Category Archives: Business

Catching up with the World: A Universal Health Care System for Pennsylvania

Posted on April 4, 2013 by | 1 Comment |

A bill that would provide universal health care coverage for all Pennsylvanians is being considered in the PA Legislature, and a new study about the plan says it would be just as healthy for the commonwealth’s economy as its citizens. … More after the jump →

Posted in Budget/Taxes/Spending, Business, Health, House of Representatives, Miscellany, Senate, Social Services, State Government, The Economy Tagged , , , ,

Planes, Wine, and PA GOP Chairman Rob Gleason–Something Stinks in Cambria County

Posted on February 19, 2013 by | 15 Comments |

Something stinks in Cambria County politics. For Pennsylvania Republican Party Chairman Rob Gleason, that stink is the smell of money. Since Republicans took back the majority on the County Board of Commissioners, three county insurance contracts have gone to Chairman … More after the jump →

Posted in Business, Corruption, Pittsburgh / SW Region, Regional News Tagged

PA Lawmakers’ Stocks Are Playing Ketchup

Posted on February 15, 2013 by | Comments Off |

This story has very little value outside of the punny headline. That said, the two most electorally vulnerable PA Republican Congressmen are in hock to big Ketchup. With the sale of HJ Heinz to Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital, Teresa … More after the jump →

Posted in Business Tagged ,

An Explanation of Treasurer McCord’s Legal Argument Against Lottery Privatization

Posted on January 12, 2013 by | Comments Off |

Treasurer Rob McCord is using a clever legal argument to combat Governor Tom Corbett’s midnight privatization raid of the Pennsylvania Lottery, and it is worth looking at in detail. After the 4:45 Friday announcement was made by the Corbett administration … More after the jump →

Posted in Business, Casinos, Governor Corbett, Labor and Unions, State Government

Michael Nutter Should Veto Brian O’Neill’s War on Ice Cream Parlors

Posted on December 13, 2012 by | Comments Off |

Jan Ransom says Michael Nutter opposes forcing would-be ice cream parlor owners and other neighborhood businesses to navigate City Council politics just to open a store, but why aren’t we hearing Nutter saying he’ll veto this thing?: The bills would restrict certain uses on neighborhood commercial … More after the jump →

Posted in Business, Land Use

Philly Restaurants That Actually Care About Their Employees

Posted on December 6, 2012 by | 3 Comments |

Yesterday the Philly chapter of the Restaurant Opportunities Center held a release party for their 2013 National Guide to Ethical Eating (and, yes, there’s an app for that). The event was held at Fergie’s Pub, 1214 Sansom, and the titular … More after the jump →

Posted in Business, Philadelphia and suburbs

Wal-Mart, Fear, and Inequality in America

Posted on October 22, 2012 by | 3 Comments |

I have a piece up on Next American City today about the increasing prevalence of low-wage work, the decline of traditional unions (due to our broken labor laws), and the unconventional organizing that is trying to fill the void. Income … More after the jump →

Posted in Business, National Politics, The Economy Tagged , , , , , ,

Herman Cain Wants You To Intimidate Your Employees

Posted on October 22, 2012 by | 1 Comment |

Last Friday Herman Cain’s “Truth Tour” made a stop in Philly, at the non-union Ritz-Carlton downtown, to remind employers to pressure workers to vote for Romney. Cain’s new group, The Job Creators Action Fund, provides management with the materials to  subject employees to … More after the jump →

Posted in Business, Labor and Unions, Miscellany, Philadelphia and suburbs, The Economy

You Have No Rights at Work

Posted on October 19, 2012 by | 3 Comments |

This election season has done an excellent job of showcasing an important, and little understood, truth about political freedom in the American workplace. In short: There isn’t any, unless you happen to be the boss. Last Sunday, In These Times’ Mike Elk … More after the jump →

Posted in Business, Labor and Unions, Miscellany Tagged , , , ,

Urbanization Better Than Resource Extraction as a PA Jobs Strategy

Posted on May 9, 2012 by | 1 Comment |

Scott Detrow covers the new Penn State Report showing Marcellus Shale counties are sending more revenue to the state in recent years: The report finds sales tax revenues have increased by an average of 24 percent since 2007, in counties … More after the jump →

Posted in Business, The Economy