Letters: Readers endorse candidates for State College mayor, Borough Council and school board

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.

Vote for progress

When I look at my children, I hope for a more kind and inclusive future. I hope for a day when we do not have to explain why police officers, disproportionately, kill Black and brown people in our communities, why racism lurks in the corners of our institutions, and why white people remain fearful of systemic change to improve the lives of underrepresented members of our community. My children are perplexed when I explain that we have poverty and homelessness, just down the street. These truths are hard to swallow, even for an adult.

This is why I am voting for Ezra Nanes for mayor, and Divine Lipscomb, Gopal Balachandran and Rich Biever for Borough Council, all of whom understand the importance that our entire community participate in these conversations. They bring diversity of perspective and relevant experience to a local government that needs new energy and change. As leaders, they bridge divides, rather than harden them.

We are exhausted after a year of pandemic isolation and four years of hatred, normalized by Trump. I fear these pressures have worn us down. Now is a critical moment to support people who uphold our values of kindness and justice. I urge you to vote for Ezra, Divine, Gopal and Rich, who have the courage to lead us to a more equitable future.

I want to look at my children across the dinner table and know we have given them a healthier and more welcoming community to grow in.

Elect Leous and Yeaple in State College

I enthusiastically endorse two State College Borough candidates: Mr. James Leous for State College mayor and Ms. Kathryn Yeaple for State College Borough Council.

The right blend of political leadership is essential to understand and resolve the myriad issues and problems the borough is facing. The mayor must understand and represent three aspirations of our community, represent us to the outside world, and preside over council meetings. The mayor must also be a leader with knowledge of the issues, is articulate, and has long experience in handling the demands of the office. That person is Jim Leous.

Jim has been a school board member for 11 years, serving through rough times, demonstrating his collaborative style of leadership embodied in the construction of our new high school while maintaining a rigorous academic climate as well as the overwhelming support of our community.

Borough Council also needs diverse new people with fresh ideas and diversity to serve our needs. There is no one better to meet this challenge than Kathryn Yeaple, who was appointed to fill a vacancy on Borough Council last year. She is a thinker and a doer. Her background in the medical profession as a nurse plus her degree in city planning perfectly meet these needs, and more.

I am highly supportive of these excellent candidates and hope you and other State College voters will join me to elect them both!

Stop ‘unchecked executive tyranny’

As an independent citizen unaffiliated with any political party, I will be voting “Yes” on two ballot questions to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution at the primary May 18.

I will be voting “Yes” on Question 1, which, if approved by Pennsylvania voters, will empower state legislators to terminate a state of emergency declared by any future governor, by simple majority votes.

I will also vote “Yes” on Question 2, which will limit any governor’s power to declare an emergency to 21 days, after which point it will expire unless extended by concurrent resolutions in the two houses of the General Assembly.

Since March 2020, Governor Wolf has held the citizens of Pennsylvania under house arrest (stay-at-home orders) and restraining orders (social distancing orders). He has abused the office of Governor, unilaterally suspending our individual civil liberties: freedom of movement, freedom of speech (mask mandates as coerced speech), freedom of association and assembly (occupancy limitations in public and private spaces), childrens’ right to public education (school restrictions), and the right to earn a living (business and employment restrictions).

Wolf has done all this unchecked by the legislative or judicial branches of government. Without these amendments, the first opportunity for voters to stop him will be the next gubernatorial election.

Amending the Constitution will make it slightly more possible to stop Wolf and future governors — of any political party — from imposing unchecked executive tyranny on the lives of Pennsylvania citizens in the future.

Anderson will be asset to school board

Open-mindedness, the ability to listen to all stakeholders, and the capacity to gather and evaluate data in a non-biased fashion are the qualities that will allow Deborah Anderson to be an effective leader for our State College Area Board of Directors.

Deborah has been involved in multiple school organizations during her time in State College including serving as the president of the Ferguson Township Elementary PTO and is currently the treasurer of the State College Music Boosters. She has been a teacher at the college level and can appreciate issues from both a teacher’s and a parent’s viewpoint. Additionally, she will be an advocate for our students, especially from an educational curriculum and extracurricular activities standpoint.

Finally, Deborah has been following the school board’s activities and meetings and is up to date on current issues and agendas. She is well-informed on current events affecting our schools and students. Her transition to being a member of the school board will be seamless. Don’t just take my word for it, listen to hers. See her interview on C-Net or go to her website https://deborahandersonphd.wixsite.com/deborahandersonscasd.

I have known Deborah for many years and have always found her to be a an excellent listener, level headed, and fair to all parties. These are the qualities I value in a school board member. Please join me in voting for Deborah Anderson for State College Area Board of Directors on May 18.