— According to The Tribune-Democrat on July 31, Cambria County’s unemployment rate is 8.9 percent, which is the 52nd-lowest rate of the state’s 67 counties.

Wow. What’s the No.1 rate?

Pennsylvania Business Central reports that Cambria’s Nos. 2, 3 and 4 employers are the state, federal and county governments. PBC further reports that the state’s Nos. 1, 2 and 4-7 are the federal, state and municipal governments.

Folks, we live in an area and state where the vast majority of employers are the government. I know so many dedicated civil servants, so don’t go there with this letter. Read on for my point.

The Obama administration must take some responsibility for detrimental ac-tions affecting this economy. I will cite my personal favorite – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Thanks to a “damn the torpedoes” mentality, EPA has crushed the coal industry. Two weeks ago, hundreds of PBS employees, vendors and contractors got “their” thanks in large part to unobtainable, irrational rule making. Too many power stations have announced closings and three waste-coal power stations in Cambria County are at extreme risk.

Those coal and waste-coal stations equate to thousands of more jobs. In fact, approximately 300 jobs are at risk with the waste-coal plants right here in Cambria.

My point: If our county and state top employers would like to keep on employing, the Obama administration and EPA better rethink their nation-killing strategy.

It is the real-estate tax, payroll taxes and a zillion other taxes that private industry pays that floats the government boat.

Vote on Nov. 6.

Dennis Simmers

Ebensburg



NDIC workers opened hearts to my family

With the closing of the National Drug Intelligence Center, I felt compelled to inform the public about the character of some of the people who were employed there. They are a wonderful, caring, hardworking, giving group of people. They opened their hearts to my family and many others. Thank you and may God bless each of you for your kindness.

There is one individual whom I had the pleasure of getting to know more than others – David Mrozowski. What a wonderful, caring individual. His parents have to be smiling with pride as they look down on him, admiring the fine job they did raising him.

What an outstanding role model he is to his son. He fought tirelessly to keep NDIC open, and when the decision was made to close NDIC, he worked hard trying to get employees jobs with other agencies and in the local community.

I am blessed to know such a caring and giving individual. May God bless you, Dave, in your future endeavors.

Catherine Leleck

Cresson



Better idea: Campaign funding, term limits

 While the law will not discourage me or others of my age and position from voting, it certainly can and probably will keep many poor, undereducated, young or minority voters from the polls.

Enactment of such laws in this and other Republican-controlled states on the eve of what promises to be a close presidential race – particularly in the absence of proof of any significant voter fraud in this or the other jurisdictions – undermines the sincerity of the assertion that everyone “should demand no less than a fair election where everyone has his or her vote heard with the same weight.”

Poll taxes and other blatant attempts to sway elections through control of the ballot box were similarly justified.

Unlimited campaign funding by corporations and special-interest groups promises to make the next three months a purgatory of negative ads and a growing belief that we are electing not the best, but those best able to raise money. Whichever party prevails, taxpayers will be saddled with the cost of paying back the special-interest groups that funded the campaign, rather than attempting to resolve real problems our politicians promised to address.

If the GOP chairman is serious about assuring that everyone’s voice be heard, have him support term limits and elimination of campaign funding by special interests with caps on the dollars spent.

We need to restore the belief that public office is a public service and not a career choice. We also need to do it without stacking the deck.

Richard J. Russell

Johnstown



Township rezoning would be devastating

As has been pointed out by Dorothy Marisa on July 26, “Facts and fantasy of township rezoning,” the three properties that have been thrown into the rezoning issue are ones that can be strip-mined, but have not been yet. These properties are not connected to the Dovey property.

Yes, my opinion is that without the Dovey property being rezoned, these other properties will not be strip-mined. I, not being an expert, have discussed this with a number of experienced coal people. These associates are experts with years in the coal industry.

I believe the decision whether to strip or not will be made by the foreign-owned coal company. And the decision will be what most benefits the company. This entire project may be re-evaluated by PBS with its current layoff direction.

There has been a question raised now whether the existing zoning was ever legal.

Property maps dating back to the 1970s show the R1/R2 designation. For more than 30 years, the Dovey family has continued to sell and profit from sales of land based on this R1/R2 zoning. Now the family wants to change a portion of the land to RR for strip-mining. A lot of property owners may have to take issue with someone on what pretense their property was described and sold.

Establishing this rezoning precedent would create turmoil in our township.

I asked over a year ago, where is this rezoning of any benefit to Conemaugh Township? No answers yet.

For the record, we do pay property taxes at Laurel View Village.

I believe this rezoning issue will devastate our lives.

Ed Shoemaker

Davidsville

Click here to subscribe to The Tribune-Democrat print edition.

Click here to subscribe to The Tribune-Democrat e-edition.