Not-for-Profit Hospitals? (Gregory Warner) from PRI's Marketplace
"Last summer, Holly Lang did an experiment. She took uninsured people to 34 not-for-profit hospitals in Philadelphia and asked about financial assistance. And they were just shut down. Only two hospitals gave her info required by law."

Gas Attack: The Head of the State DEP Goes on the Offensive ... for Researchers (Bill O'Driscoll) from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Krancer's words often make it sound like the DEP is more aligned with the gas industry than with those who are trying to protect public health."

EDITORIAL!!

UPMC vs. Highmark: In a Feud About Access, Real Patients Fear the Future from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
First of three parts. "More than 3 million Highmark customers will face the same loss of in-network, affordable access beginning June 30 to UPMC physicians and then, a year later, to most of its hospitals. It's a corporate decision with personal consequences throughout Western Pennsylvania, and for the next three days, Post-Gazette editorials will tell the stories of some of the real people behind the statistics."

Local Homeless Programs Get New Federal Funding from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A year ago, a program that serves 15 homeless families in the North Hills lost its own lease, raising questions about its future. On Tuesday, the HEARTH program -- like thousands of others nationwide that help shelter those in need -- found out that it will be able to keep roofs over heads for at least another year. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it is steering nearly $1.5 billion to 7,100 programs that contend with homelessness, including $15.6 million to 101 programs in southwestern Pennsylvania."

City Teachers Offered Buyouts from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The Pittsburgh Public Schools board approved Tuesday night a buyout offer for teachers, but triple-digit layoffs are still likely to occur effective next school year. An analysis by the independent consulting firm Educators Preferred Corp."

PA Subsidy Programs Lack Job, Wage Standards (Noah Brode) from Essential Public Radio [of Pittsburgh]
"When the Keystone Opportunity Zone program was created in 1998, it was hailed as a way to attract business to poor areas in Pennsylvania by eliminating some state and local taxes within certain boundaries. Thirteen years later, the program is being ranked among the worst tax credit projects in the country, in terms of the expectations of companies that benefit from the program to hire a certain number of workers and pay fair wages."

Pennsylvania's Wind Power Industry Grows from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"Pennsylvania's wind power industry continues to grow, as more ridges in Fayette, Somerset, Cambria and Blair counties become home to wind turbines. Industry analysts and observers say that growth -- seven wind farm projects in three years and five under construction -- stems from the state's requirement that utilities buy renewable energy, a production tax credit, and improved technology that makes wind turbines more efficient."

Marcellus Shale to Ramp Up in 2012 from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The Associated Press reported that new leases might be down in 2012 but production of natural gas in the Marcellus Shale will more than likely keep increasing in Pennsylvania. Then there's the looming decision over where to put an ethane cracker plant -- Ohio, northern West Virginia or here in the Pittsburgh region -- that will likely happen sometime in January 2012."

Small Natural Gas Drillers are Wary of Flat Levy Fee Plan from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 
"All the leading drilling tax proposals in Harrisburg call for flat fees — but that doesn't mean they'll have the same effect on every driller. Most deep-shale drillers are expected to pay a flat fee that will be equivalent to 1 percent to 3 percent of revenues to pay for the roads, housing and social services they impact. But because the fee is the same for every well and not tied to production, small drillers who don't produce as much gas say they would end up paying a higher percentage of their revenues. Their rate could be the equivalent of 9 percent."

EDITORIAL!!

Civic Arena Blight Designation Adds to Hill District Tension (Chris Young) from the Slag Heap blog at the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Hill District leaders are crying foul over the City Planning Commission's decision earlier this week to designate the Lower Hill as "blighted," arguing that the neighborhood was never consulted before the decision, which will allow the Pittsburgh Penguins to receive public funding for their development of the 28-acre property."

Debate Raging Across United States Over New Hospitals from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 
"Like McDonald's versus Burger King or Wal-Mart against Target, U.S. hospitals spent $17 billion on new buildings the past two years to get your business. "If there's a new hospital, somebody has to pay for it," said Nancy Griffith, 67, a hospital volunteer in Illinois. Unlike 36 states, Pennsylvania doesn't regulate hospital construction. The Trib looked at two states that do (Illinois and North Carolina) and one that doesn't (California)."

