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Alternative reality

David Russell Lock Haven This past Tuesday, Governor Josh Shapiro gave his annual budget address and, shockingly, he proposed no increase in funding for the PASSHE system, which Lock Haven is a member of. The governor’s thinking is totally befuddling, especially given that the system did not receive a budget increase in the most recently passed budget. Going two years without any increase, especially considering the current state of inflation, is simply unsustainable. If our region had legitimate representation in Harrisburg, we might have an avenue of appeal. However, on ...

What bad news?

Linda Barton State College Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson says his weekly newsletter highlights “The Good, The Bad, and The Local.” In fact, what he actually provides is a highly selective version of reality. This week, his only “bad” news was reporting nearly two million Ukraine war casualties, noting Russia is “hardly winning” and declining. That is tragic—but why frame it this way? Is he suggesting reduced U.S. support for Ukraine? What is far more troubling is what he omitted. — Serious domestic crises, such as aggressive ICE actions in Minneapolis, ...

ICE and Immigration

Arthur Keller Beavertown Let’s look at the two Republican strongholds, Florida and Texas, then some of the Democrat sanctuary states, and Democrat immigration thrusts. Florida is a major hub for federal immigration enforcement with high ICE activity. A major “joint operation” across the state called “Operation Tidal Wave” was the largest joint operation in ICE history. It resulted in 10,000 arrests and removals and involved state law enforcement. Pew Research Center in 2023 stated 1.2M illegal aliens reside in Florida. ICE is also actively operating throughout Texas. ...

From ‘shoot them in the legs’ to shoot to kill

Joseph R. Fischer Northumberland During his first term, President Trump reportedly asked then–Defense Secretary Mark Esper whether soldiers deployed during the George Floyd protests could shoot demonstrators in the legs. Esper said no. Those now feel like the good old days. If events in Minneapolis over the past two weeks are any indication, the rules of engagement for ICE and Border Patrol agents have shifted dramatically—toward firing into heads and torsos for the offenses of being in the wrong place at the wrong time or recording federal agents operating against civilians ...

Thompson owes constituents accuracy

Julie Gittings State College I appreciate Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson’s efforts to communicate with voters in Pennsylvania’s 15th District. I would appreciate it even more if he provided accurate, complete information. In a recent newsletter, Rep. Thompson cited a Department of Homeland Security database listing 45 people apprehended for crimes while in the country illegally. He called the numbers “staggering” and implied the arrests were the result of “years of open borders and weak enforcement.” That implication is misleading. Rep. Thompson did not ...

A view from Minneapolis

Kyle Kline Minneapolis I grew up in Jersey Shore where my first job was as a Lock Haven Express paperboy and have lived in Minneapolis for eight years. I call Minneapolis home because it feels familiar to me. It is a place where neighbors look out for each other, kids walk to school, and if something seems off, someone reaches out to make sure everything is okay. Until recently, I felt as safe here as I did growing up in Jersey Shore, Pa. That sense of safety is gone. Over the past several weeks, two people, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed, and countless others have been ...