Recent editorials of statewide and national interest from Pennsylvania’s newspapers:
Cost of drilling: DEP raises permit fees to cover regulatory services
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Feb. 26
Permit fees for shale gas wells in Pennsylvania would soar by more than 150% under an increase proposed by the state Department of Environmental Protection, but there are few options if the state is going to maintain its level of regulation over wells.
The problem is not so much the size of the increase, but the fact that funding for regulatory services relies on new permit applications - a number that has been on the decline as gas prices have dropped. Clearly, a better funding formula is needed.
Fees would rise from $5,000 to $12,500 to drill a Marcellus or Utica shale well, the highest in the nation, although some perspective is in order: The new rate amounts to 0.16% of the $8 million cost to drill the well, according to DEP.
Still, having the highest permit fee in the country makes the state an easy target for gas-industry supporters who claim the move will stifle development.
The one-time fee paid by gas companies is the primary revenue source for DEP’s Office of Oil and Gas Management, which is responsible for permitting reviews and inspections of the nearly 113,000 oil and gas wells in the state. Unfortunately, the decline in the number of new wells drilled means less money to run the agency.
DEP expected 2,600 permits a year the last time it raised fees in 2014, but it hasn’t come close to reaching that number. It had about 2,000 permits in fiscal 2015, but has averaged 1,750 applications per fiscal year since and will likely have fewer than 1,600 this year.
That’s resulted in significant budget cuts for DEP’s oil and gas program, with employment dropping from 226 to 190 employees and operating costs reduced by 38%, according to Scott Perry, deputy secretary for the Office of Oil and Gas Management.
Mr. Perry told the Environmental Quality Board that the fee increase is needed to maintain current programs, although the agency is not meeting goals for inspection, permit review time frames, program development and information technology projects. He said 49 additional employees would be needed to meet those goals.
Between permit fees at the higher level and $6 million from the state’s impact fee, the oil and gas program will barely make its $25 million budget. The one saving grace at the moment is a $25.6 million windfall from the $30.6 million fine paid by Energy Transfer Corp. for the 2018 pipeline explosion in Beaver County. That is expected to maintain current staffing levels for the next three years.
The new fees must be reviewed by state House and Senate environmental committees and the state’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission. The fees should be approved, but a more sustainable funding formula should be considered going forward.
Mr. Perry has suggested an annual fee, rather than the one-time permit fees. That’s a good starting point for discussions. With so many oil and gas wells in the state, and the possibility of thousands more, oversight and regulation are essential.
Online: https://bit.ly/385NRAC
___
Philly is right to take LGBTQ foster care case to Supreme Court
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Feb. 24
The latest religious freedom battle to make its way to the Supreme Court of the United States originated in Philadelphia. After the Supreme Court ruled in 2018 in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding because of his religious beliefs, this fall, the court will hear the case of a Philadelphia faith-based foster care agency that refused to place children with otherwise eligible same-sex couples.
The ruling could have implications that would reach far beyond the foster system.
At the heart of Fulton v. City of Philadelphia is whether Catholic Social Services discriminated against same-sex couples. In 2018, The Inquirer’s Julia Terruso reported that the agency refused to work with same-sex couples - in violation of the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance that covers city contractors. Following the reporting, the city froze Catholic Social Services’ contract. The agency sued, claiming Philadelphia violated its religious freedom. A federal court sided with the city, and a federal appeals court affirmed the decision.
On Monday morning, the Supreme Court announced that it will hear arguments in the case. The case is the latest of cultural-wedge issues that the Supreme Court with a Trump-appointed conservative majority has decided to weigh in on.
Catholic Social Services contends that the city violated its religious freedom and targeted the agency when it froze its contracts. If the Catholic Social Services argument prevails - the same one that two lower courts rejected - the court could give faith-based agencies the right to impose religious tests and requirements of prospective foster parents - or participants in any taxpayer-funded program rolled out by a faith-based agency. Why stop at same-sex and unmarried couples? Faith-based agencies could refuse to place children with couples who don’t attend church weekly, weren’t confirmed in their faith, or - God forbid - are of different faiths.
