Gov. Tom Wolf, whose hardline leadership during the COVID-19 crisis features both missteps and sound judgement, these days could do with a chill pill.
Yes, he still draws favorable ratings: 67 percent of voters approve his handling of the outbreak, according to last week’s Monmouth University Poll.
Yes, Wolf has (so far) kept us from becoming the virus triage area seen in other states. And that’s of paramount import.
But escalating partisan tiffs, over his social restrictions, restaurant rules, emergency powers, even government transparency, threaten to mar the credibility Wolf needs to best lead the state and deal with the virus as we move forward.
For example: The Democratic governor’s head-bang with Lebanon County is a bad message of power politics ahead of people. Wrong in normal times. Worse now.
Wolf withheld the county’s due share, $12.8 million, of federal coronavirus relief funds, money to help small business, first responders, non-profits, those with mental health issues and more. It should have been distributed by July 15.
All counties get such funding, some directly from the feds. Most, including Lebanon, through block grants appropriated by acts of the legislature, which Wolf signed into law.
But because two of the three Lebanon County commissioners, both Republicans, voted in May to move the county from Wolf’s lockdown “red” phase to the slow-opening “yellow” phase without Wolf’s say so, Wolf turned off the funding spigot.
“There are consequences,” he said, to not following his rules for safety.
But Lebanon County has 140,000-plus residents. If their safety suffered due to local action, they now should suffer financially due to state action? How is it right to punish many people because of how two people voted?
Well, Wolf suggested county voters might want to, “Think twice about reelecting them.”
(Given how Lebanon County’s likely feeling about Wolf right now, I’m thinking that could amount to an endorsement.)
Even the normally staid fiscal wonk, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Browne, R-Lehigh County, called on Wolf to release the money, “As is required by law.”
Didn’t hear much from the other side. Guess party-of-the-people Democrats see Wolf’s decision as just.
I see it setting us off on yet another tangent and further legal fights to distract all concerned from what should be a full focus on surviving the virus and its implications, economic, educational and otherwise.
Wolf could easily tone things down with just some modification of his “I-and-only-I-can-save-my-people” approach.
It’s an approach that invites outspoken political opposition. And that injects politics into folks’ thinking, and into choices they make when it comes to wearing masks or following other state recommendations.
Senate Republican Leader Jake Corman hits Wolf for his “refusal to work with the General Assembly.” House Republican Leader Kerry Benninghoff talks of Wolf’s “continued overreach and misuse of power.”
And, of course, Butler County’s never subtle GOP Rep. Daryl Metcalfe calls for Wolf to be impeached or resign.
Public officials have constituents who listen to them. And those constituents can use what they hear to justify decisions they make, in this instance, about health and safety.
I’m not saying the legislature – too often a confederacy of dunces – should run the show. But how hard can it be for Wolf to sit down and share some responsibility, or even just thoughts, in order to keep potentially-harmful partisan babble at bay?
Wolf’s missteps, including his essential/non-essential business waiver fiasco, calling GOP officials cowards and marching in a Black Lives Matters crowd after telling everyone to stay out of crowds, are outweighed by his overall management of a novel crisis, and the state’s standing (so far) compared to other states.
But this health/economic disaster isn’t over. It was politicized nationally from the start. It’s become that in Pennsylvania. And it’ll be hard to pull it back to where it belongs, as a health issue and not an ideological one.
Still, Wolf and Republicans have the power to do that. To turn down the noise. To drop the attitude that encourages confrontation. To focus on policy not politics.
And they should. For all citizens of the state. Even those living in Lebanon County.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
MONTREAL – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he will not be taking advice from Pierre Poilievre after the Conservative leader challenged him to bring down government.
“I say directly to Pierre Poilievre: I’m not going to listen to you,” said Singh on Wednesday, accusing Poilievre of wanting to take away dental-care coverage from Canadians, among other things.
“I’m not going to listen to your advice. You want to destroy people’s lives, I want to build up a brighter future.”
Earlier in the day, Poilievre challenged Singh to commit to voting non-confidence in the government, saying his party will force a vote in the House of Commons “at the earliest possibly opportunity.”
“I’m asking Jagmeet Singh and the NDP to commit unequivocally before Monday’s byelections: will they vote non-confidence to bring down the costly coalition and trigger a carbon tax election, or will Jagmeet Singh sell out Canadians again?” Poilievre said.
“It’s put up or shut up time for the NDP.”
While Singh rejected the idea he would ever listen to Poilievre, he did not say how the NDP would vote on a non-confidence motion.
“I’ve said on any vote, we’re going to look at the vote and we’ll make our decision. I’m not going to say our decision ahead of time,” he said.
Singh’s top adviser said on Tuesday the NDP leader is not particularly eager to trigger an election, even as the Conservatives challenge him to do just that.
Anne McGrath, Singh’s principal secretary, says there will be more volatility in Parliament and the odds of an early election have risen.
“I don’t think he is anxious to launch one, or chomping at the bit to have one, but it can happen,” she said in an interview.
New Democrat MPs are in a second day of meetings in Montreal as they nail down a plan for how to navigate the minority Parliament this fall.
The caucus retreat comes one week after Singh announced the party has left the supply-and-confidence agreement with the governing Liberals.
It’s also taking place in the very city where New Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat on Monday, when voters go to the polls in Montreal’s LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. A second byelection is being held that day in the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona, where the NDP is hoping to hold onto a seat the Conservatives are also vying for.
While New Democrats are seeking to distance themselves from the Liberals, they don’t appear ready to trigger a general election.
Singh signalled on Tuesday that he will have more to say Wednesday about the party’s strategy for the upcoming sitting.
He is hoping to convince Canadians that his party can defeat the federal Conservatives, who have been riding high in the polls over the last year.
Singh has attacked Poilievre as someone who would bring back Harper-style cuts to programs that Canadians rely on, including the national dental-care program that was part of the supply-and-confidence agreement.
The Canadian Press has asked Poilievre’s office whether the Conservative leader intends to keep the program in place, if he forms government after the next election.
With the return of Parliament just days away, the NDP is also keeping in mind how other parties will look to capitalize on the new makeup of the House of Commons.
The Bloc Québécois has already indicated that it’s written up a list of demands for the Liberals in exchange for support on votes.
The next federal election must take place by October 2025 at the latest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is defending her decision to turn off comments on her social media accounts — with an announcement on social media.
She posted screenshots to X this morning of vulgar names she’s been called on the platform, and says comments on her posts for months have been dominated by insults, to the point that she decided to block them.
Montreal’s Opposition leader and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association have criticized Plante for limiting freedom of expression by restricting comments on her X and Instagram accounts.
They say elected officials who use social media should be willing to hear from constituents on those platforms.
However, Plante says some people may believe there is a fundamental right to call someone offensive names and to normalize violence online, but she disagrees.
Her statement on X is closed to comments.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
