Breaking News

Letters to the editor

Here he goes again

Ellen Sheerin Doylestown Once again Dave McCormick, a longtime resident of Connecticut, the Nutmeg State, is trying to buy himself a U.S. Senate seat. And once again he’s decided that he’d rather run in Pennsylvania than in Connecticut, where he actually lives. Don’t you wonder why he doesn’t have the courage to run from home? You’d think that Nutmeg Dave would have learned by now that Pennsylvanians don’t want him, even members of his own party. After all, in 2022 he lost the Republican Party primary to, of all people, fellow out-of-state millionaire, Dr Oz. It can’t ...

Childless people are not worthless

Harvey Gilbert Laporte Who hasn’t heard JD Vance’s “childless cat ladies” comment? The Republican candidate for vice president has repeatedly expressed contempt for women without children, once referring to them as “childless sociopaths.” In a 2021 interview with fellow misogynist Tucker Carlson, Vance suggested that “childless” people should pay more in taxes than those who “actually have kids” and therefore “a more direct stake in the future of this country.” What?! “Childless” Americans contribute more to the economy than those with children — ...

With Love From W.Va.

Paul Dorsey, SFC, USA (Ret.) Bluefield, W. Va. Dear Pennsylvania, It’s your brother, West Virginia. I know, you’re only 75% Appalachian, still, I’m sure you have enough common sense to catch what I’m throwing at you. Look, at one point in time you had the Capitol of our nation. You pretty much gave us the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Hershey’s chocolate, Rocky and I have to say it — Gettysburg. 50,000 Americans died there fighting for what they believed in. It’s in your DNA. And here we are. The news people say that you are the most important ...

Social Security explained

Craig Seasholtz Avis The Social Security Act was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Aug. 14, 1935. The first benefit was issued on Jan. 31, 1940. At the time of its implementation there were approximately 159.4 workers for each Social Security eligible retiree. Below is a table that depicts how drastically the ratio of workers paying into the system compared to the eligible retirees receiving benefits has declined substantially since its inception. Year Worker-to-Beneficiary ...

Left and right unite against Thompson’s Farm Bill

Marie Hornbein Spring Mills Representative Glenn Thompson has accomplished something few politicians have — his recent farm bill drew stinging criticism from both conservatives and liberals. The major sticking point is that tens of billions of dollars in subsidies would primarily flow to a few thousand of America’s wealthiest cotton, rice and peanut farmers—i.e. big agribusiness—and the money would most likely be siphoned from climate funds or food aid. Conservatives say the bill is a guarantee, not a safety net, that will distort the markets. Instead of aiding farmers on ...

You’re not Hitler

Tim Mannello Williamsport As you may know, Brian Sacks was a comedian and writer known for his creativity. Brian died in 2014. Hoodie was one of Sack’s characters. Together they were said to live on Pumpernickel Boulevard, a humorous backdrop that was supposed to reflect the quirkiness of life. Hoodie was a kind of Everyman who always found himself in absurd situations to which he responded with humor and insight. In 2014, the year Sack died, I wrote: “If you are ever tempted to compare someone with whom you disagree to Hitler, you might want to remember this little ditty which ...