Letters: No time to wait to decide fate of college football; Conklin for Auditor General
No time to wait to decide fate of college football
Penn State, the Big Ten and college football cannot wait for the NCAA to decide the fate of 2020 college football. Collectively, coaches, university presidents and athletic directors should demand now that the NCAA should plan for a “new normal” football season. “We the People” cannot wait for the best and brightest, in their “infinite” wisdom, to make a plan.
We are Americans who can handle this health care situation. Leadership now needs to collectively unify and present the NCAA with and energetic plan to make football and on-campus education work. Nobody is 100% sure of the future of COVID-19. It’s time for leadership with some bravery to declare football is on for 2020. Football is America, and “We the People” can make this happen.
Conklin for Pennsylvania Auditor General
The best candidate for Auditor General is Rep. Scott Conklin, currently representing the 77th District in the Pa. House of Representatives. This “favorite son” of Centre County has spent his life here, working for us. Rep. Conklin is recognized as a formidable candidate on behalf of Pennsylvania’s rural communities across the political spectrum.
Scott listens to his constituents. All of us! I had the good fortune to be his running mate for county commissioner in 2003 and witnessed firsthand his endless energy and authentic interest in the problems of rural communities, like the needs of small-town fire companies. He is proud to be from a rural county in the “T” of central Pennsylvania.
From Conklin’s top staffer, Tor Michaels, I learned Scott would be the very first Democratic Auditor General from a rural part of Pennsylvania. Just like Eugene DePasquale, Scott will find ways to advance our values of inclusiveness, the environment and fairness – without sacrificing fiscal responsibility. Plus, Scott’s elevation to statewide office would strengthen our party and bridge the gap between Pennsylvania’s major cities.
Please join me on Tuesday, June 2, and vote for Scott Conklin to be our next Auditor General.
The stakes are too high to not vote
With a deadly pandemic, climate change and other catastrophic issues facing us it would be so easy to get distracted and not vote next week. Yet now is precisely the time that informed voters need to begin to make themselves heard.
Why? Because none of these crises is going to go away on its own. Among other options, our ability to successfully address these challenges will have to include innovative, responsible and compassionate policy-making at state and federal levels. In fact, the extent of our success will depend greatly upon the quality of the individuals that we send to Harrisburg or Washington to represent our interests.
So how can we raise the quality of our elected representatives? First, we can demand that candidates be open about where they stand on the issues. I fully understand that primaries may limit our choices in ways a general election does not, but that is no excuse for anyone seeking voter support for elected office to hide where they stand on the issues. Second, we can back only candidates who support fair elections through honest redistricting reform which establishes voting district boundaries through an independent citizens commission.
The times we are in are unsettling. The crises we face are severe. More than ever, voters need to be well informed and fair elections making sure that every voters voice is heard are absolutely critical. Demand more from candidates, starting with transparency and redistricting reform. And no matter what, get out and vote!