Drive safely | Columbia’s public schools open today – be extra vigilant as you drive the borough’s streets.

Citizen journalism | Over nine years ago, Columbia news, views & reviews began as a citizen journalism project. Over the years, we published many locally submitted photos, articles, news releases, letters to the editor, and comments. Over the weekend, this commenter posted perhaps this most insightful, well-written opinion to date. Just an Observer began with “What is even more remarkable are those of the Generational Class, those whose families resided here for 30, 40 years and witnessed the economic collapse of Columbia (like most of America that was damaged from Deindustrialization). As Columbia rotted, slipped into stasis—whatever term you prefer—working class families, the working poor mirrored Columbia’s own economic distress.” Read the entire comment here.

On the subject of remarkable commentary | This Letters from an American column begins “Lots of folks are finally paying attention to the rise of authoritarianism here in the U.S. They are right to be concerned.”

This ought to scare the hell out of everyone | and confirm that a wanna’ be despot is at the helm. A page one wire service article in today’s LNP – Always Lancaster states, “During its search for a new postmaster general, the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors was presented with 53 candidates screened by an outside company. Not on the list: Louis DeJoy, who ultimately got the job.”

This, too, ought to scare the hell of everyone | Read this book review; note the irony of history as it repeats. – The New York Times

Obituary | Rachel Grace Novak

Trump coronavirus hasn’t gone away | COVID-19’s exponential growth is showing in this New York Times article.

Letter to the editor | This letter-to-the-editor is from Tom McCarey, Member National Motorists Association:

Tell the Legislature that Speed Trap Bill SB 607, predatory enforcement-for-profit legislation,should be removed from the House Calendar and never re-introduced.

The only reason to arm municipal police with RADAR guns (Speed Trap Bill SB 607) is to raise revenue for a cash-strapped government. The Legislature needs to learn to live within its means, not siphon money out of taxpayers’ pockets. RADAR is guaranteed to steal huge money from safe drivers because 90% of Pennsylvania’s speed limits are 8 to 16 mph below the prevailing speeds of the super-majority of drivers. That’s exactly why certain Representatives and Senators want RADAR. To cash in on the highway engineering malpractice in place all over the Commonwealth.

PA Title 75 states that speed limits are to be set at the 85th Percentile Speeds, a time-tested engineering principle for highway safety: it is the safest speed with the most compliance.

That’s what the Legislature should be working for, in order to actually make the highways safer. The reason for the political posting of speed limits below the safest speeds is to make it easy to write “speeding” tickets. When speed limits are posted using highway safety engineering principles the manufactured “speeding” “problem” disappears. And the roads become safer.

Sincerely,
Tom McCarey Member National Motorists Association