Letters To The Editor

I read with interest another newspaper article regarding the decline in passengers using Lehigh Valley International Airport. Airport officials have tried different things to increase the number of people using this airport.

Perhaps Donald P. Russo (Your View, "H.L. Mencken was an acerbic critic of American life") has a problem with his inability to distinguish between political correctness and anti-Semitism. They are not the same thing. Using political correctness to give Mencken a pass on his thoughts...

We shouldn't be surprised at the atrocities committed by the Soldiers of Islam. Shocked certainly, but surprised, not so much. These savages claim Quranic guidance! Those words certainly appear in that tome. One of several examples is Sura (verse) 47:4 ("Therefore, when you meet...

Way to go, CVS/Caremark. Disguising concern for people's health with a cynical ploy to make up for lost cigarette revenue by charging customers who go to drugstores that still sell cigarettes up to an extra $15 co-payment for prescriptions. That not only reduces costs for Caremark,...

I pay my Bethlehem Area School District taxes in installments. To my knowledge, I have not been delinquent in the 29-plus years I have been paying them.

Mario Acerra, president of the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, laments in a Your View that the "idea of charter schools has become politicized." It is the state politicians who made the idea of charter and cyber schools political in numerous ways, not the least of...

"Something is rotten in" … Bethlehem. I am sad to see the treatment accorded to Karen Dolan. There must be more to this story than has been reported in The Morning Call. She has been a dedicated community activist for years. Bethlehem is a better place because of her efforts....

On Sept. 27, the 15th Annual Lehigh Valley Buddy Walk hosted by the Eastern Pennsylvania Down Syndrome Center was held to promote acceptance and inclusion of all people with Down syndrome. The walk brought together almost 1,100 participants from the Lehigh Valley area — family members,...

The Oct. 27 review of Smokey Robinson performing at the Zoellner Arts Center in Bethlehem missed the mark in several ways, simply showing a lack of knowledge and understanding of Motown and rock 'n' roll history. After asserting that Smokey's talents were still intact at 74 years...

A big hug for Nazareth Area High School soccer player Ibraham Tounkara. Good luck to him in obtaining his dream. America has far more nice people than bullies.

Northampton County Executive John Brown's proposals are right. He may not have been in office very long, but it doesn't take long to realize that the days are over of property owners paying health and retirement benefits for the employees of municipal governments, the federal...

Kudos to the kind people offering to help James Tully get to work in an easier and much safer way than walking along the area of the Frein manhunt zone on his way to work.

Should the Allentown School District have named the football field at J. Birney Crum Stadium in honor of Andre Reed?

Several years ago as sheriff of Lehigh County, I was asked to be the guest speaker at a local service club. At issue during the meeting was whether to remain meeting in the present location or move downtown to another facility. Not being a member of the club I of course did not vote. The...

Voters in the Lehigh Valley do not have as many choices for state representative as they deserve. In seven out of 11 districts, there is no choice at all; the incumbents are running unopposed.

Northampton County residents of the new 40th District's Senate seat have an opportunity.

Mike Beyer is a truly nice, caring man. But I am voting for him for state representative from the 131st District because he has intelligence, compassion and common sense. Beyer vows to fight for the middle class, senior citizens and everyone in our community, regardless of party affiliation....

Mark Aurand is the man to elect to our new 40th District state Senate seat. I have met him many times, and he is a very intelligent, kind and thoughtful man who will represent the best of Pennsylvania.

On Oct. 22, I was shocked to see the high number of Pennsylvania state legislators listed in The Morning Call who voted for a bill that would permit the National Rifle Association and others to sue local municipalities enacting gun ordinances stricter than the state's. Adopting...

Republican state Rep. Justin Simmons takes the sad art of politics to a new low with his campaign mailings. He claims to have "delivered the highest state funding ever for schools." Instead, districts in the state have had to raise taxes, increase class size and cut programs....

As a 30-year veteran school teacher, I have seen many changes within the field of education.

Mario Scavello has spent his entire career serving his community and will continue to do so as a Pennsylvania state senator. From business owner to mayor to state representative, Scavello has put the needs of his community first.

I recently read a comment that criticized state Rep. Mario Scavello's charitable giving. It characterized a particular donation as small and for political gain. That person is uninformed.

With apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan: I got a little list. I got a little list of society offenders who never would be missed:

One of the best ways to learn about a legislator is to review his voting record and funding sources. The website votesmart.org provides unbiased facts regarding a candidate. State Rep. Justin Simmons voting record is at times very conflicting.

A vote for any Republican candidate this election is a vote against the interest of the working middle class. Republicans want to eliminate Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, public education, voting rights, unions and fair pay. They hypnotize you with issues like abortion, gay rights,...

Two issues dominate this election: Gov. Corbett slashing $1 billion from Pennsylvania's education budget and refusing to levy extraction taxes on natural gas drillers (frackers). Education cuts cost Pennsylvania 27,000 educators and forced 75 percent of school districts to raise real...

Sen. Pat Browne bowed to National Rifle Association influence and voted to permit the organization and others to be reimbursed for suing municipalities over restrictive gun ordinances.

Mark Aurand, running for state Senate in the 40th District, attended the Oct. 20 presentation at Northampton Community College to learn about the proposed PennEast natural gas pipeline cutting a path through Northampton County. He told the audience that he did so because he wants to be able...

Gertrude B. Fox Environmental Center at Illick's Mill, beautifully restored, is due to the awesome vision and dedication of Karen Dolan. The Northampton County grand jury's conclusion about her is sadly misinformed. What is negatively stated as "influence and intimidation"...

Gov. Tom Corbett has thrown almost everyone under the bus with the way he has run our state ever since he took office. The only people who like our governor have been those with special interest groups, such as the natural gas fracking companies that seem to have some kind of friendship with...

Let's see. Every year since 2008 Hillary Clinton has been voted the most admired woman in America. In each of those years she has finished just ahead of Michelle Obama, who has been No. 2 on the most admired list. I also know that people often judge people by the company they keep, as...

In recent ads for his gubernatorial campaign, Tom Wolf is saying that he will impose an extraction fee on all shale gas extracted in Pennsylvania and use that money to fund education to ease our perpetually increasing property taxes.

After reading about the passage of the bill to grant legal standing to membership organizations to sue and collect legal fees for fighting illegal local gun laws, I am appalled at local state representatives Freeman, Samuelson, McNeill and Schlossberg for voting against it.

While enjoying a walk along one of the trails through Lehigh Parkway in Allentown, a near misstep caused me to wonder: Why are dog owners required to clean up after their pets and horse owners are not?

I have known Mario Scavello for many years. He is not a politician. He is a true public servant. He will represent all the people of Monroe and Northampton counties.

Tom Wolf is the rare candidate who would come to the governorship with decades of experience in the public and private sectors, but without the political score sheet of a veteran politician.

The vote to continue the earned income tax that funds Williams Township's open space program is coming up on Tuesday. I've received many questions recently. It's important for us to have accurate information, so I'll try to shed some light.

We shouldn't allow Halloween to pass by without taking the opportunity to teach these young goblins a life lesson.

Mario Scavello has represented his district well in the Pennsylvania House and will do the same in the Senate. He has a thorough grasp of issues, seeking solutions that are fiscally responsible and best serve his constituents. Taxation is necessary to pay for government services (roads, law...