Ban electric scooters from roads
If the Legislature does not ban electric scooters from Pennsylvania’s roads many children will be maimed and killed.
Misinformed politicians and bureaucrats think that electric scooters are a viable means of transportation. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are no “rules of the road” for scooters, and no infrastructure for them.
Electric scooters are toys, and, at best, belong in parks. They should be banned from the roads. Yet, Sen. Kearney thinks a new law will protect the children. I’m sure he has good intentions, but good intentions will not save children’s lives. https://pasenate.com/sen-tim-kearney-officially-introduces-abbys-law-to-improve-e-scooter-safety/
When (not if) a motor vehicle has an accident with an electric scooter that injures or kills a child, the vehicle operator will be found to be at fault, no matter the facts of the accident. Efforts will be made to punish drivers, not the parents who let their children irresponsibly use an electric scooter.
When do children exercise good judgment? They are not mature enough to take responsibility for their own safety. They will put themselves in jeopardy as well as everyone else on the road.
Ban electric scooters from Pennsylvania roads.
Tom McCarey
Berwyn
Microsoft should keep Windows 10 going
Electronic waste is the fastest-growing waste stream globally. A major reason for this is that many manufacturers of electronics design their devices in ways that have built in obsolescence.
A current example of this challenge is the fact that Microsoft is proposing to end its automatic support for Windows 10. Without this free, easily accessible support and updates, it’s estimated that up to 400 million computers may become obsolete.
This shortsighted decision by Microsoft is unacceptable and must be reversed. Many of the computers affected are helping give people a leg up in education or in the job market. Cutting off support makes the digital divide worse and dooms an untold number of working computers to the scrap heap.
Pennsylvanians should speak up and call on Microsoft to reverse course and continue to offer free support for Windows 10, the product that they sold to millions of Americans. Concerned Pennsylvanians can email Microsoft directly on this issue through this simple tool created by PennPIRG at bit.ly/windows10pa. If enough concerned consumers speak up, hopefully Microsoft will listen and change course.
Kari Schmidt
PennPIRG
Protect ‘roadless’ natural spaces
The Allegheny National Forest is more than just a patch of trees; it’s the heart of Pennsylvania’s natural heritage. Earlier this month, Pennsylvania news outlets reported on the current administration’s plan to end the Roadless Rule, which would include the protection of 5% of the Allegheny National Forest. As Pennsylvania’s only national forest, it is a vital source of clean drinking water and outdoor recreation. This proposal would open up previously protected wild areas to new road building and large-scale logging.
During the brief 21-day public comment period, nearly half a million people weighed in opposing the rollback of the Roadless Rule. The broad pushback, from hunting groups and environmental groups, Democrats and Republicans, demonstrates just how much people adore these “roadless” natural spaces, like the Allegheny National Forest.
Pennsylvania’s forests and watersheds are irreplaceable as habitat, recreation areas and water quality protection. The U.S. Forest Service should see this overwhelming public opposition and keep the Roadless Rule in place for future generations.
Eli Booth
Fairmount
Audit the whole program
Again the healthcare boondoggle is man made by the Democrats. They temporarily passed enhanced tax credits for ACA in 2021 and set to expire at the end of this year. Well it’s time to pay the piper. Of course, just like every temporary program the government created, they want to make it permanent. If they left the program alone Biden’s 23% inflation would have done the same job and the insured wouldn’t be facing the large increase. What the Democrats want is for the taxpayers to bear the burden of this bill for these extremely bad insurance policies. Meanwhile, no one is asking the insurance companies what profits they are making. The government just keeps sending them checks, no questions asked. Before we start giving away any more money there should be a total audit of the whole program. Let’s see if the insured is getting the proper coverage for the amount of the payment. Auditing the insurance companies first for profits and secondly for providing poor coverage. This program has been running off the tracks since day one.
Richard Donofry
East Torresdale
Fascism is here
I have a knot in the pit of my stomach writing this essay. One of my favorite columnists, Will Bunch, of the Philadelphia Inquirer, once again wrote a powerful article. He outlined all the reasons why our country is now in the throes of fascism.
In Bunch’s article, he cites former Yale historian Timothy Snyder, who is now at the University of Toronto. Snyder opined, “Americans choose not to notice, look away as their neighbors and co-workers are swept up in immigration raids and their cities become militarized … ” On social media, I do see some Americans fighting back when they witness these raids. The sad reality, however, is that it falls on deaf ears.
I think the Sept. 30 meeting of 800 top U.S. military admirals and generals was a pivotal step toward Trump’s end goal. Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, delivered the stark message. The autonomy that the military enjoyed was over. The underlying gist was that they would now be controlled by their president, Donald Trump, the puppeteer, with Hegseth as the puppet.
Pete Hegseth addressed the military as if they were high school delinquents. He walked back and forth on stage like a comedian doing stand-up. The difference was that no one was laughing. All I saw were faces of concern and consternation.
In a nutshell, the purpose of the meeting became clear. The Department of Defense is now the Department of War. Our country is no longer a defensive entity; instead an offensive one. Every military member has to be physically ready for war. Hegseth will not tolerate out-of-shape warriors. He stated, “It’s completely unacceptable to see fat generals and admirals in the halls of the Pentagon.”
The military brass sat at attention, in full uniform, with their medals shining. They had each earned the upper ranks of their respective branches. But on this day, a man who faked bone spurs to avoid the draft had their future in his hands.
Of course, true to form, Trump appeared on stage after Hegseth. He delivered an incoherent speech that lasted over an hour. Hegseth took a seat among the military to listen. There really was nothing inherently wrong with that move, but to me it seemed highly inappropriate. Hegseth looked like he didn’t belong in those seats, and I believe he was not welcomed.
As Will Bunch wrote: “the similarities between Germany in the early 1930s and the United States of today are piling up.”
What a frightening truth.
Patty O’Donnell
Pennypack
