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Letters to the Editor

Democracy at stake in latest ballot issue

President Donald Trump put one more nail in the coffin of Democracy when he issued his move to do away with mail-in and machine voting. The move once again supports the belief that Trump wants to be a dictator. Every policy and executive order he issues advances his role as a dictator. This move to end mail-in voting is unconstitutional and is just another one of Trump’s beliefs that he has the right to control everything in this country. According to the Constitution, election decisions are left to the states, not the federal government and certainly not to a dictatorial-seeking ...

Closing local IRS office is a disservice

Altoona is facing the loss of a valued government service with the closure of the IRS office downtown. This office serves thousands of taxpayers annually, mainly small business owners, the elderly and low-income families. The IRS plans to close the office in November with no rationale. Closing this office is a disservice to taxpayers, a loss to our economy and a disruption to the public servants who work there. For years, the Altoona Taxpayer Assistance Center has helped our neighbors solve complex tax issues. Here, you can meet in person to get your problem solved. Now, the ...

Orchard Park has always been a park

I read about the city’s response to the Orchard Park Lawsuit and thought “who are they trying to kid?” I’m 61 years old. I grew up one block — and my mother grew up a half block — from the park. It was always called Orchard Park. My friends and I played baseball in the lower and upper part of the park. We played basketball there, where the court was dirt and rocks. We also played football. The park at one time had swing sets in both the upper and lower part. It had a sliding board and a fireman’s pole to slide down. It also had pull-up bars. At one time it had a ...

Stop the insanity led by the left

Illegal immigration continues to take center stage in our national debate. What is difficult to comprehend is how individuals — many of them well-educated and experienced in law — fail to grasp the clear principles laid out in the 14th Amendment. The language of this amendment makes it plain: rights and protections extend to Americans and those who owe allegiance to the United States. Illegal immigrants, by definition, do not owe allegiance to the nation they enter unlawfully. Compounding this problem is the reality that, once in the United States, many illegal immigrants ...

Trump appears close to being a dictator

I am so tired of hearing the phrase Fake News. It seems kind of funny that you only hear it from Republicans, and no, I am not a Democrat. I truly believe that Trump loyalists are actually good, decent people who are brainwashed to the point that they can’t do or say anything unless their leader says it’s all right. If anyone says something derogatory about him, he jumps in and claims fake news. The only fake news is the lies coming out of his mouth. Is he that unsure of his capabilities, or is he that thin-skinned that he can’t take criticism? He is nothing more than a ...

Tabling firearm ordinance misses mark

The Blair Township Board of Supervisors has now twice tabled the Firearm Discharge Ordinance. I believe that tabling misses the mark on what needs to be done and that is for it to be rejected. It needs to be rejected because there are already enforceable laws in the PA statues which cover the exact issue that the ordinance attempts to address. For example, the township has not adopted a murder ordinance, but murder remains an enforceable crime. If someone is discharging firearms in a negligent and dangerous manner without regard for public safety, then I believe reckless ...