Letters: Best choice for judge; Letter had concerning tone

Editor’s note: The CDT welcomes letters endorsing candidates in the primary election and will accept letters that are received by May 11. Letters are subject to editing, must be based on facts and should avoid attacks on other candidates.

Best choice for judge

Commitment to community and ethical standards mean a lot to me. I believe Julia Rater, candidate for judge in Centre County, exemplifies these values.

During 27 years practicing law in Centre County, Julia has sustained an impressive record of community involvement — serving on the board of directors for three agencies (Strawberry Fields, Tides and Bellefonte EMS), volunteering for Special Olympics and serving in multiple roles with local sports programs and State College Area High School (e.g., Park Forest Swim Team concession stand coordinator, board member for Centre Lacrosse, booster club president for State High girls lacrosse).

Julia’s knowledge and respect for the law are evident. She has publicly stated her strong values regarding ethical standards and the Code of Judicial Conduct, noting that a judge’s role is to make decisions based solely on the law and facts, without considering the views or preference of the electorate. She pledges to follow the rules with integrity and without bias.

A respected colleague told me that Julia never wavers from what is right. She describes Julia’s best assets as ability to listen, pay close attention to details and show compassion for others. Such personal qualities, significant knowledge and legal experience in Centre County, and deep involvement in the community are qualities needed for Judge. These assets describe Julia Rater — best choice for Judge.

Julia is listed on Democratic and Republican ballots. Join me in casting your vote for Julia Rater.

Linda Higginson, Ferguson Township

Letter had concerning tone

For more than a decade, I have had nothing but the highest respect for Ron Filippelli. He was the trusted friend and counselor of my mentor, the late Susan Welch, and as mayor, he kept the borough going through the worst of the COVID years. It was with a sadness verging on horror that I read his April 24 letter to the editor. In it, while endorsing Julia Rater for judge, he seems to violate the newspaper’s injunction to “avoid attacks on other candidates.” On the most charitable reading, Ron is asking us to endorse the kind of clubby, hand-shaking insider politics that ensure that nothing ever changes and inequities persist. More realistically, he has penned a nativist attack on a judicial candidate who happens to be of South Asian descent. Gopal Balachandran has lived in State College for almost a decade. His children have been raised here. He teaches at Penn State law, leads a criminal justice law clinic, and has extensive experience as a public defender. Our Court of Common Pleas needs a judge with a criminal justice background: someone who believes that women have a right to autonomy over their own bodies, that the disadvantaged should enjoy equality before the law, and that the courts serve the citizenry, not just power and wealth. Ron and I both have surnames that disclose clear ethnic roots that were once targets for nativist vitriol, for which there should no longer be a place. We live in a small town. We need not be small-minded.

Michael Kulikowski, State College

Voters should hear from candidates

I am deeply disturbed but sadly unsurprised to learn that SCASD school board candidate Megan Layng was caught photographing books in the State High library. Three days later she was quietly removed from the United4SCASD slate and has continued her campaign solo. Fellow candidate Michelle Young, United4SCASD founder and chair, has declined to comment. Perhaps she is hoping you won’t notice that in 2021 United4SCASD accepted $10,000 from Back to School PA, a political action committee founded by Doylestown venture capitalist Paul Martino with support from billionaire Jeff Yass. This PAC bankrolled the takeover of the Central Bucks school board by anti-mask advocates who subsequently passed a “book challenge” policy that is “evaluating” over 65 books, many with LGBTQ and race-related themes. I would love to know their beliefs about books in schools but Ms. Young and Ms. Layng declined to participate in the League of Women Voters Candidates Night where this very topic was addressed! Ms. Layng declined to answer questions for the CDT while Ms. Young provided five-word answers to every question followed by a link to her Facebook page. These are not the actions of people who are committed to transparency and the open exchange of ideas. We should elect candidates who have proven themselves willing to stand in the public eye and state their beliefs and intentions. Vote on May 16! Don’t be lulled into complacency — what happened in Central Bucks can happen in SCASD.

Micaela Hayes, State College