A4 The Meadville Tribune
Saturday, November 12, 2022
OPINION&COMMENT
“Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” — From the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
Ups ‘n’ Downs
Thumbs up to not only those who
voted Tuesday for the candidates of
their choice, but also the poll workers
in Tuesday’s election. Running a poll-
ing station is a long day for those who
do it . It’s an essential job to make cer-
tain voters’ voices are heard.
Thumbs up to those who donate
to the Jimmy Moore Christmas Par-
ty fund, Toys for Tots, the Salvation
Army and other organizations that pro-
vide Christmas joy to children in need.
Thumbs up to all involved in recog-
nizing our veterans at the “Through a
Veteran’s Eye” program Friday at Ac-
tive Aging. And another thank you to
all our veterans for their sacrifice and
service to our nation.
A reluctant and sad thumbs down
to the end of The Titusville Herald.
The newspaper announced last week
it printed its last edition. The Herald
served as a watchdog in the communi-
ty for more than 157 years.
Thumbs up to the Meadville Public
Library for its Teen Art Museum. The
museum opened early this week and
gives teens a chance to shine without
the pressure that sometimes comes
with being in the spotlight.
A thumbs up and down to the City
of Meadville. While we’re pleased to
see that the city fully expects that the
Meadville Area Recreation Complex
will receive $125,000 in funds, we
are disappointed that the city wasn’t
transparent with how it would get
those funds. “I would rather not say
in a public session what those avenues
are,” City Manager Maryann Menan-
no said.
Thumbs up to the French Creek Val-
ley Conservancy for its pumpkin col-
lection this weekend. Individuals can
bring pumpkins, gourds and chrysan-
themums to the conservancy’s head-
quarters, 411 Chestnut St., Meadville,
today and Sunday to have them com-
posted. Participants can stop by any time. The pumpkin
collection effort is a partnership between the conservancy
and Conservation Compost of Saegertown.
Our state legislators
State Senate
50th District
Sen. Michele Brooks — Vernon Township Mu-
nicipal Building, 16678 McMath Ave., Meadville, Pa.
16335 (Tel. 337-8132), 100 Hadley Road, Suite 9,
Greenville, Pa. 16125 (Tel. 724-588-8911), 99 Erie
St., Suite 1, Edinboro, Pa. 16412 (Tel. 814-734-2783,
or Senate P.O. Box 203050, Harrisburg, Pa. 17120
(Tel. 717-787-1322).
State House
6th District
Rep. Brad Roae — 900-920 Water St., Downtown
Mall, Meadville, Pa. 16335 (Tel. 336-1136), 7471 Mc-
Cray Road, Fairview, Pa. 16415 (Tel. 800-770-2377)
or P.O. Box 202006, Room 162B East Wing, Harris-
burg, Pa. 17120-2006 (Tel. 717-787-2353).
17th District
Rep. Parke Wentling — 395 High St., P.O. Box
17, Conneaut Lake, Pa. 16316 (Tel. 382-7200) or 142
Main Street East, Suite 1W, Girard, Pa. 16417 (Tel.
855 249-2427) or P.O. Box 202017 162A East Wing,
Harrisburg, Pa. 17120-2017 (Tel. 717-783-5008).
65th District
Rep. Kathy Rapp — 109 S. Washington St., Park
Building Titusville, Pa. 16354 (Tel. 814 827-6054)
or P.O. Box 202065 143 East Wing, Harrisburg, Pa.
17120-2065 (Tel. 717-787-1367).
ABOUT THE OPINION PAGE
Local editorials are the opinion of the newspaper. Let-
ters represent the opinion of the letter writer, syndicated
columnists are presenting their views on national and
international issues and local columnists are espousing
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resents the newspaper’s opinion.
It is our hope that the collective opinions present-
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The Meadville Tribune
Founded 1884
Published Monday through Saturday
947 Federal Court Meadville, PA 16335
814-724-6370
Sharon Sorg Rick Green
Publisher Editor
Devon Stout Dan Wolbert
General Manager Composing Supervisor
How the next Congress should
slay the inflation dragon
Elections are rarely Next, the new overreach. The executive branch has
about only one issue, E.J. Congress must do repeatedly spent money that Congress
but there’s no question everything in its did not authorize, such as the student
that economic worries ANTONI power to end the war loan handout, or taken full advantage
motivated voters this on reliable American of whenever Congress has abdicated its
year. Polls, both before energy and protect duties. It is time Congress reassumed
the election and exit polling, showed our domestic producers of coal, oil those responsibilities.
that inflation was their No. 1 concern. and natural gas. The attacks from the In many instances, the Biden
That’s not surprising. All around the Biden administration and the outgoing administration has used its overreach to
country we see the detritus of inflation’s Congress have reduced output from disincentivize capital investment. The
destruction. The average family feels our domestic producers and driven up new Congress needs to oppose financial
$7,400 poorer today than when Biden prices. Congress must remove onerous regulations that are imposed based on
took office, largely because prices have taxes, like the ones imposed in the ideology instead of sound banking and
jumped almost 14 percent. Inflation Reduction Act, while also investing. This would include measures
The next Congress needs to slay the removing subsidies for unreliable and like penalizing commercial and
beast of inflation. While that is a simple, expensive “green” energy. investment banks for having accounts
straightforward task, it is not for the The next Congress should use its for or investing in fossil fuels. Congress
weak-willed. Once let out of Pandora’s shield to protect these American energy should also repeal the misguided tax on
box, inflation does not go quietly. sources, not out of favoritism, but corporate book income in the IRA.
