MAIL BAG LETTERS FROM READERS

I recently read the article from Feb. 27 about the Luzerne County government’s desire to open Moon Lake Park to natural gas drilling.

I wondered why they closed the park to the public so fast last year. Now I think I know why. This “deal” was probably in the works for awhile.

It’s for a short-term financial gain that would be squandered by the county anyway. But it would no doubt leave a lasting impression on the landscape. Just look at the legacy from the mines.

Petition not meant to be a complaint

I’m writing to explain my position on the social service programs housed at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Wilkes-Barre. I do not now advocate, nor have I ever, the closing of the programs. It is my understanding all the programs offered are legal. I believe the majority of the participants cause no problems. However, serious problems do exist and must be addressed.

If one lives, works or recreates in a community, one has social responsibility to it. My petition is what I believe is part of that responsibility. Before reaching this level of civic action I first spoke with the church officials quite some time ago.

In spite of their considerable efforts, last summer was the worst yet. I have come to the conclusion that it is beyond the church’s ability to control the environment that exists outside the building, and it can’t be expected to when incidents occur off its property.

I and the people who expressed their frustration with these recurring incidents (begging for money and cigarettes, cursing, fighting, littering and more) by signing my petition feel REACH and the other programs shouldn’t be across from the largest retail store downtown, near the library and the YMCA, where children are routinely exposed to these behaviors.

I don’t believe we are complaining. We are addressing a bad situation and bringing our concern to the attention of city officials, in the hope that many heads together can create a solution satisfactory to all. Ignoring the problems will not accomplish anything.

These are community problems; neither the church nor I can solve them. Nothing will be accomplished without all parties working together. I hope the petition will be a quality step to that end.

All of us, rich or poor, have problems. We all make mistakes. At times we need the help of others. And I believe these programs do help people; but we can’t let those who abuse the kind efforts offered them destroy our downtown.

Coupon theft not a ‘real’ crime

A recent headline read “Cops charge man with stealing coupons” (March 2). Is this a joke or has everyone in Luzerne County gone mad?

The clerk could have told the 76-year-old man to just leave, or really done a good deed and let the man have the coupons. But to call the police because the man tried to steal a newspaper. Shame on you! You obviously have no sympathy for the less fortunate.

Now, let’s look at the officers who arrested the man. There should have been another way to handle this ridiculous situation. You need to learn how to handle such trivial matters. There are plenty of real crimes going on in this county; go find them!

I hope at the preliminary hearing District Judge Diana Malast finds this as humorous as my family did.

Reality check due on license flap

Am I missing something? Why is it that a county employee – whose specific job is to drive people around in a county van – loses her license and does not report it and keeps driving people, then when found out, cannot be summarily fired? Union rules require a disciplinary hearing.

Will the union fight the dismissal of this employee? Will the union insist that if this person is dismissed, that another union employee must be hired immediately to fill this position? This despite the fact the county is bleeding tax dollars to pay for a substantial number of union jobs. Can’t the union require some personal responsibility from its members?

To help put some context around this, my grandfather was a miner and John L. Lewis was a hero in our house when I was a child. My dad was a Teamster for 33 years, so unions have been good to my family. But unions need to do a better job of policing the performance of their members, at least for jobs that require my tax dollars.

While union membership has continued to decrease, in 2009 a point was reached at which about 50 percent of the union members in the country worked for some level of government. Kind of makes you wonder.

Religious holiday a bad suggestion

A recent letter to the editor contributor stated that government employees should have Good Friday off.

Actually, it is illegal for any government office to close for any religious holiday, which includes Good Friday.

Good Friday is a strictly Christian holiday and if it were to be declared a legal holiday, then under the equal protection clause of the Constitution all other legally recognized religions would have the right to have their sacred days made legal holidays. Soon Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Wiccan and many other legally recognized religions would petition and be awarded status requiring all government offices be closed. This would lead to a roulette-type schedule where citizens would be hard pressed to know when any public office or school is open and the system would bog to a near standstill.

Christmas, which has dual status as being religious and secular, is legally a holiday because it has become commercialized – something those who annually decry said commercialization need to remember, lest the holiday revert to pure religious status and no longer be a legal holiday.

Public schools employ a legal loophole by conveniently scheduling their “spring holiday,” or whatever politically correct name they employ, to coincide with the Good Friday weekend, including the wholly fictional Easter Monday holiday, no matter when the latter happen to occur via the lunar calendar.

Contrary to popular assertion, there is a separation between church and state, and this is one of many reasons for such.

As for government employees practicing their beliefs, they are afforded personal days that can and should be used for such occasions.

Businesses in the private sector, if you plan on closing all or part of Good Friday, please make public announcement of your schedule well in advance of that day. In the past I have gone to banks and other places only to find they are closed.

Student aid act deserves support

Today, more than ever before, access to college is a critical pathway to economic security. Yet with the struggling economy and rising cost of college education, working families and students across Pennsylvania are still searching for the financial resources to go to college, whether to attain a degree, to advance skill levels or for job training.

Without obtaining financial assistance, the door to post-secondary education will remain closed for many low- and middle-income students. For those who are able to attend, they are likely to graduate with an average of $27,000 of student loan debt.

However, thanks to the strong support of leaders such as U.S. Sen. Robert Casey, working families in Scranton and around the state and country have greater opportunities to pursue college educations, whether at a community college or a state university. Now, we need Congress to finish the work of making college more accessible.

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) is a bill being debated in Congress. SAFRA seeks to address many challenges facing higher education, such as access, affordability, completion and general student success. One way to make college more affordable and accessible is to put money in the hands of the neediest students and their families by increasing the purchasing power of the Pell Grant. Pell Grants serve as the cornerstone for the federal government’s commitment to help low- and middle-income students pay for college. Over the last two decades, the purchasing power of Pell Grants has declined dramatically. Not only does SAFRA increase Pell Grants significantly – from $5,550 in 2010 to $6,900 by 2019 – it will ensure that students receive an increase in their Pell Grant each year.

For those students who need additional financial assistance, SAFRA assists with the ever-increasing loan burden by keeping interest rates low. SAFRA also focuses attention on the vital role community colleges play in preparing students for the changing workplace. The bill will provide additional resources to community colleges to assist individuals in gaining skills required for high-skill and high-demand occupations.

The working families in communities across Pennsylvania and the nation need access to affordable and quality post-secondary education to help make our economy strong and competitive again.

Brian Herron Nanticoke Charlie Fox Wilkes-Barre Judy Richards Luzerne Garfield Jones Shavertown David Kveragas Newton Township Rosemary Boland President Scranton Federation of Teachers