— Although I am a fan of the Jim Quinn radio show based in Pittsburgh, I think Quinn has it all wrong.

He believes that the Republican committee made a mistake by endorsing Tim Burns over William Russell in the special election May 18 to fill the 12th district seat of now-deceased Congressman John Murtha.

I was fortunate enough to attend a  town hall meeting in Indiana, where  Burns and Russell spoke. (The Democrat declined an invitation to attend.) They both answered many excellent questions the same way.

However, I had a strong feeling that Russell (thank you for your service) is looking for a career job, which seems to be Washington as usual.

Burns, on the other hand, developed a software company that employed more than 400 people in private-sector jobs.

After selling his company, Burns worked with a nonprofit for special needs children. I don’t think he had envisioned running for office, but was compelled to do so, for his children and country.

He is pro-life, in favor of term limits, supports energy independence, is pro-Second Amendment, has strong conservative views and believes in the Constitution.

Burns also has been instrumental in organizing the first tea party in Washington County.

Burns has a very positive vision for the future of our district. Maybe Quinn will invite capitalist Burns to his radio show.

You can learn more about the candidate by going to www.timburnsforcongress.com.

Amy Carney

Apollo, Armstrong County



Gas chambers cruel,  barbaric for animals

Although outlawed by most states, Pennsylvania still uses gas chambers for animal euthanasia.

Decried by veterinarians as cruel and barbaric, these chambers of horrors literally torture animals to death. The ani-mals’ shrieks and screams while undergoing this abuse is testimony to the savagery these unfortunate creatures undergo.

State Sen. Sean Logan has introduced SB 672 to put an end to the cruelty. This bill has sat in the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee for more than a year, despite repeated attempts by concerned citizens to schedule a hearing to move this bill forward.

Sen. Mike Brubaker, the committee’s chairman, and his office continue to ignore public sentiment while offering up lame excuses and empty platitudes to defend their ineptitude and incompetence.

Meanwhile, Rep. Renee Kortz has introduced HB 613, a companion bill, in the state House. It, too, has sat in the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee for more than a year while Rep. Michael Hanna, the committee’s chairman, also does nothing to move this bill along.

It is high time that we demand more from our politicians, specifically those mentioned as committee chairs, to serve the interests of all Pennsylvanians, and not just the interests of their districts.

It is unfathomable to this reader that those in a position to stop animal abuse refuse to do so while sitting on their laurels. It is time for this state’s disgrace to end.

It also is time to stop electing those whose only concern is their own self interests.

Steven Hoover

Johnstown



Stories of Noah, Jonah were true, accurate

In regard to Sean A. Barker’s letter of March 29, “Natural disasters are just that – natural”:

This Sunday, when Barker is rolling his evolutionary Darwinian dinosaur eggs of faith down his front lawn, he should remember that the only man in the annals of time to rise from the dead – alive forevermore – chose the historically true and accurate accounts of Jonah and Noah to manifest God’s approaching judgment on an unrepentant people (Matthew 12) and a cursed planet (Matthew 24).

Pastor Bob Leib

Boaz Baptist Church, Stoystown



Buy American goods, bring back our jobs

What happened to the good old days when our products were made in the United States?

Big businesses got greedy and went overseas, then sold their goods to you and me. Our factories closed and jobs were lost, and our children and grandchildren will pay the costs.

We’ve got to get back to what really counts or unemployment will continue to mount. Take pride in our country and do what is right and get most of the foreign goods out of sight. We all want to work and make a decent living.

Stand up for our jobs and do what is right, before our work disappears.

Give us a chance and put us to the test. Our work force is considered one of the best.

Jean Bonk

Johnstown



A hospital is more than just a building

Seeing and hearing the good news about Memorial Medical Center’s accreditation for rapid stroke response reminded me to write this letter.

Recently, due to stress, I ended up in Memorial’s emergency room. I was admitted, given tests and everything came back normal. The next day, my husband ended up admitted for a pulmonary embolism.

All is well with him, too.

My point is this. A hospital is not a building, but a collection of caring, skilled professionals who really care.

People in this area are so quick to criticize when things go wrong. But I think the Greater Johnstown area is lucky to have a fine collection of professionals under the Conemaugh Health System network of services.

Robin Marks

Johnstown