Letters to the Editor for July 31

PennDOT should be prudent with our tax dollars

Regarding PennDOT’s proposed cloverleaf/interchange for Route 413 that will direct traffic from the Route 1 superhighway into the small, historic town of Langhorne Borough, there have been so many reasons brought forth for not constructing the cloverleaf.

Many have written about the safety threats it would pose for residents (many with young children) wanting to go to the playground and public library and the negative impact that the documented increased traffic will have on the foundations of two churches (one of which is historic, dating back to the early 1800s). The local business association sees the proposed project as a serious threat to the vitality of small businesses in town. Then there are the adverse health effects of increased air pollution due to very congested traffic that the cloverleaf will bring into the residential area. Local civic and non-profit organizations in town have written of the threats posed by cloverleaf on their culturally enriching programs in our historic town. In short, there is a surfeit of reasons the cloverleaf/interchange onto Route 413 in Langhorne Borough should not be constructed.

What is missing is any reason PennDOT has proffered to go through with this project. This cloverleaf/interchange project seems to be a solution that is searching for a problem to solve.

What a waste of taxpayers’ money, especially given the documented effects the project will have on historic Langhorne Borough. With all the crumbling infrastructure concerns in our commonwealth, including roads and bridges in need of serious repairs, everyone — including PennDOT — would be much better served by spending our tax dollars on these well-known problems instead of creating new ones.

Stop the cloverleaf/interchange.

Barry Truchil

Langhorne Borough

Tell Pat Toomey to stop holding up the PACT Act

The Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act) is a bipartisan piece of legislation that will invest almost $280 billion over 10 years to boost medical and disability benefits for veterans across the country. It would also finally establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to exposure from toxic burn pit smoke. This type of burn pit has been used in war zones to dispose of various types of toxic waste. The PACT Act also invests billions of dollars into hiring more Veterans Administration staff — which includes more medical staff, and more staff for benefit processing. Poor monitoring and inconsistent data from the Department of Defense has prevented thousands of veterans from receiving disability benefits for rare illnesses that are linked to their military experience and exposure to these toxic pits. The PACT Act will ensure our veterans receive the care they deserve.

But one of Pennsylvania’s senators — Pat Toomey — is single-handedly stalling the bill over a technicality. The bill was advanced by a bipartisan vote of 84-14, but Sen. Toomey will not allow unanimous consent. The longer the bill is delayed, the longer veterans will have to wait receive the care needed to treat the illness they contracted during their service to our nation.

Go to https://www.toomey.senate.gov/contact/email-senator-toomey to tell Sen. Toomey to stop using our veterans as political toys, and to let the PACT Act advance.

Tim Hayes

Dublin

Kinzinger, Cheney are true patriots

After viewing all the hearings of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, I would like to give respect and honor to Representative Adam Kinzinger from my home state of Illinois and especially Representative Liz Cheney for her fearless leadership in defense of our democracy.

I can only wish that my congressman had the same level of affection for democracy and the courage to defend it that these two Republicans have shown. As Thomas Paine wrote in Common Sense in December of 1776 during the Continental Army’s darkest hour:

“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”

Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger have my love and thanks. No sunshine patriots, they.

Keith Pacheco

Langhorne

This article originally appeared on The Intelligencer: Letters: PennDOT should mind our tax dollars; Toomey thwarts PACT Act