Letters to the Editor, Feb. 18, 2010

Published: February 18, 2010

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Strong Kids Campaign

EDITOR: On behalf of the children and their families who will gain access to life-changing and lifesaving programs at the Bradford County Branch YMCA, I want to inform you about the Strong Kids Campaign. Your support, along with gifts from other community members and organizations, will make it possible for us to meet the continually growing demand for financial assistance at our YMCA.

At the heart of community life in Bradford County, our mission-driven YMCA is "a place to belong" and to live the values that guide and unite our members: caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. The Bradford County Branch YMCA offers kids and families the chance to make positive choices: after school opportunities mean parents know their children are safe; youth sports programs give kids the chance to belong to a group devoted to making a positive difference; and healthy lifestyle programs give everyone in the family the chance to lead healthier, more productive lives.

In light of the economic crisis we take pride in our scholarship assistance program. Our program provides scholarships for individuals and families who want and need YMCA programs but may not otherwise be able to afford them.

This past year, with the community's support, the Bradford County Branch YMCA offered over $42,000 in financial assistance to more than 200 adults, children and families throughout our area. These gifts make it possible to provide opportunities to children, individuals and families that build self-confidence, promote health and develop positive values such as caring, honesty, respect and responsibility.

Few things are more important than a healthy lifestyle, strong community, positive role models and quality time spent together as a family. We thank this community for continuing to recognize the important impact the Strong Kids Campaign has in positively shaping lives in our community.

To make a gift please contact the Bradford County Branch YMCA at (570) 268-9622.

Jennifer M. Dibble

Executive Director

Bradford County Branch YMCA

Towanda

www.bradfordcountyymca.org

When's it going to stop?

EDITOR: It was a sad say for the American people when the Supreme Court passed a law that gives the right of big business, corporations, oil companies, insurance companies, Wall Street, banks, etc, to donate any amount of money to the politicians campaigns. It was bad enough before (we have no say to what we want, but now they will not know we exist except at election time.)

As we are seeing now (whether you're for health care reform or not), the insurance companies lobbied the halls of Congress to get what they wanted. The politicians' political football game to get their people elected and ignoring what's best for the people also destroys what trust we have in our government.

Do you think we stand a chance to have the politicians serve us and not the big rich people, and also themselves? They spend millions of dollars to get elected to a job that, as they tell us they could do better in the private industry.

In Saturday's paper there was an article about a senator getting a six figure income for his retirement. How about the $158 just to show up in Harrisburg. How about any car they desire, how about an insurance plan (the top plan) that stays with them the rest of their lives. I'm not sure it includes their families. How about they get a cost of living raise every year, but also get to vote themselves raises.

Wouldn't you like to have that even though your performance record from a scale from 1-10, then being a great performance only amounts to a two (remember the budget this and quite a few years back not being passed). How would you like to tell your boss you are going to look for another job, looking for that job on your boss's time and still getting paid.

Enough for now, what can we do? Well for one thing we can ask, no not ask, demand that they only have a two-term limit (doesn't give them enough time to become greedy, corrupt and forgetting who they are supposed to serve).

It will also stop the politicians from getting so powerful they control other decent people seeking office to quit because they couldn't do their job. That is "Serve the People." Also I would like to see all the perks taken away from them. Have an independent agency determine their pay, and performance. Let them use their own cars, let them understand what the average American is going through. I could go on but am limited to amount of words.

One last thing, take an hour out of one month to express our feeling to your representatives. Not tea party demonstrations but writing to the people who are supposed to be representing you. By the way I haven't heard any politician cutting back on any of their lavish pay or perks. The American people have. They made sure of that.

Jerry McMenamin

Rome

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1 posted comments

Dear Mr. McMenamin,

I guess I could understand a two term limit, but I really don't see where $158/day is that much money. I mean do you know anyone who actually work on Wall Street? Well I do, and they would find that a joke, as a matter of fact what politicians make is a joke to all the Wall Street types. So I mean I guess if you live in Rome, PA politicians may seem to make a lot of money, but if you live out in the real world that really isn't all that much. Remember Bradford County isn't exactly one of those counties where people make all that much anyway, so I guess you can look at them as being greedy, but many of these people aren't in their own districts anyway living that very far above people in their own neighborhoods. Six figures isn't even exactly that much money anymore I hate to tell you, you would probably be surprised to know that there are government officials right in Bradford County who will get that when they retire. I do think Judge Mott is one of those people, and not to stir up trouble, but he is one.

What I find more interesting though is that there were always political PAC funds where people, and corporations could donate and did to politicians. How is this so different than a foreign corporation just donating dollars now? I fail to see the difference myself. I mean sure the PAC fund kind of hid it a bit, but everyone knew what and where the fund stood, so I would like someone to explain to me how this is so much different than it was before. Please if anyone is knowledgeable on the difference please inform me, because I would think foreign companies were allowed to join PAC's, and there are many companies that have foreign and domestic interests as well. So I am a bit confused on all of this.

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Confusion Reigns,  02/18/10 7:43