Philipsburg not a central location

I’m writing in response to Nancy Snyder’s letter to the editor that was published Friday.

In rural Penns Valley, we share many of the same issues and concerns she expressed: a large senior population on fixed incomes; people without jobs or who are on public assistance; those who make the daily commute to State College for work; no public transportation, hospital, airport or paid police force.

Although I understand Snyder’s concerns, I find her suggestion of moving the state police barracks to Philipsburg very concerning. That would put folks in Woodward an hour away (53 miles according to Google) from the barracks. I agree that in one way it doesn’t make sense to put the barracks near Bellefonte, but it makes less sense to the residents of Penns Valley to place it in Philipsburg. According to Google, the distance between Philipsburg and Bellefonte and the distance between Woodward and Bellefonte is basically the same: approximately 40 miles.

I’m not sure which makes most sense for areas without a paid police force: to pay the $25 per person fee proposed by Gov. Tom Wolf or for homeowners in those areas to pay additional local taxes in order to hire a police force. My guess is that I’d rather pay the $25. How would the people of Philipsburg feel if the barracks were built in Woodward? Maybe Snyder and the other 1,000 residents of Philipsburg who feel the need for a police force should pay to hire their own?

This story was originally published April 25, 2017 at 11:49 PM with the headline "Philipsburg not a central location."