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THE TIMES LEADER www.timesleader.com
SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2011 PAGE 11A
Editorial
STATE OPINION: DRILLING TAX
Public deserves Shale incentive
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before legislating on drillers a ENNSYLVANIANS should be eager to severance tax or even the more take advantage of the politically palatable “impact cheaper fuel that is the fee,” want to spend public dolnatural gas locked inside Mar- lars to subsidize the industry. Among the proposals are cellus Shale. And more of them would if they felt state govern- House Bill 1083 by Stan Saylor ment were dealing evenhand- of York County, which would edly with the industry – by not create tax credits for private just welcoming its jobs and fleets to reduce the cost of natlower-cost energy, but also giv- ural gas vehicles; and HB 1085 by Kathy Watson ing strong oversight of Bucks County, to drilling and tax- The latest evidence which would ing its output in a give loans to way that’s compara- of government large transit sysble to other states. coddling is tems for buying But the House, “Marcellus Works,” natural gas busSenate and Goverseven House bills es. nor’s Office, now All things becontrolled by Re- unveiled on April 6 ing equal, it’s publicans, are tak- … hard to oppose ing a lopsided apincentives for usproach. They are shielding this robust industry ing new technologies that will from taxation, letting a devel- cut transit costs, reduce air polopment official expedite job-re- lution and stimulate business. lated permits (including those But we’re not sure it is equal. for gas drilling) and giving a From their narrow perspective, political appointee (not field Marcellus Shale executives inspectors) the final say over must be tickled that, at the vewhether drillers get charged ry moment Harrisburg is giving them a pass on a severance with violations. The latest evidence of gov- tax, it wants to throw millions ernment coddling is “Marcel- of public dollars their way. The grants, loans and tax lus Works,” seven House bills unveiled on April 6 that would credits of Marcellus Works will provide $47.5 million in tax certainly work for the industry. credits, grants and loans to What doesn’t work for Pennsylspur the consumption and use vanians is the lack of comparaof natural gas from Marcellus ble zeal by Republicans for acShale. We would have thought countability and taxability of the low price of such energy businesses that can have a profrom having the “new Saudi found impact on the state’s air, Arabia” in Pennsylvania would water and landscape. have been incentive enough. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Instead, House Republicans,
QUOTE OF THE DAY “There’s a sense of excitement that you can’t really put a word to.” David Cameron Britain’s prime minister acknowledged Friday’s wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William provided people the world over a rare opportunity to indulge their fascination with the royal family.
OTHER OPINION: ‘BIRTHERS’
Quelling mistrust born of ignorance
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RESIDENT OBAMA had little choice in releasing his long-form birth certificate, although it’s unlikely to satisfy the conspiracy crowd. The insane conversation over Obama’s place of birth was growing louder, fueled irresponsibly by Donald Trump. As if to heighten the absurdity, Trump took “credit” Wednesday for forcing the president to release the document. The “birther” conversation is a return to the days of the “KnowNothing” party – nativists who prided themselves on whipping up fears that the country was being overrun by German and Irish Catholic immigrants. Such prejudice, in its current sick form, presumes Obama to be a foreign Muslim sleeper-agent bent on the destruction of the United States.
For the record, the long-form birth certificate proves what rational people already accepted: Barack Hussein Obama is a U.S. citizen. He was born at 7:24 p.m. on Aug. 4,1961, at Kapiolani Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father was a citizen of Kenya; his 18-year-old mother was a U.S. citizen. Hawaii, by the way, gained statehood Aug. 21, 1959. The truly sad part of this episode is that Obama is trying to reason with the unreasonable. The people who despise him won’t be satisfied. Obama has made a startling concession to the forces of fear and ignorance. It should not have been necessary. But the move was within his control, and the lunacy would only have grown louder had he not taken this step. The Philadelphia Inquirer
EDITORIAL BOARD RICHARD L. CONNOR Editor and Publisher JOSEPH BUTKIEWICZ Vice President/Executive Editor
MALLARD FILLMORE
MARK E. JONES Editorial Page Editor PRASHANT SHITUT President/Wilkes-Barre Publishing Co.
