Sounding off: Penn State rewards mediocrity

Penn State rewards mediocrity, giving football coach James Franklin, a 10-year, $75 million contract. Here is a resume of his accomplishments:

One Big Ten title, and that was 2016, when he had the best running back in the country; 2 wins, 13 losses against top 10 opponents; defeated Ohio State once in eight games; 7-17 against Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State; average finish third in the Big Ten East; finished fourth in the east division three times, which in my estimation is a four-team conference; four offensive coordinators and three offensive line coaches in eight years; never had a good offensive line even with three different offensive line coaches; every year he states at least once that “I didn’t have the team prepared to play” and/or “our losses are the result of three or four plays” (if I’m paying you $5.6 million per year, you better have the team ready to play every game); this year, he didn’t have a backup quarterback ready to play in the loss to Iowa; 11-9 overall record the past two years.

Don’t buy into his excuse that last year was because of the virus. Every other team in college had to endure with the same virus; never made the college football playoffs.

As an example, coach Luke Fickell has been at Cincinnati only five years and had his team in the playoffs this year. Fickell’s salary is $3.4 million per year. Do you think he gets the same talent, has the same facilities and budget as Penn State?

Paul Cortese, Eighty Four

Trump compromises Republican Party

A Trump supporter outraged by S.E. Cupp’s “bitter diatribes” (“Why run S.E. Cupp’s bitter diatribes?”? That’s awfully rich, considering that since 2016, King Donald and his court jester Tucker Carlson have engaged in nothing but over-the-top, bitter, outraged rants. Same thing, except Cupp’s “diatribes” are more elegant, nuanced and intellectual (and PG-13) than “Lock her up” or “Let’s go Brandon.” But then, she’s addressing an audience that grasps nuances.

We who refuse to dwell in the Trump echo chamber understand the angst in Cupp’s columns, as well as those of George Will, Mona Charen and Jonah Goldberg, all conservative columnists with solid, traditional conservative beliefs who are dismayed at how politicians Trump and his congressional minions compromise the Republican Party’s ability to be a needed counterweight against the left’s progressive agenda.

The contention that Cupp should “watch ‘The View’” confirms my belief that MAGA Nation views non-Trump conservatives as enemies on a par with the Democrats. Not 100% down with the MAGA agenda? Refuse to genuflect at every mention of Donald Trump? You’re a stinking liberal. Go hang out with Whoopi. There simply no tolerance for people like these writers who fiercely cling to their conservative beliefs, but just as fiercely refuse to be Trump lackeys.

The 2022 mid-terms should be a slam-dunk red tsunami, like the big blue wave the Democrats were expecting in 2018. However, if Trump cultists continue to purge “infidels” from the party and alienate moderates, they, too will underachieve like the Dems did.

Russell Schmidt, New Kensington

Don’t forget Republicans’ cowardice

The next few weeks may tell the future of the U.S., and whether our democracy will survive.

First, we’ll have the anniversary of Jan. 6, one of the darkest days in our history. We already know Donald Trump will hold a press conference to double down on his lies. Then we’ll see what his bootlicking toadies have to say. Will any of them finally show honesty and the courage to denounce Trump and apologize for their own actions?

Then, during January and February, incumbent members of Congress will announce if they’re running for reelection. We’ll see how many of the cowards who created the conditions for the insurrection at the Capitol will try to remain in the office they don’t deserve.

We must remember the horror and disgust we felt when we, and the whole world, watched the Trump-inspired mob attack the very symbol of our democracy. Never forget this.

Eight Pennsylvania congressmen joined a Texas lawsuit trying to overturn the electoral votes. They are: G.T. Thompson, Fred Keller, Scott Perry, John Joyce, Mike Kelly, Dan Meuser, Guy Reschenthaler and Lloyd Smucker.

Then, on Jan. 6, these eight cowards fled for their lives when rioters attacked, returning to vote against accepting the certified Electoral College votes. They are traitors to the Constitution they swore to defend. They deserve prison, not another term.

