Letters: Refocusing efforts post-election; To die in committee ... again?

Refocusing efforts post-election

Some unsolicited advice for our local Congressional representatives: Please stop trying to block and tackle an election, simply because you do not like the outcome. We all know you would not be making these claims had President Trump won. If you have a problem with the way this election was conducted, then try to improve the process moving forward. It’s over. Deal with it. Your political theater is not helping Pennsylvanians. Perhaps you can unite us around a common goal — job security, clean water, safe access to the ballot box — not divide us along party lines. To paraphrase one of our president’s more vulgar campaign slogans ... no more horse feathers.

To die in committee ... again?

In 2014, I remember reading about the Flint, Michigan, lead-contaminated water debacle and thinking how that would never happen here in Pennsylvania because our local/state officials “have our backs.” Our legislators, I argued, would never allow their constituents, especially children, to suffer from that kind of environmental harm. I had faith in their leadership.

Fast forward to today. How naive I’ve apparently been! According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, there are 18 communities throughout Pennsylvania where children are exposed to lead levels that are similar, or higher, than what was initially found in Flint, Michigan, which justifiably sounded alarms reverberating nationwide.

As a mother of four, as well as a retired public health and school nurse whose career has spanned four states, including Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Pennsylvania, I have seen first-hand the devastating effects of lead poisoning, especially in children. The intellectual and physical damage is lifelong and irreversible.

Why, since 2016, have bipartisan bills designed to tackle this lead exposure problem been left to die in committee ... never to see the light of day for discussion or a vote on the floor of the last four Pennsylvania legislative sessions? Why?

Shame on our state legislators, particularly our very own Senate Pro Tempore Jake Corman and House Majority Leader, Kerry Benninghoff, for not aggressively focusing their attention and funding to prioritize and remedy this important health concern.

This legislative negligence must not continue in 2021. All Pennsylvania residents, especially children, deserve better!

Believing lies from a flawed leader

As a student of history I often wondered how a good portion of the German people could fall victim to the likes of Hitler. My rationale was that they had very little experience with a democratic government and were easily influenced. After seeing what is happening in our country, I will have to look for other answers. What I see is that many of our leaders and millions of our citizens will believe the lies of our very flawed leader. They say, but I am not sure they all believe, that the election was stolen. It seems many of the Congressional leaders repeat these lies because they hope to become the next Trump. Are we destined to have a future President Cruz or a Don Jr.? Many of the citizens believe this because they listen to Trump and his propaganda machines such as Fox News, Newsmax and OAN. During the next four years it is likely these same people will work hard to undermine the Biden presidency as the followers of Hitler did to the Weimar Republic.

Responses show Corman’s disregard for constituents’ opinions

In recent weeks I have sent two letters to state Senator Jake Corman, both expressing my strong disapproval of his questioning of the November election results. Each time I received a form letter thanking me for my “support” of his investigation into the perceived election fraud.

Clearly his staff is not reading letters, but rather sorting them into what they deem appropriate piles.

Not only do I find Mr. Corman’s actions reprehensible, I also find his disregard of his constituents’ opinions quite unacceptable.

Jake has made it clear that he has political ambitions. However, although I once respected him, he has lost that respect and, I expect, the respect and votes of numerous others as well. Pennsylvania deserves better.