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Letters to the editor

Asheville’s tragedy is a warning

Jami Murdoch West Milton The unprecedented devastation and loss of life in Asheville, N.C., caused by massive flooding from hurricane Helene, should be a wake-up call to all of us. Many in the Northeast believe that climate change is a problem for the South and West, where there have been dozens of massively destructive hurricanes, violent tornadoes and fires. You can watch them any night of the week on TV news. In central Pennsylvania, severe rain in the tributaries of the Susquehanna River can be disastrous for those in its reach. As climate change worsens, we’ll face more ...

Both political parties off kilter

Kimball Shinkoskey Woods Cross It has often been said that Democrats govern by means of the heart, and Republicans by means of the head. What would be wrong about a non-partisan political party governing by means of a good dose of both? Today, however, neither major party platform conforms to the United States Constitution, which loves both the heart and the head. Both parties resort to hollow platitudes to guide their party bases. For example, while driving through Idaho recently I saw this Idaho Republican Party billboard slogan: “Faith, family, freedom.” These are all ...

Trump’s Vice President

Bob Potter Boalsburg Upon being nominated, each Presidential candidate makes one of his or her most important decisions: Who will join the ticket as the prospective Vice President. From the VP choice, voters get a look at the Presidential candidate’s thinking and concern for the country. And who, if the ticket wins and the unthinkable happens, would become president should the sitting president die or become incapacitated while in office? But did anyone really think that Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin should have been a heartbeat away from the oval office? Or actual Vice ...

President Trump’s policies are not friendly to PA agriculture and consumers

Dr. Carol A. Hardbarger Bellefonte As retired Executive Secretary of the PA Milk Board, former farmer, and lifelong ag educator, I understand agriculture broadly. President Trump’s plans for immigration and tariffs show he doesn’t understand PA agriculture and consumers. President Harris grew up with a food budget. Governor Walz has actively engaged in agriculture since a teen. Both know agriculture is critical to family food security. President Trump launched trade wars costing US farmers $29 billion, giving markets to our competitors. He yanked us out of a Pacific trade ...

Thompson champions education

Loretta Coltrane Woolrich I was astonished to read a recent letter to the editor from a partisan Democrat, who is a member of the State College Borough Council, which made a feeble attempt to disparage Congressman GT Thompson’s record when it comes to his support of education. Thompson heads the bipartisan Career & Technical Education Caucus in Congress and has a clear record of championing these programs. He even rewrote the federal law, which is so important to train Pennsylvanians for good paying jobs. GT Thompson also has worked to fix the way federal Title I funds are ...

Thompson is undermining our democracy

Beverly Crow State College Our congressman, Glenn Thompson, was among seven Republican congressmen in Pennsylvania who recently refused to respond when asked by the USA TODAY Network if they would commit to certifying the results of the presidential election no matter who won. Don’t pull this again, Glenn. For our system of government to function, a party can’t accept the results only when their candidate wins. If you cannot handle that basic civics lesson, you don’t deserve the public trust and should find another job.