused, innocent man. John McNesby, president of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5, told CBS News, “This is yet another Hail Mary pass by Kaepernick and Mumia supporters to free a convicted cop killer.” Hail Mary passes rarely succeed, and this one shouldn’t.

Veterans service organizations like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars have been buffeted in recent years by declining membership, and the coronavirus pandemic has not made their lot any easier. Fortunately, some relief could be on the way from Harrisburg. Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives has unanimously approved a bill that would allow them to keep all the revenue they get from small games of chance, rather than giving 60% of the revenue to charity. By keeping that chunk, they can pay employees, and cover expenses like utilities and rent. State Rep. Pam Snyder, the Democrat who represents Greene County and parts of Washington and Fayette counties, co-sponsored the bill. It’s due to go next to Gov. Tom Wolf, and let’s hope he signs it.

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