Letters: Disappointment with football season lingers; Paying attention to Thompson’s words

Disappointment with football season lingers

As we closed out 2021, the wildest year of my life: unbelievably living in Pittsburgh to Florida to back to State College, Pennsylvania. I look back at a Penn State football team that underperformed with much talent. Clearly the lack of a running game led to expected passes to Jahan Dotson, which became beyond predictable and containable enough for other equally talented teams to beat the Nittany Lions. Then the injuries to the then again rising play of quarterback Sean Clifford in this league. If the back-ups aren’t as good as your starter in-game, you’re doomed. This year No. 2 Michigan has done this well with both starter Cade McNamara and freshman J.J. McCarthy playing solid leading a balanced offense with Jim Harbaugh really and truly getting over the hump in Ann Arbor. However, as I will expound upon in the near future, the Big Ten may never again have a national champion. The weather up north just hits different. Furthermore, Offensive Coordinator Mike Yurcich was an epic underperformer. The Nittany Lions were ranked 9th in points per game and 13th in rushing yards per game and already have a number of players entering the portal leaving the university including running back Noah Cain. And now star wide receiver Jahan Dotson is leaving for the NFL draft after a stellar three seasons.

Paying attention to Thompson’s words

Congressman Glenn Thompson must think no one is paying attention — that he can get away with talking out of both sides of his mouth forever.

First, Thompson joined with other GOP Representatives in voting against Pandemic Relief Funds, calling the projects to be funded the “Pelosi Payoff.” How clever.

Then, after the bill passed, Thompson urged local fire companies to line up and apply for the very grant funding the “Pelosi Payoff” provides. How transparent.

When politicians like Glenn Thompson are two-faced, the only thing you’ll know for sure is that you can’t trust either of them.

Stop flushing our democracy

As a professional archivist, I am appalled and dismayed that anyone (no less the President of the United States) would consider flushing documents down a toilet. Certain documents, especially critical government documents, are to be preserved and made accessible. They are to be honored for the role they play in running a democratic process. Since this basic construct is not evident to certain politicians, I would like to remind them that there are other fundamentals that should not be flushed down a toilet (real or philosophical), these include: voting rights, basic social justice, the right to choose, the right to free and fair elections, the right to financial and job security, equal opportunities, a basic education, and the right to be free of political anarchy, among many others to numerous to list here. I personally, and professionally, hope that we as a nation stop flushing our democracy, it is too precious a commodity to destroy.

Litter Action Plan takes right approach

I was pleased to learn recently that our state has released its first-ever Litter Action Plan. As a PA citizen, I’ve watched in alarm over the last few years how littering has become a major eyesore along our highways and byways.

This initiative, which is available to read on our DEP’s website, has a common sense approach to tackle this issue from many angles, including a new push toward litter prevention, to help change behaviors that lead to littering.

Hopefully these initiatives will go a long way toward reducing the state’s annual $14 million cost to clean up our state’s litter. Besides saving money, reducing litter will positively impact our citizens’ health with less micro-plastics leaching into our groundwater from decomposing roadside plastic litter. The initiative can also boost our state economy with tourism, showcasing our state’s beauty with a litter-free countryside.

In closing, as a person of faith, I believe that we have a moral obligation to keep the environment, a God-given gift, clean and litter-free. I hope our state legislators will support and find ways to promote the Litter Action Plan. Contact them and let them know you support this statewide effort and ask them to promote it. It is in the best interest of us all.