Letters to the Editor April 13

Posted 4/12/17

Old enough to vote, old enough to smoke? The editorial in last week’s River Reporter (March 23) said, “In a sign, perhaps, of how attitudes have gradually changed about smoking and …

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Letters to the Editor April 13

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Old enough to vote, old enough to smoke?

The editorial in last week’s River Reporter (March 23) said, “In a sign, perhaps, of how attitudes have gradually changed about smoking and tobacco, no one took to the podium to argue that the age in Sullivan County to purchase should remain at 18.”

Everyone who spoke on raising the smoking age to 21 was mentioned, but not my points of view at the podium—why not?

I chose the middle of the issue. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds are being criminally charged as adults, e.g., for murder, bank robbery, etc. Our state legislature has been considering raising that age to 18 for adult status as a criminal.

Eighteen-year-olds can drive a vehicle anywhere and anytime in the United States, just like the readers of this letter.

Furthermore, and probably most important in this discussion, is that the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States says that those who are 18 years old or older can vote. (Do you know how this amendment came to be?)

Just think that 18, 19 and 20-year-olds won’t be able to purchase tobacco products, but they can vote for all our representatives—even county legislators.

Moreover, ask yourself: was the November 2015 election for Sullivan County Legislative District #7 between Benson and Perello decided by a few college students who were under 21?

Chris Leser

Burlingham, NY

The DRBC’s right to regulate

RE: the article titled “DRBC lawsuit headed to appeal” in your April 6-12 issue:

Curt Coccodrilli of the Wayne Land and Mineral Group, LLC (WLMG) categorizes the Court’s decision as absurd, stating it is “declaring the DRBC is entitled to regulate anything and everything—your farm, your business, your home—solely because you use water.”

It is Mr. Coccodrilli’s assertions that are absurd. 

The DRBC regulates the millions of gallons of water it takes to drill and frack, and the millions of gallons of toxic flowback per frack, not a farm or home.

The WLMG’s lawsuit is not concerned with its ability to drill and frack. If so, apparently, their corporation could simply present a proposal to the DRBC, and it would become a docket item for review.

Rather, it seems clear that the WLMG’s lawsuit serves the purpose of the shale-fracking industry, which needs to remove the DRBC from the regulatory equation in order to successfully operate. The industry needs to have free rein over the scale of its operations. It needs to simultaneously operate as many rigs as financially profitable, construct pipelines from each well, create roads, facilities and perform associated activities without oversight by the DRBC.

No, this lawsuit is not about an individual landowner being denied the right to unconventionally mine shale gas. The goal of the lawsuit is to enable the shale-gas extraction industry to invade Wayne County and the Delaware River Basin at the same uncontrolled rate and wildly under-regulated way that it has operated in other parts of Pennsylvania.

Both Susquehanna and Bradford Counties have each had about 1,100 unconventional wells drilled and fracked in less than 10 years.

The DRBC is formulating regulations to govern this massive, industrial invasion. Thank goodness, and the DRBC.

James Barth

Beach Lake, PA

Media bias on healthcare reform

I can’t help but comment on the negative media bias about the Republican healthcare reform. Obamacare was pushed through with media blessing and fanfair, but it was not what we thought it would be, and it basically pulled healthcare and services from the elderly and disabled to give it to the young at an increasing financial burden to them. I experienced this personally when I lost my job as a home health occupational therapist, when both Sullivan and Orange counties discontinued their provision of therapists to patients in the long-term care program. The lesson to be learned is that having good healthcare for all is a difficult task to accomplish by either political party. So be supportive rather than negative and be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Please wake up and realize the media picks and chooses what story or rally they will publicize. I tell you the only truth is Jesus Christ, and He will set you free. Happy Easter.

John “JP” Pasquale

Livingston Manor, NY

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