Letters to the Editor - 11/4/2009

Certify judges

Editor: Local candidates for judge claimed to be better qualified than their opponents when, in fact, neither had yet been qualified to sit on the bench. Winners are slowly trained after attending numerous classes in judicial schools.

The winning candidate will be groomed over time to sit on the bench.

Attorneys, although knowledgeable of various areas of the law, are not yet qualified to sit on the bench.

Candidates for judicial vacancies ought to be required to become certified to sit as a judge prior to running for election. Then their claims of competency might be considered by the voters.

The Lackawanna County bar knows this, yet the bar's former presidents countered the president judge's announcement that the new judge will be assigned to family court matters.

The bar is not the sovereign. The people are.

JOE CATERINA

PECKVILLE

Festival delights

Editor: When Gertrude Berg, the star of the 1940s sitcom "The Goldbergs," greeted viewers, she would say "Hello . . . such a small word, such a big feeling!" The people who attended the second Northeastern Pennsylvania Jewish Film Festival on Oct. 24 and 25 got a big feeling; they saw great films, met a 20th century renaissance man and got to know their neighbors in a very special way.

The film festival presented eight award-winning films, ranging from short documentaries to full-length dramatic features, and honored Theodore Bikel, who attended the gala closing dinner, with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

The festival also made history - it was the first Jewish film festival in the United States to present "Constantine's Sword," a film based on the book by James Carroll. What makes the screening of this film about the history of Catholic/Christian anti-Semitism even more extraordinary is that it was presented in partnership with the Office of Inter-Religious Affairs of the Diocese of Scranton. The Rev. Philip Altavilla, the office's director, was honored at a dessert reception following the screening, along with film discussion panelists, Rabbi Jan Katzew, Oren Jacoby, who directed the film, and the Rev. John Palikowski, who appears in the film.

Congratulations to Carol Nelson Dembert and Laney Ufberg, the chairwoman and vice chairwoman, for their hard work in making the festival such a success.

PETER CHAPLA

SCRANTON

Swift collar

Editor: My wife and I thank the Blakely Police Department for its quick response and thorough follow-up to the robbery at our PJ's Home Center in Peckville on Oct. 26. Thanks to the hard work of the officers involved, the suspected responsible parties were apprehended.

While I still think of Peckville as the town where my wife's grandmother never had to lock her doors, times have changed. It is good to know that the Blakely Police Department can keep up with these times.

ALLAN and ANN FARIAS

Peckville

Special treatment

Editor: It turns out that health insurance companies have been blessed for decades with an exemption from antitrust laws, effectively enabling their price fixing and blocking of other insurers in "their" areas. Can you believe this?

It took Sen. Charles Schumer's outburst to reveal how Congress has been hurting us royally for a very long time by giving these monsters a free ticket to violate antitrust laws, block competition and overcharge us so they could pad that $80 billion in profits. It is a free pass that should have been revoked years ago. Apparently, this antitrust exemption dates back to the 1940s, a time well before abject greed kicked in with respect to health care. Those who remember the 1970s recall how inexpensive and consumer-friendly health insurance was. Nobody had to get pre-approval for a procedure. Nobody was thrown out of the hospital before they were ready to leave. There was no such thing as a "pre-existing" condition. If you needed a doctor, you went to see your doctor. Then the insurance company paid most of the bill and you were left with a small balance.

It is absolutely astounding that over the last 15 years Congress knew this antitrust exemption still existed while people suffered, but Congress did nothing about it.

That means Democrats and Republicans together ignored our needs. Reversing this 1940s exemption that was unneeded and harmful to Americans could have solved a large part of the problem. Competition would have opened up, price fixing would have been history, and we wouldn't be in the position we are today. Yet, Congress did nothing.

And even now, the people they purport to serve are expecting this new legislation to bring more grief. Nonetheless, it will be pushed through ... just as Obama's nomination was pushed and the stimulus package was pushed.

PAM CLIFFORD

GOULDSBORO

Don't add to debt

Editor: The people have said "no" loudly and clearly to government public health care and growth of government to add to our national debt.

One member of Congress, a proponent of the government plans for takeover of the health care system and all accompanying spending, was asked if he had read the bill. He replied he did not and that no one can understand it.

When a lawmaker makes a bizarre statement like that, is it any wonder that support for the proposals are dwindling, and the approval rating for Congress is near an all-time low?

JOHN P. YOUNG

CARBONDALE

Right fight

Editor: It is time for our president to make a move on Afghanistan.

Mr. Obama pledged during his campaign that he would support the fight we are enduring in this country. He should keep his word and send the necessary power to minimize the bloodshed of our troops.

He should make a decision worthy of his position as commander in chief. Stop wasting precious time.

Perhaps, as he said, Iraq was a blunder made by his predecessor. This may be evident by the recent violence that has escalated in that country.

I don't agree. I feel the approach was wrong but that we picked the right fight there.

But he should be a leader and make a decision based on what his military leaders have reported is required. Let's not wait until Afghanistan's politicians settle a dispute that is equivalent to an episode of "The Sopranos."

The Pakistan Army is making progress against the Taliban on the Afghan border.

Now is the time to re-enforce the move against these radicals. Let's not forget that what occurred on 9/11 was the motivation to take action against the animals that perpetrated that attack and those who supported those barbarians.

Make a move, Mr. President!

BILLY MUSSARI

Vandling