The winning formula has three parts: because doing so will bring down costs Conservatives must govern on offense
Spend less, drill more and liberate for Americans. Coal, oil and natural if they are to maintain the trust of those
capital. These are the sword, shield and gas are reliable and inexpensive energy who sent them to Washington. This
steed Congress must take into battle. sources and are far cleaner than in years means taking a strong, uncompromising
The primary weapon of the next past. Because energy affects everything stance on key issues like inflation. There
Congress is their power of the purse. we do and everything we buy, reducing is no ground to concede here — either
Today’s inflation is ultimately driven by energy prices reduces prices throughout we’re a nation of sound money, or we
excessive government spending. Cutting the economy. aren’t. We either have strong banking
that spending will reduce inflation. Being not just energy independent but and energy sectors, or we don’t.
When lawmakers are spending into energy dominant is also a security issue, The Biden’s administration’s
oblivion, interest rates on government something of which the world has been misguided policies in these areas have
debt would normally become painfully reminded since the war in been destroying people’s lives and
prohibitively expensive, but the Federal Eastern Europe. Americans should not livelihoods. Conservatives in Congress
Reserve has a political incentive be in hock to Saudi Arabia for stability must hold the line on these issues, both
to provide Congress with money in either energy prices or geopolitics. for their own sakes come reelection, but
created out of nothing. That provides Lastly, the incoming Congress must more importantly for the sake of their
a spendthrift Congress with its needed remove those artificial disincentives that electorates and the fate of America.
revenue through the hidden tax of are holding back capital investment. We can’t just keep spending our way
inflation but debauches the currency. More investment means more economic to the poorhouse. The inflation dragon
However, if Congress is not running growth, and a larger economy relative to can’t be tamed. It has to be killed. Let’s
massive deficits, this inflationary the same amount of money means lower hope Congress is willing to do what it
incentive at the Fed goes away. They prices. takes.
must take their sword to the budget and The steed to ride into battle is
enact the painful but necessary cuts that one of deregulating, lowering taxes E.J. Antoni is a research fellow for
will cut off the beast of inflation from its and counter-thrusting the Biden regional economics at the Heritage
lifeblood. administration’s executive regulatory Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis.
Crime is something to never go soft on
It was always It matters not that Democratic stronghold of New York
surprising to hear FROMA the right exaggerates as the epicenter of criminal depravity.
voices on the fringe left the extent of criminal That’s one reason why registered voters
downplay the COVID- HARROP violence in New give Republicans a 20-point advantage
era spike in crime. Still York, while ignoring over Democrats on ability to handle
more amazing, though, far worse numbers in crime.
were the grown-ups in the Democratic red America. (The city’s murder rate But then you had Alvin Bragg,
Party who seemed to be giving them a is a third that of Miami’s.) Nor that an the Manhattan district attorney who
sympathetic listen. analysis of police statistics finds the rightfully came under fire for saying he
Kathy Hochul should have been able likelihood of falling victim to a violent would stop prosecuting low-level crimes
to easily put away Lee Zeldin in the
New York governor’s race. Zeldin was
crime on the subway to be about the
same as getting injured in a crash after
and jail only those accused of the most
serious offenses — which, according to
not one of those civilized Republicans driving only two miles. him, did not necessarily include robbery
whom Northeast voters often elect on Adams would not endorse Zeldin and assault. Of course, the horrific
the state level. He came out of the feral because of his lack of interest in crimes get the most attention, but a law
Trump wing of the Republican Party, stemming the flood of guns onto enforcement official must never ever
peddling lies about a stolen election. America’s streets — which the former say that certain crimes will be ignored
Hochul won but should not have police captain ascribed for the spike by his office.
sweated so much, especially in a state in murders. Who could feel safe in a And if you dig deeper into what
where Democrats hold a 2-1 registration culture where people pull out firearms unsettles New Yorkers, it is the frequent
advantage over Republicans. over parking places and loud music, and lower-level crimes — shoplifting, car
But crime was a big issue there as deranged individuals can easily carry break-ins, motorcycles on sidewalks —
elsewhere, and Hochul had refused to semi-automatics? that leave a sense of general disorder. It
oppose part of a 2020 bail reform law From 2017 through 2021, 87 people bothers many that the cough medicine
being blamed for a number of heinous died in Texas just from road rage aisle at drug stores is now locked up.
crimes. New York Mayor Eric Adams shootings versus 15 in New York state. It’s a safe assumption that fear of
was hotly critical of the controversial In that same five-year period, killings on crime is what flipped several suburban
provision, which made it hard for
judges to keep repeat offenders deemed
the New York subways totaled 18.
Yes, crime has risen since the
New York congressional districts to
Republicans. The fears may not match
dangerous locked up before trial. pandemic though the wave seems to be the reality, but elected officials should
The public shuddered at headlines breaking. Murder in New York City is not add fuel to them with careless talk.
like “Homeless man shoves stranger down 14 percent so far this year. In the Kathy Hochul was lucky this time.
to her death in Times Square subway bad year of 2021, the city’s homicide
station” (Daily News) and then read rate was still less than a fifth what it was Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @
that the “oft-arrested” individual had “a in the very bad year of 1990. FromaHarrop. She can be reached at
documented history of mental issues.” Fox News likes to portray the fharrop@gmail.com.