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MAIL BAG  LETTERS FROM READERS

February 6, 2009

MAIL BAG  LETTERS FROM READERS

Writer recommends merger of diocese

Since Bishop Joseph Martino came to oversee the Diocese of Scranton and the Catholic flock, I have been somewhat interested in the approach taken to solve some very difficult problems.

The issues facing the diocese include:

• Catholic churches with runaway budgets.

• Low attendance at Mass.

• Low church contributions.

• A decreasing population of young men interested in becoming priests.

In many of the above situations, Bishop Martino and his staff have proposed resolving the issue using a close or merge strategy. In many cases, merge has been a prelude to close. While it is clear to all but the most imperceptive observer that these are serious issues that cannot continue to be ignored, it is also very apparent that there must be other more ingenious ideas that could be considered prior to resorting to closing – which should be a last resort.

Unfortunately, ingenuity sometimes provided by the Catholic laity appears to be something the bishop and his staff cannot or will not consider. This is most evident during the deliberations conducted last year over the closing and merging of the four Luzerne County Catholic schools into a single campus in Wilkes-Barre. Ideas brought forward by members of the community for keeping at least two of the schools open were ignored.

As we enter the next phase of merge and close, it struck me that one particular merge and close idea has not yet been suggested. I am suggesting the merger of the Diocese of Scranton with either the Diocese of Allentown or the Diocese of Harrisburg, with the concomitant closure of Saint Peter’s Cathedral.

This particular idea has the added benefit of returning at least two priests currently holding the rank of bishop to the management of a parish. In addition, the elimination of a considerable number of redundant staff members would significantly reduce expenses and waste.

After all, do we really need to have a shepherd when there is no flock?

Provider conscience rule hampers access to care

In the Jan. 13 article “A matter of conscience,” reporter Geri Anne Kaikowski outlined the scary consequences of a new rule effective last month called the “provider conscience rule.”

This is President Bush’s parting shot at women’s access to basic health care and another disastrous example of ideology trumping public health. Under this rule, we can expect that women will face new hurdles in receiving basic reproductive services. Even more frightening, women and men might be denied information critical to making informed choices about their health care.

America has a strong and storied history in protecting individual rights, but this right has been balanced when it infringes on the legal rights of others. This rule clearly assures that the beliefs of a minority can be used to deny access to health care for many. As a result, this rule will disproportionately hurt the poor and powerless who already face limited resources and options.

At a time when more and more Americans are either uninsured or struggling with the soaring costs of health care, the federal government should be expanding, not hampering, access to important health services.

We can only hope that the Obama administration can undo this draconian rule before the rights of too many women and men have been trampled upon.

Damage done by scandal will continue to dog county

The ambulance chasers from as far away as Florida already are starting to circle the Luzerne County Courthouse in anticipation of a big payout.

They all say that they want to help the children who were hurt by this. They are full of you know what.

The only thing they are interested in is making a large amount of money. If they care so much about the kids, why don’t they do this pro bono? That would be an indication of how much they really care. I don’t see that happening.

We think Luzerne County has a budget problem now. Wait until these lawsuits come, and they will come.

I am sure there is insurance, but I don’t believe insurance will cover everything. Thanks a lot, Judge Ciavarella and Judge Conahan.

Platelet donor urges more people to give

A few years ago I had just donated platelets at the Red Cross; it was summer and my short-sleeve shirt showed the bandages on both of my arms.

I was a little self-conscious of the dressings. A woman who I had never met approached. “Excuse me,” she asked, “are you an apheresis donor?”

I told her I was, and she asked if she could give me a hug. She said her 12-year-old son had leukemia and relied on platelet donations because of the chemotherapy he needed to live.

She went on to tell me how when her son received platelets from an apheresis donor, as opposed to platelets collected from several blood donors, the difference was remarkable. She said she “could see the life coming back into him” and that he got fewer colds and sore throats. She said the “bump” lasted longer, which meant he could go longer between transfusions.

I will never forget that conversation.

I have been an apheresis/platelet donor for more than 15 years and, in all that time, I have been able to convince only a handful of friends to give donation a try. The process is similar to blood donation in many ways and very different in a few critical ways.

It is true apheresis donation takes 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, as opposed to a whole blood donation, which takes about 20 minutes. I look at it like this; in the time it takes to watch a movie (and new and used movies are donated for viewing in a very comfortable chair) or have lunch with a friend, I can have a profound effect on another human being’s quality of life.

If you are at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and are in good health, you too can help save a life and feel really good about it in the process.

Make an appointment soon and, even more important, make a commitment to become a regular platelet donor.

And to all the faithfully committed whole blood and platelet donors out there, thank you for your years of quiet, selfless service.

Resident unhappy with Scranton council members

I oppose any pay raises for Scranton City Council members. They cancel meetings whenever they want and don’t feel they need to listen to the taxpayers’ concerns.

Taxpayers have been imposed with a five-minute time limit to address council and are consistently ignored. Therefore, city council members also should be imposed with a five-minute time limit when they speak outside of motions and ramble on.

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

Writer opposes proposal to increase deer herd

Every hunting season we hear how the overpopulation of deer causes human deaths via deer/vehicle collisions. While this is indeed a serious problem, what most people do not know is that the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the hunters it serves are largely responsible for these terrible accidents.

A recent column explained how state Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Fayette County, plans to introduce legislation to increase the deer herd (“Put more teeth in plan to boost deer population,” Jan. 18). Hunters attempt to justify their barbaric behavior by publicly saying that hunting is needed to reduce wildlife populations. But when they talk among themselves, they seek to put more deer in the woods – and by extension, on the roads where they will endanger the lives of motorists.

Mahoney’s proposal is irresponsible at best and catastrophic at worst. His plan will risk the lives of the public so he and his hunting buddies can have more animals to kill. This is government out of control.

To learn what you can do to take back government from the special interests of the hunting industry, visit www.AbolishSportHunting.com.

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Ralph C. Gatrone Kingston Carol Petraitis Director, Clara Bell Duvall Reproductive Freedom Project American Civil Liberties Union Philadelphia Jim Vergura Pittston Andy Asher Larksville Doug Miller Scranton Joe Miele President, The Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting Las Cruces, N.M.