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Letters to the Editor

Climate change remains a concern

In his op-ed of Dec. 8, Josh Hammer seeks to dismiss legitimate concern over climate change. He tells us the tide is changing because recent polling shows “only” 60% (what I call a solid majority) of Americans believe climate change is mostly human-caused. Hammer cites Bill Gates’ Oct. 28 blog post as evidence of a fading consensus. But Gates has not, in fact, changed his mind about climate change being a very serious ongoing issue. Instead, he believes that actions already taken, along with new technologies on the horizon, will limit the damage to an acceptable level. Gates ...

Affordability is not a hoax

Trump constantly repeats blatantly obvious lies knowing that some people will believe anything that’s said often enough; even when it’s not true. This time is different. Everyone knows that affordability is not a “scam” or a “hoax.” Americans get reminded of rising inflation every time they pay their bills or shop for groceries. In addition to not bringing consumer prices down “on day one,” Trump’s economic policies have failed to fulfill his other fake promises. Despite reducing trade with the U.S., China continues to have a record trade surplus with the rest ...

SNAP decrease unconscionable

SNAP Benefits decreased by from $244 to $64 because of changes in federal rules. My daughter is disabled, she has stage IV metastatic breast cancer. She couldn’t take an Uber to protest because she can only travel by ambulance. How dare the federal government do this to her? Was this what was in the Big Terrible Bill? They made the law, now they need to live on what we live on. Nancy Behrendt Altoona

Staffing at UPMC can be improved

I saw on the news about the 40% shortage of nurses. I’d like to take this moment to say, hire more CNAs. Give them their own union if they haven’t got one. Train them to have the ability to switch IV meds and fluids. If they hired medical assistants on the floors, they would be able to free up the nurses. Hire them on for a year with a signed contract. You have your RNs who give meds to people, you have LPNs who do the small jobs then have lower-level CNAs. With you having CNAs and medical assistants, it would free up the RNs to be able to focus on the things they went to ...

Mourning the loss of common civility

As I write this letter, I am grieving the loss of civility and appropriate comportment that is affecting America. It seems that there is nothing that Donald Trump feels are off limits for his puerile and vile commentary. Film producer Rob Reiner and his wife were murdered and DJT was quick to post on social media that it was because of his liberal beliefs. What has happened to the consoler in chief? Think of how past presidents took moments like this to console not only those directly affected by tragedy, they also would console a grieving nation. DJT evidently feels it ...

Who deserves trust in Lakemont feud?

Blair County residents should consider a few things about the feud between the Blair County Commissioners and the Lakemont Partnership. On the one hand, we have the Devorris family, as leaders of the park, who have been one of the biggest philanthropic families in the surrounding area. This is a family who has saved many jobs in the area, and has made Blair County a better place to live by their investments in housing, entertainment and education. Now let’s analyze the county commissioners. One of the first acts after their recent election was the firing of the county solicitor ...