Cheers & Jeers
Pam Snyder
Mary Altaffer/Associated Press
In this file photo, Republican candidate for New York鈥檚 3rd Congressional District George Santos campaigns in Glen Cove, N.Y. Santos, who won a seat in Congress in the November election is under pressure to explain himself amid evidence that he fabricated parts of the life story that endeared him to New York voters.
Cheers: One month ago, Pam Snyder became a former state representative following almost a decade in Harrisburg, and, before that, almost a decade as a county commissioner in Greene County. You鈥檇 be hard-pressed to find anyone in the region who is more knowledgeable about the workings of government on either the local or state level. In an interview that appeared in the Observer-Reporter and 缅北禁地 this week, Snyder reflected on issues facing the state and region and how things became uglier and more brutal in the Legislature during her time there. She pointed out, 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take people looking at the candidates again for who they are and what they stand for, rather than for what political party they belong to. 鈥� If you鈥檙e not electing people who are doing the job for the right reasons, then it鈥檚 just going to continue to deteriorate.鈥� Voters would be wise to heed Snyder鈥檚 warning.
Jeers: George Santos was elected to Congress in November from a district on Long Island, New York, hasn鈥檛 even taken office yet, but already seems bound for a spot in the history books. Not for any outstanding achievement, mind you, but for being a liar on what appears to be a staggering scale. After an investigation by The New York Times, the Republican was forced to come clean on a resume he says he 鈥渆mbellished.鈥� But Santos鈥� 鈥渆mbellishments鈥� go well beyond making a job title sound more important than it actually is or adding an extra skill or two. Instead, Santos lied about where he attended college, what degrees he earned, his wealth, his business background, his family background, even his religious background 鈥� he claimed he was Jewish, but now insists he meant he was merely 鈥淛ew-ish,鈥� thanks to some Jewish heritage in his family tree. Santos created what columnist Charlie Sykes aptly called a 鈥淏abel of Fabulism.鈥� That Santos鈥� deceit was not uncovered before he was elected is a failure in many corners, from Democratic opposition researchers to Republican gatekeepers and media watchdogs within the congressional district.
Cheers: We鈥檙e just hours from the start of a new year, and that鈥檚 traditionally a time when people decide to get a fresh start in their lives by shaving off a few pounds, exercising more, accumulating less clutter, that kind of thing. As a story in this week鈥檚 Observer-Reporter and 缅北禁地 noted, one of the best things anyone can do to improve their health is kicking the cigarette habit. Despite steep declines in smoking rates over the last several decades, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the United States. In Pennsylvania, it鈥檚 estimated that 22,000 adults die every year as a result of smoking-related illnesses. Breaking the physical and psychological addiction of smoking can be tough, but it can pay great dividends over time. The risk of heart attacks, stroke and cancer decrease for smokers, and health care costs for everyone also decrease. Smokers should make 2023 the year they decide to free themselves from tobacco.