It was stated in a letter to the editor on Dec. 29 that “Human-caused climate change is no longer a debate. … 98 percent of climate ‘experts’ agree that climate change is anthropogenic, resulting primarily from the burning of fossil fuels.” This is the most often misquoted statistic ...

It is my understanding that the Electoral College was established mainly to guarantee that a qualified person would become president and that the election would not be manipulated by outside sources. It does not necessarily reflect the will of the majority. To the first point, Donald Trump, ...

Amid flashing lights, screeching tires and a near miss, some how students manage to cross at 17th Street and Ninth Avenue before the light changes. Right-of-way is not something taken seriously in Altoona. In fact, many students have the right-of-way with a walking pedestrian signal. However, ...

I, along with my fiancee, Melissa Fisher, worked for the Altoona Unemployment Compensation office for nearly nine years each. On that last day of our employment, Dec. 19, Sen. John H. Eichelberger Jr. was stopping each car as they tried to exit the parking lot at the end of their shift, ...

What did closing two complete offices of the Pa. Unemployment Offices prove? Why, if the system wasn’t working, did the regular day-to-day employees get the boot? They are not the ones responsible for the problems. They go to work every day and do their job. The problem is not theirs to ...

What a shame that Blair County doesn’t have normal people for commissioners. We must get the bottom of the barrel all the time. Why don’t they just admit that they know nothing about what they just did as far as reassessment is concerned? Waiting 58 years to reassess was just plain ...

Schools should start at 8 or 8:30 a.m. That way when it is cold, kids do not need to miss their first two classes of the day, and we should stick to Eastern Standard Time. If schools start later, kids will not be out in the dark waiting for buses, and we will have longer days. Kids will ...

I am a student in the 11th grade at Altoona Area High School, and I often work in the school cafeteria. We students help to prepare and serve the lunches each day after they are brought in by the school district. I am appalled at the amount of food waste that is happening. Pounds of ...

I want to give a holiday shoutout to the family living on Kettle Road toward Sinking Valley, that has illuminated Brush Mountain with a big beautiful bright star for as long as I can remember. A few years ago, all of my children were home for Christmas (they are in their 30s) and I heard them ...

Concerning the election of Donald Trump, Democrats are now being asked to accept the electoral results and told to “get over it.” How quickly the Trump supporters forget the well-documented efforts of the Republicans immediately upon President Barack Obama’s first inauguration to oppose ...

OK, Blair County has doubled taxes. Altoona is raising taxes 10 percent. The Altoona Water Authority is raising water sewer rates. My question is: How can we draw business and industry to the area when the people that live here can’t afford to own a home? Will someone please wake up and ...

Scott Pruitt once said of the climate change debate that “dissent is not a crime.” I couldn’t agree more, but because of the hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to his campaigns by the fossil fuel industry, he is blinded by ignorance. Human-caused climate change is no longer a ...

We have a tax for this and we have a tax for that. It seems like we have a tax for everything. When the county and especially the school districts need more revenue, they will say they have to raise the millage rate or raise taxes. Since the property tax generates the lion’s share of ...

In the Mirror article on Dec. 15 titled “Lean budget year could bring changes,” it was stated that there is a projected Pennsylvania budget shortfall of $600 million. Our state is thriving, albeit for a lack of fiscal management. Pennsylvania is ranked sixth in the United States for its ...

The Keith Athletic Complex is a prime spot for a park, for family recreation and fun. I have pulled the little ones on sleds there and watched kids playing and people out walking. It should be utilized as a center-city park, as you won’t find a more desirable and historic spot. We spend ...

I agree with State Rep. Jim Cox on House Bill 76. The only problem I have with this bill is if the owner is making money or any kind of income off of the property then a tax should be paid. Contact your local state representatives and ask them to vote for this bill. Homeowners have paid ...

Magicians use slight of hand to fool people, get your attention on one hand so you don’t know what the other is doing. That’s what legislators in Harrisburg do, but instead of fooling people, they’re deceiving them. On Nov. 24, a small article in the Mirror said lawmakers will get a ...

With Pennsylvania’s gasoline tax of 51.4 cents per gallon already the highest in the nation — and another 8-cents-per-gallon hike set for Jan. 1 — it’s time to remind you that this is why I voted against the transportation bill that became Act 89 of 2013. In an attempt to stave off ...

It’s good to see that the new play area at the Logan Valley Mall is up and running. There are lots of happy faces and plenty of room for the adults to sit and observe. The jungle gym is wonderful; climbing and sliding is always a favorite. The shoe rack and nice carpeting with bright ...

On Dec. 2, I was involved in a rollover on Charger Highway. I would like to thank the woman who took me into her warm home and comforted me and gave me a towel to put over my injured arm. In my heart, I feel she was my guardian angel that day until the paramedics showed up. Terry Wilkes ...