Letters: Readers sound off on ballot questions, Penn State alumni trustees election and more

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.

Governor or dictator?

“Look, even a benevolent dictator is still a dictator. And when you have unilateral control, one individual, that’s what you have,” says Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, of our governor regarding a proposed amendment. Where was Corman’s keen insightfulness during the past four years? From 2016 through 2020, the nation suffered under the imperious reign of Trump and his dictatorial rule by radically unilateral executive actions that enacted his own personalistic wishes. He acted without regard of countless advisors and legislators, and our Constitution. Regardless of what one might think of Trump’s specific aims, motives and prejudices, a dictator “is still a dictator.” I do not recall Corman saying anything like this about Trump — am I mistaken? Did Corman denounce Trump as a dictator? Corman has the shoe on the wrong foot.

Traditionally all manner of elected governments have been authorized, even mandated, to deal with emergencies through the means under their power to do so and outside of regular bureaucratic processes — all for the sake of the common good. Under the amendment that Corman supports, as the CDT points out, any emergency declaration would “expire(s) after three weeks, rather than three months under existing law.” The context here is not a passing flood or tornado of naturally short duration, but a worldwide pandemic that will plague us for years in its variants. Did Wolf himself write the current policy? No. How, then, is this a dictatorship, Mr. Corman? The world wonders.

Vote to return Yeaple to Borough Council

Councilwoman Yeaple has proven herself to be a thoughtful assessor of the needs of our community. She is a woman of integrity who listens and considers all sides of an issue. Currently, she is the only person of color on council.

Not a grandstander or one-issue politician, Councilwoman Yeaple promotes solutions that really make a difference for everyone, solutions that increase both social inclusion and ecojustice in State College:

She stands for guarantees that physical and mental health care are prioritized. She believes that community response to mental health situations can be strategic and effectively coordinated, and that mental health units should be first-responders for handling crisis situations in our community.

She cares about our environment and access. She was an early advocate of Penn State’s Musser to Valleylands project. She prioritizes more Investment in pedestrian/bike infrastructure, prioritizing connectivity to increase our transport choices, our health, reduce our carbon footprint, and increase neighborhood interactions.

She stands for Improved access to food and affordable housing.

She wants to institute a State College office for immigrants, refugees and people of color.

We are lucky to have her skills on council. As a trained nurse, formerly a city planner by experience and degree, Councilwoman Yeaple is health and infrastructure savvy. She knows more that most how cities can serve their citizens through reimagining government, increase inclusivity and change lives for the better.

Councilwoman Yeaple deserves your vote!

Nanes would be a mayor who inspires

I’ve known Ezra Nanes for nearly 10 years as a friend and neighbor. If elected as mayor, he will provide the visionary, compassionate leadership we need to ensure that State College is a fair and just community for all, not just people with financial resources or other forms of privilege. Driven by a strong moral compass, Ezra is not afraid to take a stand for individuals and groups who are vulnerable and excluded. Through his MBA studies and position as director of business development at Accuweather, Ezra has also developed practical skills such as budgeting, planning and implementing projects, and bringing groups together to accomplish shared goals. These professional skills will assist him in understanding complex borough budgets and making sound financial decisions, while also viewing these budgets as moral documents about what we value as a community. Finally, since 2018 Ezra has spent many hours listening to thousands of residents in State College and the Centre Region about their concerns, and therefore has a strong sense of what community members care about. As mayor, Ezra will inspire and guide us in working together to build a community where everyone — particularly the most vulnerable — can flourish. Please join me in voting for Ezra for mayor!

Vote for experience in State College races

Regarding the upcoming State College Borough primary elections on May 18, we urge voters to support Jake Werner, Ron Filippelli and Cathy Dauler for Borough Council and Jim Leous for mayor.

Ron Filippelli, Cathy Dauler and Jim Leous are proven leaders with many years of service to State College. They can be depended on during these times of high demands on our resources because of the pandemic to handle the coming recovery with skill, moderation and balance.

In light of the heroic work of our police in saving the life of a borough resident from a recent fire, these candidates understand the importance of a fully-staffed and highly-trained police force. We must not put our community in the hands of people who are supported by groups led mainly by people from outside of the borough who have ignored borough ordinances, regularly closed our streets, and defaced our borough building with obscenities and vile comments about our police and borough leaders.

This is an extremely important election. Please consider voting for these experienced, knowledgeable candidates: Jim Leous for mayor, Jake Werner, Ron Filippelli, and Cathy Dauler for Borough Council.

Vote for dedicated trustee Brandon Short

No matter how many years you attended the university, voting for candidates for the Penn State Board of Trustees has been underway and will end on May 6, 2021. One of the candidates running for reelection is my good friend and former Penn State linebacker Brandon Short, who played for Joe Paterno and later for the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers. Brandon has served on the board for three years and has worked tirelessly for his alma mater. I was fortunate to serve on the Penn State Board with Brandon my last three years as a board member. No one works harder or is more dedicated to his alma mater than Brandon is.

Please cast your vote today! Voting ends May 6.

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