Philadelphia is right to fight this case. By refusing to work with same-sex couples, Catholic Social Services is implying that such placement would harm children. That is not only false but a bigoted view that should not be rewarded with public funds.
Catholic Social Services is not the only agency nationwide that discriminates against same-sex couples. In Michigan, for example, the ACLU sued both a Catholic charity and the state to bar foster agencies that discriminate against same-sex couples from receiving public funds. Philadelphians should be proud that, in this case, the city is the one fighting against discrimination and not standing shoulder to shoulder with those who discriminate. That’s consistent for the city that went to court against then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to protect its sanctuary status (and won), supports the effort to open a supervised injection site, and is fighting in state court for the city’s right to enforce its own gun laws.
Philadelphians of all sexual identities and faiths have the right to live according to their own values. No one has the right to impose their own religion on anyone else - especially those receiving public funds and claiming to act on behalf of the city’s most vulnerable children.
Online: https://bit.ly/2wL5JUl
___
US smart to be wary of Taliban
Altoona Mirror
Feb. 22
Prospects for an agreement that could lead to withdrawl of all American troops from Afghanistan are “very promising,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said last Saturday.
U.S. emissaries have been talking with leaders of the Taliban organization, which once ruled Afghanistan, for months. Afghan government officials have played only a peripheral role.
The brutally Muslim extremist Taliban ruled Afghanistan for many years before being ousted by a U.S.-led invasion in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on America by al-Qaida terrorists.
That military action came only after the Taliban, who had provided a safe haven for al-Qaida, refused to give up the terrorists, it should be noted.
But during the nearly 20 years since they were booted out of power, the Taliban have been keeping up the fight to regain it. They have been gaining control over larger and larger swaths of Afghanistan.
Americans have grown sick of the cost in both blood and money of our continued presence in Afghanistan. One of President Donald Trump’s campaign pledges in 2016 was to withdraw U.S. troops from the country.
To Trump’s credit, that pledge was conditional on a Taliban agreement to reduce the scale of attacks on Americans. On at least a couple of occasions, Trump has drawn back from talks when it became clear the Taliban were not holding up their end of that bargain.
Now, however, it appears some sort of breakthrough may be in the offing.
“We have on the table right now a reduction in violence proposal that was negotiated between our ambassador and the Taliban,” Esper said. “The best, if not the only, way forward in Afghanistan is through a political agreement, and that means taking some risk.”
Not really. The only risk is that if U.S. officials agree to a withdrawl arrangement, the Taliban will continue attacks on our troops. If that happens, Trump should respond with stepped-up assaults on the Taliban.
But there really is no question about what will happen if U.S. troops are pulled out of Afghanistan. The Taliban will regain control over that country.
For that reason, Trump should make one thing crystal clear: If the Taliban do regain control, they must not resume hosting terrorist groups such as al-Qaida.
If that happens, the Taliban should be assured, the full might of U.S. military power will come down on them again.
Online: https://bit.ly/384upUM
___
Black history month celebrates great African Americans past and present
Harrisburg Patriot News/Pennlive.com
Feb. 26
African Americans know what February is. It’s Black History Month, a time for remembering the legendary sacrifices of great Americans from the foundation of this nation, through the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Harlem Renaissance to the election of President Barack Obama.
In homes, churches and many classroom, black school children learn about the great people who shaped their unique heritage — Abolitionist and Feminist Sojourner Truth, poets Phyllis Wheatley and Maya Angelou, statesmen-philosophers Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois and, of course, Civil Right icons Rosa Parks and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
But February is not only a month for African Americans to celebrate the contributions of former slaves to the building of this nation, it should be a time of both reflection and celebration for all Americans.
Sen. Bob Casey has taken the opportunity of Black History Month to not only pay tribute to those great African Americans who are now legends of American history. But it is commendable he has taken time to encourage and honor African American leaders who are hard at work in our communities today.
This week, he brought three African American women to Washington D.C. for ceremonies that honored their ongoing work in our communities.
These are people who have paved pathways toward a brighter future for children and families throughout the Commonwealth, Casey said. They included Ellyn Jo Waller, Kathi Elliott and Rosemary Browne, all Pennsylvania women who are impacting modern day history.
