Letters: Senator’s issue with governor ‘not about masks’; Protest ill-advised amid COVID-19 rise

Senator’s issue with governor ‘not about masks’

Allow me to provide clarity on my position on face coverings during COVID-19. I regularly wear a mask when out in the community or while working in the Senate.

I continually urge people to follow the CDC guidelines, which recommends face coverings for most people if they are unable to maintain social distancing guidelines. These recommendations allow individuals to choose what works best in their circumstances.

Comparisons between wearing masks and seat belts or other traffic laws ignores the fact that these are laws that were passed by the House and Senate, signed into law by the governor and upheld by the courts. The same cannot be said for the Pennsylvania Department of Health orders on masks.

My issue with the governor during the pandemic is not about masks. Rather, my concerns are about how the governor spurns attempts by the General Assembly to provide input during this time through legislation.

The Founding Fathers established three co-equal branches of government that provides checks and balances. Even in an emergency, the General Assembly has a responsibility to provide oversight so that power during the time of an emergency is kept in check.

While we work to protect lives, we cannot disregard the civil liberties of Pennsylvanians.

Discussion, compromise needed for Pa. environmental plan

Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives passed HB 2025 recently and sent it over to the Senate for consideration. Essentially, if ultimately passed over Governor Wolf’s likely veto, the proposed law would impose the will of the General Assembly over that of the governor, who wishes the commonwealth to join an established interstate compact, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. A lot of ill-informed rhetoric mixed in with a few falsehoods have not improved the discussion of the important issue of reducing air pollution resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. The ill will between the governor and the General Assembly will only ultimately harm all Pennsylvanians. I would like to see some genuine discussion and compromise.

While the economics debate is mired in party politics, the science and medicine behind reducing carbon dioxide emissions and reducing other pollutants spewed by fossil fuel combustion is not debatable. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, or face terrible consequences. The decisions involved in making emission reductions are difficult, but not making a decision is not an option.

One of the biggest issues in the state’s political battle is that of a carbon “tax,” although many prefer the term “fee.” We could more easily find a fee acceptable if the majority of Americans received that money back. A proposed federal law, HR 763, the “Energy Efficiency and Carbon Dividend Act” does just that. We must educate ourselves and discuss the issues like adults, and then strive to influence all of our elected representatives.

Protest ill-advised amid COVID-19 rise

While Pennsylvania is suffering from a recent increase in new COVID-19 cases, the Coalition of Graduate Employees at Penn State (CGE) plans to hold a “die-in” on July 20 to protest the “Back to State” plans. As their first demand, the CGE asks “... that the University administration walk back their current plans for in-person instruction and create a new plan for safe and accessible instruction that is sensitive to the needs of all students.” However, the “Back to State” plans clearly state “... that the University can meet or exceed the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s guidelines for colleges and universities ...”, and the university “... will have comprehensive prevention and public health procedures and strategies in place — including mask-wearing and social distancing.” If the CGE thinks that it will be unsafe to return to in-person instruction in the fall, how will it be any safer, amid the recent increase in new COVID-19 cases, to hold an in-person protest next week? While the CGE states that “protesters must maintain social distance (at least six feet apart) and must wear face masks during the event,” it is highly unlikely that in-person instruction will prove significantly more dangerous than the “die-in” protest. The CGE has every right to protest the “Back to State” plans; however, the CGE should seriously reconsider holding an in-person protest if they truly believe that in-person instruction will be unsafe come late August.