“The State” continues its roughshod ride over Pennsylvanians’ liberties.
Consider the last-minute Monday order (a week ago) from state health officials that, for 15 hours beginning at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Eve, barred alcohol sales in bars, restaurants and for catered events.
The order came in the name of supposedly stemming the spread of coronavirus on what traditionally has been a robust evening for such facilities and events.
Violators, if caught in a promised beefed-up enforcement regimen, were subject to fines and/or “regulatory” sanctions. Translation: Don’t defy “The Cudgel of State.”
Never mind that the last-minute move left many an establishment sitting on extra product ordered just for the evening.
And, seriously, it’s not as if Thanksgiving weekend patrons didn’t visit these bars and restaurants on Friday and Saturday. So, what was the logic of this nonsensical 15-hour ban?
And never mind, too, that the arbitrary and capricious order of “The State” did not apply to one of its big money-makers – state liquor stores that are typically packed with customers on Thanksgiving Eve securing wine and spirits for Thanksgiving dinners.
Thus, “The State” continues to crush the proverbial little guys while it pads is own pockets.
How utterly pathetic.
Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto continues his drive to make doing business in the City of Pittsburgh as difficult as possible.
Monday last, the mayor, who can’t see the forest for his fealty to misguided (and certainly misnamed) “progressivism,” proposed legislation that would force employers of businesses with 50 or more workers to make those employees eligible for up to 112 hours of paid sick leave directly related to Covid-19.
That’s in addition to the city’s previously strong-armed mandate (and, in a tortuous spate of legal gymnastics, affirmed by the state Supreme Court) that forced private employers to offer regular paid sick leave.
City Council rubber-stamped the idea in short order with introduction of a like resolution.
Peduto blamed “failed federal action” for attempting to seize yet another function of the economy that is best reserved for private practice instead of government malpractice.
Many of the very businesses that Peduto now targets have been gasping for air for eight months. Now, he expects them to pay a premium just to gasp.
Reasonable people can only wonder what Peduto, whose many policies have been or will be a cancer on the economy, will do when the cancer finally kills the host.
He’ll blame the host, of course.
Colin McNickle is communications and marketing director at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy (cmcnickle@alleghenyinstitute.org).
