Wows & Scowls
Wow: If you’re going to criticize public officials when you think they’ve done something wrong, you’ve also got to give credit when you think they do something right. In that vein state Sen. Richard A. Kasunic, D-Dunbar, is entitled to a little praise. He’s the only member of our local state delegation who voted against the July pay raise, refused to accept it right away as an unvouchered expense although he could have, and can lay claim to voting for its repeal. The state Senate unanimously did that on Wednesday night. In a press release the veteran senator said, “The people spoke loud and clear” on how the pay raise was “concocted and passed.” Just as importantly, Kasunic expressed hope that the action would “usher in a new era of open government … that will discourage stealth political maneuvers.”
That would start with reforming the state’s archaic Open Records Law, from which the legislature in which Kasunic serves is exempt. Our challenge to him now: Become a champion of that cause, because it will soon be moved to the front burner.
Wow: The state House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee recently moved to the full House a bill from state Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg, that would let all state-system university police officers carry firearms. That decision currently rests with the presidents of each of those 14 institutions, including California University of Pennsylvania, whose officers are unarmed. Its president, Angelo Armenti, said he remains unconvinced of the need, and he’s certain to have liability concerns on behalf of the institution that he leads.
But a single harrowing incident could easily change the picture and provide the compelling reason that he and others may be seeking. Today’s world can be a dangerous and whacky place, and college campuses aren’t immune.