Onshoring Bringing Work Back to U.S. Shops from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The idea of onshoring — or work that was offshored to countries like China returning to the U.S. — is gaining traction with some Western Pennsylvania manufacturers (as reported in the Dec. 16 edition of the Pittsburgh Business Times) as more are reporting work returning or customers they hadn’t seen in years knocking at the door."

Shale Development Could Generate 1M Jobs by 2025 from the Energy Inc. blog at the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Developing domestic shale gas reserves has the potential to save U.S. manufacturers billions of dollars in energy costs and employ 1 million more workers, according to a new study released by the professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers."

Robot Repair in Downtown Pittsburgh … for Real? from the Allegheny Conference's ImaginePittsburgh
"How did a full-service, “robot repair shop” literally pop-up overnight in one of the most heavily trafficked districts in downtown Pittsburgh?"

State House Rejects School-Voucher Proposal from the Patriot-News [of Harrisburg]
"In a last-ditch effort on Wednesday to deliver vouchers this fall, state House Republican leaders failed to get majority support for this centerpiece of Corbett’s education-reform package."

The Benefits of State Prevailing Wage Laws: Better Jobs and More Productive Competition in the Construction Industry from the Keystone Research Center [from October]
"Consistent with the original rationale for establishing prevailing laws, a rigorous body of economic research shows that efforts to repeal these laws lead to: less workforce training; a younger, less educated and less experienced workforce; higher injury rates; lower wages; and lower health and pension coverage."

SPECIAL SERIES!!

Deep Drill: Reports from Pennsylvania's Gaslands from the Philadelphia Inquirer
The series includes "Powerful Pipes, Weak Oversight," "Similar Pipes, Different Rules," and "Us vs. Them' in Pa. Gaslands" with more to come.

Test Anxiety from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Why do statistics show Pittsburgh kids doing so poorly on state exams -- while graduating in such high numbers?"

EDITORIAL!!

Occupy Elsewhere: A Downtown Owner is Entitled to its Property from the Editorial Board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"It's time for Occupy Pittsburgh to move on. The movement's two months of peaceful coexistence with the owner of Downtown land where the group has been camping has become little more than an imposition on a rightful property owner."

Political Capital: City Officials Weigh How Much to Spend on City Infrastructure from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Hardly anyone denies the need to spend more money on city assets like roads, parks and police cars. ... But Pittsburgh is not a typical city. The city has been under the purview of state-appointed overseers since 2005, thanks to a debt burden then estimated at more than $800 million."

Municipal Officials Decry State Control of Shale Drilling from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Representatives from more than 44 municipalities in seven counties met Tuesday night in Green Tree for a first-of-its-kind Marcellus Shale town hall meeting to address legislation that is pending in the state House and Senate. Their message to lawmakers? Don't take away our local control."
The Tribune-Review covers this story HERE.

Pgh School District Shaves $31.9M Off Projected Deficit from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"In order to reduce the district’s expenditures, the 2012 budget calls for the elimination of approximately 630 full-time positions, closing seven schools, realigning school assignment boundaries, reducing capital expenditures, debt refinancing at lower interest rates and raising average class sizes to their maximum number."

Wind Jobs at Stake in PA if Federal Tax Credit Not Extended (Deanna Garcia) from Essential Public Radio [of Pittsburgh]
"The wind power sector currently employs between 3,000 and 4,000 people in Pennsylvania. ... If the tax incentive expires, it will effectively end at the end of 2012, which means any wind project that wanted to take advantage would have to get underway now."

EDITORIAL!!

Prevailing-Wage Laws Don't Hike Costs (Stephen Herzenberg) from the Patriot-News [of Harrisburg]
"Some Harrisburg politicians have a novel idea about how to create more jobs in Pennsylvania. They want to slash the middle-class wages of construction workers who build schools and fire stations in our communities. If that means hiring less experienced builders who will take longer to get the job done and make costly mistakes, so be it."

A Big Firm Moves In; Landowners Face New Types of Shale Leases from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"In its rapid ascent to become a top leaseholder in the Marcellus Shale, Chesapeake Energy came to West Virginia and put into play a strategy designed to narrow landowner rights and expand company control over all phases of the drilling cycle."

