Letters: Local views, candidate endorsements ahead of the May 16 primary election

Keep a good steward of tax dollars

“It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.” That quote by Benjamin Franklin describes Laurel Zydney’s time on the State College Area Board of Directors. Even the casual viewer would probably notice Laurel asks probing questions of decisions being proposed by the administration. She spends hours doing her homework on every issue and strives to make sure all possible issues have been resolved before a vote has been taken. Laurel is also very approachable. When contacting Laurel she responds right away. She is eager to share the many spreadsheets she keeps on the financial decisions of the school district. Laurel is a good steward of our tax dollars. These qualities and others separate her from many of her peers. We are proud to continue to support Laurel Zydney for SCASD Board of Directors.

John and Marion Sheridan, Pennsylvania Furnace

Sapia has unique view to share

Tony Sapia was born and raised in State College, raised his sons here, and owns and operates a business in downtown State College. You can find him all over town supporting local business or working at his own, whether at the bakery or a farmers market.

His experience over the years gives him a unique view of State College from several perspectives.

I have known Tony for more than 20 years and can attest to his dedication to making our community a better place. He has always been able to bring people together. This will be an asset when searching for and finding practical solutions that will work for everyone.

Tony loves to talk with people, but more importantly he listens to everyone. Maybe more than anything, that is what we should be looking for in Borough Council.

I hope you’ll join me in supporting Tony in the upcoming election for Borough Council.

Ray Caravan, State College

New expertise, experience

The election of a Court of Common Pleas judge presents voters with a clear choice. Electing Julia Rater maintains the status quo. Electing Gopal Balachandran brings new expertise and experience to the court.

Recently most of the judges including Julia have come from two law firms in State College. Like Julia, each has focused their legal work on family law. Since the judges were members of the local legal community, they and the attorneys appearing in their court know each other. These institutional practices may not be helpful in examining ways to improve justice and court functioning.

Gopal has defended indigent clients charged with criminal offenses in three other states for over a decade. At the current time, none of the judges has a significant background in criminal law although the court handles almost 2000 criminal cases per year.

Gopal is a law professor teaching students to defend clients seeking to appeal their convictions. He has aided the CC Public Defender with appellate work and filing briefs. He is knowledgeable about ways to expand and improve the effectiveness of specialized courts.

Gopal has sacrificed earning the financial rewards of private law practice in order to dedicate his career to serving others as a public defender. He has not had paying clients since 2006.

A vote for Gopal will bring diversity and a judge with a commitment to service, a focus on fairness and equality and who will treat everyone in his court with compassion, dignity and respect.

Renee Steffensmeier, State College

Qualification gap between candidates

I am enthusiastically giving my vote to Julia Rater for Centre County Judge. Here’s why: In my 50 years of voting in Centre County I have rarely seen a wider gap — a chasm really — between the qualifications and experiences of two candidates. Julia Rater is one of the most qualified and most experienced candidates we have seen for any position in a Centre County election.

Rater has represented clients in our Centre County courtroom for 27 years, appearing there over 1,100 times. Gopal Balachandran has never represented a client in a Centre County courtroom. Rater has been a member of the Centre County Bar Association for 21 years. Balachandran has been a member of the Centre County Bar for seven months.

Rater has served on the board of Strawberry Fields, Tides, Bellefonte EMS and volunteers for the Special Olympics. She and her family have lived here for 21 years and have deep roots in Centre County. Balachandran and his family have lived in Centre County for five years.

There’s simply no comparison in their legal experience, Rater’s personal commitment to all of Centre County, or in her ability to run a positive campaign.

Hopefully Gopal Balachandran will run for office again in a few years after he’s had a chance to build a deeper legal and community resume. But for now, Julia Rater is the superior candidate and merits strong support from all of us.

I urge you to vote for Julia Rater for Centre County Judge.

Hodge Barton, State College

Unfair letter

I find the CDT letter from Michael Kulikowski to be disingenuous and a backhanded way of endorsing Gopal Balachandran, his candidate for judge. In the process he has impugned our current judges and done a great disservice to Julia Rater.

He states that our Court of Common Pleas needs someone who “believes that women have a right to autonomy over their own bodies,” as if Rater doesn’t. It’s difficult to understand why Mr. Kulikowski would make such a statement.

