Cheers & Jeers
Jeers: The devastation wrought by Hurricane Ian has left more than 100 in the U.S. dead. Many others have found their homes, cars and possessions destroyed. In the face of this, good-hearted, generous people have stepped forward to donate to complete strangers. Sadly, scammers have also stepped forward to capitalize on this tragedy. It蘑菇视频 sickening that, as some government agencies respond with manpower to assist in the recovery, others are forced to issue advisories to help people spot to whom they can donate. Worse even are those scammers in the heavy-hit areas who take advantage of residents who have lost so much. A Florida television station recently published a list of the top five scams hurricane victims face, including those involving unlicensed or fly-by-night contractors who take money and do no or shoddy work. Rental scams and price gouging are also issues, according to First Coast News. While we believe the vast majority of people are good and want to help, it蘑菇视频 truly disgusting that there are some who will pervert those efforts for a quick buck.
Cheers: We鈥檝e heard a lot about crime this campaign season, and it remains a perennial issue. Overall crime rates are, in fact, higher in the United States than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, but still well below rates in the 1980s and 1990s. A recent article on The Conversation website revealed some good news about crime that has not received much attention 鈥� the number of bank robberies has been declining across the country. Right now, such robberies are the lowest they have been in a half-century. Jay L. Zagorsky, a clinical associate professor at Boston University, theorizes a move to a cashless economy could be part of the reason bank robberies have dropped, along with the fact that there are fewer banks to rob and that crooks have moved on to cybercrimes and other types of offenses. We all need to be vigilant against scammers of all varieties in today蘑菇视频 world, but at least tellers and other bank personnel can breathe a little easier.
Jeers: When Pennsylvania voters head to the polls in a month, they will not be voting on any amendments to Pennsylvania蘑菇视频 constitution. But they could have their work cut out for them in 2023. The news site Spotlight PA pointed out last week voters could be confronted next year with at least six questions about changing the commonwealth蘑菇视频 charter, ranging from how the lieutenant governor is chosen, ID requirements for voters and abortion rights. Republicans have been using constitutional amendments to get around the veto pen of Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, but it would be preferable if many of these decisions were hashed out among lawmakers instead. It also would be better if the Legislature followed a proposal put forward by state Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Jefferson, along with state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, R-Erie, that would require two-thirds of members in both houses of the General Assembly to approve putting constitutional amendments on the ballot, rather than the current simple majority. As Snyder and Bizzarro pointed out in an op-ed earlier this year, 鈥淚f their ideas are worth changing the state constitution, it should be done with an overwhelming bipartisan majority of the Legislature.鈥�
Cheers: Most financial advisers will tell you that, if you can, it蘑菇视频 best to have some money stashed away for emergencies, whether it蘑菇视频 for an urgent home repair, an unexpected vehicle expense, or something along those lines. Most states have a Rainy Day Fund, but those are not used for emergencies as we commonly think of them, but to plug budget holes or maintain spending levels when revenues decline. This week, the Wolf administration announced that Pennsylvania now has $5 billion in its Rainy Day Fund, a record amount. The administration pointed out that when Gov. Tom Wolf took office in 2015, there was only $231,800 in the account, which would have funded the state蘑菇视频 operations for only a couple of minutes. If the economy falters in the next couple of years, the money in the Rainy Day Fund will definitely come in handy.