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Letters to the editor

Reckless proliferation of guns

Fred Bucheit Howard In Saturday’s (Sept. 7, 2024) paper there was a cartoon with Uncle Sam looking dejected while asking the question, why, regarding school shootings. The answer is that the people who own large corporations aren’t exactly stupid. The most important part of a corporation is a part never seen. The owners of corporations hire an aggressive team of propagandists who know how to sell things. How do you sell guns? Simple at the root — you create fear and hate. That is all it takes, and so they devised all sorts of silly slogans that would become brain worms that ...

We are not going back

Bill Donahay Beech Creek They say we are not going back to: — Four years of peace — Prosperity — Secure Borders Instead, let’s have: More inflation — More open borders (and rewarding the illegal aliens for beaking the law by giving them free health care, social security, housing, pre-paid debit cards, drivers licenses and setting it up to allow them to vote) — More rising crime — More wars — More censorship — The end to fracking — Men in women’s sports — More high gas and food prices For the last four years, Harris has been VP and ...

The hidden costs of retirement in Pennsylvania: Are we losing our homes?

Peter Serefine Bellefonte As I approach retirement, I’ve begun to consider what life might look like. I’m in my early fifties and already getting robocalls about Medicare and AARP. Pennsylvania is supposed to be a decent place to retire, so maybe I’ll stay. But after some research, I’m left outraged by how the state handles retirees, particularly homeowners. Owning a home has long been considered a path to generational wealth, something you pass down to your children. For many, especially in the middle class, a home is the biggest asset they’ll ever own. It represents ...

More of Thompson’s lies and hypocrisy

Norita Chyle State College Once again, Representative Glenn Thompson uses his newsletter to peddle misinformation about the current administration. He also manages to highlight his hypocrisy. This time, he is blaming Biden and Harris for the recent deaths of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas in October. In his latest newsletter, Thompson claims that “The cowardly actions of the Biden-Harris administration has (sic) empowered terrorists and cast doubt in the minds of our allies.” What “cowardly actions” is he talking about? What doubts? President Biden and Vice ...

Free for me but not for thee

Tim Mannello Williamsport Retired people often complain about others receiving “free stuff,” from the government while they themselves live on free stuff from the government. Many Social Security and Medicare beneficiaries receive significantly more from each of these two programs than they contributed over their lifetimes. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), “the average Social Security and Medicare beneficiary receives approximately $348,480 more in Social ...

Project 2025’s terrible education plans

Jesse L. Barlow State College The Department of Education’s mission is “to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.’’ The Trump-Vance adjacent Project 2025 section on Education would break up the Education Department and destroy its mission. Its proposals will make it harder for low-income students, middle-income students and students from marginalized groups to obtain education from kindergarten to post-secondary education. These policies include cuts to the number of students ...