Remember what happened last Jan. 6. And remember the eight Pennsylvania congressmen who are guilty in making it happen. They want you to forget. Don’t let them get away with it.

Suzanne Colvin, Mercer

Trump will figure into this year’s races

Regarding Jonah Goldberg’s column “Trump’s clout with Republican voters seems to be slipping away”: He is full of horse pucky. To ascertain whether President Trump makes a difference any more, watch the primaries this year. If I’m running for office, you better believe I want Trump to wrap his arms around me.

Tell Goldberg the races for November 2022 will be hotter than a firehouse stove. Will Trump figure into these races? You bet your life he will.

M.J. Meininger, Coraopolis

Republicans do have a plan

Patty Satalia, you presented no facts in your letter “Republicans are not planning for our well-being”. Let me help you out.

Democrats plan to address climate change by replacing our energy independence with heavily subsidized electric cars and solar panels. Note: “… almost 90% of all of the planet’s global emissions come from outside of U.S. borders. We could go to zero tomorrow and the problem isn’t solved.” Per climate czar John Kerry.

Democrats’ plan to fight gun violence: Defund the police and limit the rights of citizens to protect themselves. A great combination!

Democrats plan to fight covid with ineffective mask mandates and divisive rhetoric. FYI: Many of the 800,000 covid deaths were under the vaccine-armed Biden administration.

You said Republicans redistrict to remain in power. Look up the headline “Democrats prevail in New Jersey redistricting.”

You said the U.S. now ranks the worst in an array of categories. Without going into specifics, I’ll just say Joe Biden was president this year and vice president eight of the past 12 years.

By the way, we do not have record low unemployment, and any rise in household income has been negated by the highest inflation spike in 40 years.

You give Biden credit for a rapid economic recovery? Less than 2% growth after a year of shutting everything down? Come on, man! That’s disgraceful. We had a great economy before the pandemic.

Oh yeah, the Republican plan? Less regulation, lower taxes and build infrastructure to minimize natural disasters as they are doing in Florida and Louisiana.

Roger Sullivan, O’Hara

Carbon taxes won’t hurt consumers

Letter-writer Ralph Dunsworth (“Carbon emissions tax will hurt consumers”) is concerned about the cost of carbon taxes to consumers. No need to be. For example, House Resolution 2307 puts an “atmospheric dumping fee” on carbon emitters, but all fees are rebated to consumers. As such, 85% of Americans receive as much or more as the expected higher dirty energy costs are “passed through” by fossil-fuel corporations.

Studies by REMI, Ummel, MIT and Resources for the Future point to this approach as the most effective, efficient, least costly (polluters pay) approach (among others needed). It would hit carbon cut targets urged by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. I only pray we are not too late, as eventually tipping points will be irreversible.

No do-overs. Think about how you would like the world to be for your children and grandchildren.

Jan Freed, Los Angeles, Calif.

The writer is a volunteer with Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

Government solutions are not the answer

The role of government should be to establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility and provide for the common defense with the least amount of government coercion and the most amount of personal liberty as possible. The concept of providing jobs, food, clothing, housing, education and health care is best provided by a free market alongside charitable organizations with Judeo-Christian values of faith, and love for one’s fellow man to serve the indigent.

The ideals of communism, socialism and Marxism tout the need for government control with a maximum of government coercion and minimal liberty while negating faith in God and religious values. Most politicians who advocate government solutions to social problems extort government wealth, power and influence for their own personal aggrandizement through corruption, nepotism and deceit by leading people to believe that government programs are free.

The people of the USA have proven to be the most charitable on the planet. Private enterprise and capitalism have proven to create the greatest wealth and standard of living in history. No system of government created by human beings can be perfect, but the one designed by the founders of the USA have proven to be the best. If you doubt this, ask anyone who immigrated from any totalitarian regime.

Dr. Joel I. Last, Greensburg