Pressure officials to address difficult questions

It is time for [Assemblyman Mike] Sturla to step up and produce some legislation to relieve the pressure on Pennsylvania’s third class cities.  Places like Reading, which is preparing to become a distressed city under Act 47, and Lancaster, which could be in the same position in less than two years, are dying on the vine and help from the state legislature is long overdue.

How many other municipalities will have to cut vital services – Reading plans a reduction of 25 fire personnel, including the closing of two of three ladder trucks and at least one of the city’s 3 ambulances, Scranton has dismissed almost 40 fire fighters – before the state recognizes the problem?

While Sturla’s State Police initiative is a positive step forward on a state-wide level, it does little to relieve any pressure on his constituents.  He would be wise to look at Rick Gray’s near defeat at the hands of Smithgall and realize that he could very well be the target of a concerted effort to unseat him lest he focus on fixing the problems facing those who put him there.

It is time for media outlets like Newslanc to put pressure on elected officials to address the difficult questions facing the municipalities of this state.  For you to do so would be a real display of “guts.”