What's Ahead for the Middle Class?: There is a Way Forward, if Washington Can Get on Track from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"For the past five weeks, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has explored the economic challenges facing the middle class in America through our "Middle of Nowhere" series. Middle-class families today are struggling primarily because of the recession that hit at the end of 2007. Even though it is officially over, unemployment remains high, job growth is sluggish, and millions of homeowners have less equity in their homes than they did five years ago."

Occupiers Prepare for Winter and Eviction from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Residents and supporters of Occupy Pittsburgh dug in for the winter Sunday, spending much of the day cleaning their muddy Downtown encampment in Mellon Green park and preparing for the possible arrival of police as early as today."

LOCAL TRIBUTE!

A Pittsburgh Original: The Name Dietrich Will Live Long in Our City from Pittsburgh Quarterly
"William S. Dietrich II will go down in Pittsburgh history as one of the great philanthropists and in the league of those about whom he wrote. The $500 million will grow and be a lasting legacy, flourishing all around us in the life and future of the great institutions of our city. "

EDITORIAL!!

Rogue Regulation: Pa. Must Fall in Step with Legal Drilling Oversight from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"There's a big problem with the Corbett administration's new policy for regulating air pollutants from Marcellus Shale wells and facilities: It's against the law. It also bends over backward to please the Marcellus Shale industry and, in the long term, could harm the quality of Pennsylvania's air."

EPA Declares Fracking, a Drilling Process, to be a Potential Source of Pollution from the Patriot-News [of Harrisburg]
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today for the first time that fracking — a controversial method of improving the productivity of oil and gas wells — may be to blame for causing groundwater pollution. The draft finding could have a chilling effect in states like Pennsylvania trying to determine how to regulate the process."

Three of Dirtiest Coal-fired Plants in Western Pa., Report Finds from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Three of the 10 dirtiest coal-fired power plants in the nation are located in Western Pennsylvania, according to a new report that also ranks the state first overall in emissions of toxic air pollutants like arsenic, chromium, hydrochloric acid, lead and mercury."

Federal Grant to Move Region's Solar Power Forward from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A mish-mash of fragmented, confusing and costly municipal regulations and a lack of funding options to mitigate installation costs has hurt solar power installation more than a lack of sunshine, said Sharon Pillar, program manager for PennFuture's solar programs in Western Pennsylvania. Ms. Pillar said a $315,697 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, announced at a news conference Downtown Wednesday, will be used to remove those barriers and reduce costs through PennFuture's Three Rivers Solar Source project and a coalition of commissions and environmental and business development organizations, Allegheny County and 23 municipalities."

City Officials Weigh How Much to Spend on City Infrastructure from the Pittsburgh City Paper
"Pittsburgh Public Works Director Rob Kaczorowski can't figure out why anyone would oppose the city borrowing $80 million to help shore up its crumbling infrastructure. "I just don't get it," says Kaczorowski. "Let me assure you, I can spend $80 million all by myself on things that need done, and then get back in line for more. That's how many issues need to be addressed."

EPA Criticizes State for Shale Air Pollution Rules from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has strongly criticized Pennsylvania's new policy guidelines for regulating air pollutants emitted by Marcellus Shale gas wells and development sites located in close proximity to one another."

Allegheny County Dems Raise Taxes 21 Percent to Save Services from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review 
"Allegheny County Council's decision on Tuesday to increase property taxes by 21 percent aims to stave off sharp cuts in human service programs for children and the elderly as well as a proposed tuition hike at the community college."

Group Wants More Energy Grants: Report Chastises State for Not Subsidizing Clean Energy Development from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Pennsylvania is providing $2.9 billion a year in subsidies to fossil fuel industries but not offering similar government supports and incentives to cleaner, renewable energy development, according to a report released Tuesday by the PennFuture Energy Center for Enterprise and the Environment."

Range Sees Marcellus Production Double in 2011 from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Range Resources Corp. announced Wednesday morning that its production levels in the Marcellus Shale have doubled this year."

Welcome to the Pittsburgh Business Times Morning Edition from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Our newest blog is designed to bring you a selection of the most important business headlines from around the region, so you can start your day with the information you need without spending a lot of time sifting through the mountain of news reporting that’s out there today."

