Hits and Misses
MISS: Librarians across Pennsylvania have been on tenterhooks in recent weeks as state funds for libraries have been held up due to wrangling between lawmakers in Harrisburg. A “code bill” that would allow the money to be dispersed has not been approved because the House and Senate are at loggerheads over funding for a tax credit that would provide scholarship money for students who want to attend private schools. State funding for community colleges is also in limbo as a result of the impasse. If the state funding for libraries doesn’t arrive soon, staffers might be furloughed at some locations, or programs cut or new programs put on hold. It’s well past time for legislators to put aside their differences and approve the code bill so libraries can get the funding they need.
MISS: George Santos was finally booted from Congress last week, almost two years after it was revealed that the New York Republican had made up almost every detail of his life, and after he was recently charged with wire fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft and other offenses in a federal indictment. In theory, Santos should be slinking away in shame as he awaits trial and, possibly, some time behind bars. But now that he is out of Congress, it looks as though Santos is going to enjoy a lucrative life as a notorious celebrity. The news site Semafor reported this week that he could end up making thousands of dollars through the video messaging site Cameo, where he has already fulfilled requests to sing snatches of a Taylor Swift song and offer encouragement to a New York University student. Santos has also reportedly hired an agent and there is speculation he could soon land a spot on a reality TV show. To paraphrase Richard Nixon, it looks like we will have George Santos to kick around for a long time to come.
HIT: Taylor Swift was named Time magazine’s person of the year this week, and it’s an honor that’s usually bestowed on presidents, monarchs, popes or other international movers and shakers. Only Bono of U2 has previously been tapped as Time’s person of the year, and that was for his philanthropic endeavors. Swift is an undeniably important figure in popular culture, and it turns out she has also been important for the economy this year. Some estimates have it that her blockbuster “Eras” tour generated $5 billion in consumer spending in the United States, and it brought millions of dollars to Allegheny County when it stopped here in July. In fact, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported last week that the revenue brought in by Swift is credited with an increase in investment by the Allegheny Regional Asset District in things like parks and libraries. With that kind of windfall, let’s hope Time’s honoree is back in Pittsburgh soon.