The announcement that Mahoning and Pulaski townships plan to end their joint police venture is disappointing.
The Northwest Regional Police Department is an example of what local government needs to do in the name of efficiency and accountability. Police services are expensive, and if municipalities merge operations, they can lower costs.
Supposedly, a key reason for calling an end to the Northwest police agreement is that the townships of Mahoning and Pulaski are simply too large of an area for a single department to cover. That argument is absurd.
If that’s the rationale, why not have a separate department for Hillsville, Edinburg and New Bedford? Every community and every neighborhood could have its own police department — and pay through the nose for it.
State police cover all of Lawrence County through a single department. Surely a local police force can patrol two townships. If there are not enough officers, that’s a different matter.
Rest assured, if the Northwest police force is disbanded, it will cost taxpayers more money over the long haul. It’s as simple as that.
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The Lawrence County commissioners say they won’t replace stained glass windows at the former Second Presbyterian Church on Countyline Street.
The county acquired the building earlier this year with plans to use it for government offices. But a recent letter to the editor to the New Castle News raised questions about the religious nature of some of the structure’s windows.
Along with raising a potential problem with church-state separation, the writer suggested the windows could be sold to help the county with its well-publicized financial problems.
Commissioner Steve Craig this week rejected the idea of selling the windows, arguing they are not religious.
Looking at windows that depict Jesus and the Virgin Mary, we find that view likely to offend a wide variety of people. Should some organization file a complaint against the county, we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if a judge disagrees with Craig.
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Librarians aren’t very intimidating.
When it comes to serving up political pie, public libraries frequently find themselves near the end of the line. And this year, in tight budgetary times, it’s no exception.
Harrisburg is trimming its contribution to public libraries by 20 percent. That’s better than the 55 percent originally proposed, but it’s still a hit.
We marvel at the lip service state officials pay to the benefits of education and information, and then they take an ax to libraries at the first opportunity. Such cuts are routine when spending is under pressure.
The sad truth is that libraries are not a potent political force in Pennsylvania. If they were, these massive cuts wouldn’t happen.
Editorials
EDITORIAL: Odds and ends
- Editorials
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High court forces lawmakers back to drawing board
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to throw out a legislative redistricting plan exposes a fundamental truth: The mapping of House and Senate districts in the commonwealth have nothing to do with representation or serving the people.
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Our Opinion: City hurts businesses by ticketing during lunch hours
Most of the candidates running (and now elected) for New Castle City Council and mayor last year said they believed downtown redevelopment was important. This was a common theme during editorial board meetings at the New Castle News prior to last spring’s primary and before the general election.
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Citizens offer to take open seat on New Castle City Council
It’s good to see there is so much interest in serving on New Castle City Council. On Tuesday, council interviewed nine citizens who have expressed a desire to fill an existing vacancy. The only unfortunate part is that most of these people weren’t interested in the post last year, when it was on the ballot.
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Second thoughts
County commissioner decides to take charge of prison board
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Our Opinion, Part 2: Mayor’s hiring of his son raises more serious questions
If you ask New Castle residents to identify the biggest problem in local government, one word will stand out:
Nepotism. The term, of course, refers to the hiring of one’s relatives for positions, regardless of the fact others are equally — or more — deserving of available positions. -
Our Opinion: Why didn’t council keep Chief Tom Sansone?
Last week, a majority on city council refused to confirm Mayor Anthony Mastrangelo’s appointment of Tom Sansone to continue as police chief. For the moment, the city has no police chief, and city residents are left to wonder why.
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Writers reveal ignorance of school board politics
Editor, The News: In a recent edition of The News there was a letter by James Smith that caught my attention.
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Fairness is consideration in Jameson Hospital’s request to city
Jameson Hospital wants New Castle to give it a break. And it’s something city council should consider — if doing so makes sense, and if it is fair to all.
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Proposal to cut size of Legislature moves modestly ahead
Efforts to streamline Pennsylvania’s Legislature took a step forward this week. But plenty of additional steps remain in what promises to be a daunting process.
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Violence flares in Mideast nation as American troops depart
It doesn’t always make headlines in America, but violence is a regular occurrence in Iraq. Yesterday, car bombings in Baghdad killed 14 people and wounded 75 others. In the United States, such bloodshed would be a major event. In Iraq, it’s just more of the same.
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High court forces lawmakers back to drawing board
