Month: September 2026

The Data on Data Centers

The Data on Data Centers

By Bob Small

While on our first getaway in a decade we spent a weekend in Jim Thorpe in Carbon County earlier this month.

As everywhere, I picked up some local papers. As everywhere, the headlines screamed DATA Centers!

One concerned a town hall attended by about 20 including one Suzanne Northropp, who opined “I don’t know who thought this was a good idea.”

This seemed to be the general consensus.

Meanwhile, in my previous city of residence, Mayor Parker is in the process of signing “an executive order to create a task force to establish guardrails for any potential data centers in the city.”

According to this Axios article there are already eight operating data centers in Philly. There are also two proposed sites, one in the neighborhood of my misspent youth, the NE Philly Airport.

There is enough opposition that it requires another article to give them full justice. The campaign is called No Data Centers in Philly, though it may need to be retitled No more Data Centers in Philly.

Now, where is our incumbent Governor on this. Well, Josh Shapiro has been all over the place.

In June of 2025, he said, in Berwick. “I’m here to announce that Pennsylvania has landed the largest private sector investment in the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” Since then, he’s caught the zeitgeist of the moment, but, as Jael Holzman says, “  I have not seen any example where a politician is adequately, …..capturing the sheer anxiety and angst around AI data center development.”

Just recently, the Governor is catching up to the previously stated position of his GOP opponent.

On Aug. 18, signed this order restricting data centers.

One thing it does it prohibits any state agency from signing an non-disclosure agreement related to a Data Center project.

Also, according to this article, 76 percent of registered Pennsylvania voters would oppose a data center in their community.

See also Where Shapiro and Garrity stand on Pennsylvania data …

Log Cabin Republicans Drop Trans

Log Cabin Republicans Drop Trans

By Bob Small

The national gay and lesbian oganization, the Log Cabin Republican announced, Aug. 20, they are no longer including any of the initials such as TQ&. They were returning to their initial mission when they were founded in 1977.

“We are an LGB advocacy organization,” it said.

LCR President Ross Hemminger said they would return to matters “ involving sexual orientation, including marriage, adoption, military service, equal treatment under the law, and religious liberty. “

This articles also stresses that LCB organizations have to “distinguish sexual orientation from gender identity rather than treating them as interchangeable concepts”.

Of course, everything is seen as political.

The Independent opined “The move aligns with the rollback of transgender rights since President Donald Trump returned to office”, which, in theory, makes sense. But could it have just as much to do with the transitions of minors, which many of us see as akin to child abuse.

The Human Rights Campaign, among others, is critical of this move. Delphine Luneau, a HRC spokesperson, said, “Sacrificing one part of a community in the false hope that it will somehow protect the rest of it has never worked throughout history”.

It’s questionable whether TS is part of the same community or a separate one.

For historical context consider whether the Black Panthers and The Young Lords could have coalesced into one organization.

One more quote from David Hemminger: “The transgender movement has ceased focusing on adults at all — nearly all of their efforts and those of their aligned special interest groups focus on minors”

However, the National Stonewall Democrats accused the LCR of “throwing trans people under the bus.”

Log Cabin Republicans harks back to the GOP founding in 1856 toequate homosexuality with “polygamy and slavery”.

My belief is that our society has evolved and that what occurs between “consenting adults” is, generally, their business.

See also

Conservative Gay Rights Group Ends Support for Trans …

Log Cabin Republicans Drop Transgender Rights from …

Sarah E. Hunt ️ on X: “As a former board member of Log 

Log Cabin Republicans Drop Trans

Lynn McGrane, R.I.P.

We just returned from the viewing for our good friend Lynn McGrane at Sacred Heart Church in Manoa.

Marilyn “Lynn” Rose McGrane died suddenly, Aug. 28, at her home in Malvern, Pa.

She was 76.

She lived on Windsor Circle in Springfield from 1984 until 2022, and grew up in the Manoa section of Haverford Township..

Lynn graduated from Cardinal O’Hara High School and got a bachelor’s degree in art/art history from West Chester University

Her mark, however, was made in retail. She was hired by the legendary Mary Tate at Philadelphia’s John Wanamaker and ended up being general manager of its Wynnewood store if our memory is right.

Wanamaker’s was acquired by Woodward and Lothrop in 1986 and Lynne would eventually manage that company’s store in Washington D.C.

The corporate shuffling of department stores continued and she would go on to manage stores in Boca Raton. Fla. and the Bloomingdale’s in King of Prussia.

She was known for her very creative employee motivation programs.

Lynn sponsored fund-raising events in partnership with numerous charitable organizations. She served on the PAFA advisory board for fashion merchandising. She lectured at Drexel University Department of Fashion, Design and Merchandizing on branding and contributed to the publication of a text book for the Fashion Design Industry.

Lynn enjoyed traveling, cooking and baking.

And she could make a great Martini.

She also loved gardening and pets.

Especially Siamese cats and Pekinese dogs.

Nothing, however, mattered more to her than caring for the people she loved.

She was the daughter of the late James J. and Marie (née Dybicz) McGrane.

Lynn was the dear sister of Judith McGrane, James J. McGrane (Louise), Edward F. McGrane, Christopher J. McGrane, and the late John E. McGrane (Sharon); beloved aunt of James, David, Allison and Michael McGrane.

She is also survived by great-nieces and nephews, cousins and her close circle of friends for 55 years, Terri DiGiorgio, Catherine Fitzgerald, Kathy Reichel and Kathleen Coyne.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are requested to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, https://stjude.org/donate/  or Tunnel to Towers Foundation, https://t2t.org/donate/ or to ASPCA, https://www.aspca.org/ways-to-give.

To send flowers or plant a memorial tree in memory, please visit Donohue Funeral Home’s flower store.

Lynn McGrane, R.I.P.
Lynn McGrane and a friend at her home on Windsor Circle, Springfield,.

District 12 Defeat And Complacent Republicans

District 12 Defeat And Complacent Republicans

By Bob Small

We’re approaching the time when portents are seen in every primary, as though each one is “casting the runes”. (Just saw “The Winter’s Tale at Swarthmore Player’s Club second stage).

The last Democrat elected in Pennsylvania House District 12 was Patricia Carone in 1998. This is not a portent of upcoming elections, more like time for a change in one District. To quote the article, from neighboring Rep .Aaron Bernstine.

“Special elections aren’t typically indicative of a district. Very low turnout and those types of things,” Though

As of May of this year, Democrats have flipped 12 state legislative seats in special elections across the country since President Trump took office in January 2025. However, this fits a pattern of off-year elections.

Eugene Depasquale, Democrat Party chair said “it sets the stage for this November’s midterm elections.” However, Sam DeMarco, former GOP Chair of Allegheny County GOP concluded “Democrats didn’t win HD-12 as much as Republicans lost it”. By the way, Butler County is where Donald Trump was shot during his last campaign.

James Markley, another GOP Spokesperson warned “This needs to be a wake-up call for Republican voters.” By the way, Trump won this District in 2024 by 18 percentage points.

Chris Borick, Lehigh University Political Science Professor, said “I always put cautionary signs next to special elections.” Democratic voters mentioned the “Democratic Socialists” which may be the gift that keeps on giving,

istrict 12had been GOP since 1999 and previously both parties had stretches in power. Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 12. This election was decided by 87 votes.

See also Pennsylvania House District 12 (General Election)

District 12 Defeat And Complacent Republicans