Letters: Bill to study wildlife corridors deserves a chance; Biden should not seek reelection

Bill to study wildlife corridors deserves a chance

House Resolution 74 currently before the PA House would allow the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study wildlife corridors in PA. Pennsylvania’s vast rural composition and rich diversity of habitat for large and small animals and game means outdoor recreation has been a key economic sector.

The goal of the study would be to plan connectivity and linkages between habitats to extend, rather than fragment, plant and forest corridors to facilitate the movement of animal wildlife from one area to another while limiting the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions.

This effort could maintain and enhance Pennsylvania’s reputation as one of the nation’s top destinations for outdoor recreation tourism by doing what is best for wildlife.

If House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, schedules HR74 for a floor vote, legislators may have the chance to pass it before the end of the legislative session in November of this year. There are at least 42 legislators from both parties who have signed on to cosponsor, and the bill was equally popular last session.

It needs to be said again that bipartisan solutions need to be brought to a vote. Having good solutions means nothing if good ideas do not get discussed and voted upon. It needs to be reiterated, perhaps, that this resolution just allows for a study. Legislators are not deciding on establishing corridors at this time.

Biden should not seek reelection

In only 20 months in office, President Biden has amassed an impressive list of achievements. His legislative accomplishments (gun safety, infrastructure, CHIPS, veterans’ benefits, climate change, pandemic relief, and inflation reduction) have presidential historians comparing his scorecard to FDR and LBJ. He directed vaccine distribution, mended fences with allies, coordinated Ukrainian support, lowered gas prices by releasing petroleum reserves, and restored integrity, compassion, and adulthood to the Oval Office.

Such a record calls for a second term in office. In my opinion, however, he should not seek reelection in 2024, and should announce that decision immediately.

The man will turn age 82 shortly after the 2024 election, and 86 before his second term expires in 2029. Many voters will, fairly or not, consider him too old for the office, which could lead to a reelection loss, notwithstanding his impressive accomplishments.

There’s an excellent chance that relinquishing the office would improve his approval rating, by demonstrating that he is putting the good of the nation ahead of personal aggrandizement. He would be remembered as the perfect administration-bridger who restored dignity to White House.

Announcing at this time could boost his approval and spur Democratic Congressional gains in the upcoming midterms, leading to additional legislative accomplishments in the remainder of his term, such as passing a voting rights bill, additional gun safety and climate change measures, and measures to codify the reproductive rights lost in Dobbs v. Jackson.

Joe Biden should go down in history as one of our greatest Presidents ever.