Letters: 3/20 Coalition seeks solutions; More promises for town halls are needed
Editor’s note: The Centre Daily Times welcomes letters endorsing candidates in the May 18 primary election and will accept letters that are received by May 10. Letters are subject to editing, must be based on facts and should avoid attacks on other candidates.
3/20 Coalition seeks solutions
Everybody wants to feel safe and has the right to feel safe. Many of us associate safety with the police, but some do not. This creates a tension as those who feel safe and protected by the police are afraid that safety will disappear if there aren’t as many police. Recent examples of police brutality demonstrate the need to rethink how we ensure safety for all.
The 3/20 Coalition is a group of community members who united to pursue justice after the wrongful death of Osaze Osagie. We came together to represent those who feel threatened by the police, and we work with the community and the Borough Council to find solutions which will ensure all of us feel safer.
When we say we want to defund the police, we mean we want to fund alternatives to policing that will make us all feel safer and address the root causes of crime (e.g. poverty, mental health, structural racism). The funding of the police is an opportunity cost. What other programs and policies could we fund instead? The 3/20 Coalition supports the reallocation of police funding to go toward building a civilian or co-responder unit, building more homeless shelters, and developing more extensive reintegration and reentry programs for the formerly incarcerated.
The 3/20 Coalition seeks to bring people together to find solutions to these communitywide problems. We will be a voice for those who feel threatened by the police. Will you add your voice to ours?
More promises for town halls are needed
A special thank you to State Rep. Scott Conklin for promising to hold open town hall meetings when the pandemic lifts and it is safe to do so. All state and national representatives should promise to do the same.
There is no substitute for live, open-to-the-public town hall meetings. Politicians who try to tell you their online or Zoom events are the same thing are fully aware of this.
Politicians who are proud of their views and votes should be eager to meet in open forums for face-to-face discussions with their constituents. Legislators not so proud of their records might present “creative” reasons why they can’t or won’t do this.
It should be a requirement for anyone who wants to represent us in Harrisburg or Washington to promise to hold real town hall meetings. Voters need to take notice and deny their vote to those who won’t.
Scott Conklin made his promise. Will Congressmen Glenn Thompson and Fred Keller, along with State Sen. Jake Corman and State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, now do the same?
Filippelli, Dauler will move community forward
In considering the upcoming Borough Council election, three attributes that are key to the next round of strong local government are experience, community involvement, and community values. Ron Filippelli and Cathy Dauler provide all three.
Both Ron and Cathy have served on Borough Council, and Ron as mayor. They have a deep understanding of the community, its neighborhoods, the business community, town/gown relationships, and borough financial issues. They have served on a variety of local organization boards and committees. Ron is an emeritus professor of labor studies at Penn State, and Cathy has taught English as a Second Language to international students. They have both depth and breadth of experience relevant to local borough governance. In addition, Ron and Cathy are committed to a diverse and inclusive community, a well-trained police force, and a mental health support network.
Please consider voting for Ron Filippelli and Cathy Dauler for Borough Council. They have the attributes needed to move our community forward, especially given the challenges brought about by the pandemic.
Don’t delay in making changes to voter registration
The Primary Election is May 18. ALL Pennsylvania registered voters can vote on the Pennsylvania constitutional amendments in the primary election. You can now view non-partisan pro and con information about the constitutional amendments at https://onyourballot.vote411.org/.
To vote for candidates in the primary, voters must be registered with the Democratic or Republican party. This occurs because Pennsylvania is a “closed primary” state, meaning voters must be registered with either major party to vote for candidates in a primary election.
Monday, May 3, is the deadline to register to vote or change your registration. Go to CentreCountyVotes.com to check your registration status (including party affiliation), register to vote, or change your address, party, or name. Contact the Centre County Office of Elections if you need assistance (814-355-6703). Don’t wait until the last minute to make changes to your voter registration, do it now!
Watch League of Women Voters of Centre County’s (LWVCC) virtual Candidates’ Night on April 29 at 7 p.m., as well as C-NET candidate interviews. The LWVCC Voters Guide will soon be available at LWVCentreCounty.org.
Nanes champions diversity and inclusion
I am delighted that Ezra Nanes is running for State College mayor. Ezra is the candidate of choice for several reasons. First, Ezra will infuse State College with his energy for serving and bettering our community. Ezra is fully committed to serve as mayor and has the experience to be highly successful at it. As you may be aware, Ezra ran an excellent campaign for Pennsylvania Senate in 2018, despite losing in a very difficult race. The fact that he ran such a strong campaign is testament not only to his devotion to public service, but also demonstrates that he has the capacity to lead, to organize, to communicate, to overcome challenges (in a demanding political arena), and to follow through on a commitment. Ezra comes from a business background and has a keen business acumen. This is another asset, in particular during the unprecedented fiscal challenges facing State College as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Very importantly, Ezra is a champion for diversity and inclusion. I had the pleasure to interact with Ezra four years ago and see his energy and impact in fighting for the resolution on immigration and Islamophobia that the borough and COG endorsed in 2017. Ezra will continue to tackle social justice issues and to fight hard for ALL of the constituents of State College.
I hope to see Ezra Nanes as the next State College Mayor. We will gain an outstanding advocate for our community.
Grateful for Moshannon Valley Pharmacy
In these days of COVID-19, many people deserve recognition.
My husband and I would like to express our thanks to the outstanding team at the Moshannon Valley Pharmacy in Philipsubrg. The past year has been difficult for everyone but throughout it all, this group of professionals has provided information, guidance and care with a smile and positive outlook.
When the vaccines became available, they were an invaluable partner to us and made sure we were vaccinated and well informed. This is no surprise because they have taken care of our pharmaceutical needs for many years.
We are blessed to have this team of caring professionals in our small town.