Rep. Emily Kinkead: Pa. leaders must focus on recovery
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More than 75% of Pennsylvania adults have received at least one covid vaccination dose and 61.5% are fully vaccinated. Our state is finally reopening. But the long road to economic recovery is just beginning.
With campaigns for 2021 and even 2022 underway, new statewide and local leadership is on the horizon, and we have a tremendous opportunity to ensure that we focus on the hard work needed to get our economy back up and running, that we create an economy that serves everyone, and that we do so in a safe and effective way.
Yet some lawmakers have directed their attention elsewhere.
Pennsylvania GOP legislators have embraced “the big lie” and adapted a narrative that reeks of political retribution, most recently introducing a proposal in Harrisburg to penalize social media companies for “censoring” users. In the last few months, tech companies have come under increased scrutiny at a national level as well, with some calling for sweeping reforms in antitrust, data privacy and content moderation.
While the power and influence of Big Tech certainly warrants having these important conversations, they should be led by level-headed lawmakers, not those who championed an insurrection against the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and continue to challenge our election results today.
Rhetoric surrounding the technology industry — which includes Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s recent call for Americans to “take up arms” against the tech sector — not only places dangerous targets on the backs of tech industry workers, but also distracts from the real-world concerns facing our communities.
Covid restrictions are easing, but Pennsylvania’s small businesses need guidance, and residents are struggling to understand what returning to “normal” actually looks like. As schools plan to resume in-person classes this fall, many parents wonder how their children will be kept safe and how we will support their children in making up for educational learning loss.
In pushing an anti-technology agenda, legislators have not only misprioritized issues, but have directed their attention to a sector that is no doubt key to our future economic growth. Tech companies are massive employers in Pittsburgh, and in Pennsylvania, and account for $56 billion (8%) of the state economy.
Technology has also been a valuable asset to local businesses, especially during the pandemic. When covid-19 hit last March, necessary government mandates forced all nonessential shops to close. Hundreds of local business owners shut down their restaurants and stores, with many believing that the stay-at-home orders would only be temporary. But as the weeks turned to months, it became clear that the pandemic was far from over. Fortunately, digital tools and services were available to help local businesses survive. While an imperfect solution, it was particularly important for Black- and brown-owned businesses, which were far less likely to receive PPP loans during the first round of distribution last year. In the absence of reliable government relief, digitalization supported their resiliency.
As we look forward to what recovery could look like — equitable, just, environmentally friendly — Gaetz’s comments attacking technology and endangering tech sector workers are even more troubling. Technology partnerships could yield tremendous benefit for Pennsylvanians if we could avoid retribution-fueled propaganda and focus on the policy that moves us forward.
With important campaigns for statewide office underway, and full economic reopening on the minds of us all, Pennsylvania’s leadership should seize this opportunity to focus on the issues that matter most to our communities and ignore the GOP-led anti-tech crusade. Pennsylvanians deserve a clear path toward recovery, and that requires smart policymaking at all levels of government.
Rep. Emily Kinkead, a Democrat, represents District 20, which encompasses Bellevue, Avalon, West View, Ross Township and parts of the City of Pittsburgh.