Use drones and cameras for Route 22 traffic enforcement
Hardly a day goes by that does not include some sort of traffic accident report on Route 22 or nearby roads between Fogelsville and Route 33. It is well known and reported that traffic is increasing on this stretch of road and serious accidents are routine.
There are many areas in this country and throughout the world that use traffic cameras and drones to both police adherence to traffic regulations and quickly report incidents where aid is needed. This is no longer advanced technology and as such, the cost cannot be unreasonable.
What is unreasonable is to continue to ignore the volume of aggressive drivers, motorcycles weaving in and out of lanes or between lanes, and vehicles speeding/tailgating. Let’s record these actions and use that information to take poor drivers off the road. Speeding tickets can provide revenue and avoid the danger of pulling drivers onto the shoulder where both the police and driver are at risk. It’s time to bring the Valley into the 21st century.
Howard K. Kuritzky
Hanover Township, Northampton County
To succeed at retirement, set aside money regularly
In an op-ed that ran Nov. 15 in The Morning Call, Anthony O’Brien, reflecting on his own life story, offers sound advice for succeeding in this uncertain world: “graduate from (at least) high school, get a full-time job, and get married before you have kids.” He recognizes that this recipe for success is not available to everyone; nor, he acknowledges, does it guarantee the success that he’s enjoyed. But, if you follow his advice, it significantly improves your odds.
I’d like to add some simple advice to that given by O’Brien. As soon as you get that full-time job, start saving systematically, using a 401(k) plan if it is available, or on your own if not. If history provides reasonable guidance, then investing about $125 every month in an S&P Index fund will allow you to retire as a millionaire. With discipline, putting aside that monthly amount is possible even if you have a relatively low-paying job.
As with O’Brien’s excellent advice, there are no guarantees you’ll achieve your goal of retiring as a millionaire by investing $125 each and every month. Historical rates of return may not continue; there’s always some risk. But, the odds are strongly on your side.
George Heitmann
Salisbury Township
Stormwater runoff creating problems in Bethlehem
Bethlehem’s growing stormwater runoff problem deserves urgent attention. Due to new development on and around Lehigh’s campus, heavy rainfall increasingly overwhelms drains, which contributes to flash flooding in the south Bethlehem area. Flash flooding is harmful because it damages homes and hillsides. It also acts as a source for pollutants to travel. To fix this problem, Bethlehem should invest in green infrastructure such as rain gardens, permeable sidewalks and upgraded drainage. This would decrease runoff and also improve neighborhood defense against these events.
Marina Werner
Bethlehem
Goodwill is needed from our elected officials
Can you imagine if President Trump and the Republicans and Democrats sat down together and did a week of brainstorming?
No bickering or name calling but just doing what a great president once said. “Ask what you can do for your country.” Put aside hatred, lawsuits and work toward a common goal to make America be a shining beacon for all the world. We would have a great economy, a very stable health care system and all Americans would prosper in one way or another.
Our elected officials need to be shown they are our spokespeople that need to be doing the right thing to ensure a healthy and robust country. Hatred and lawsuits are a very negative show of power.
We need to elect people that have a positive attitude to move our country forward. We need to rid our government of people that are looking out for themselves and ones that follow bad leadership.
Rudy Savelli
Allentown
Morning Call edition was well done
The story in the Nov. 23 edition of The Morning Call titled “Valley-wide problem” really hit home with me. I have experienced homelessness. It is depressing, frustrating, scary and bewildering.
What we need is affordable housing.
In the same edition and also a good read is the Go Guide story titled “Women of precision.” I knew nothing of the Rockettes. Also, good to see the photo of Penny Singleton. When I was in elementary school, I watched the TV series “The Jetsons” and listened to her provide the voice of Jane Jetson. Between the ages of 17 and 26, I saw her in the movie “Good News” (1930) and all 28 “Blondie” movies.
The Be an Angel campaign is a treasure!
Eugene Kozma
Bethlehem
Solar energy will help improve air quality
The sun’s rays that strike the Earth provide 10,000 times as much power as the total commercial energy produced on the planet (National Academy of Engineering). Solar energy is an abundant, clean and sustainable energy source that can not only lower greenhouse gas emissions, but help improve Bethlehem’s air quality, which is worse than 87% of other Pennsylvania cities. The Pennsylvania Solar Future Plan can help to put in place a community solar plan entailing panels on vacant city-owned lots, schools, warehouses and municipal buildings connecting to PPL’s main power grid, making this transition possible and benefiting our environment.
Stella Siokos
Bethlehem
Protect the Lehigh River
As a Lehigh student who often fishes the Lehigh River and its surrounding creeks, I’ve seen how declining water quality is hurting trout populations. After rain, the river turns cloudy with sediment from construction and road runoff, stressing trout and disrupting insect hatches.
Groups such as the Lehigh River Stocking Association and Trout Unlimited work hard to maintain healthy fisheries, but they can’t keep up without stronger municipal support. Better stormwater enforcement and more riparian buffers would significantly improve water quality.
The Lehigh River is a significant community asset. Protecting it now is essential to preserving trout fishing for future generations.
Jack Glassberg, Coast Guard Licensed Captain
Bethlehem
The Morning Call publishes letters from readers online and in print several times a week. Submit a letter to the editor at letters@mcall.com. The views expressed in this piece are those of its individual author(s), and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of this publication.
