Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Letters to the Editor

Letters: Leave the crows alone; reopen the federal government

Shutdown is forcing workers into a state of slavery

There’s a word for forcing people to work without compensation: slavery.

Mr. Trump’s government shutdown has forced air traffic controllers, the Coast Guard, the TSA and scores of other dedicated federal workers into a state of slavery: As essential workers they are obliged to continue their work without receiving pay.

These are not the wealthy and well-heeled who make up Sen. Pat Toomey’s personal social circle and campaign donors — these are the people we citizens rely on to keep our country safe and to keep it from devolving into chaos. They deserve to paid. Their fellow federal workers and contractors, who have been furloughed for nearly four weeks, also deserve to resume their professional lives and to receive their well-earned pay. Even with backpay, many of these workers will be left with debts from late fees and deferred payments as well as lasting damage to their credit that they neither earned through their own actions, nor do they deserve!

Senator Toomey, you need to work with your fellow senators to reopen the federal government since Mitch McConnell has chosen to abdicate his responsibility as leader of the Senate. With a bipartisan effort, the Senate can pass legislation that will withstand a veto from the White House. In case you forgot — Congress is a coequal branch of government and, more importantly, it holds the purse strings.

It’s time to stop operating like a banana republic and reopen the federal government!

Renee Ziegler, State College

Wall alternative?

Let’s build the wall. Once built, we could place the president, together with selected members of his base, and all Republican senators who support the wall, place them behind the wall on the Mexican side. Put them in a camp without a paycheck and have them re-enter the USA via the present immigration procedures. Mr. Trump should be last to enter … say in 2187.

This scenario is worth much more than $5.7 billion.

Robert L. Vogt, State College

Care for the crows

I am a third grade student and I am concerned and I do not like that the Borough is trying to ward of crows. I am very fond of the crows because they are strong and beautiful creatures. I care about them a lot. Think about if you were in their place, you are migrating from Canada, just trying to survive, and then people start trying to get rid of you, just because you are slightly irritating them? I just don’t think that that is right. Please consider my protest against warding of the crows.

Nora Marsh, State College

This story was originally published January 19, 2019 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Letters: Leave the crows alone; reopen the federal government."

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