Letters to the Editor - 6/10/2009

Open primaries to all voters

Editor: I concur with your May 24 editorial, "Open polls to all voters," as well as the letter by Mark Balsam of Independent Pennsylvanians that appeared in the June 4 edition. The time is long past for the annual primary to be open to all registered voters statewide.

All registered voters who pay state taxes, not just those registered as Democrat or Republican, finance the primaries, yet 11.8 percent of electors are disenfranchised every spring. This occurs despite that candidates for school board and judicial posts can and do cross-file, while many other candidates run write-in campaigns for the opposite party nomination, essentially sewing up the election and making the November ballot a moot point.

Third parties and independents can get on the ballot in November, but they face an uphill battle, as ballot access is much more difficult, especially for statewide offices.

Allowing only Democrats and Republicans access to the polls is patently absurd.

To be admitted to the primary, a party must have a membership totaling at least 15 percent of the electorate. How do Independents, who have neither a party, nor the obvious desire to form or join one (essentially defeating the purpose of being independent) manage to qualify?

Since leaving the Republican party to become an Independent, I have spoken with many people about becoming Independents or having open primaries. Most have agreed with opening the primary and admit they registered with one or the other "major" parties solely so they could participate in the primary. They would welcome the opportunity to be able to vote for the best candidate, regardless of party affiliation, and they do not trust that a write-in vote will be recognized, or really matter when the votes are tallied in November.

It is obvious, especially as more people register Independent, that the primaries must be opened and the requirements for ballot access equalized.

If the two "major" parties disagree, they can take their primary or other nomination process private and forgo public financing. They would be doing the majority of taxpayers, the ones who fail to participate already, a favor by lessening the state's budget burden.

DAVID KVERAGAS

Newton Township

Coverage noted

Editor: Thank you for the attention paid to the next-to-last Wyoming Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church held last week in Scranton. At this conference three men and two young women were ordained as elders. One of them was Sarah Baron from Clarks Green.

Next year's shortened conference will be a sad time for many of the pastors and lay delegates who have friendships across the New York and Pennsylvania borders.

It will also be the beginning of new relationships which may improve our ability to serve our church members. Many UMC churches are in small, close-knit, rural areas with few other opportunities for fellowship and recreation.This is one of the reasons that even tiny congregations are able to continue serving their neighbors.

The members of these churches greatly appreciate the coverage from The Scranton Times-Tribune and its local weeklies.

Because there are many Protestant denominations in our area, they do not constitute as cohesive a body to report on as the Roman Catholic church. However their total membership is a large part of your readership and deserves recognition also. You may be sure that it is noticed and appreciated.

RUTH WARBURTON

Clarks Summit

lay delegate

United Methodist Church

Good deterrent

Editor: Regarding John Ciabocchi's June 8 letter opposing new taxes on tobacco products: I think the tax should be doubled. It might dissuade the younger generation from taking up the stupid habit.

Use of tobacco products leads to cancer and other diseases. Reducing the damage done by tobacco use is more important than keeping a few people working.

The tax would be used to pay for health insurance for people who can't afford it.

LEN KATO SR.

PECKVILLE

Clear intent

Editor: Sen. Bob Casey, in remarks intended to counter the facts laid out by the Commonwealth Foundation, namely that Pennsylvania school districts will get a dramatic increase in funding under the state Senate's counterproposal to Rendell's education funding plan, said, "They're cutting a hole out and filling it with federal recovery money, which was not the intent of that money."

Oh, really? The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ("stimulus bill") lists five purposes for the legislation; number five reads, "To stabilize state and local government budgets, in order to minimize and avoid reductions in essential services and counterproductive state and local tax increases." It sounds to me like the intent of the stimulus legislation was exactly to fill in the gap and avoid tax increases.

Several congressmen have admitted to not reading the bill in its entirety before voting on it, but this appears on page two.

Really, senator, you couldn't make it to page two?

JOE STERNS

Director of Communications and Special Projects

Commonwealth Foundation

Harrisburg

Back milk bill

Editor: Dairy farmers from across the nation are supporting Senate Bill 889. That is quite understandable because "The Federal Milk Marketing Improvement Act of 2009" introduced by Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey, finally offers a real solution to the dairy farmers' financial crisis without thwarting our free enterprise system.

At last, with S-889, dairy farmers can have their cost to produce raw milk included in the federal minimum pricing formula. With the bill, imports will be scrutinized to prevent unfair dumping of foreign dairy products into the U.S. to lower our dairy farmers' raw milk prices.

Many elected officials still do not realize how desperate conditions are down on the farm. Dairy farmers should contact their senators and congressmen and insist that the current dire financial crisis facing all dairy farmers necessitates emergency action on their part to place a floor price of $18 under all manufactured milk now.

Then, for a long-term solution to these low milk prices, urge them to sponsor and support S-889.

ARDEN TEWKSBURY

Progressive Agriculture

Meshoppen