OUR OPINION Diamonds & Coal
First Posted:
to those people who write letters to the editor. It takes guts to sign your name to an opinion, and an abundance of civic-minded citizens keep the Opinion page full of life. In an era where anonymous online comments degrade public discourse, we’re fortunate to have letter writers who care passionately about local issues. (And diamonds to the reader who suggested we write this diamond and the following coal.)
— conversely — to those who opt to ignore civic matters. In a world where voter turnout is low and non-voter complaining is high, it’s discouraging that typically only a quarter of registered voters take the time to head to the polls. It’s frustrating that so many people complain about elected officials when so few actually spend the 10 minutes to do something about it.
to Stephanie Jallen. Our hometown hero met President Barack Obama on Thursday, part of a whirlwind publicity tour in light of her strong showing at the 2014 Winter Paralympics, where she competed on Team USA. The Harding resident might be only 5’4” and 119 pounds, but she’s brought quite a bit of Luzerne County gravitas to the White House. We’re immensely proud of Stephanie and all that she’s accomplished.
to Jay Zupa. The new Nanticoke city manager was supposed to report to work on March 24. But he didn’t. Instead, he turned down the job at the last minute, apparently to begin working for a realty company in Boston. Zupa attended the March 5 meeting at which he was named city manager, but didn’t show up at the next meeting on March 19.
to the Wilkes-Barre Area Career & Technical Center. Its trade programs were endorsed by the Pennsylvania Builders Association. That endorsement follows a thorough review and evaluation by people working in the construction industry using criteria established by the National Association of Home Builders. The endorsement is being hailed as a “huge step forward” by Sean Moran, an adviser at the CTC.
to Wilkes-Barre City Council. Its members recently adopted new rules regarding public input at council meetings, requiring would-be speakers to register before the start of the 6 p.m. sessions. The new policy becomes effective with Thursday’s meeting. The move seems aimed at limiting residents’ feedback rather than encouraging participation from more people in this working-class city, some of whom might be hard-pressed to leave their jobs and get to City Hall before the meeting gets underway. A representative with the Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association said the new mandate “sounds unnecessarily restrictive.” To us, it sounds like someone’s trying to make meetings more convenient, and perhaps less contentious, for the few, at the expense of democracy for the many.
