Humane Society says thanks for donations
The Monongalia County Humane Society would like to thank the residents of Monongalia County and participating businesses for their donations of pet food for the “Christmas in July” pet food collection event July 1-31.
This year, more than 1,478 pounds, 569 cans and 41 treats of donated pet food were distributed to the food pantries in Monongalia County. Your support goes directly to those in need of assistance in feeding their beloved cats and dogs.
We would like to thank the following stores that allowed us to place a barrel for donations in their respective lobbies.
These stores are:
- Giant Eagle on Green Bag Road
- Giant Eagle at University Towne Center
- Kroger on Patteson Drive
- Kroger on W.Va. 705
We also would like to thank Tractor Supply on Scott Avenue for their donations.
Thanks to your generosity, our “Christmas in July” has made a difference in the lives of people and their cherished pets. Thank you.
Heather Rogers
Monongalia County Humane Society
Morgantown
W.Va.’s two-tier system for prioritizing roads
In regard to the terrible condition of the roads and streets in our area: I have called the city, county, the local state division (West Virginia Division of Highways) and the federal Department of Transportation to complain about the road conditions in our area.
I couldn’t get an answer to my questions other than some are federal, state, county and city roads and streets. I told them that it was their responsibility to pave and maintain our highway system.
It means that we have a two-tier highway system in West Virginia. Just go to Charleston, Beckley, Huntington and the highway to the Greenbrier and see the difference. The West Virginia government hates north-central West Virginia — Morgantown in particular — because we are one of the few areas in the state that is showing growth.
Not to mention the wasteful spending. Example: Build a $70 million bridge to nowhere that would help one business. How is that going to help traffic in town instead of a $10 million interchange on Interstate 79 that everyone wants?
Monongalia County residents pay high taxes for road maintenance. There are infrastructure and state funds available to help solve our problem. Where did the Roads to Prosperity money go, or the 10 cents-a-gallon gas tax for highway improvement that was put in place when Bob Wise was governor?
The Mileground road improvement is nice, but Beechurst Avenue needs to be widened to five lanes.
Also, if you want to build a bridge, how about one that would go under the WVU Coliseum parking lot, with connections to I-79, and a tunnel under Mon Boulevard connecting to Patteson Drive? It can be done and should be done, plus lots of paving everywhere!
Charles Jones
Morgantown
It’s past time for a constitutional convention
I think our Founding Fathers did a very good job in putting together a document (U.S. Constitution) outlining how we want our governmental system to work — and it has done remarkably well for the 230-plus years. So well has it served the country over all these years that there have been only 27 conventions to make changes or correct omissions in it.
While I personally think our Constitution is a great document, there are at least two glaring areas that mandate another convention to change.
First, what seems to be an entitlement program whereby U.S. senators stay in office “forever.” They continue to serve term after term. I even understand a John Dingell served a total of 59 years. The longevity of senators has gotten so bad that the magazine “The Week” says the U.S. is governed by a gerontocracy. The situation has gotten very bad. You probably heard that 81-year-old Mitch McConnell “froze” at a press conference and had to be led away from the podium.
It is also important that we understand and not try to equate “length of service” with “quality of job done.” Somebody needs to end this madness by instituting a term limit. The president has a term limit — so should Congress.
Secondly, there needs to be more qualifications to run for the office of president. Presently, there are only three: You must be a natural born citizen of the United States; you must be a resident for 14 years; and you must be at least 35 years old.
I assume our Founding Fathers thought that their fellow constituents would use good discretion when nominating and/or electing a president. As it stands now, a convicted felon could be president. I personally don’t think we need to tempt fate and possibly take that chance.
Let’s work together to get a constitutional convention called so these and any other problems in the document can be addressed.
Tom Talerico
Morgantown
Road to the next presidential election
The political atmosphere is charged with litigation and indictments. The public is overwhelmed with information. We need to sift facts from fiction, which is not an easy task, especially when renowned Republican lawyers and political leaders espouse lies.
What is at stake here is voters’ legitimate right to democratic voting. That is the truth. We have come to a crossroads in our country where a sizable number of voters refuse to believe the truth. History points out that oval office prevaricators have existed in the past. But the former president is an expert in misleading the public with lies that undermine faith in democracy and our judicial system.
Culture warriors are fueling violent rhetoric, and at times we feel like we are losing all sense of decency. The conservative elite lack the courage to oppose Trump. They need him to hang on to power, to energize the base and to promote fundraising. Democracy does not matter to them.
We need a handful of Republicans who care for the country to step up and endorse the truth.
Now that voters have had a chance to see the indictments, outlining supporting evidence, there should not be any doubt as to what activities the former president was engaged in. Televising the trial will build confidence in our judicial system and benefit the people.
The coming election is running for democracy — a pivotal issue now. The cardinal tenet of our constitution — namely voting rights — is threatened. Until and unless the voting masses understand this and act accordingly, the country cannot go in the right direction.
Responsible Republicans need to stand up for the country, save democracy, help unite the country and give voice to what America stands for nationally and on the world stage. Fair-minded journalists alone cannot shoulder that responsibility.
Syamala Jagannathan
Morgantown
