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Letters to the Editor

Praise for AASD’s ‘The Little Mermaid’

I can only say one thing -— great, marvelous, fantastic, oops, that’s three isn’t it? Well, I could put a lot more on the end of that list, but I won’t. By now you’re probably wondering what the heck I’m so excited about. My wife and I went to see “The Little Mermaid” put on by the students at Altoona High School. Their performance was beyond belief. I felt like I was watching a play on the Mishler stage by adult actors/actresses rather than mostly 12-year-old students. If you didn’t see it, you missed something special. From what I understand, the students did it ...

Schmitt will do the right thing as judge

I am writing this letter in support of Lou Schmitt to be the next judge of the Blair County Court of Common Pleas. Lou and I have known each other for over 45 years. First as competitors in junior high basketball, then as teammates and classmates at AAHS. Lou is a homegrown, lifelong resident of Blair County. He grew up in Altoona on Dutch Hill and after graduating from AAHS, he graduated from Saint Francis University and then University of New Hampshire School of Law. He worked his way through law school by driving a taxi. He came back to Altoona after law school to raise his family ...

Rule of law, balance of power need upheld

More news of government “cost cutting” and other actions arrives daily. Cuts are made without regard to impact. I support stewardship of taxpayer money and holding my government responsible for eliminating waste. But any farmer knows that healthy plants need careful pruning, not “chainsaw” tactics. Dismissing veterans from civil service jobs, curtailing veterans’ services, eliminating Veterans’ Affairs offices, are dishonorable. Indiscriminately cutting employees from the Department of Education, or eliminating that department entirely, does not serve quality ...

Tariffs have negative effect on economy

President Donald Trump states he will place high new taxes on trade, equaling 10-20% tariffs on all imported goods, and up to a 60% tariff on Chinese goods, plus a 25% to 100% on Mexican goods. A dozen or more estimates by economists on Trump’s tariff policy show they will have a harmful effect on the American economy. The standard findings among economists find that tariffs will have a negative effect on the American economy, leading to a lower standard of living for most Americans. Tariffs are taxes placed on imported goods at the border when businesses purchase goods from foreign ...

Trump admin should look at medicine costs

There’s been considerable media coverage of late about the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce government waste and rein in government spending. While this may appease some of the electorate, it’s not immediately improving the lives of everyday Americans or resulting in any household budgetary windfalls. For many, it’s having the opposite impact. This begs the question — what would have a nearly instantaneous and positive impact on a majority of Americans? Simply put — let’s make prescription drugs affordable. Over the past decade, the price of some life-saving ...

We can do better

I am nobody of importance, just an average citizen who enjoys the company of kind and interesting people. I have no special title or authority over anything. I love to be outdoors and do what I can, when I can, to assist in planting trees, grow native plants on my property, and I work in the mental health field. The other day, while birding with a group in Tipton, we looked up at Brush Mountain, which glowed red with budding and leafing trees. It was April 1. Two older gentlemen mentioned that not even 20 years ago, Brush Mountain didn’t leaf or bud until at least May. While ...