Letters to the Editor | Feb. 12, 2023

No wonder local taxes increase: Communities know the value of investing in public education (increased home values, more business, better quality of life, student success, safety, and well-being) much more than faraway politicians in Harrisburg who value rhetoric much more than relief. Pennsylvania’s paltry share of public education funding ranks at the national bottom, recently rising to 43rd thanks to an influx of federal relief dollars that pulled it up from 47th place. Most of the state’s mid-20th century schools are literally crumbling as communities can’t afford to invest in modern, safe facilities due to the state abandoning its obligations over the last two decades. These are the facts. Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer’s ruling declaring the state’s school funding system unconstitutional is a clarion call that the commonwealth needs commonsense and genuinely bipartisan solutions that rise far above a status quo that, currently, only promises diminishing returns for taxpayers, families, and students.

Jonathan Kassa, director, North Penn school board

It was very disrespectful for Republicans to heckle President Joe Biden during his State of the Union speech. It was probably even more disrespectful of Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, in her GOP response, to say that Biden was not fit to be president. My response to this ultimate lack of politeness is to suggest they take the time to read the best-selling book by John Dickerson, a former White House staffer. It is appropriately titled, The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency, and describes the job as being commander in chief, chief executive, chief diplomat, chief legislator, chief of party, chief voice of the people, first responder, chief priest, and world leader. I agree with Dickerson that it is a very hard job for anyone to undertake, and the president’s detractors should show the respect that the office rightly deserves.

Edwin E. Scully, Philadelphia, edwinscully2@verizon.net

Colorectal cancer is the second deadliest cancer among men and women combined in the U.S., yet only 59.6% of people living in New Jersey are up-to-date on screening. That is why my husband, Joe, a 23-year firefighter and cancer survivor, and I testified before the New Jersey Legislature to support legislation that would increase access to colorectal cancer screening. Backed by national nonprofit Fight Colorectal Cancer and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, we testified in favor of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Cost Sharing Removal Act, which requires health insurers to cover colorectal cancer screening beginning at age 45 and removes out-of-pocket costs for people needing a colonoscopy after a positive noninvasive screening test. I am happy to say that on Feb. 2, Gov. Phil Murphy signed the bill into law.

Theresa Maschke, Mount Laurel

Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.