‘Embarrassing’ behavior

Dear Editor,

Our city bulldozed through the process of hiring a city manager and pushed through a lease without notifying impacted businesses.

We ignore our public when they disagree and speak up at meetings — over and over again. Emails from Bent Run and Allegheny Outfitters have been ignored.

Our city’s strategy seems to be, ignore it and keep moving forward. And it works, until it doesn’t.

In the Times Observer article (Feb. 22) “Council moves ahead on staging lease amid opposition, questions” John Wortman referenced fiduciary responsibility and accused me of attacking the process because a vote did not go my way. He seems to have missed the point on both counts.

Some people, including John Wortman, seem to think that winning at all costs is OK – in spite of the impact to our small businesses and our city. He brought up fiduciary responsibility. What about the fiduciary responsibility to our established taxpayers and small business owners instead of to a new development?

Feeling embarrassed has nothing to do with attacking the process. I find it embarrassing that we have stopped having discussions that respect all members of our community.

It’s embarrassing that a lack of integrity can be rationalized by holding to the letter of the law while ignoring the spirit of it. We should be representing the needs of our community, not outright ignoring their concerns.

Holding to this current juvenile win-lose mentality will hurt all of us, and yes, I find this behavior embarrassing. My loyalty remains to the members of our community, not in the pockets of developers.

We won’t be silenced.

Wendy McCain,

council member,

Warren

Assist with unpaid care

Dear Editor,

The Alzheimer’s Association’s 2023 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report reveals the Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiver burden continues to grow in Pennsylvania. Today, there are more than 400,000 family members and friends serving as unpaid dementia caregivers in the commonwealth providing 464 million hours of unpaid care, valued at $10.7B.

Alzheimer’s and dementia caregivers face unique challenges. They report higher rates of chronic conditions including stroke, heart disease, diabetes and cancer compared to non-caregivers. In Pennsylvania, 56% of caregivers reported having at least one of these chronic conditions.

The prevalence of depression is higher among dementia caregivers (30%-40%) when compared to caregivers for other conditions such as schizophrenia (20%) or stroke (19%). In Pennsylvania, 22% of caregivers reported depression.

I call on all state policymakers and community leaders to implement immediate actions to support family caregivers across Pennsylvania. We must establish and fund a public health infrastructure for Alzheimer’s, and highlight the importance of early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia.

The Alzheimer’s Association provides support for all caregivers through our 24/7 Helpline, 800.272.3900, and our website alz.org/pa. Now is the time to join together as we look for a better future of a world without Alzheimer’s disease.

Clayton Jacobs,

Executive Director,

Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter