It has been a week of rising remonstration among those who worry that proposed state budget cuts would go too far, dumping the problems of the needy onto the doorsteps of others. Moreover, rather than saving tax money, some worry that the proposed budget might actually increase the overall cost to taxpayers, or at the very least shift the burden to local governments.
Continue reading "Friday Happy Hour: Memorial Day Edition " »
We had the pleasure of having Senator Vincent Hughes over at Triad this week to chat about a variety of issues facing Pennsylvania.
Senator Hughes, of Philadelphia and Montgomery counties, serves as the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee; this position gives him an important voice in developing Pennsylvania’s annual budget and setting spending priorities.
Continue reading "The First Three Minutes with Senator Vincent Hughes" »
In addition to the cuts to county human services programs, Rep. Gene DiGirolamo has another Department of Public Welfare issue on his committees radar – Act 22 of 2011.
Passed along with the budget last year, Act 22 gives the secretary of DPW the power to make regulatory changes in the department without the oversight of the General Assembly or the Independent Regulatory Review Commission. “When we passed it, the idea was that we wanted to cut down on waste, fraud and abuse in welfare programs,” DiGirolamo explained.
Continue reading "Impact of Act 22 of 2011 - Representative Gene DiGirolamo" »
As the weather heats up, so does budget debate in Pennsylvania. In our second segment from our interview with Rep. Gene DiGirolamo, he discussed the Governor’s proposed cuts to county human services programs.
Continue reading "Impact of Proposed Cuts to County Human Services Programs" »
When you mention veterinary medicine, many folks tend to think immediately of the doctor who takes care of Fido or Fluffy. But to the medical professionals who work in the field, a vet is someone with a wealth of knowledge about the health of many species, including our own.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has a history of equipping graduates for careers in biomedical research, human medicine and public health. We sat down with Dean Joan Hendricks recently to learn more about Penn Vet and the entire field of veterinary medicine.
