Letters: Local business shows kindness; Refiners get away with stealing from Americans
Local business shows kindness
My husband and I were in State College on Tuesday to pick up a few things at Target.
We always stop at Lupita’s Mexican Restaurant on West College Avenue because my husband loves the food.
He is a disabled veteran in a wheelchair. Normally I would run in and order but last time I was there I messed up so he wanted to come in and order himself.
The staff at this restaurant are so decent. They treated my husband so well I cannot begin to thank them. I wasn’t sure who to tell but thought if I wrote a letter to Centre Daily Times, it may go out in the paper so I can thank them for the kindness they showed. You see, I didn’t know until we were back in the van what they did for him.
People are good and that’s something we need to be reminded of these days.
Maureen Dunkle, Belleville
Refiners get away with stealing from Americans
A year ago, U.S. refineries were buying crude oil for $1.57 a gallon, and selling refined gasoline to gas stations and other suppliers for $2.16 — a 59 cent difference. In the last three months, according to the Energy Information Administration, they are paying $2.54 a gallon for crude oil, and then selling refined gasoline for $3.67 a gallon. That’s a difference of $1.13 per gallon.
Did refining gasoline suddenly get more expensive? No. But the companies that refine it — Saudi Aramco, ExxonMobil, Valero, Chevron, Marathon Petroleum and others — know that consumers will not blame them for taking extra profits. Instead they blame “inflation” or “the Ukraine situation” or Joe Biden. Meanwhile, these companies get to pocket an extra 54 cents per gallon. At a rate of 369 million gallons a day sold in the U.S., that’s nearly $200 million daily, or $6 billion a month — more or less stolen from the American people.
Since these companies know that elected Democrats are far more likely than elected Republicans to regulate the fossil fuel industry, creating this situation and hurting one political party lets them kill two birds with one stone. Nice work if you can get it!
Eric Hayot, State College
How can the food bank explain its move?
Sayeth the State College Food Bank: Apple Hill Antiques, we want your place. We’ve been looking around and decided your building would suit us. You’ll have to leave. We’re a favorite local charity and can go to your landlord and make him a generous offer to buy it, even though it wasn’t on the market. But we won’t let you know until it’s a done deal. Then we’ll call the newspapers and do a story on how pleased we are. Sorry that’s how you found out, but too late. Nevermind that your business has been there for 25 years. Nevermind that you house over 40 independent businesses. Nevermind that you have provided thousands of customers on a tight budget with inexpensive used furniture, and helped sell thousands of items for people needing extra income. You can just go and find some other place. We’re taking over your building and remodeling it to fit our needs. As we said, we’re a favorite charity. We’re the food bank. We’re more worthy than you.
Peggy Hartman, State College
Other famous carpetbaggers
Perhaps some folks have no knowledge, or maybe a convenient memory. However, Dr. Oz has a stronger affiliation with Pennsylvania, than the following had, or has, with their elected (from) state:
1. Robert Kennedy was one of the Kennedys of Massachusetts origin. He was elected as a Democrat U.S. Senator from NY and lived with his family in VA.
2. Hilary Clinton is the wife of an ex-governor of Arkansas. She was elected as a Democrat U.S. Senator from NY.
3. And to be fair, RINO Mitt Romney, an ex-governor of Massachusetts, is now serving as a Republican U.S. Senator from Utah.
Ken Criste, Ferguson Township
