On Monday, March 9, 2020 this letter to the Editor of mine was published in the Tribune Review. This is my fifth letter published of five submitted, first in 2020!
During this current presidential campaign the economy and especially the systems of Capitalism and Socialism have been big issues. Destroy Capitalism, because of the corporate greed, and greed of CEOs! Adopt Socialism that will fix everything!
In my reading of Robert B. Reich’s book “Saving Capitalism”, he explained that our government does control the system of Capitalism by passing laws that govern the way the whole country and all companies do business . The States have some powers, too.
Right now we have the wrong laws and need to make changes. But the politicians that need to make the changes are in the pockets of all the corporate lobbyists that are fighting any change. Do any of the Candidates for President, House or Senate on either side of the aisle say that or endorse that? NO!-all they can say is what is wrong with the system. But will they really make a change?
We need to elect a majority in the House and in the Senate and a President that will make serious reforms in our system of Capitalism that will work better for all of us. We have the power to make this happen!
Good Calls by Supreme Court
On June 28, 2019 I sent a letter to the editor of the Tribune Review. It was published today July 13, 2019. This is my fourth letter published this year! I feel lucky that the Tribune Review feels my letters are good enough to publish. When an issue strikes me, I get inspired and write it down and send it off.
Thanks to you who follow me and encourage me!
This is what as printed today!
Why history? By David McCullough
This is an excerpt from a speech McCullough made for the National Book Foundation Medal of Distinction presentation for his contribution to American letters in 1995. This was reprinted in McCullough’s new book “The Pioneers”.
The new generation is historically illiterate. 60% of High school seniors have no basic understanding of history. A group of all honors history majors at an Ivy League university were asked if they knew who George Marshall was. No one knew. Others did not know that all of the 13 original colonies were located on the Eastern Seaboard.
Do we care about standards of performance? You can look at our best leadership in the mirror. We can’t depend to someone else to save the day. We need better teachers, better textbooks, not those written by a committee and we need better biographies for beginning readers.
Why History?
- Shows us how to behave.
- Shows what we believe, what we should stand for and what we should be willing to stand up for.
- History is the bedrock of patriotism which is the love of country.
- History lessons are the lessons of appreciation; somebody before us did the hard work, provided money and belief. Do we disregard that?
- History teaches by example, inspires, teaches courage, tolerance and encourages a sense of humor. It is an aid to navigation in perilous times.
This is a time of change. We learn during times of change. Our nation was founded on change. We should embrace the possibilities. How tough were our predecessors? All of our ancestors went through some form of hell.
Thomas Jefferson said “Any Nation that expects to be ignorant and free expects what never was and never will be.”
The gap between uneducated and educated grows as fast as or greater than the difference between rich and poor. Lack of education is the greater threat to our way of life. History is an extension of Life. Tell stories, make history come to life. How lucky we are to live in this great country, to be Americans, Americans all.
I agree with this and add, we can’t change history and don’t need to apologize for history. Just learn from it and change how we live today, but follow the good examples learned through history. What McCullough said over 20 years ago still applies today, but it is getting even worse than he thought.
I’m not going to vote in the Primary! You may ask why not? Who can vote in the primary? Only those people who are registered with a political party. Pa. has a closed primary. If you are an independent you will have to wait until the November Election.
The answer to why I am not voting in the primary is that I am registered in the Constitution Party. And no one in our party is running for any of the local, county and School Board elections and the Constitution Party is not organized at the county level here in Westmoreland County. I can’t complain, I would have to get involved and run for office.
I got involved and registered with the Constitution Party during the 2016 presidential election. I didn’t like the candidates of the 2 major parties and I checked out all the other candidates. I chose Darrell Castle because I liked his views and the platform of the Constitution Party. I still follow him today and the Constitution Party. He had a snowball’s chance…… but I liked what he and the Party stand for. I registered as a Constitution party member knowing fully that it limited my participation in the primaries.
The Constitution Party is still growing. It is the fifth largest political party. The Republican and Democratic parties are the top two followed by:
3. Libertarian Party was organized in 1971 with over a ½ million members. They believe in reducing the size of all governments, separation of Church and State and open immigration.
4. Green Party was organized in the 1980’s with over 300,000 members. They are left wing and stand for the environment and social justice.
5. Constitution Party was formed in 1992 as the US Taxpayers Party and changed to the Constitution party in 1999 with over 100,000 members. It is Pro-Life, for Gun Rights, stands for restrictions on immigration and for the Constitution as it was written.
I am definitely turned off by the two major parties. Don’t think I could write in one sentence what they stand for and I don’t think they know! I don’t think the other parties have much of a chance to succeed in our system. But who knows, that if enough people became disenchanted with where the two parties are leading us!!! Just another quick point, I heard discussion in our county commissioner race about the candidates and their stand on President Trump, abortion and other national issues! Stick to the County’s issues. There are enough!
