Letters: Election integrity begins before the vote; Centre Region has chance to address ‘mobility equity’

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.

Election integrity begins before the vote

Why is it that the caustic debate over election integrity has focused only on issues that took place during and after the vote? Think about it. Is election interference before we vote acceptable? It seems to be in Pennsylvania. Here is why.

Voting district boundaries in Pennsylvania are crafted in private by a committee of five comprised mostly of political party leaders. No opportunity is provided for voters or rank-and-file legislators to have input into this process under current rules. Undemocratically, the main focus of this secretive partisan process is to draw voting district boundaries that are designed to influence the outcome of future elections in each district. One of the most important intended outcomes is to keep incumbent legislators in office.

How is this not an issue of election integrity? So, I have to ask ... if interfering with votes during or after they have been cast is enough to ignite bitter debate over election integrity, then why isn’t there the same level of outrage when votes are manipulated before they are cast?

Right now a Legislative and Congressional Redistricting Act (LACRA) bill sits in both the Pennsylvania House (HB22) and Senate (SB222). It is designed to address pre-election voting interference by making the redistricting process transparent; by enabling input from all voters and legislators; and by instituting strict rules to reduce partisanship. If voting integrity matters to you, urge your state representative and senator to support democracy by endorsing this bill now. Learn more at the Fair Districts PA website.

Centre Region has chance to address ‘mobility equity’

If you don’t drive because you’re too young, unable or can’t afford to, you’re at a disadvantage for not having reliable transport in the Centre Region. You may use CATA, your own feet, your wheelchair, taxis or a bicycle. During our long winters, sidewalks remain impassable long after streets are cleared of snow. Off-street cycle paths don’t connect to other parts of the surrounding townships in an efficient and direct way.

The Centre Region needs to do a better job addressing “mobility equity,” that is, to direct significant resources to forms of transport other than subsidizing private cars. It’s critically important that transportation options are available to all people who move around our communities using something besides an automobile. These options need to be safe, sustainable, well-funded and reliable.

The president recently announced a plan to reduce U.S. emissions in half by the end of the decade. This is an opportunity for the Centre Region to show what municipalities can do to help. By creating robust cycling and non-auto infrastructure now we can help close the wealth and opportunity gap, create safe streets, and slash our own transportation emissions. We need leaders willing to address outdated zoning, parking minimums and road design.

It’s refreshing to hear Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speak to the interconnectedness of these issues. Walkability, bikeability and livability are widely supported by the public. Let’s seize this moment and build for a more equitable and fossil fuel-free future in the Centre Region.

Anderson would seek best solutions for all

The upcoming primary election has caught my attention as I keep being reminded about the importance of local government and civic endeavors. As a former high school teacher and parent of students in State College public schools, I am also very appreciative of the time and dedicated service given by all school board members. This election, I am particularly interested in supporting candidates who genuinely listen to, value, and strive to understand all viewpoints, especially those that do not align with their own. Deborah Anderson is one of those candidates. She and I met when her family moved to the area and our kids, now soon to graduate high school, went off to kindergarten. From the start, Deborah was a consistently involved parent in the school. She generously volunteered her time, paid attention, and listened to what was happening with teachers, kids, and the community. Honest and forthright, Deb was (and continues to be) one of my most trusted resources for becoming informed about local issues because she always gathers full details that consider multiple perspectives. She is grounded, smart, fair, equitable, efficient, and not afraid to navigate complicated concerns and problems — because she wants the best solution for everyone. As a State College Area School Board member, she will ensure that every side of an issue is fully represented and considered before decisions are made. To me, this quality is exactly what makes Deborah an excellent candidate, and I encourage all voters to select her in May.

Questioning SCASD decisions

It’s a sad day when the SCASD Health and Safety Team dismisses overwhelming scientific evidence on 3-foot distancing for effective COVID-19 mitigation in schools, and inexplicably walks back a previous communication to return healthy middle schoolers to five-day per week in-person learning. It’s a sad day when a SCASD administrator dismisses the catastrophic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns on learning loss, in the face of pediatrician warnings, common sense and lived experience. It’s a sad day when there is no plan to survey parents on the specific impacts of remote learning on their children. It’s a sad day when in the face of a devastating economic forecast and millions of dollars in federal aid, SCASD considers a tax increase. It’s a sad day when SCASD prioritizes building a climbing wall and tree plantings over making the high school campus more accessible for persons with disabilities. Every taxpayer can listen to the April 19 SCASD Board of Directors meeting, and I would encourage you to do so. Fear and waste, with no sense of urgency to address the academic and emotional needs of all district students.