Major Cause of Downturn: Failure to Help Homeowners from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"For a country that fell into a recession primarily because of a collapse in the housing market, the two experts say, America has done a lousy job of coming up with a plan to revitalize home ownership. National statistics show how persistent the slump is."

Recession Hit Blacks Hard: Housing Equity Has Plummeted, Taking Families' Wealth with It from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"Most Americans' chief source of wealth is the equity in their homes, but the recent housing collapse has hit minorities particularly hard. Between 2005 and 2009, the median home equity value for black Americans fell from $76,910 to $59,000, a drop of nearly a quarter, according to the Pew Research Center."

Did Fracking Kill Dunkard Creek? from Salon
"After oil and gas extraction arrived in southwest Pennsylvania, a massive fill kill occurred."

Learning Too Late of the Perils in Gas Well Leases from the New York Times
"Americans have signed millions of leases allowing companies to drill for oil and natural gas on their land in recent years. But some of these landowners — often in rural areas, and eager for quick payouts — are finding out too late what is, and what is not, in the fine print."

Oil Boom Puts Strain On North Dakota Towns (AUDIO) (John McChesney) from NPR's Morning Edition
""They're consuming all of our resources," he says. "They're consuming all of our people looking for jobs. All the employee base is used up. Our roads system is being used up. All our water is being used up. All our sewage systems are being used up. [They're] overwhelmed. All of our leadership time as local public officials is consumed with this.""

Marcellus Violations Rise in Region: Browse Them Here from the Energy Inc. blog at the Pittsburgh Business Times
"The latest violations data from Marcellus wells in Pennsylvania has been posted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. And here’s the damage: ... Last year during the same period of time, operators with wells in southwestern counties clocked 18 violations, so this year’s tally is an substantial increase."

Southwestern Pa. Colleges Wary of Gas Leases from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review
"Southwestern Pennsylvania colleges don't appear to be following the lead of two West Virginia schools that have signed lease agreements with an energy company to drill their land for Marcellus shale."

Urban Youth Action Stays Alive from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"“The Board of UYA has agreed to work with us, alumni and friends to bring UYA back better than ever. The meeting was a success,” he said. “Both the Board and the Family agreed that we must do whatever we can to save this powerful program for the youth.”"

Salts From Drilling, a Drinking Water Danger, Still Showing Up in Rivers from Essential Public Radio [of Pittsburgh]
"Bromides come from many places, including sea water, coal-fired power plants, and chemicals. But the Ohio’s spike in bromide occured three years ago, and Blaskovich thinks that’s no coincidence. “That’s when deep drilling for gas sort of took off in this area of the country,” he says."

Board Closes 7 Schools from the New Pittsburgh Courier
"On Nov. 22, the Pittsburgh Public School District Board of Directors approved a slew of plans aimed at reducing the district’s projected 2012 budget deficit of $21.7 million. Among them were the elimination of single-gendered classes at the Academy at Westinghouse and the sale of two school buildings. Also approved in the package was the district’s realignment plan, which will see the closure of seven more schools and the elimination of 400 positions in the district. This includes the merger of Perry High School and Oliver High School, along with the merger of Brashear High School and Langley High School."

Occupy Pittsburgh Winterizing from the Pittsburgh Business Times
"Occupy Pittsburgh said Thursday that it is upgrading its physical site in Downtown Pittsburgh that will better prepare it for winter weather conditions."

No Financial Windfall but Plenty of Social Costs Come with Privatizing State Wine and Spirits Stores, Keystone Researchers Testify from the Keystone Research Center
"Privatizing Pennsylvania’s wine and spirits shops would not generate a large up-front fee but would cost the state at least $100 million annually, University of Michigan research scientist Roland Zullo told the Pennsylvania House Liquor Control Committee in hearings today at the Philadelphia Convention Center."
The Post-Gazette's coverage of this report is HERE.

Highmark vs. UPMC Leaves Subscribers Puzzled from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"One of the UPMC ads currently getting air time notes that "UPMC and Highmark saying goodbye to each other shouldn't mean losing your world-class health care" at UPMC hospitals. There are close to a thousand local attorneys worried that that's exactly what it means.