Too Much Money Spent on Elections
Dear Editor,
I agree with Dr. Glenn Mollettte in his 11-17-22 Op-Ed that billions of dollars spent on the recent midterm election is out of control. I think the Citizens United bill helped open the door for unlimited amounts of money to be spent on elections, since that law indicates corporations are people. I agree that those funds could better be spent helping the American people directly.
However, I took issue with the way Dr. Mollette described the Senator-elect from Pennsylvania, John Fetterman. The Dr. indicated that Fetterman was “a recuperating sick man with the worst debate performance ever on national tv.†He further notes, however, that “a lot of people felt sorry for him†but saw him as “a down to earth guy they can relate to.â€
What disturbed me when I read the Op Ed was that Dr. Mollette apparently hadn’t researched John Fetterman, the current Lieutenant Governor of PA, who graduated from Albright, University of Connecticut, and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. John originally had a business-economics background, but the death of one of his close friends at a young age spurred John on to effect positive change and make a difference in people’s lives, esp. in his home of Braddock, PA.
As a Pittsburgh native, I know Braddock. It’s 10 miles upstream from the mouth of the Monongahela River. Once a booming steel town, Braddock suffered decay when the major steel mills closed around the mid 1970’s. As I remember Braddock, nobody wanted to live there.
John Fetterman, on the other hand, went there in 2005 to set up a GED program. He also developed the first computer lab in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, another hurting Pittsburgh community. His students pushed John to run for mayor. In John’s 13 years as Mayor of Braddock, PA, Fetterman worked to rebuild his community, get youth engaged, and bring creative urban solutions to Braddock. His focus has been on economic justice, criminal justice reform, and upholding the union way of doing business.
I share some highlights about John Fetterman and encourage others to Google or Wikipedia John Fetterman more. I had to “answer†Dr. Mollette, as I find, as a journalist, he failed to properly research his subject. His Op Ed was not a fact-based description of Senator-Elect Fetterman.
I do agree with Dr. Mollette, however, that we have to work hard to get money, esp. big money OUT of politics. I’d suggest a method that’s something like the British form of elections of Prime Minister. Thirty days of campaigning, debates on public television, and then the people go out and vote.
Sincerely,
Donna Segreti Reilly
Motorists Are Illegally Passing Stopped School Buses at Epidemic Levels
Dear Editor,
According to the 2022 survey conducted by the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, America’s motoring public are illegally passing school buses at “epidemic levels.â€
41.8 million violations throughout a 180-day school year, in fact.
Four Massachusetts children were struck by motorists who failed to stop for the bus in 2014, 2021 & 2022. Violations are increasing at an alarmingly rapid rate and motorists are not only endangering the lives of children, they are getting away with it.
It’s the law to stop for a school bus on both sides of the road when the red lights are flashing. When the yellow lights flash, drivers need to slow down and prepare to stop.
This is one of the first rules of the road we learn in driving school. Children are taught and should be able to expect that cars will stop for them so they can safely get on or off the bus and also cross the street.
This is my child’s first year taking the bus. I had no idea motorists were ignoring this law until I saw it for myself. I did some research and realized that unless you are driving a school bus, or actively involved in combating the problem, people have no idea how bad the situation is.
I also discovered there are multiple bills “concerning the safety of school children embarking and disembarking school buses†that can be found on MAlegislature.gov and that for 11 years, the Massachusetts State Legislature has failed to pass a bill that will authorize the use of a camera system to capture live video imaging of vehicles illegally passing the school bus and would therefore enforce the law by issuing a citation in the mail.
Red flashing lights and the extended stop sign indicate the school bus has stopped to let students on or off.
I’ve been researching this “bus stop-arm camera†program and learned that technology companies can provide the cameras and implement the program with no up-front cost to the state. Some are also finding that this type of video monitoring not only enforces the law but also reduces the number of repeat offenses by 98%. (STREETSBLOG 9/13/22).
“At least 24 states have school bus stop-arm camera laws,†says the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Technology exists, our lawmakers are aware of the problem, they can amend existing laws to work around any obstacle and yet they continue to kick this can down the road.
I’ve heard privacy is a concern. Since when does the privacy of someone endangering children’s lives outweigh protecting them?
I’ve been told that it takes a long time to pass a bill. While the clock is ticking, kids are getting hit by cars and drivers are getting worse. How many kids need to get hurt or killed before anything is done?
Why isn’t there a massive “Stop for the bus†or “Don’t hit a kid†awareness campaign from the state? Is “minding the plows†more important than our children? Bus companies welcome the technology. Mark Healey, owner of Healey Bus Company says, “Keeping the kids safe is our number one priority. Every day we talk to our drivers about safety, we provide safety education classes regularly and we are doing everything that we are supposed to be doing to keep the children safe, but we need the public to do their part too.â€
This mom is doing her part. I am making some noise and talking to anyone who will listen. I also started an online petition urging the MA Legislature to pass the School Bus Stop-Arm Camera bill into law.
This is a no-brainer folks – put the cameras on the outside of the buses, issue citations and reduce the number of repeat violations – all with no upfront costs to the state and taxpayers – to save kid’s lives.
To support this initiative, please visit https://www.change.org/stopschoolbuspassing
To voice your support, call the leader in your district and urge them to pass the School Bus Stop-Arm Camera law. Their information can be found on https://malegislature.gov/Legislators/Leadership
Maria Scheri
Peabody, MA