Allowing camping in Allentown a bad idea<\/p>\n
Pennsylvania laws require that municipalities provide for various uses in their zoning ordinances. To the best of my knowledge, camping is not one of the required or permitted uses. Folks who wish to live outdoors have many designated camping facilities throughout the commonwealth that are maintained for that purpose. Recent requests to have Allentown designate space for such use on a \u201ctemporary\u201d basis are ill advised.<\/p>\n
If, in fact, it comes into being, it would not be temporary.\u00a0 Public safety and health would be negatively impacted, causing law-abiding and tax-paying residents to flee the city. Individuals encountering housing difficulties should connect to the appropriate services to obtain safe and livable housing, while others who prefer the outdoors should find them where they exist. The city\u2019s budget is already strained, diverting funds to new unproductive initiatives is unwise.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ibolya Balog, Allentown<\/p>\n
Mackenzie is right about taxes on tips, overtime<\/p>\n
As someone who has worked in the restaurant industry for years, I want to thank U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie for supporting no taxes on tips or overtime. For many of us, tips and overtime aren\u2019t extra income; they\u2019re how we afford to put a roof over our heads, food on the table and clothes on our back. Allowing tipped workers to deduct up to $25,000 in tip income from federal taxes and overtime workers to deduct up to $12,500 in overtime income means more money stays in the pockets of the people who earned it. This is a commonsense policy that recognizes the realities of working Americans. I\u2019m grateful to see leaders like Ryan Mackenzie who actually understand how hard people in the service industry work every day.<\/p>\n
\u2014 George Rivera, Allentown<\/p>\n
Trump goes morally lower<\/p>\n
Donald Trump has proven once again, that he has no bottom; when we think he can go no lower, he proves us wrong. His latest unhinged rant about Pope Leo is disgusting. His portrayal of himself as Jesus Christ is blasphemy. He then lies and tells us he was portraying himself as a doctor, and the media is to blame. His Easter \u201cmessage\u201d was profane. This is all after his disgusting post about Robert Mueller, a decorated war hero and lifelong public servant. There are many, many more instances that I could cite from the last 10 years: hateful and bigoted language and lies about immigrants, ignorant comments regarding John McCain, mocking a disabled reporter, his racist birtherism lies about Barack Obama. The list goes on. If this were a CEO, they would be asked to step down. A coach or a teacher espousing this lunacy would be fired. A relative would be subjected to an intervention. Enough. This is like being ruled by a mad king. There is no low for him; what about us?<\/p>\n
\u2014 Ann Haymaker, Hellertown<\/p>\n
Pope should speak about Iran\u2019s actions<\/p>\n
Many wish that President Trump would not be in such open disagreement with Pope Leo XIV over the conflict in Iran, and most are not surprised by the pope\u2019s focus on peace. However, while understanding the pope\u2019s desire for a favorable outcome via only peaceful means \u2014 which I believe to be unrealistic \u2014 we should recall the reluctance of Pope Pius XII to loudly condemn the Nazi regime as it was committing atrocities and building strength during the mid-to-late 1930s.<\/p>\n
Pius, while publicly reticent, did encourage efforts helpful to those under Nazi threat, and perhaps there was a logic to his approach. But when world leaders are reluctant to lead forcefully or loudly, such reluctance can spread, and in Pius\u2019s case may have contributed in some measure to\u00a0 the delayed response by the U.S. and others. We are all aware of the horrific outcome for the Jewish community. While we should not expect Pope Leo to lead as a warrior, he is missing an opportunity to apply his moral authority toward saving current and future lives when he so openly opposes President Trump\u2019s efforts to deal with the world\u2019s chief sponsor of terrorism and dedicated developer of nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n
\u2014 James Sorensen, Salisbury Township<\/p>\n
Voting in primaries is easy in Pennsylvania<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t understand all the fuss about open primaries in Pennsylvania. Any Pennsylvania voter can already vote in any primary she chooses, simply by registering for that primary at least eight days before the election, which takes all of five minutes online and requires no documentation if already registered.<\/p>\n
This year, all competitive primaries in my district are on the Democratic Party side of the ballot, so I have registered as a Democrat. Whenever Donald Trump was on the ballot, I registered as a Republican \u2014 because that was the best way to keep Trump from ever getting to the general election.\u00a0 And if more staunch independents had done the same, perhaps he would not be president today.<\/p>\n
When you register for one party or the other, you are not declaring an identity; you are simply telling the Board of Elections which primary you\u2019d like to vote in.<\/p>\n
Stop wasting your time complaining about open primaries, when you can already vote in any primary you choose. All you have to do is ask.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Zachariah Cobrinik, Lower Nazareth Township<\/p>\n
76ers are playing disappointing basketball<\/p>\n
I have been a basketball fan for 60 years. The 76ers have not won a title since 1983 and have not been to the finals in 25 years. Their fans were chanting \u201cwe want Boston\u201d as they were beating the inept Magic on April 15. The team was so inspired by that chant that it just went out and lost by 32 points in the first game of the first round of the playoffs Sunday, and looked dreadful doing it. The team needs new ownership, a new general manager, a new coach and at least nine new players. The performance of this organization over the past 25 years has been nothing shy of disgraceful.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Andrew Kahn, Allentown<\/p>\n