“They have dedicated their lives to providing young Pennsylvanians with the opportunity to learn and grow in their communities,” Casey said. “And I am honored to have them join me in Washington to celebrate their accomplishments and discuss the work that we can continue to do together.”
Elliott is the CEO of Gwen’s Girls, an organization founded in 2002 by her mother, the late Commander Gwen Elliott, to serve at-risk girls. The organization provides mentoring, counseling and tutoring services for the estimated 100 girls that enter its doors for after-school programs each day.
Elliott also organized the Black Girls Equity Alliance (BGEA), a community collaboration that is focused on addressing inequities in the juvenile justice, child welfare, education and health care systems.
Ellyn Jo Waller is First Lady of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia and is an advocate for addressing issues of human trafficking. Dr. Waller established an anti-human trafficking ministry at her church to raise awareness of human trafficking in the faith community. She is active in several other organizations, including the board of directors for The City School (Education Committee Chair), the Community College of Philadelphia Foundation board and the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Rosemary Browne is president and CEO of Alder Health Services with a mission of serving the LGBTQ community and those who suffer from HIV/AIDS. Browne was appointed to Governor Tom Wolf’s PA Commission on LGBTQ Affairs and has dedicated herself to supporting LGBTQ individuals and their families.
Brown is well known in the Harrisburg region, having spent more than 35 years working in the nonprofit and government sectors that distributed more than $30 million in investments in community services and tuition assistance to hundreds of area college-bound students.
All of these women deserve our applause, as does Sen. Casey for using his bully pulpit each February to celebrate Black History Month. We wish more elected officials would do the same, finding opportunities to acknowledge the contributions of all of the diverse peoples who built these United States and who continue to make our country the envy of the world.
Online: https://bit.ly/2HZCu2w
___
Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg should fully reckon with the harm caused to victims of childhood sexual abuse
LNP
Feb. 23
The Catholic prayer known as the “Act of Contrition” is prayed when seeking forgiveness.
The prayer says nothing about shielding oneself from the consequences of one’s sins. It’s a simple and penitential plea, an acceptance of responsibility and a resolution to do better.
If only that had been the guiding principle of the Roman Catholic Church in its handling of priestly sexual abuse of children.
Instead, church officials - in the Diocese of Harrisburg and around the world - sought to cover up the sins of their priests and the horrific harm they had done to vulnerable children.
Bishops passed offending priests from parish to parish, and then locked documents away in secret archives to which only they held the keys. And when victims pressed for the right to sue their abusers and those who enabled their abuse, the church hired lobbyists to beat back legislation that would have given victims that opportunity.
Harrisburg Bishop Ronald Gainer rightly referred to the church’s “horrific past” at the news conference Wednesday. But then he left the details to lawyers for the diocese.
As The Inquirer and Spotlight PA reported, “Wednesday’s filings revealed a complex financial structure in which much of what the diocese once owned was moved in 2009 into charitable trusts, which it maintains are beyond the reach of court judgments and bankruptcy creditors. … Diocesan lawyers say the affiliated charitable trusts were established to ensure the church could continue to serve its core functions of ministry, Catholic education, and charitable service. It is just one tactic dioceses nationwide have employed to ensure their survival as the clergy sex abuse crisis endures.”
We’re not quibbling with the church’s decision to pursue bankruptcy. We’re just dismayed by the church’s continuing failure to fully face the harm it has caused.
Carolyn Fortney and her sister, Lara Fortney-McKeever, both were sexually abused as children by the Rev. Augustine Giella in their Dauphin County parish. So, too, were three of their sisters. Carolyn and Lara were guests on WITF’s “Smart Talk” on Thursday morning.
The sisters said they found it difficult to watch Wednesday’s news conference - they felt as if the diocese was blaming them and other abuse victims for its financial woes. (Fortney-McKeever and her sister Patty have filed a civil lawsuit against the diocese.)
They spoke of their parents’ heartbreak over the church’s actions, and of the desire of their elderly mother to see her daughters get their day in court.
And they pushed back against the notion that taking the diocese to court is about money.
The point of litigation, they said, is the discovery - forcing the diocese through subpoenas to hand over the documents that detailed their abuse and the attempts to cover it up.
They particularly objected to a statement by Matthew Haverstick, a lawyer for the diocese, who said the bankruptcy filing would offer survivors the transparency they sought.
The sisters said victims aren’t looking for financial transparency from the diocese. They’re looking for the pieces of the puzzle - Who knew about the abuse? Who covered it up and why? - they need to find some peace.
“You cannot put a price tag on validation. And you cannot put a price tag on reclaiming power,” Benjamin Andreozzi, an attorney representing Fortney-McKeever, said on “Smart Talk.” “And the way that you do that is by confronting the individuals who are responsible for your abuse.”
The Diocese of Harrisburg is trying to keep that from happening.
And that is the sin for which it keeps failing to seek penance.
Haverstick said on “Smart Talk” that the Diocese of Harrisburg is trying to reorganize financially so that it can keep serving as many people as possible, while also doing right by abuse victims.
He used the analogy of a father trying to feed his children with just one piece of bread. Rather than giving all of the bread to just one child, the father cuts it into pieces and feeds them all.
The implication: There is no Christ-like miracle of the loaves and fishes coming. The church must be realistic about its finances and how it can survive in the long term.
And we understand that. We also understand that the diocese is, as Haverstick explained to LNP ’ LancasterOnline’s Earle Cornelius, attempting via the bankruptcy filing to get its insurance carriers to help cover the costs of abuse claims.
But we find this alarming: Andreozzi believes the diocese will be able to extinguish outstanding survivor claims in the Chapter 11 reorganization, and pay victims far less than it might in a jury trial. The old, culpable corporate entity will be gone, replaced by a shiny new one, free from the prospect of facing those survivors in court.
So even if the Pennsylvania General Assembly eventually passes statutes of limitation reform and allows older victims to seek justice in civil court, the toll on the diocese will be lessened. (The chances of reform were made more likely by the recent announcement that Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati - a staunch church ally - won’t seek reelection.)
A 2019 Pennsylvania Superior Court ruling in the case of church abuse survivor Renee Rice also might enable victims to sue over decades-old sexual abuse.
Haverstick acknowledged to LNP ’ LancasterOnline that the Rice ruling played a significant role in the diocese’s decision to pursue bankruptcy.
“It was exposure we had not counted on at the time we did the survivors’ compensation fund,” Haverstick said. “It put us back in peril for any one or two claims that could possibly put the diocese out of business.”
It’s no wonder the Fortney sisters thought the diocese was blaming abuse victims for its financial problems.
It might be tempting for Catholics in the pews to do the same, especially if they end up paying with the loss of the parishes and parochial schools on which their families depend.
Such blame would be misplaced, however. For too long, bishops and other church officials participated in covering up the horrific sexual abuse of children. And the price of their unconscionable behavior still is being paid.
As retired Millersville University professor Dennis B. Downey writes in today’s Perspective section, “whether in Harrisburg or the church universal, it did not have to come to this.”
Boy Scouts promise to “help other people at all times” and to stay “mentally awake.”
Like too many leaders of the Catholic Church, leaders of the Boy Scouts of America failed the children they were supposed to protect. They harmed the children they were meant to help and were slow to awaken to that harm.
The Boy Scouts of America also declared bankruptcy last week, seeking to survive its own barrage of lawsuits from victims of sexual abuse. And according to The Associated Press, the organization now is faced with the prospect of selling “some of their vast property holdings, including campgrounds and hiking trails, to raise money for a victims’ fund that could top $1 billion.”
Again, we implore those who may be affected by the fallout to place the blame where it belongs - on the shoulders of those who waited far too long to do the right thing.
People rightly look to venerated institutions, like the Catholic Church and the Scouts, to provide examples of moral leadership.
To provide such leadership, these institutions have to be willing to accept responsibility for their transgressions.
Filing for bankruptcy may protect financial assets. Much more is required to protect moral assets.
Online: https://bit.ly/32s7h1u
Please read our comment policy before commenting.