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Health Care Among Institute’s Topics

Writer touts advantages, safety of nuclear energy
Sadly, we rarely make decisions based on relative risk. Before you decide that nuclear power is yucky, think about the benefits, the alternatives and what you are willing to put up with.
Coal power plants&rsquo; radiation emissions, gases and particulates that hurt the ozone layer are bad. For example, during normal operation, the effective radiation dose equivalent from coal plants is greater than that from nuclear power plants.
There is less sun in Northeastern Pennsylvania than in San Diego. Do solar panels make sense when subsidized with tax dollars? Wind blows only 15 percent of the time, so the wind farms receive subsidies.
About 200,000 people died when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan nearly 66 years ago. Since the Twin Towers went down on 9/11, about 250,000 people have died in this country from bullets. Do you see that rate of murder changing?
Other than the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, with about 50 deaths directly attributed to the accident, no one has died from a commercial nuclear power plant disaster.
 Since an idiot pumped 32 bullets into unsuspecting citizens a couple of months ago in Arizona, about 2,500 other men, women and children in America have died from gunshots.
 No one has died as a result of the nuclear calamity in Japan. The way 98 percent of radioactive iodine gets into human beings is an indirect route. It falls to the ground, cows eat it and make milk with radioactive iodine, and you get it from drinking the milk. You get very little from inhaling it. The way to prevent it is just to stop people from drinking the milk.
My advice: Do not buy potassium iodide pills; do buy bulletproof vests for your family. 
State could do with more money, fewer lawmakers
So, we had elections last fall and we have new leadership in Pennsylvania. That&rsquo;s great news and we should be well on our way to cleaning up Harrisburg. 
Unfortunately, very little is changing. We still have the largest legislature of all the states, with nearly the most expensive group of legislators and aides. We could get along much better with half that number. In fact, much larger states do get along better with fewer than half. 
We have budget problems? Well, half would go a long way toward solving the problem. Getting a fair return on gas drilling in the state would help as well.
 So how about it, Mr. Governor? How about it, all you legislators?
 Or maybe things are more profitable the way they are.
Ciavarella&rsquo;s sentence should equal the crime
Driven by a purely altruistic bent, I have decided to offer myself as a &ldquo;finder of perspective customers&rdquo; for entrepreneurs. If successful, I&rsquo;ll sacrifice my time and effort for just $1 million (a savings of $1.1 million from the current rate).
Think of it! At the consummation of a successful deal, the businessman can realize a savings of $1.1 million to spend or save as he sees fit. But, if he acts now, in the next 20 minutes, we&rsquo;ll upgrade his deal to include (free of charge) a five-day junket on a Florida-based, luxury yacht, Perverted Justice. But, you must act now. Have those credit cards ready; our operators are standing by to take your call.
Also, with the now revealed details of many of the &ldquo;dangerous&rdquo; juveniles involved in ex-judge Mark Ciavarella&rsquo;s case, I feel compelled to seek some type of adequate defense for the protection of my family and me. I had been thinking along the lines of a .44 Magnum (a la Harry Callahan). However, in reflecting on the magnitude of the situation and the attendant danger involved, I am leaning more to a Soviet-made RPG. With this device for protection, I could then sleep peacefully at night.
Abandoning this tongue-in-cheek, my prayers are with the young men and women (and with their loving and hurting families) who were so abused by our juvenile justice system. 
Only stern and severe prison stays can begin to satisfy real justice commensurate with the crimes committed; and even this can never completely mollify or restore those people so badly hurt by our legal system.
The former and now disgraced judge and his counsel can proclaim in incredible decibels that this situation did not involve &ldquo;cash for kids,&rdquo; but their futile and stubborn protests fall on deaf ears even more than testimonies from the members of the Flat Earth Society.
Writer disputes letter that applauds tea party
I felt I had to respond to the letter of March 9 written by Mr. Bill Dress. He would like to thank the president for the creation of the tea party. Sorry, you are wrong, sir. It was active before Mr. Obama became president.
Mr. Dress is also remiss in his statement that the tea party has brought together &ldquo;people of all races, creeds and colors,&rdquo; when, in fact, it seemingly proves over and over that it caters to the Christian right and disdains minorities in general. 
The responsible leaders that he applauds are, in fact, declaring war on the middle class, women, children, education, teachers, labor unions, Social Security and Medicare, while keeping corporate taxes low. While their so-called mandate was to create jobs, they are costing us jobs. 
And last, but not least, he blames the president for the &ldquo;bankruptcy&rdquo; and &ldquo;total collapse&rdquo; of the nation. Never mind that Mr. Bush took a surplus, started two wars &ndash; one of which was ill-conceived &ndash; and ran that surplus into the deficit we now face.
Both of these wars are being waged while taxes for the rich, Wall Street and corporations that continue to outsource American jobs keep getting cut. These wars are being waged at no expense to America, except for our young men and women who have to fight them.
History is usually rewritten after all the facts are in, not in two short years. 
Hire teacher candidates solely on their abilities
This is in reference to the letter to the editor titled &ldquo;Teaching qualifications should not include race&rdquo; (March 16). I agree totally with what the writer said.
 The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board should not kowtow to any group: white, African-American, Asian-American, anyone. Only the most qualified teacher candidates should even be considered.
Yes, there should be a standardized test, so that only the best applicants, from among the most qualified, get chosen.
Kowtowing to one group over all other groups is overt racial discrimination.
To the folks reading this letter: Why do I feel this way? I only want the best for all the students attending school.
Don&rsquo;t you?
Send us your opinion

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Writer touts advantages, safety of nuclear energy Sadly, we rar