Letters: Penn State takes decisive action — sometimes; Who does Thompson serve?
Penn State takes decisive action — sometimes
This week PSU fired our head football coach. For the first time in years, our team was dropped from the AP Top 25 and resides at the bottom of the Big Ten. The dismissal will cost Penn State (or some friends) an estimated $50 million buyout. It is noteworthy that $50 million exceeds the total of the annual budgets for the seven commonwealth campuses to be closed. Our Penn State leadership, apparently, could not endure our bottom Big10 status, not even for 24 hours.
On the other hand, PSU has languished at the bottom of the US News Best Value ranking for years and currently ranks No. 185 of 206 universities and at the bottom of the BIG10 (Michigan State No. 186, Nebraska unranked.) And recently, the 2026 Forbes ranking of 500 universities was released. This ranking features the increasing emphasis on the value of a college education. The dominant Forbes metrics are cost of attendance, student-debt and alumni salary, key elements of ROI (Return on Investment). Penn State ranks No. 338, by far and away the lowest in the BIG10. Benchmarks are Michigan No. 20 and Rutgers branch campus at Camden No. 249. Who gets fired here? Certainly not our President. She was just awarded a $1 million raise.
At the November 2025 board meeting some trustee must demand that our leadership explain how these rankings are determined, assess the damage to our national reputation and construct a path forward to address priorities other than football.
Al Soyster, Boalsburg
Who does Thompson serve?
Appealing to PA15’s Rep. Glenn Thompson is a fool’s errand. The claim that his mission “is to advocate for PA’s priorities at the highest levels of government” is hogwash! He serves the special interests that grease his campaigns (legalized bribery), not his 758,111 constituents. He gets a solid assist from a district that’s 2/3 red by design, ensuring his reelections.
Permanent unfair tax cuts for the uber-wealthy is paramount. Social Security would be solvent if the rich would pay their fair share. Republicans intend to pay for this atrocity by slashing popular programs (eg Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act).
Serving the Constitution-hating MAGA president is equally important to him. Together, they are misusing funds (that should be going to health care and education) for their masked gestapo known as ICE. Plucking people off the street without probable cause, identification or a warrant — and denying habeas corpus — is patently un-American. GT knows this, yet he bends over backwards to support the program of cruelty.
The lie he repeats — the government shutdown is because Democrats want health care for illegals — is getting tired. The talking points must have been handed down from the White House because they’re all repeating the same thing. No GT, a continuing resolution of present spending levels won’t work this time. Between March and now you voted for a big hurtful bill that will result in millions of citizens losing their health insurance. Restoring that funding is one of PA’s priorities. That is where negotiations start.
Charles Andrew Boyer, Coburn
State College neighborhood losing its charm
Second homes are hollowing out communities, excessively inflating home prices, and eliminating opportunities for families to live and grow. Until I lived here full time, I had no comprehension of the damage these properties were doing to formerly vibrant neighborhoods. In College Heights, a casual stroll may fool you into thinking that tree lined streets and century old homes still foster an abundance of community, but swing by on Halloween and you’ll see scarcely a house with lights on, and trick-or-treaters few and far between. The neighborhood is becoming more of a ghost town (not in a fun, spooky way) due to an influx of second homes, a wave of aimless and shameless vanity, and a total disregard for community by out-of-towners and local officials alike. McKee Street has become a thoroughfare marred by contractor vehicles and landscaper trailers, busy upgrading and maintaining vacant homes while the rest of society navigates the congested street on bikes and scooters, commuting from their distant, affordable homes to school and work. For over four years, 619 McKee has been under construction by two different owners, neither with any intention of ever residing there. It’s exploded from one of the most affordable homes in the neighborhood to a $2.1M walled off monstrosity encapsulating everything wrong with our vanishing community. Something has to change because there’s nothing preventing this from happening repeatedly, continuing the transition from idyllic place to live near work, schools, and nature to a vacant second-home ward devoid of residents, character and charm.
Rudolf Hersh, State College
In danger of dictatorship
Our country has never been in more danger of becoming a dictatorship than now. Donald Trump is obviously a deranged career criminal and his crimes which were “settled out of court” far exceed those that this convicted felon has been found guilty of. This President is amazingly ignorant of history, has left us with no friends in the world, and is killing our economy. He was found liable of sexual abuse. Representative Glenn Thompson, your grandchildren will wonder why you showed no courage or leadership against this menace.
Geoffrey Godbey, State College
Disappointed by PSU football fans
As a long-time avid PSU football fan I am severely disappointed. I am appalled and deeply concerned by the behavior I saw of students toward Franklin as he walked off the field with his family. Franklin had to stop and separate his family from him while walking into the tunnel. He ushered them ahead of him so they would not receive abusive and degrading treatment walking with him.
Current events in the country and world are legitimately depressing, but this behavior is sad and sickening in a different way. It is truly frightening, and portends poorly for our society.
We need to maintain dignity and humanity in difficult circumstances.
Robert E. Griffin, Forty Fort