Letters: We need compromise in Harrisburg; Where’s the leadership?
We need compromise in Harrisburg
If you thought the Republican Party in U.S. House was unwilling to compromise, you haven’t been paying attention to the Democrats in Harrisburg. Like the Republicans in the U.S. House, Democrats in the State House would rather snatch defeat from the jaws of victory than compromise.
As reported in this newspaper, House Democrats passed a bill last week to allow counties to process mail-in ballots before Election Day. It’s more efficient than jamming county election boards with mass counting after the polls close. House Republicans, true to form, voted against it.
But the news story said the bill isn’t going anywhere in the state Senate, which is controlled by Republicans who want to yoke voter ID with early counting of mail-in ballots. Democrats are opposed. The bill’s prime sponsor, our own Scott Conklin of Rush Township, is quoted as saying that his bill “will clean up 99 percent of what the public is worried about.”
That percentage may be a little high, but his bill would help. However, the Democrats would rather stand firm for half a loaf than compromise by supporting voter ID and getting a better result.
No wonder people have little use for politicians of any stripe at any level.
R Thomas Berner, Benner Township
Where’s the leadership?
This is not the America I’ve known. Antisemitism is rampant across the United States. Protests against Israel and Jews are taking place on many university campuses. Jewish students’ civil rights are being violated by protesters threatening them on their way to class. University presidents on many campuses have done little to end the protests. Slogans being chanted against Israel and Jews clearly violate university codes of conduct. Students arrested in these protests should receive strong disciplinary action, including expulsion. If allowed to return to their university, they should be required to take and pass a course on the history of the Middle East.
Where’s the President and the Administration in taking an active role in ending these protests? The Departments of Education and Justice have civil rights units. They seem to be lost in action.
The Administration has some responsibility in fostering the origins of these protests. They have shifted from supporting Israel after October 7, to pulling that support at the UN, and then back to Israel with the Iranian raid. The Administration should maintain unwavering support of Israel who has been a strong ally of the United States and is the only democracy in the Middle East. Chaos on American campuses is one result of trying to appease two conflicting voting blocks.
The country needs leadership from university presidents, state governments, and the Biden administration to end these protests and threats against the Jewish community in America. Where will leadership come from before these university protests become more widespread?
John Diercks, State College
Protect people, not a political party
It is disheartening and frustrating to see how the partisanship of our state legislature compromises the safety of Pennsylvania’s citizens. Ideological and cultural differences about the role of guns is keeping Republican legislators like Sen. Chris Dush and Rep. Kerry Benninghoff from protecting residents of Centre County. State Republicans continue to block common-sense safety laws, such as a bill regarding electronic gun registration — that had bi-partisan sponsorship and support of law enforcement agencies. They are against banning devices that make semi-automatic guns into lethal machine guns, and other reasonable gun safety measures.
It’s tough for public officials to balance the interests of all constituents, but there comes a time to prioritize community well-being over the party line. Reasonable gun safety laws will not harm our culture of hunting, nor unreasonably infringe on the right to own firearms. Instead, such laws make lethal weapons less accessible to those with violent or suicidal impulses or unsupervised children. It’s time for Republicans to listen to the majority of Pennsylvanians, including many in our region, who support the prevention of gun violence. Protect your people, not your party.
Catherine Alloway, Port Matilda PA
Every vote must be counted correctly
As a lifelong Democrat and proponent of fair elections, I urge my fellow Pennsylvanians to uphold the integrity of our voting processes by ensuring that all mail-in ballots are properly dated, as required by state law. The recent controversy in Centre County, where 95 mail-in ballots were accepted despite date discrepancies, underscores the necessity of adhering to established electoral rules.
It is important to recognize that the technical requirement to date mail-in ballots isn’t just bureaucratic red tape; it serves as a crucial checkpoint in validating the timeliness and legitimacy of each vote. The decision by Centre County’s board of elections to overlook such discrepancies, although well-intentioned, risks undermining the principle of fair elections. As State Senator Cris Dush highlighted, the integrity of every election, from school board to presidential, depends on the consistent application of the law.
While some argue that the dating of ballots is a minor detail, the unanimous ruling by a divided 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold this requirement confirms its importance. As Democrats, who have embraced mail-in voting significantly, it is our responsibility to lead by example and respect the legal frameworks designed to preserve the sanctity of every vote.
Ignoring such guidelines sets a dangerous precedent that may lead to broader issues in future elections. Let us work together to ensure that every vote counts and is counted correctly.
Michael Degenhart, State College
