Letters: Cat shooting raises concerns; Voters don’t get money’s worth

Cat shooting raises concerns

I have lived in Houserville for 36 years, 10 years on Spring Street and 26 years on lower Fairlawn Avenue.

It is a wonderful place to raise children and we have lots of children, dogs and cats.

Recently, my white furred blue-eyed cat named Sampson was shot and had to have his leg amputated due to the serious nerve damage it caused.

I have wonderful neighbors, some of which are friends and seem like family. They were all concerned!

We are surrounded by Tug Circle, Creekside Drive and Mitch Avenue, which are the areas Sampson might visit.

I have to say the emergency vets on Martin Street and my own vets and staff at Straley’s in Bellefonte did an amazing job with Sampson’s care and recovery.

I just want to say that safety is the utmost importance when houses are very close to each other and children and animals live close by.

If children and animals aren’t something that you’re comfortable with, this probably isn’t the place for you to live.

Voters don’t get money’s worth

Glenn Thompson and his MAGA House colleagues draw enviable salaries for minimal work.

The 2023 Republican-led Congress was the least productive in decades (even compared to other years when the President was of a different party). And it ended the way it started — focusing on legislation of little substance.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act passed, allowing whole milk in schools, but nothing on gun safety to actually protect students. Congress condemned antisemitism on college campuses, but ignored antisemitism elsewhere, including rhetoric from their Republican Party leader echoing Hitler.

The 2024 Congress began with the same Republican chaos, inaction and dangerous speech. They won’t authorize aid to Ukraine, emboldening Putin to execute his deadliest attacks yet on Ukraine — and jeopardizing U.S. security and global standing.

Republicans complain that the southern border is dangerously insecure, but won’t authorize funding for border agents, instead using taxpayer dollars to impeach Homeland Secretary Mayorkas. Representative Nehls of Texas said the quiet part aloud, brazenly confessing that he won’t do anything that might help Democrats.

Republicans can’t even unite behind a bipartisan spending bill to prevent a partial government shutdown — and healthy compromise could trigger another leadership crisis.

Representatives earn $174,000 annually plus benefits — a pension after five years, paid health care, death benefit, and more. Few Pennsylvanians have such luxuries — and fewer still would keep their jobs if they were as unproductive as the Republican-led House.

Voters will remember this when deciding whether to re-hire Thompson in November.

Living up to the oath

The oath of office of the President of the United States is the oath or affirmation that the president of the United States takes upon assuming office. The wording of the oath is specified in Article II, Section One, Clause 8, of the United States Constitution, and a new president must take it before exercising or carrying out any official powers or duties. The oath reads as follows: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Donald J. Trump proved, during his first term as president, that he is incapable of living up to this oath. His actions speak much louder than his words. Can we really expect that a second term with Trump as president will produce a better outcome for our nation?