He states that “the disadvantaged should enjoy equality before the law, and that the courts should serve the citizenry, not just power and wealth,” as if our current court doesn’t serve the citizenry — and as if Julia Rater wouldn’t continue that high standard.

He states that “our Court of Common Pleas needs a justice with a criminal law background” when Judges Grine, Oliver and Marshall have all handled criminal trials. He’s seemingly ignorant that our judges don’t choose the cases they hear. Also, he’s apparently unaware that with Judge Ruest’s retirement we’re losing the judge with the most family law experience, the source of the highest number of cases in our court. What we really need is Julia Rater, who is experienced in family law, to pick up that load. Unfortunately, it appears Balachandran has zero family law experience. Mr. Kulikowski conveniently ignored that fact.

Mr. Kulikowski is entitled to his opinion, but it doesn’t speak well of him or his candidate with an “endorsement” full of innuendo and half-truths.

Diane Ebken, Port Matilda

Solving issues together

My name is Evan Myers, and I would be honored by your vote for State College Borough Council on May 16.

State College faces issues that working together we can solve. We need more inclusionary and affordable housing, a complete, thorough review of zoning codes, the need to figure out creative ways to provide affordable business space especially downtown and ways to increase our tax base without burdening homeowners. I have business and budgeting experience, but I know that government is not a business, it needs to be efficient, but its functions are to serve the needs of its residents, provide services, a safe environment and help ensure justice. We can combat climate change locally by expanding bicycle and pedestrian connections and increasing incentives for green buildings. While we do all this it is important to expand on our initiatives to make State College a welcoming, diverse and inclusive community, all while engaging Penn State and students. Governor Shapiro has trusted me with several appointments, and I have represented the people of State College as Chair of the Planning Commission, Chair of the COG Finance Committee and Council President. I have worked on solutions to the issues we face.

The task may seem daunting, but I have no doubt that together we can make progress on many of these issues. I ask for your vote and importantly your help.

Evan Myers, State College. The author is a candidate for a four-year State College Borough Council seat.

High stakes in statewide judicial elections

Courts matter now more than ever, and the stakes could not be higher in the 2023 statewide judicial elections. In the race for the open seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, we need someone who fights for justice and will be a champion for our rights.

Judge Daniel McCaffery brings a lifetime of public service: to his country, as a veteran of the United States Army, to his community as former prosecutor and Court of Common Pleas Judge in Philadelphia, and Commonwealth in his current role as a sitting judge on the Pennsylvania Superior Court. His lived and judicial experiences are unparalleled in this race.

Not only has he been Highly Recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, but has earned the endorsements of the Pennsylvania National Organization for Women, Pennsylvania Democratic Party, Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Pennsylvania Building Trades, and scores of organizations and elected officials from every stretch of the Commonwealth. That’s because they know what we know, which is that Daniel McCaffery is not only the judge we need on the Supreme Court, but the best candidate to lead at the top of the ticket for Democrats in the fall.

Remember Democrats: Number One on your ballot — Vote Judge Daniel McCaffery for Pennsylvania Supreme Court on or before Tuesday, May 16.

Laura Shadle, Ferguson Township

Centre County judges are competent

I am a practicing criminal defense attorney in Centre County for 40 years. I have tried many felony and misdemeanor cases in front of many of our judges over those years. I would like to comment on some of the wild assertions in Professor Balachandran’s responses to questions at the recent League of Women Voters forum.

Professor Balachandran says that if elected, he would be the first judge in Centre County who has tried a felony criminal case to conclusion, and that because of this, he and he alone can fix what he believes to be a broken and incompetent judiciary in Centre County. Professor Balachandran is wrong. Our judges are very competent, and many have successfully tried criminal cases to conclusion.

President Judge Jonathan Grine has been one such successful judge. I know this because I helped mentor him in a case he tried as an associate in my former firm. Moreover, Professor Balachandran is dead wrong in saying that a judge must have experience as a criminal lawyer to be qualified as one of our judges. Our judges in Centre County have historically handled hundreds of criminal jury and non-jury cases, and rarely have their rulings ever been reversed by a higher court. Some have not had experience trying a criminal case as a lawyer.

Julia Rater is the only qualified, experienced lawyer that can competently assume the current vacancy. Gopal Balachandran is not.

Tim Fleming, State College