Letters: Support local stores on National Thrift Shop Day; PA legislators need new rules
Support local stores on National Thrift Shop Day
Aug. 17 is National Thrift Shop Day and National Nonprofit Day. In recognition of the date, the FaithCentre would like to remind people of the important role nonprofit-affiliated thrift stores play in promoting the social good. Centre County, fortunately, is resplendent with thrift stores — most of which support the work of local nonprofits.
Thrift stores, obviously, offer low-cost household goods and clothing. During periods of inflation, visiting budget friendly alternatives to chain stores can be a refreshing shopping experience. Thrift stores, furthermore, help consumers extend the life of products and keep materials out of landfills.
Aside from offering great values on everyday necessities, sales from thrift stores provide the funding for much programming. Nonprofits, for example, feed the hungry, clothe families in need, provide care for animals, offer services to those struggling with financial, physical or mental health issues, work to end homelessness, promote environmental initiatives, and assist veterans.
Most recently, sales at the FaithCentre Thrift Store helped support the FaithCentre’s Back to School clothing giveaway. During the first week of August, 257 school aged children received three outfits and a brand-new pair of sneakers for free. Programs and outreach such as this would not be possible without the community’s appreciation and support of our area’s thrift stores and nonprofits. On Aug. 17, consider visiting any of Centre County’s many thrift stores. You’ll help yourself to some great deals and help improve the quality of life for many in your hometown.
Nicole Thierry Summers, Bellefonte. The author is the executive director of FaithCentre.
PA legislators need new rules
Do you think politicians should have their jobs for life? Probably not.
Nationwide, 15 states — both red and blue — have enacted term limits. The rationale: electing legislators strictly focused on serving the interests of their constituents during their limited time in office. Why not have term limits in Pennsylvania?
But that would require PA politicians to vote themselves out of a job! Thanks to Pennsylvania’s “Rules of Procedure,” they don’t have to.
A bipartisan bill to bring term limits to Pennsylvania has been introduced in the past two legislative sessions (HB902 in 2019-2020 and HB735 in 2021-2022), but after being assigned to the House State Government Committee, the bill languished without ever getting a hearing or a vote.
Legislators have proposed numerous bills to solve problems, but, because of the “rules,” the committee chairs, elected by a tiny fraction of Pennsylvania voters, can block bills — even those with strong bipartisan support.
The “rules” are not law or in the state constitution.
On the first day of each session, a vote on the rules is pushed through — quickly. Rank and file legislators are given little time to read what’s proposed and are pressured to vote them into place. Even worse, they vote against amending the “rules” even before the “rules” are adopted.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Let your state senators and representatives know you want new rules that will allow bills with bipartisan support to be voted on.
For more information, go to www.fixharrisburg.com.
Bill van den Berg, Howard
Majority has spoken in Bellefonte
Regarding Mr. Musser’s recent letter concerning the Bellefonte mascot, apparently he did not get the message during the last election that the majority of Bellefonte graduates and area residents do not support a change, period. I don’t know what else he needs to know. I wrote a letter to all the board members with my reasons for keeping the mascot and did not receive a reply from any of them. I expressed my sentiments concerning why I supported the mascot as my impressions of the American Indian who has stood for all the attributes that we should aspire, strong, fearless, trustworthy, spiritual and family and tribe association. Why would we want to open up old wounds when the majority has spoken.
Frank Halderman, Bellefonte
