Letters: Facing reality of Trump vote; Tell Biden: Affirm the ERA now

Facing reality of Trump vote

People who voted for a convicted felon as the president voted for their own self-interests. I suppose the concepts of freedom and democracy were just a little too fuzzy to consider. Sadly.

Trump lied about his knowledge of Project 2025, yet his nominations for crucial cabinet positions and other high ranking positions in his administration (at least five individuals) are actually authors of the plan. Many of these nominations appear to be patronage selections for big donors, people who have little or even questionable qualifications for the positions and likely are considered “loyalists” to Trump.

When Project 2025 initiatives are implemented and the administrative branch is gutted there will be no Democratic president or congress to blame when your mortgage/rent payments can’t be made, or medical bills are unaffordable, you can’t sustain your business due to the impacts tariffs will have, you can’t provide for your children, or your social security check is late. When farm laborers are deported, you will meet head on the cause and effect on grocery store prices and inflation. When your female loved ones are bleeding out and not treated in emergency rooms you will realize that anti-women legislation is a real threat. Affordable health care, education, environmental protections, women’s autonomy and fewer assault weapons improve the entire human experience. These are not partisan issues.

Just maybe, when these realities hit home, those who voted to elect a convicted felon will be ready to fight for the rights and freedoms for all people, not just themselves.

Tell Biden: Affirm the ERA now

Many don’t realize that gender equality currently is not protected under our Constitution. While Congress approved the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972, and it was ratified by the needed number of states in 2020, it has yet to be published to the Constitution. By comparison, over 165 countries have gender equality included in their constitutions — we should be one of them. Without the ERA, advances in women’s rights made over the past few decades are at risk of sliding back.

President Biden has a very short window to instruct the national archivist to get this done. This is a non-partisan issue cutting at the core of what our nation stands for.

Please consider doing one of the following:

Send a postcard to the White House at:

President Biden

1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

Washington, DC 20500

Call the White House at: 202-456-1111, Tuesday through Thursday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

You also can email President Biden at: www.whitehouse.gov/contact/share.

Eliminating jobs not the answer in State College

I’m disappointed that State College Borough councilperson Josh Portney proposed eliminating 21 vacant Borough positions instead of approving revenue increases.

A quarter of the jobs are union positions. Vacancies include first responders, public works employees, staff for affordable housing initiatives, and other essential jobs.

As a member of the Borough’s CDBG Citizen Advisory Commission, I’ve seen the amazing job that Borough staff do. I’ve also seen that working short handed puts stress on Borough staff and reduces their ability to take on new or expanded work. There are potential initiatives and projects that could benefit the Borough and residents, that Borough staff simply lack the capacity to undertake.

Asking them to accept understaffing and job burnout as the “new normal,” without asking them what they need to succeed, is the kind of decision-making that makes unions necessary.

Nobody is excited by increased property taxes, and the Borough has done its best to delay an increase to the millage rate. We should have options to avoid blanket tax increases, but they’re not available to us. Pennsylvania’s constitutional ban on progressive taxation and the limited revenue-generating authority granted to municipalities make property taxes a necessary tool for local government.

If there are serious alternatives to fix structural budget issues, explore them. A slash-and-burn approach to staffing isn’t among them. Borough residents deserve serious solutions, and I’m certain Mr. Portney can help find them if he puts some effort into it.

Senators have options

Trump is evidently trying to appoint people who are unqualified, often bent on the destruction of the various agencies, and are willing to help him seek revenge against democrats, journalists and anyone else who criticizes him. It is loyalty to him, not to the Constitution.

He is asking the Senate to abdicate its responsibilities, destroying the checks and balances between the executive, legislative and judicial branches. This basically makes senators useless.

There is an option to slow down and perhaps prevent a total destruction of our democracy. The Senate should stay in session, this is called “pro forma sessions.” Thus preventing Trump from making appointments while the Senate is not in session.

A further rule change in the Senate could be made for proposed appointees, and laws which will protect those senators who otherwise would be intimidated by threats from Trump into submitting to his will. Make all such voting by secret ballot so Trump may not intimidate them. Some Republicans may not willing to give up their power and some will want to appoint responsible, competent and qualified personnel to lead the various agencies. If the Democrats initiate these rules while they are still in power in the senate, this could make changing the rules more difficult as some Republicans may want to keep some of their senatorial powers.

If you think these are good ideas, I urge you to use whatever connections you may have to your senators to push them forward.