Letters: PA Lottery partnership is ‘shameful’; Slate for State best fit for community

PA Lottery partnership is ‘shameful’

I am a resident of the Village at Penn State, and I am appalled that the university is not taking any action to object to the advertising of gambling at football games and in other places where this invitation to addiction will reach students. It is clearly a violation of the mandate of a land grant university, to do something that will prevent its youth from becoming productive citizens of the commonwealth.

And I am appalled to think that some of the dollars that are financing new construction and buildings at Penn State may be coming from money that the students pay to participate in online gambling. As the mother of a gambling addict, who started gambling in his late teens, I can attest to the destruction of marriages and careers that gambling brings to its victims. Moreover, since the university board of trustees does not discuss finances transparently, in open meetings that may be attended by local community members and alumni, there is no way to disprove that some of our future improvements are coming on the backs of current students.

And since the president and the board of trustees have taken no stand against this practice, one has to assume that they are OK with it, that this is just another way, besides the state revenue from casino gambling, that we finance the education of our young people. It is shameful, and it has completely destroyed the perception I once had of Penn State as an honorable institution.

Slate for State best fit for community

It is essential to have leaders in our community who prioritize the values and culture of excellence that underpin our educational system. The Slate for State (Amy Bader, Gretchen Brandt, Anne Demo, Dan Kolbe and Aaron Miller) will work to create an inclusive and equitable environment in our schools, where every student can thrive and learn. Slate for State believes that a school environment that cultivates empathy, respect and the importance of embracing our differences will prepare our students for a future where they can be compassionate, critical thinkers and succeed in an increasingly diverse world.

The agenda of their opponents (United 4 SCASD and Megan Layng) could not be further from what we aspire to as an inclusive and forward-thinking community. Their “parental rights” focus is a misleading term for an agenda that promotes book bans and other culture war issues to take away the rights of parents and their children and place additional burdens on teachers and administrators.

Your vote matters in local elections on Nov. 7.

Returned checks had no impact

In the final weeks of 2019, before I was sworn into office, retired Centre County Treasurer Rich Fornicola was remarkably gracious to me, generous with both his time and his considerable knowledge during the transition between our terms. I’d like to thank Rich for his level-headed comments regarding the CDT’s recent article covering overdrafts in the treasurer’s office, backing up my explanation of the situation. Of the thousands of transactions processed over the last four years, the CDT only found a handful of minor incidents, which were resolved quickly and had no impact on the county — financial or otherwise. In my first term, I’ve done my best to build on the wonderful stewardship that I inherited from my predecessor, and the proof is in the results: our county’s financial position is among the strongest in the state. Who will voters trust? Rich Fornicola, who has invested so much in our community? Or my opponent?

Candidates understand planning issues

As a member of the State College Borough Planning Commission, I will vote for Evan Myers and Josh Portney to join the State College Borough Council. Evan and Josh each have served on the Planning Commission and have developed a deep understanding of planning issues in the Borough. They will use their experience when they vote on planning matters.

Win4 would be loss for Bellefonte

The upcoming election will have crucial effects on public education in Bellefonte.

In 2021, after months of passionate discussions, the board bravely voted to remove the insensitive, racist moniker and the logos associated with the “Red Raider.” A group calling themselves “Win4Bellefonte” arose in response, politicizing the conversation and fueling divisions in the community. They were aided by mailings from an externally funded organization stating “The left is coming for your children.” They ran with the thinly veiled intent of overturning the moniker decision (which they did almost immediately after being elected).

Two years later, they have another slate running with their intentions seeming just as nefarious. They criticize the present board for non-accomplishments while holding five of the nine seats. They are planning a $40M elementary school and closing existing elementary schools while not identifying what schools they will close or which kids will be impacted. They watered down the district’s inclusion statement, making at-risk children more vulnerable. Protecting their hidden agenda, they refuse to attend the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum (again) despite their stated commitment to transparency (see their Facebook page)! They appear afraid to answer questions in public about their plan to close schools, their allegiance to a racist mascot, their impact on inclusion and equity, or their adherence to the far right mantra that their chairwoman embraces.

We have great folks here, working tirelessly for the kids. The Win4 agenda would be a loss for Bellefonte. Vote Smith, Fitzgerald, Dombrowski, Yech, Korin.