Letters to the Editor

Legal woes not only deal concern

While Gov. Corbett would put Pennsylvania's 41-year-old lottery under the managerial control of a private British firm, disturbing revelations emerged even before state Attorney General Kathleen Kane stepped in ("Kane rejects Pa. lottery contract, citing constitutional grounds," Feb. 14).

Camelot Global Services officials made glowing pronouncements about how our lottery would thrive, with job offers for nearly all 230 lottery workers. But recent news reports from England revealed the company is laying off staffers and closing regional centers. At the same time, the reports noted that millions of dollars in bonuses went to senior executives.

With the lottery's record of success, I fail to understand why our governor wants to saddle it with foreign management for decades to come. And the more we find out, the more uneasy we should be with this privatization scheme.

State Sen. Richard A. Kasunic (D., Fayette/Somerset)

Israel has done its part for peace

Generations of Palestinian leaders, including the current titular head, never accepted Israeli peace offers or even the existence of Israel as the Jews' state - although multiple Israeli prime ministers, including Bibi Netanyahu, made offers to the Palestinians along the lines of what Amos Yadlin suggests ("Bold proposals for the Mideast," Feb. 7).

Well, Israel turned over Gaza to the Palestinians, forcefully removing all its citizens, only to see Gaza controlled by Hamas - another source of violence in a region with no shortage of trouble spots.

Should President Obama once more pressure Israel? That's too much of an optimistic view. If fixing the Mideast were that easy, it would have happened decades ago.

John R. Cohn, Philadelphia

Low-tax route to state prosperity

For the last several years in Pennsylvania, we have tried repeatedly to tax, borrow, and spend our way to prosperity - and this approach failed miserably ("Would-be Pa. Gov: Cut wages, pensions, taxes to boost prosperity," Feb. 4). President Ronald Reagan was right that we can grow government or the economy, but we cannot grow both.

The evidence compiled by the Commonwealth Foundation shows irrefutably that lower-spending, lower-taxing states with voluntary unionism enjoy much better economic growth and a higher standard of living. That's why residents continue to flee our state in droves.

We can maintain the status quo and continue to have too few well-paying jobs, and suffer a crushing burden of state and local taxes, or we can chart a proven course to prosperity.

Bruce L. Castor Jr., Montgomery County commissioner

No magic to judicial appointment

It's wrong to suggest that a Pennsylvania judge's ongoing trial for alleged wrongdoing during an election is a compelling reason to change the selection process for appellate judges ("Judicial elections lead to distrust of the courts," Jan. 26).

In other states that have switched to the so-called merit selection process of appointing judges from commission nominees, state bar and trial lawyer associations dominate these panels.

If we remove the election process, we can't guarantee that a judge won't break the law in some other way, nor will we remove politics and backroom deals. What we will do, by removing the election process, is eliminate the right of Pennsylvania voters to choose our judges.

Cheryl Hogstrom, Phoenixville

Naming names in '08 collapse

What would be troubling about the U.S. attorney general's fraud investigation of the Standard & Poor's rating agency would be if this were the only institutional fraud probe of the banking industry emanating from the 2008 financial collapse ("Troubling move on S&P," Feb. 12). But by the time this investigation is complete, the statute of limitations on fraud may indeed have passed to pursue the "too big to fail" institutional players, who, in fact, were the major instigators of the economic problems. What's more, the practice of slice-and-dice that created the troubled securities investments continues apace, despite the problems they cause in the marketplace.

Ben Burrows, Elkins Park

Delayed pensions, but no jobs?

I know people suggest that the eligibility age for Social Security and even Medicare be raised. But will there be jobs for people over 65? Will anyone want to hire 66-year-old pilots, train engineers, surgeons, bus drivers? If there are no jobs, and also no Social Security between ages 65 and 70 or older, what are people supposed to live on?

Maria Pappalardo, Bridgeton

Real threat of rapid-fire weapons

Writing on the Newtown, Conn., massacre, commentator George Parry urges that "lawmakers turn from their useless political posturing against scary-looking guns," but the Bushmaster .223 rifle used in the killings can shoot off 30 rounds in less than two minutes ("Taking aim at the wrong targets," Feb. 3). With such weapons, it is time to enact reasonable restrictions, including a limit on high-capacity magazines, as well as a requirement that firearms be locked, and a mandate to report stolen guns.

John Stevens, Cinnaminson

Clear last whiff of Prohibition

When the end of Prohibition was inevitable, then-Pennsylvania Gov. Gifford Pinchot determined that the state would carry on in the same spirit - making it as difficult as possible to purchase liquor. But while that might have been a well-intentioned social goal 70 years ago, in 2013 that argument has come down to this: Who should really sell alcohol?

Gov. Corbett is right: It is the private sector that will best handle selling wine and spirits. The state may regulate the industry and benefit from tax revenue, but it needs to get out of the way of free enterprise.

Karen Guerra, Blue Bell

Keep close watch on Sandy aid

Helping the victims of Sandy repair and rebuild their homes, and helping communities devastated by the storm, should be the only priority. We waited long enough for Congress to approve disaster relief funding for New Jersey and neighboring states. Now that the money is on the way, we have to do everything possible to make sure it is spent wisely.

State Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney's idea to have independent integrity monitors is not only good, it's essential ("Jersey's piggyback riders on the storm," Feb. 10). With so much money involved, we can't afford waste. The funds likely will be spent quickly because of the urgent need, but they should be spent honestly. Given the risk of attracting those who will do what they can to get a piece of the action, monitors who are independent of the political process will be a good safeguard against potential abuse. While Gov. Christie pledges state comptroller monitoring, Sweeney's plan should be adopted.

Patrick Spring, Elk Township committeeman, Monroeville