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Letters to the Editor

We can’t be held hostage by oil

Among the many lessons learned from the Iran war, the most significant should be our need for energy independence. Oil is a powerful weapon. Any country able to disrupt its supply and delivery is at a strategic advantage against even the most powerful foe. Imagine a scenario where Iran sees defeat imminent and says it will destroy its oil facilities, eliminating the planet’s third-largest reserves. The mere threat would bring the world to its knees. We can no longer afford to be held hostage by oil. Most recently, presidents Biden and Obama started us down paths to energy ...

Senators should vote no on SAVE Act

I’m upset. I was born in Bedford and I’ve been voting since I was 18. The SAVE Act, if passed, is questioning my right to vote. Women in particular are going to have a problem. My birth certificate, which is in my maiden name, doesn’t match my REAL ID driver’s license. This bill requires everyone to reregister to vote in person (this means at the courthouse) and your driver’s license, REAL ID ($30), military ID aren’t going to be good enough. This pretty much eliminates me being able to register to vote by mail or online. Do you know where your birth certificate ($20) ...

US better without gov’t dependency

The modern Democratic Party often speaks passionately about compassion, fairness and helping working people. Yet many of the policies they promote seem to produce the opposite results for communities like ours here in central Pennsylvania. Policies such as rent control, heavy regulation and ever-increasing taxes are often sold as solutions to help struggling families. In practice, they tend to reduce housing availability, drive up costs for small businesses, and make it harder for working people to get ahead. Government programs intended to help too often create dependency rather than ...

Homelessness can’t be solved by laws

As a clinical social worker with 40 years’ experience in Altoona, I see that homeless individuals cannot thrive in a capitalist oligarchy in which society is stratified by class. Because of serious mentally ill behaviors, they cannot navigate a complex society due to impairments in occupational, social and reality testing. The recent Altoona City Council meeting exists in this societal context of a class society in which it punishes by ordinance those who do not conform to the materialistic ideology of a clean town, rights of property owners and the only investments that middle ...

District deserves better representation

Here in Pennsylvania’s 13th District, everyday necessities are becoming less affordable. Many families are feeling the strain of rising health Insurance, food and electricity costs. Catering to the wealthy, our representative in Washington, John Joyce, is voting in ways that many constituents believe work against their interests. His record includes votes that raise health care costs, reduce food assistance for struggling families and restrict voting access. Farmers, rural hospital workers and working families have good reason to worry. Joyce has not held a town hall where ...

Green gardening leads to healthy space

As many of us start working in our gardens and yards, shaking off the winter, why not think about how that activity could benefit the plants and animals around us? Here are three things to try. 1.) Wait to rake. Almost all beneficial bugs like lady bugs, mantises, bees, and ground beetles rely on leaves and other detritus to survive cold temperatures and build strength for the spring. Wait to clean up until the temperature is consistently above 50. These bugs will thank you by controlling damaging insects later on. Birds and other critters also rely on insects for food and the ...