Letters: State College needs more parking options; Answers needed from SCBWA board members

State College needs more parking options

Have read with interest the demise of another parking lot in State College, namely: Pugh Street Parking Garage. Yes, a lot will be attached to the new performing arts building, but how much parking will be available? Why have so many downtown stores lost shoppers? Easy, the shoppers no longer live nearby, that is, within walking distance or they shop at the local malls where there is lots of parking space or they shop online. The Garner Street lot is gone. There has been speculation that the block in front of the Garner Street parking lot is slated to be demolished for another high-rise student apartment building.

If you want me to shop, enjoy entertainment downtown, etc. I need centralized parking to the various shopping areas.

Answers needed from SCBWA board members

Although I don’t live in State College Borough, I have been countering public anti-fluoridation arguments since 2015 when F-opponents tried to halt fluoridation in Denver. Fortunately, Denver Water Board members trusted the scientific consensus and dismissed the anti-fluoridation opinions.

I read several Centre Daily Times articles about the SCBWA decision to consider stopping fluoridation. I also read the SCBWA-subcommittee fluoridation report and was surprised to see the claim, “We based this review on the peer‐reviewed literature only ...” and then discovered that all claims were virtually copy/pasted anti-fluoridation arguments and the so-called “peer-reviewed literature” was carefully selected and has not been accepted by major science or health organizations as adequate evidence that fluoridation is harmful or ineffective. I sent the SCBWA board members a critique of the report highlighting their misrepresentation of the actual science — no response was provided.

I watched the July 21 board meeting and was extremely disappointed in the majority of science-trained board member comments and their unanimous decision to halt an established science-based public health measure.

I would like to ask the SCBWA board members to explain why over 100 major science and health organizations in the world continue to support fluoridation if any legitimate scientific evidence exists that actually supports anti-F claims that fluoridation is ineffective and/or harmful — and none support the arguments the SCBWA board members apparently accept as legitimate? I have asked fluoridation opponents to explain those facts for years and have never received a rational answer.

PA primaries should be ‘independent inclusive’

I would like to thank State College resident Jack Igoe for his recent letter “PA needs open primaries.” He certainly got me thinking about the process and the prospects for change.

Like Jack, I was an independent “no party” voter since 1980. Then in 2020 I registered as a Democrat and for the first time was able to vote in the primaries. When I dug into the mechanics of primaries nationwide, I learned each state comes up with their own rules and they vary significantly. PA has a “closed” primary system in which Republicans can only vote in the Republican Primary and likewise with Democrats. Not affiliated? You’re out! But why? PA has about 1.3 million independent “no party” voters (and the fastest growing segment of voters) who are barred from primary participation while their participation could have significantly impacted primary outcomes. PA is one of only nine states that have such a system.

There have been a number of legislative proposals to fix this. One comes from the Ballot PA initiative headed by David Thornburgh (son of former PA Governor Dick Thornburgh) whose objective is to allow this growing voter segment to be eligible to vote in the Primaries.

Let’s all get behind this and push to change PA primaries to be “independent inclusive.” I would invite responses to this notion from current PA legislators both Democrat and Republican, but I’m thinking they are less than enthusiastic, and I’m not holding my breath for their comments.