Letters: Power line opponents must look beyond the view
Better reason needed
At the risk of annoying my Franklin County neighbors, I will again respond to Mr. Lindenmyer's (April 5) arguments in opposition to the proposed power lines, arguments I would find unpersuasive were I deciding the issue from a broader perspective.
Although it's certainly true that the proposed towers and wires will detract from the scenic appeal of rural parts of Franklin County, and it's probably true that the lines won't directly benefit Franklin County residents, that's beside the point, and not a compelling argument against the towers.
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Americans have collectively, albeit implicitly, accepted the presence of hardware like towers and high tension wires in exchange for getting the wonderful power that heats and cools our homes, operates our high definition televisions, and charges our cell phones; and everything else.
Every user of grid power is benefiting from the existence of a power line someone else doesn't like. To oppose transmission lines on the basis that they negatively affect local vistas sounds a bit hypocritical, certainly NIMBYish. Unless one is of the Amish population.
Consumers have made a deal with the technology - towers and wires for reliable and cheap baseline power, solar panels and more efficient appliances notwithstanding. There are ever more gadgets and increasing populations, and the grid is aging and I suspect there are valid reasons for new transmission line, even if such lines don't improve Franklin County service.
Better reasons for opposition are needed.
Gary Goubeau, Chambersburg
Vote for Bloom
I am writing to ask fellow conservatives in the 13th Congressional District to join me in supporting Steve Bloom on May 15. Steve has stood up to special interests and party leadership when necessary in the state House of Representatives. He leads by example; refusing the state pension, repaying his COLA, and rejecting mileage allowance for travel.
Steve has been named a “Friend of Agriculture” by the PA Farm Bureau. He passed the PA Preferred Act, which created a market brand for local products and ended the death tax on family farms.
Additionally, Steve supported legislation to help our first responders in recruitment and retention efforts, and voted to expand the state’s fire/EMS grant program.
Steve wants to help our president accomplish the big challenges facing our country, not block progress like many in D.C. are doing. If you’re a conservative in the 13th District, vote for Steve Bloom.
Kevin Myers, Antrim Township
Police seeking safer work
Police officers aid citizens every day but attacks are driving them to seek safer work.
Just last week, two police officers in Shaker Heights, Ohio saved a baby that had stopped breathing. Her mother, Tamica Pruitte, who was driving noted her baby in the back seat was choking. She stopped her car in a busy intersection and got out.
Officers Sidder and Oklander stopped behind her to see if they could assist. When they saw her baby was not breathing, their training kicked in. And they treated her until she started breathing again.
“Thank God for them …” mother Tamica said. Baby Tyra slept peacefully at home that night.
It's a different story for a police officer who was called to assist a teacher attacked by students at a high school outside a large southern city. He was attacked by five minority male students at the school. They threw him to the floor then took his microphone and his mace and beat him cruelly. He feared for his life. Fortunately, he was saved when another officer arrived on the scene. Several of the attackers were prosecuted. In other incidents, he was called to a tavern, it was a set up. When he walked in flashes from phones went off.
After this he resigned from the police force where he had worked for more than ten years and took a job at a hardware company where he gets home at night and sees his young children.
Demonstrations against police were among targets of Russian intelligence agents in 2015. Seeking to further divide Americans they used ads in Facebook and other social media to fund demonstrators on both sides of a demonstration. Those they reached were urged to get larger numbers of demonstrators.
Harry Waters, Orrtanna