Letters to the Editor | Feb. 27, 2025

The Pinelands, or Pine Barrens, as some call it, is a seemingly endless expanse of pine trees. Each time I drive through, I appreciate its beauty and fascination. Before European settlers arrived, a vast evergreen forest stretched from today’s North Carolina to Nova Scotia. The last remaining swath of that ecosystem sits in southern New Jersey — a short distance from Philadelphia. Around the 1960s, the Pinelands were threatened by development, including a massive jetport. Fortunately, conservation efforts led Congress to designate this million-acre area as one of America’s first national reserves. This Pinelands National Reserve is not only pleasing to the eyes, it also supports an abundance of wildflowers, lush fields, and a variety of birds and animals. In warm weather, there are many opportunities for day hikes, camping, and picnics. The Batona Trail traverses 52 miles of pine plains, passing abandoned cranberry bogs and 18th-century ghost towns. I find the Pine Barrens completely mesmerizing, an ocean of towering trees. It is truly a New Jersey treasure.

Ed Vreeswyk, Yardville

The latest power grab by Donald Trump involves firing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two high-ranking Navy and Coast Guard commanders. While this may be seen as targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts because Black and female leaders were fired, there is something much more sinister happening. The new chairman pick has allegedly pronounced his loyalty to Trump. Meanwhile, the U.S. Justice Department is testing prosecutors to verify their allegiance to the president. Trump aims to seize the U.S. military apparatus that gives him personal oversight on using force. This is the time-honored approach of every dictator who has taken over their country: to get control of military force for personal gain and power.

Greg Nowell, Narberth

I see the Republicans are once again making unsubstantiated accusations to justify their actions. Remember widespread voter fraud? After spending millions of dollars investigating voter fraud, there was no substance, yet they still cling to the accusation. Now they are claiming corruption as the reason to eliminate a variety of government agencies. Where is the proof? Shouldn’t there be audits before making wholesale firings? Will the newly vacant positions be filled with Trump supporters that will really be a “deep state” for decades to come? Donald Trump’s call to “stop the steal” applies more to him, Elon Musk, and the Republicans.

Timothy Walsh, Havertown

The Government Accountability Office report last year noted federal agencies estimated about $2.7 trillion in improper payments from 2003 to 2023. Let this sink in for those who are overly concerned about Donald Trump’s administrative overreach into sensitive Treasury payment systems: Trillions of our tax dollars have been lost through faulty payment systems. We must realize the problem is so vast that something radical is needed to overcome it. But at the same time, logic and compassion require that Trump should use a scalpel rather than the sledgehammer he is presently using. There are many reasonable ways to trim the federal budget, and the most logical way to cut the budget is to start where it is most bloated: the Pentagon. The Trump administration must focus on rooting out the massive, corruption-laden corporate giveaways that are part and parcel of our fiscal system for the Pentagon. Will the president now rein in military spending and fight the entrenched interests that have profited from endless wars?

Andrew Mills, Lower Gwynedd

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