In Pennsylvania municipalities that don’t have their own police departments are covered by the
State Police. In order to cover the cost Governor Wolf took a Million Dollars from the State Highway fund to pay for the cost. This money comes from the tax we pay on gasoline. He proposed a per capita tax which was very much opposed by those municipalities who would be subject to the per capita tax to cover the State Police coverage.
So the Tribune Review wrote an editorial commenting about the situation. Below is my letter to the Editor in response.
Paying for Police, Roads and Bridges, May 2, 2019
In the Tribune Review editorial on Saturday, April 27, 2019 titled ”Gas Tax covers police for Areas that won’t”, there were great comments about the current situation in Pennsylvania.
I have a solution: If your municipality doesn’t have a police force, you can fix roads and bridges without State help, you can do it on your own.
Great and wonderful Hempfield Township is one who doesn’t pay for police coverage and sponges off the rest of us. How much gas tax money is going to Hempfield Township to fix roads and bridges? It should stop immediately!
Gov. Wolf proposed a per capita assessment that was shouted down by cries that ´We can’t afford it” and especially in Hempfield Township.
I live in South Greensburg borough home to just over 2,000 people and we have a police department. Our borough owns up to their responsibilities and provides first class services to its residents.
It’s time that “second class” Hempfield Township and others step up and provide first class services like police protection or pay for their own bridge and road repairs.
And the rest of the municipalities need to go after Gov. Wolf and the Legislature to take appropriate action!
Pot and Government Vultures— This is the title of a letter to the editor written by Leonard Minkus that was published in the Tribune Review, Thursday, April 11, 2019.
“I’m writing to deliver the same message as letter writer John Waite ”Legal pot is a Pandora’s box”, March 21, TribLive . It is a disgrace to all Pennsylvanians that the vultures in our government can attempt to legalize recreational marijuana. We pay and pay and they don’t care… they just take”
Thanks Leonard, it’s nice to hear that others share the same opinion and were published. On TribLive replies to my letter were mostly long tirades, 1,000 words or more, about why recreational marijuana should be legalized. One told me to grow up and accept the inevitable, that I was a “cry baby”.
They are entitled to their opinions as I am. We need to encourage debate on issues and accept that others disagree, but in the end our government representatives make the laws. Hopefully based on values and principles, not on dollars they can raise and spend, or on knee jerk reactions to the latest hot button item. They need their constituents to tell them what we want!!
This week’s story is a note called “Where we call Home”.
If you google my address 1531 Pine street, Greensburg Pa. 15601 you get a picture of our house in an insert of the map of our borough, South Greensburg. It shows the streets and parks and that’s it.
I want to tell you more about our town and why we love it. South Greensburg is a borough in Westmoreland County just south of the City of Greensburg. We have about 2,034 residents as of 2016 and we have everything we need! We are a multi-generation community of families who have been here since the start in 1891.
We have our own garbage removal and street department which provides excellent snow removal in the winter. We have our own full time Police Department with around the clock coverage. Our borough building has a hall for use of residents for parties, etc. Our Volunteer Fire Department is second to none, with excellent equipment and volunteers. The fire department hosts a Halloween Parade and gives Santa a ride when he is town. We have a community park with picnic pavilions and playground. We have tennis courts, basketball courts and 3 ball fields and 3 additional playgrounds with up to date equipment. We have a Recreation building that hosts summer programs. We have four churches in our community.
We have restaurants, bars, and social clubs. We have a bank, a Dollar General store, a Knights Inn and Quick Draw medical testing by Excela Health. Doctors, Dentists and many other specialists serve our borough. The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg campus is literally just down the hill
We have lived here for 30 years and we love it. We participated in borough recreation programs, coached softball and had a Girl Scout Troop. Our church is two blocks away and a vital part of our community along with the other churches.
The City of Greensburg is just 1 mile away and is the Westmoreland County seat. Greensburg has the following:
- Palace Theater
- Westmoreland Museum of American Art
- Greensburg Garden and Civic Center
- Amtrak Station
- Seton Hill University
Westmoreland County has parks, trails and the best community college in the state Westmoreland County Community College.
Pittsburgh is just 30 miles west and the Laurel Highlands are just 10 miles east.
We live a great place not just a google address. Come visit!
Legal Pot: A Pandora’s Box
Published on March 22, 2019 in the Tribune Review
In January the state announced it was considering the legalization of marijuana and has sent Lt. Governor John Fetterman on a listening tour to get input from state residents.
On January 24, 2019 State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale issued a press release supporting the listening tour. The first item was that the state could generate $581 million by legalizing marijuana. One of the projects that could benefit from the funds would be to reduce opioid addiction. Great point! LOL.
DePaquale cited a statistic that 8.36 % of the state’s population use marijuana monthly. He says the tide of public opinion on marijuana has turned with 10 states and the District of Columbia legalizing marijuana. “Public support has doubled in the last 20 years.” Do you think his mind is made up? Is 8.36 a majority, I think not?
Do we really want to open another Pandora’s Box legalizing a drug when we are still struggling with opioid addiction and other forms of drug addiction?
Which vice will be legalized next to feed the state budget pig…….Prostitution, Pornography? You’re guess is as good as mine