Health coverage
unsustainable
Editor: The two largest expenditures to every school district are collectively bargained in salaries and health care.
Insurance premiums rise and the millions of dollars allocated to pay for educators’ insurance grows each year.
As we glance around the state, school districts are raising property taxes on families to make ends meet. Many districts may completely drain their fund balances within the next few years. People are being taxed to support unsustainable programs, such as providing health insurance with no contribution from educators. This must stop.
Programs and supplies are being cut, teachers aren’t being replaced and the burden becomes greater to educate our children. More teacher contributions toward health insurance premiums would be a pragmatic solution to combat the annual increases in their health coverage.
The children will be the ones who suffer if the status quo continues. School districts can no longer afford to provide health insurance without contributions from educators.
ANDREW J. GAUDENZI
WESTERN WAYNE
SCHOOL DIRECTOR,
WAYMART
Opposes drilling
Editor: Pennsylvania is the nation’s fastest-growing producer of natural gas because of Marcellus Shale.
But here in Pennsylvania, our rush to extract more natural gas has come at the cost of much-needed safeguards and has led to increased toxic methane emissions. Not only is methane toxic, but it is a major greenhouse gas as well, 84 times better at trapping heat and polluting the air than carbon dioxide.
The release of this gas from drilling sites contributes greatly to climate change. If the emission of methane is not stopped, it inevitably could lead to irrevocable damage that would affect not only the natural environment, but humans as well.
As a college student at the University of Scranton studying environmental sciences, in almost every class I take we talk about the detrimental effects of gas drilling. It has become apparent that my generation is going to inherit the environmental problems caused by those who came before us.
I hope to use the education I receive at the university to advocate for and bring awareness to environmental issues. I believe gas drilling in Pennsylvania is a problem and we cannot allow the gas industry to risk our health and natural resources, including the air, water, natural landscapes and the wilderness.
There is something each of us can do to help prevent these problems and one of those ways is learning more about the problems associated with gas drilling and showing the policymakers that this is not what the people of Pennsylvania want.
SADIE GUTHRIE-KRETSCH
SCRANTON
Preserve buffers
Editor: I am appalled that the Pennsylvania House recently passed a bill rescinding the riparian buffer zone right-of-way of 150 feet for preservation of high-quality rivers and streams.
What were they thinking? Unfortunately, it seems that the lobbyists for developers got to them.
I am a volunteer for the Brodhead Watershed Association. As such, I monitor the water quality of the Brodhead Creek monthly to determine the pH, phosphate and nitrate contents of the stream. Although the water quality of the Brodhead is quite good, this summer I helped in a bacterial count and there are some sections of the creek with high bacteria levels.
The riparian areas of Pennsylvania waterways provide filtering of nitrates and phosphates before they enter waterways. Without this filtering, I am afraid that excessive amounts of nitrates and phosphates will enter the streams.
The waterways could be ruined by excessive amounts of algae and plant life. Excessive erosion may occur, invertebrates within the waters will die off and our world-class trout fishing could cease to exist.
This legislation needs to be halted.
WALT SCHUPP
EAST STROUDSBURG
GOP blinders
Editor: During a recent discussion about the upcoming election, the question was asked, “What do you think are the main differences between Democrats and Republicans?”
Of course, a Republican said that Democrats only want welfare for the poor and a Democrat said Republicans want welfare for the rich.
Someone said Democrats support tax-and-spend policies and someone countered with Republicans favoring cut-taxes-and-spend positions, which are infinitely worse.
To me, the main difference is that if Gov. Tom Corbett was a Democrat and performed as he has and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, who represents my district, performed as poorly as Rep. Tom Marino, I would vote Republican just to get them out of office.
The Republicans I know will put on the blinders that Rush Limbaugh has given them, take their newly washed brains to the polls and continue to vote the party line. We need to stop putting the same poor performers back into office.
Government is a business and it is time to fire the underachievers.
DAVID G. WATKINS
SCRANTON
Lighting concerns
Editor: I agree wholeheartedly with the letter by John S. Grudeski (Your Opinion, “Improve Lighting,” Oct. 13) about the poor lighting near Scranton High School.
I would add that the lighting on the McDade Expressway across Keyser Avenue and on the Morgan Highway is not only inadequate, but dangerous.
PennDOT has changed the road pattern to Interstate 81 in that area and there are two or three times the amount of cars traveling on the Morgan Highway now.
Going toward the Abingtons on the Morgan Highway after Allied Services, there are no lights for miles on the twisty, two-lane road and there have been multiple accidents there.
Why don’t the city or the state consider doing something about this before winter comes?
MARILYN PREVIN
SCRANTON
