Jefferson should prioritize health care in financial cuts

Layoffs at Jefferson/LVHN? Anyone who didn’t see this coming wasn’t paying attention. It was published that Jefferson was losing money before it acquired LVHN, so now, after the “merger,” Jefferson is trying to correct bad management practices by beginning staff layoffs.

Maybe it might be better to eliminate nonmedical departments and real estate and keep medical staff to care for patients. Start with the marketing department. Why all the commercials, the billboards, the junk mail? And what about sponsoring a PGA Senior golf tournament? How does that improve health care? Most, if not all, Lehigh Valley residents know there are only two health care networks in our region, so why advertise? Why all the new buildings? Is anyone looking at what is must-have vs. nice-to-have in all areas? Start eliminating management and other overhead and concentrate on keeping quality health care staff. The emphasis should be health care instead of business care. The best advice for the rest of us, don’t get sick.

Stephen L. Radakovits

Allen Township

Kennedy’s vaccine claims don’t hold up to science

It’s statistics 101: Association is not evidence of causation — “the rooster’s crowing does not cause the sun to rise.”

The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System collects adverse health events that occur after vaccination. The system lacks an unvaccinated comparison group, which is essential for determining a cause-and-effect relationship. The system cannot account for the same events that might also occur by chance in an unvaccinated population. More than 13 billion doses of COVID vaccine have been administered worldwide. A report to VAERS does not mean the vaccine caused an adverse event, only that it occurred sometime after vaccination.

The causal link of vaccines to cancer/autism/pick an ailment hasn’t been found, as Robert Kennedy Jr. suggests. A man with no science expertise is now in charge of public health, thanks to Donald Trump’s nomination and his orders to Republican representatives in Congress — many of whom know better, but fear opposing a president who promises retribution, even when the grounds for opposition is to protect public health.

Karl L. Schwartz

Upper Nazareth Township

Lehigh Valley race routes should keep clear of bridges

I didn’t go to church Sunday. I wasn’t sick or I didn’t oversleep; it was a case of “you can’t get there from here.” As we approached the Minsi Trail Bridge from Bethlehem Township to Hellertown, we were directed by police onto a side street as dozens of runners crossed the bridge. I correctly guessed the Fahy Bridge was also closed, and I believe the Freemansburg bridge is still closed due to construction. As we needed to cross the Lehigh River to get to church, we turned around and went home. I am all for exercise and fundraising, but let’s work together so people can get to church to worship God or to their workplace to do their job (I heard a pharmacist say she had difficulty getting to work). Tying up two major bridges could have been avoided simply by choosing a loop that avoids bridges entirely or even better, a run through one of our beautiful parks (such as East Allentown Canal Park or the Little Lehigh Parkway) or one of Lehigh Valley’s several rail trails.

Philip Albright

Bethlehem Township

Trump’s reaction to protests shows his worst qualities

On Oct. 18, I proudly marched in the No Kings protest that started at the Bethlehem Rose Garden and ended at Bethlehem City Hall. It was great seeing all the people peacefully protesting not only in Bethlehem but all across this country.  We are true patriotic citizens who love America by cherishing democracy and free speech while recognizing President Trump for who he really is — a self-serving, arrogant, narcissistic and vengeful man totally unfit to occupy the White House.

So what was Trump’s reaction to these protests?  It was to post on Truth Social (a misnomer) an artificial intelligence-generated video of himself wearing a crown while flying a fighter jet that was dumping brown sewage on the protesters. I’m sure the MAGA crowd thinks the video is hilarious but instead it only proves why Trump is a moral abomination of a president and most certainly never deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize.

Barbara Adamcik

Freemansburg

Experience — and its lack — matter in elections

On Nov. 4, I recommend reelecting Upper Saucon Township Supervisor Philip Spaeth. Phil is a fiscally responsible, thoughtful, diplomatic and approachable supervisor whose long tenure contributed to the superb reputation enjoyed by Upper Saucon Township.

However, both young candidates for New York City mayor and Lehigh County executive lack the decision-making and managerial experience needed by chief executive officers of complex organizations.

Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, 33, got his bachelor’s degree in Africana studies, and is a former housing counselor and hip-hop musician who served three terms in the New York State Assembly. Mamdani is now running for mayor of the country’s largest, most complex city, where legacy agreements and government unions constantly champing at the bit make governing hazardous. Fortunately, Mamdani is NYC’s problem, not ours.

Enter Josh Siegel, 31, an Allentown Democrat who decided after graduating college (with a bachelor’s degree in international relations) to run for mayor of Allentown at age 24. Defeated, he held government jobs before successfully running for Allentown City Council (2020-22) and the state House of Representatives (2022-present). He is now running for Lehigh County executive, seeking to manage a $540 million budget and 2,200 employees.

In the 1984 Democratic presidential primary, Walter Mondale deflated Gary Hart’s platitudes by asking “Where’s the beef?” Enough said, friends: Mamdani and Siegel need much more seasoning.

James Largay

Upper Saucon Township

No Kings protest in Bethlehem was peaceful

I was disappointed that The Morning Call’s article about the No Kings event mentioned the Emerick Boulevard and Cedar Crest protests, but not the Bethlehem Rose Garden site.

The crowd stretched from 8th Avenue to Bethlehem City Hall!  It was massive … and peaceful.

Olga Conneen

Bethlehem

ELECTION LETTERS 

Letters to the editor about candidates and issues in the Nov. 4 general election must be received by 10 a.m. Monday.  Election-related letters will not be published after Thursday.

The Morning Call publishes letters from readers online and in print several times a week. Submit a letter to the editor at letters@mcall.com. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author(s), and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication.