Letters: Don’t miss your chance to vote; Pay attention to school board races

Editor’s note: The CDT welcomes letters endorsing candidates in the May 16 primary election and will accept letters that are received by May 11. Letters are subject to editing, must be based on facts and should avoid attacks on other candidates.

Don’t miss your chance to vote

The deadline to register to vote for the primary election is Monday, May 1.

This election is important — voters choose candidates for statewide judges in Commonwealth and Superior Courts. Commonwealth Court has one opening, with five Republican and three Democratic judges now. The Superior Court has seven Republicans and seven Democrats, with two openings.

Courts decide issues: women’s reproductive freedom, freedom for citizens to vote (with fair voting maps), freedom to unionize, freedom to use FDA approved medicines, freedom for school districts to be fairly funded, freedom to be safe from guns, keeping schools free of religious interference, freedom to live in a world addressing climate change.

School board elections are mostly decided in primaries, as candidates cross-file. May winners will appear on fall ballots. If you value true teaching of history, treating LGBTQ children fairly and all districts being equitably funded, check out who is running in your area.

Other candidates who affect your life will be chosen: tax collectors, coroners, county commissioners, township supervisors, local judges, constables, district attorneys. A fair criminal justice system in Pennsylvania is dependent upon your voting in every election.

The League of Women Voters VOTE411.org website has non-partisan information on candidates. Check your party’s county website to explore candidates. And you can easily register to vote online at vote.pa.gov.

If you value keeping PA Free, register to vote by May 1, know the candidates, and then vote in the Primary Election on Tuesday, May 16.

Pay attention to school board races

Education Voters of Pennsylvania describes school boards as “an elected body responsible for governing the school district.” It levies taxes and adopts an annual budget based on available funding from state and local sources, approves the hiring and compensation of personnel, approves curriculum and textbooks, appoints the superintendent and enacts policy.

I just finished listening to the C-NET interviews with candidates for the May 16 primary. All five school board candidates on the Slate for State were interviewed, three of the five from United 4 SCASD were interviewed and one not on a slate.

The five candidates on the Slate for State answered the questions in detail with specifics. They showed they understand the role of a school board director, are sincerely interested in doing what is best for students in a fiscally responsible way and committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. The school board directors must work together as a team and all the above indicated they would be team members. They recognize the need to sincerely listen to all constituencies such as teachers, students and parents.

The candidates on the Slate for State are Amy Bader (incumbent), Gretchen Brandt (incumbent), Anne Demo, Daniel Kolbe, and Aaron Miller. Please consider voting for them on May 16.

Bring bipartisan government back to Halfmoon

Halfmoon residents have a chance to improve their township government with the upcoming primary election, May 16. If you are a Republican, you can vote for Patti Hartle (R) and write in Tammy Perkins (D). If you are a Democrat, you can vote for Tammy Perkins (D) and write in Patti Hartle (R). These two candidates are committed to listening to their constituents, maintaining EMS, fire, and basic town services, and honoring open governance practices. With Tammy and Patti on board, our township government will become more moderate, reasonable and bipartisan.

Halfmoon Township government used to be moderate and reasonable. It has taken a turn for the worse. A prime example is the meeting held last Dec. 26, a federal holiday, where the supervisors voted, by majority, to withdraw the township’s membership from our regional Schlow library. In the eight days prior to the meeting, the board received 34 written comments with 30 in favor of continuing the membership. Incumbent Patti Hartle had petitioned the board to not hold the meeting on a federal holiday and to first officially survey township citizens, giving each household a chance to provide its view.

May 16, vote for Patti Hartle and Tammy Perkins. They will work to return moderate, reasonable, transparent and welcoming bipartisan leadership to Halfmoon government.

This story was originally published April 28, 2023 at 6:00 AM.