Letter to the editor: Diversity in Westmoreland

I take offense to John Ventre’s letter ”Politicians shouldn’t engineer community makeup” (Aug. 25, TribLIVE). We know no one can force a person to live anywhere against their will, but the community’s attitude toward diversity (and I don’t mean only color) sure plays a big part in a family deciding if they will put down permanent roots.

Once again, the “powers that be” try to place a disparaging spin on the Voice of Westmoreland organization. It was very presumptuous of Ventre to connect Dr. Marti Haykin with VOW and falsely project a group’s agenda; to me, he clearly does not understand it. VOW only wants to improve the lives of all citizens in Westmoreland County (regardless of race or income) and have better transparency in local politicians and fair distribution of covid relief money.

We need to do better than to spend on bike trails, tourism and “pet projects” for the select few. Much was done to bring a casino here, but I feel it only increased traffic and crime and is a venue for people to throw good money away.

European immigrants came here for work and better living conditions, but they were mistreated and paid low wages, and often lived in deplorable housing conditions. Do we still want that for people in 2022? As John F. Kennedy said in 1961, “Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.”

Lee A. Johnson

Hempfield