Letters: Rockview and Quehanna closure would be costly mistake

Rockview and Quehanna closure would be costly mistake

As a Potter County Commissioner, I strongly oppose the proposed closure of SCI Rockview and the Quehanna Boot Camp. These facilities are not just prisons, they are economic anchors and rehabilitation centers that benefit all of Pennsylvania.

In rural areas, prisons provide steady, middle-class jobs that sustain families, businesses and local tax bases. Closing them would cause immediate harm: lost employment, declining property values and shrinking communities.

The human toll would be just as severe. Family contact is one of the strongest predictors of successful reentry. Moving inmates farther from home will make visits nearly impossible, leading to isolation, hopelessness and higher rates of reoffending. Inside, conditions would become more hostile and dangerous for staff.

Eliminating Quehanna’s proven boot camp program would be especially shortsighted. These closures would also shift burdens onto county jails and worsen mental health challenges.

This would be a costly mistake for Pennsylvania.

Robert W. Rossman, Coudersport. The author is a Potter County Commissioner.

Budget impasse harms PA rape crisis centers

The recent Spotlight PA article on the budget impasse reads like sports coverage with wins, losses, pitches and next moves. The state budget isn’t a game: it’s a lifeline.

We serve as the president of an agency’s board of directors, either for our local rape crisis center or their statewide coalition. A large portion of our services are funded by the state; because of the impasse, our agencies are working without payment. We can’t hold out much longer.

Across PA, rape crisis centers support 27,000 people impacted by sexual violence yearly with services including 24/7 hotlines and forensic rape exam accompaniment, victim advocacy and counseling. We meet victims in the darkest moments, and work with them toward healing.

Our crucial services continue through the budget impasse because sexual assault does not pause for politics. Yet this puts our agencies in an unsustainable situation.

Each day the impasse continues causes more harm. Many centers have already had to furlough staff and max out lines of credit; some are considering temporarily closing.

We call on Gov. Shapiro, Leader Pittman, Speaker McClinton and all legislators: Pass a fully funded budget.

PA’s rape crisis centers have never stopped doing their job. We need our state leaders to stop playing games and do theirs.

Katie Blume, Centre Safe (Centre County); Edward Hale, NOVA (Bucks County); Melinda Maloney, Respect Together (statewide coalition of rape crisis centers); Audra Mitchell, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (Allegheny County); Joanne Strauss, WOAR Philadelphia Center Against Sexual Violence (Philadelphia County)

The real danger to democracy

I recently read Alexandra Kranich’s letter and, while I admire her passion, I believe it misses the larger reality of what is happening in our country.

Alexandra warns that America is abandoning democracy when some voices excuse violence against political figures. Violence is always tragic and should never be celebrated. But to suggest that isolated reactions represent the greatest danger ignores the much deeper threats under Donald Trump’s leadership.

For years, Mr. Trump has undermined the rule of law: demanding investigations of opponents, threatening judges and prosecutors, and attempting to overturn a free and fair election. He has praised violence when it served his purposes and excused those who stormed our Capitol on January 6. That is not hypothetical. That is lived experience every American witnessed.

The real danger to our democracy does not come from fringe comments on social media. It comes from leaders who normalize authoritarian behavior and erode the institutions that protect our freedoms. If we care about due process, free speech and democracy, we must begin by holding those in power accountable, not by diverting attention to a single tragic episode and pretending it tells the whole story.

History will remember whether we defended democratic norms when they were under real assault.

Michael Degenhart, State College

Restore civility, honesty and accountability

First, we need to stop all the “hate” rhetoric. This seems to be most prevalent in social media. The hate rhetoric is also present in the liberal news. We need to be civil — it is OK to disagree with someone else, healthy debates are needed. Just to disagree with someone does not mean disliking them as a person, or that we hate them. What misinformation may have been part of indoctrination of the young man who killed Charlie Kirk.

Next, we need to be honest. This means that news is to be factual, not filled with lies/disinformation. Every day, there are opinions expressed with no basis that spread distrust and unease. One wonders where honest journalism has gone. Where are the facts? Case in point were the riots in Los Angeles. One source showed the destruction and looting of stores, the burning of cars and attacks on the police. The other source showed the police lined up and said it was a peaceful demonstration. Two very different views of the same occurrence.

Lastly, we need to be held accountable for our acts. It may begin in school where students do not complete their work and do not accept a zero. This may become their pattern. They may see themselves as not accountable for their acts. People must be held responsible whether this is for admirable behavior or bad actions.

Each of us can make a difference for the better. Let us start now!

Linda Lochbaum, State College