Letters: Casino not a done deal; Benefits in Inflation Reduction Act

Casino not a done deal

Ask your friends in Happy Valley about the status of the casino planned for the Nittany Mall. Most folks think it is now a fully approved done deal. After all, back in May a local reporter published a misleading article with the title, “Why State College’s Anti-Gambling Movement Failed to Stop the Nittany Mall casino.” Everyone instantly and wrongly assumed there was a green light of approval leading to the casino’s bright lights flashing nonstop every night for decades into the future. Not true.

The casino has no green light of approval, and it never was a done deal. There are several court cases in Harrisburg that will be heard by the Commonwealth Court and Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The next arguments, to be presented before all the Commonwealth Court judges, will be on Sept. 13.

The College Township website includes a casino information section with a “Timeline of Significant Events” page that was last updated in April. The last page of that document has the links to the pending court cases. That is where you will find the real status of the ongoing legal battles in Harrisburg.

Our local outpouring of casino opposition is all summarized and included on the SayNoCasino.org website maintained meticulously by Andrew Shaffer for the past two years. The judges in Harrisburg will not be ignoring any of that. The links in Andrew’s unprecedented website will keep you informed of all significant updates before mid-September. Look now and then save it to your favorites.

Benefits in Inflation Reduction Act

Aug. 16 was the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act. It is the largest investment in climate action that the United States has ever passed. The sprawling bill deals with many things, but most of it encourages production of clean electricity (like solar and wind) and reduction of carbon emissions. It supports electric vehicles, conservation and forestry, provides loans and grants, and much more. It is estimated that this act will make it possible for us to reduce emissions by 40% of 2005 levels by 2030.

Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this bill. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication reports that most registered voters (57%) say they have heard either “a little” (24%) or “nothing at all” (33%) about it. Businesses, on the other hand, are taking advantage of its provisions. World Resources Institute reports that “The law has already unleashed a manufacturing renaissance by nearly doubling the amount of manufacturing construction in just one year, with forecasts of even higher growth in years to come.”

We should all help spread the word about the benefits and promote the transition to the clean energy economy. This bill alone will not get us to the goals that have been set nationally and internationally, but it is a big step in the right direction.

To learn about the tax credits and see how much you can save by switching from fossil fuels to electricity, check out the website RewiringAmerica.org.

This story was originally published August 25, 2023 at 6:00 AM.