MAIL BAG
LETTERS FROM READERS
Education cuts needed to control overspending
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ritics of Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed 2011-12 budget say that Corbett is calling for drastic spending cuts. Nothing could be further from the truth. Corbett’s plan reduces spending only 3.1 percent from the current budget. Spending cuts are badly needed in Pennsylvania after eight years of reckless spending under former Gov. Ed Rendell. Much of the criticism directed at Corbett’s budget proposal is over the education cuts. Many critics say that education funding should not be cut at all. What these critics are overlooking is that education is the most expensive item in the state budget. Pennsylvania spends approximately $11.5 billion on education out of a total budget of about $28.2 billion. Do the math; this is more than 40 percent of the budget. No cuts to the most costly item in the budget will result in the overall budget not being reduced at all. What also tends to get overlooked is that the state education budget has been increasing at a drastic and unsustainable rate for a long time. Every year for at least 15 years the education budget has been increased, and most of these annual increases have been above the rate of inflation, at times far above. Corbett has the right plan; getting education spending under control will actually enhance education in the long run. Willie Speare Scranton
W-B facelift will continue if Leighton is re-elected
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t wasn’t all that long ago, 2003 to be exact, that the heart of the city of Wilkes-Barre, the downtown, was a ghost town. With the election of Mayor Tom Leighton, 2004 saw the first positive steps toward what we have today: new street lights, an efficient intermodal center and no canopy – which gave the town a much needed facelift. We also have Movies 14 and a state office building. Both those accomplishments bring numerous people to our downtown each day. We have many new businesses, loft apartments and a new Main Street streetscape, plus additional parking on the Square and at the new intermodal center. In addition, while no one can stop anyone, including “undesirable elements,” from coming into the city, our expanded modern police force has become a priority for the Leighton administration and an effective, professional line of defense against crime.
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All the good things listed above are a far cry from the dark, dingy, unsafe downtown presented to local residents and visitors before 2004. We have what we do today because of the experienced leadership and foresight of Tom Leighton, who knows how to work with city council and other leading civic groups and individuals for the greater good of our home, Wilkes-Barre. Keep the progress going; please vote for Tom Leighton on Election Day, May 17. Gerald Norakus Jr. Wilkes-Barre
Teleconference explores stress as a global issue
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n April 18, the psychology department at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre hosted an international teleconference that focused on global mental health, with particular attention on stress, anxiety and trauma. The interactive conference was part of the United Nations Academic Impact initiative, a program using the resources of colleges and universities around the world to discuss global issues. Nearly 600 colleges, universities and organizations have joined this U.N. initiative. (Visit www.academicimpact.org and www.facebook.com/ ImpactUN.) Institutions from around the world joined our discussion. Many of the questions were relevant to local issues: How do people cope with stress from environmental threats? How does one deal with stigma attached to mental illness? How does one find help for emotional issues? Can stress, anxiety or depression be treated without relying on psychiatric medication? What about moving to another country? Should one maintain traditions, language and habits, or seek total assimilation into the adopted country? Our teleconference reminded us that psychological stress is common to all people, and the anxiety, fear and depression that can result from stress are universal human emotions. No matter what our culture, we must confront these emotions or our psychological health will suffer (www.subtlesuicide.com). We in the psychology department at King’s College intend to continue reaching
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out on local, national and international levels to partner with others to discuss these issues, and we invite those interested to contact us via email at this address: charlesbrooks@kings.edu. Charles Brooks Michael Church and Jess Kohlert Psychology Department King’s College Wilkes-Barre
Name change of Altoona: A sellout or savvy move?
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he city council of Altoona recently made a deal with filmmaker Morgan Spurlock to temporarily change the name of Altoona to “POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” for the asking price of $25,000. The money will go to the Altoona police department. Spurlock made the purchase to create a statement in his documentary concerning product placement in film and media. From this recent transaction, it is apparent that product placement can extend beyond the boundaries of just cinema. William Schirf, the mayor of Altoona (the town formally known as Altoona, that is), appeared absolutely ecstatic over the deal. “We knew it would be a fantastic opportunity to showcase our city,” Schirf said in one interview. Schirf claims that the name change will bring publicity to the city, but to what effect? Although the city will be labeled under its “sponsored name” for 60 days, there will not be any substantial alterations made to accommodate this change. Highway signs will remain unaltered. Also, letterheads will still read the same. With the exception of a few commemorations within the city itself, how much publicity will the city truly receive? One other notion to acknowledge is publicity might not always be a positive thing. One website had the story under its “weird news” category. Is this the publicity to which Mayor Schirf was referring? Is selling the rights to a name worth a financial incentive? Could the $25,000 have gone to a better use besides the police force (i.e. tax breaks, education, hospitals or even in the hands of the residents personally)? Finally, what does this prove concerning advertising? If a city is “openly” willing to sell its name – a part of its culture, identity and history – for a few extra bucks, where is the line drawn? Will people start selling their own names or their newborn child’s name for cash? “McDonald’s: I’m Lovin’ It” Smith does not particularly roll off the tongue for me. Brian Yermal Jr. Rice Township