Letters: Making ‘social costs’ a priority; Grateful to Mount Nittany through pandemic

Making ‘social costs’ a priority

Twelve states have filed a lawsuit fighting President Biden’s executive orders on climate change, arguing that his administration doesn’t have authority to establish the “social costs” of greenhouse gases to be used in federal rule-making.

The twelve Republican-led states championing continued fossil fuel use argue we should not take “social costs” into consideration when determining how to defeat climate change.

To make this clear “social costs” is in no way related to “socialism,” which is an economical means of production.

Social costs are the actual costs to our communities calculated by examining all cost factors, including the usually ignored, hidden costs of health care, national security, damaged infrastructure, land loss, sea level rise, crop failure, habitat destruction, loss of life, mass extinction, environment degradation, economic collapse, and the many other impacts expected from extreme climate change.

If we decide that the preservation of a habitable Earth is not a social cost to be considered we will rush full speed ahead into economic and ecological collapse, social disruption, and the end of the civilization and prosperity we now enjoy.

So let’s get real and include our social costs when we plan for our future. We are in this mess because “social costs” have been ignored for many years by those in power who do not care about us or our communities, so long as they profit and remain in power.

Let us end fossil fuel addiction now and defeat global heat destruction of our wonderful world.

Grateful to Mount Nittany through pandemic

What a class act!

On Friday my husband and I received our second COVID vaccinations at Mount Nittany hospital.

On both of our visits we were received with dignity, efficiency, compassion and cordiality.

I am grateful to Mount Nittany for being there for us at this notable time in American history.

Investing in democracy

Throughout his life my father bemoaned the inefficiency of what he referred to as “false economy” — the scourge of a well-intentioned democracy. If he were alive today, he would say it is unconscionable how little the U.S. has learned from its mistakes. He’d agree with Peter Buck, who is running for school board, that our future as a nation depends on how we nourish and prepare our children. We must support our unions, rebuild our human infrastructure, and recognize the economic and ecological benefits of non-toxic/non-fossil-fuel addicted economies. Supporting community college tuition is necessary but remember that one in seven children does not graduate from high school. We need early child care and day care programs. We must have $15 minimum wage and effective job training programs for well paid jobs to get people out of poverty. Drug, alcohol and mental health treatment programs are essential while simultaneously decriminalizing these illnesses.

Tax money is far better spent on prevention than on the downward spiraling prison-industrial complex. Preventing childhood poverty prevents homelessness, abuse, alienation and builds dignity, self-worth, offering possibility and hope. All of us citizens must demand that our legislators invest our tax dollars in our working class, protect our human rights and civil rights as voters. This commitment is an investment in the survival of our democracy.