For the sake of the nation, please work together
I have been told that next to the word optimist in the dictionary is my picture. Having survived heart disease and stage 4 cancer, I am now looking to overcome the most disappointing presidential election in my 64 years.
My hope is that our politicians will disengage from the sickening party politics that both sides have adopted and start working together on the issues this country faces. The art of compromise has disappeared from our elected representatives. Both parties have succeeded in creating the atmosphere that party lines matter much more than effective legislation.
I’m hoping that the state of politics being displayed in the executive office will ignite the conscience of our elected officials to cross the aisle and work together. If they work together they can overcome the ineffectiveness being tweeted from the White House. JIM DeFILIPPO
Brookline
Nov. 7 is Election Day, and because we are mostly voting for judges, voter turnout is expected to be low. This is unfortunate because judges have a real impact in our lives, perhaps more than other elected officials.
Locally, there are two open positions for the Court of Common Pleas. This court hears both civil and criminal cases and all cases having to do with children and families. One of the candidates, Judge David Spurgeon, has exemplified the qualities that corroborate his highly recommended rating from the Allegheny County Bar Association. Because of his experience with domestic violence at the district attorney’s office, a special docket of domestic violence cases was created for him. This docket includes requests for protection from abuse orders and cases that involve children who have experienced domestic violence. Judge Spurgeon currently hears half of the PFA cases in the county. He understands that abusers use tactics to intimidate their victims into submission and is a strong advocate for these victims.
From my position on the Jail Oversight Board, I have found Judge Spurgeon to be understanding and compassionate about the difficult situations that women sometimes are in.
Many of us will never appear before a judge, but having a judge with Judge Spurgeon’s commitment to justice, fairness and concern for those who appear in his court benefits us all. TERRI KLEIN Squirrel Hill
Your article on the proposed East Busway extension suggests that it will cost more than a half-billion dollars and take at least nine years to complete (“Extending East Busway Could Cost $549 Million,” Oct. 28). Nine years! The Empire State Building took just a little more than 13 months to complete. That’s right, 13 months.
As the seemingly endless string of options to alleviate Parkway East congestion is explored and offered, my neighbors and I always wonder about the possibility of widening the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. That is the bottleneck, right? JACK BOVA
Pitcairn