Letters: Taxpayers helped pay to arm the Taliban; Should the unvaccinated pay a price for their choice?
Taxpayers helped pay to arm the Taliban
I recently purchased an AR-15 for target shooting at a cost of $1,269 plus 6% Pennsylvania sales tax. The AR stands for the company Armalite, not for “assault rifle” as thought by so many of our misinformed populace. This is a semi-automatic firearm, i.e. it fires just a single shot with each pull of the trigger.
To complete this purchase, I had to pass an extensive background check as is required of all firearm purchasers at federally-licensed firearm dealers. As a new firearm purchaser, I was lucky to be able to also purchase a box of 250 rounds of ammunition. As the defund the police movement has resulted in Americans purchasing a record 12 million firearms in the last year, ammunition is scarce.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has gifted hundreds, if not thousands, of grinning barbarians in Afghanistan a new U.S. military selective-fire rifle, unlimited ammunition and a new Humvee. These Taliban ride through the streets of Kabul, smirking at the cameras and basking in their humiliation of the United States of America. As a U.S. taxpayer, I am helping to pay for this largess that has accrued to the Taliban.
How is this happening? As my mother would remark on occasion, “Something is rotten in Denmark.”
Should the unvaccinated pay a price for their choice?
I have heard this idea from several people lately, about the problem of unvaccinated people getting COVID and arriving at Mount Nittany Medical Center, and other hospitals needing treatment.
The hospitals can’t turn them away, but insurance companies could refuse to cover hospital costs on the grounds that the people chose to refuse a free COVID vaccination, only to become sick enough to need hospitalization. Insurance companies could add a surcharge to these people’s coverage who had no underlying conditions but only chose not to have a vaccine: I think it’s an idea worth sharing.
Hospital staff members have already had their share of critically ill and contagious patients, why should they have more who could have prevented these serious consequences? Maybe this could be a good incentive for those who have not yet been vaccinated; common sense and scientific facts don’t seem to be working.
Catering to Trump an insult to PA taxpayers
I was struck by the comment by Senator Jake Corman in the Aug. 24 CDT concerning the Republican proposal for a “forensic audit” of the 2020 election results. Donald Trump is neither a constituent of any legislative district in our state, nor a taxpaying citizen of our state, yet Senator Corman seems quite happy to report that, “I think he’s (Mr. Trump, I presume) comfortable with where we’re heading and so we’re going to continue with that work.” There are a wide range of compelling and complex issues all across the political spectrum with very real-world impacts on Pennsylvania citizens and Pennsylvania businesses being considered by our state legislature. Those issues demand the time and effort for thoughtful study, informed input from affected Pennsylvanians, and bipartisan commitment to developing sound solutions. When our legislative leaders in Harrisburg are spending their time and efforts insuring that Mr. Trump is “comfortable” then they do a great disservice to all Pennsylvanians, and demonstrate an appalling lack of leadership and a total disregard for the needs of the very Pennsylvanians that pay their salaries. Senator Corman, I am not comfortable with where you’re headed, and you and other Pennsylvania legislators continuing to do “that work” in pandering to the delusions of the non-Pennsylvanian Mr. Trump is an insult to all Pennsylvania taxpayers, and an unconscionable waste of valuable time and effort much better devoted to the needs of Pennsylvania’s citizens and businesses.
