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Letters to the Editor

Legislators can help protect themselves

​I support the general premise of state Rep. Gregg Scott’s proposals to help protect legislator’s safety. In my opinion, and many people I know from both parties, our elected officials could greatly increase their personal safety with one simple change: Take a long look in the mirror and just do your job. Reach across the aisle, find consensus and improve life for all. Your posturing, entrenched rhetoric, unwillingness to compromise, and efforts for reelection (I don’t support Scott’s proposal to let incumbent lawmakers get a free pass on getting signed petitions for ...

Not all power belongs to president

Article I, Section 4, Clause 1 of the Constitution states: The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of choosing Senators. State authority to regulate the times, places, and manner of holding congressional elections has been described by the Supreme Court as the ability “to enact the numerous requirements as to procedure and safeguards which experience shows are necessary in order to ...

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 ...