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Letters to the Editor: Stay Informed About Proposed Casino Developments; Balachandran Best Choice for Judge
As the continuing licensing battle regarding the Nittany Mall casino plays out in the Commonwealth Court and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, College Township leadership has recently realized and decided they can no longer burden staff to keep up with posting the latest barrage of legal documents filed every few days in Harrisburg. At the most recent College Township Council meeting on April 20, members of council discussed the matter with the township manager. All agreed that the township no longer has “a dog in this fight” and the escalating legal wranglings in Harrisburg are now solely between the two parties who originally bid on the right to apply for the casino license.
What began as just one case being heard by the Commonwealth Court has quickly ramped up with three additional cases now filed with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Members of the College Township Council also discussed the ability for community members to easily view the public documents that are available for anyone to review online. Of course, it is therefore especially important for the public to know exactly how to accomplish that online review.
The four respective links to the ongoing Nittany Mall casino-related court cases are provided here:
43 MM 2023 – SC Gaming OpCo LLC & Ira Lubert appeal to Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Anyone can request copies of specific court filings and other publicly available documents at a cost of fifty cents per page. The documents will be emailed to the requestor as .pdf copies from the Court’s Prothonotary Office.
Send your email request to [email protected]. Be sure to identify the specific documents requested by case number, date, and title.
An invoice from the court will also be included with details on payment by personal check; no credit cards are accepted.
The PA Gaming Control Board (PGCB) may have awarded the casino license to the winning bidder in January, but the license may not be issued until the legal battles have concluded. The case might continue to be fought in Harrisburg for as long as two more years. Any mention of the Nittany Mall Casino receiving a “green light” may have been just a bit too optimistic. The final decision is far from being the done deal some have hoped for. Follow the cases using the links provided because College Township is counting on you to do so.
Finally, here is why I believe the casino license will eventually be denied to the winning bidder. The PGCB’s interpretation appears to indicate that any casino operator or interested party in Pennsylvania has the right to act as a straw buyer for parties who would otherwise be ineligible to bid for a casino license – and if straw buyers are allowed, then anyone from anywhere can bid on a casino license in Pennsylvania as long as they can find a straw buyer to place the bid on their behalf. Do not hope for that brand new casino ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Nittany Mall any time soon. It might never happen!
Daniel Materna,
Howard
Balachandran Offers County ‘an Incredible Opportunity’
I write in strong support of Penn State Law professor and former public defender Gopal Balachandran’s historic candidacy for Centre County Court of Common Pleas judge. Gopal offers our county an incredible opportunity to have a judge with important and unique experience. Gopal would be the first person of color elected to the bench in Centre County Court of Common Pleas and the first Indian-American to be elected to any judicial position in Pennsylvania’s history. His perspective and life
experiences, which include serving the indigent and powerless, and diverse clientele, would be a great asset in our Court system.
While the historic nature of this campaign is noteworthy, what really stands out about Gopal is his intellect, work-ethic, humility and empathy. I have seen first-hand his ability to assess complex, voluminous case files, and formulate legal arguments in cases of significant consequence. I’ve been very impressed by his dedication and skill. His clinic is known throughout the state for their willingness to help in difficult cases.
Expertise like Gopal’s is tough to find and one that the court here in Centre County desperately needs. Having practiced in the Centre County Court of Common Pleas and in federal court for more than 30 years, I recognize the importance of electing a judge with significant criminal law and a history of protecting our constitutional rights. The experience that Gopal has will allow him to remain independent and not become a rubber stamp for powerful interests. Judicial campaigns are mostly sleepy affairs, but I
am truly excited about Gopal’s campaign and look forward to casting my vote for him.
Andrew Shubin,
State College
Balachandran Would ‘Strengthen Centre County’s Judicial System’
It is not often that someone with the qualifications of Gopal Balachandran comes forward as a candidate for judge of the Centre County Court of Common Pleas. He has a background in criminal law, many years’ experience as a trial lawyer, and a distinguished record of service to our community. He thus has both the knowledge and the temperament necessary to render wise judicial decisions for the citizens of our county.
Balachandran’s candidacy represents a special opportunity to strengthen Centre County’s judicial system. Half of the cases that come up before our judges are criminal in nature, and our county judges spend more time studying criminal cases than all other types of cases. Since none of our current judges has a specific background in criminal law, Gopal’s election will significantly broaden the expertise that we need in order to handle all the cases that come before our courts.
A 10-year resident of Centre County and a father of two, Balachandran has already contributed to our community through his service at Penn State Law Clinic and on the State College Borough Council. Running for judge is an opportunity to even better use his expertise to benefit Centre County. Just as important, Gopal’s vision of justice includes an emphasis on fairness and equity. This orientation will go well with the focus of our county judicial system, which has recently established both a drug court and a mental health court. His candidacy comes at the right time for the needs of our county.
Janet Irons,
State College
Balachandran as Judge Would Benefit All
I want to express my support for Gopal Balachandran for Centre County Judge. Gopal would bring almost 20 years of criminal law experience to his work on the bench, as well as a deeply held belief in fairness and justice that is evident both in his work and in his life.
Gopal has demonstrated a strong sense of civic duty in his work as a borough council member since November 2021. His support of the Tenant Bill of Rights and advocating for a new charging station in our town are just two examples of how he has prioritized and addressed issues that matter to people in our community.
Gopal is deeply connected to our community as a borough council member and as Director of Penn State Law’s Criminal Appellate and Post-Conviction Services Clinic, but also as a father and husband. My family has known him and his wife Jyoti since our kids went to preschool together. Gopal listens more than he talks, and is genuinely interested in what those around him have to say. Working formerly as a public defender, Gopal became familiar with the myriad factors in a person’s life that can bring them to a place of being the victim, or the perpetrator of violence. This compassion and sense of perspective on people’s lives are essential to the work of a county judge.
I believe we would all benefit by having Gopal Balachandran as a Centre County Judge.
Hannah Carney,
State College
Permitting Reform Needed for Electric Transmission Lines
Renewable energy sources, mostly solar and wind, account for 92 percent of planned new energy installations in the U.S., according to a report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
That’s progress. But there’s a problem. The nation needs new electric transmission lines to make those plans a reality.
The bottleneck is a too-slow permitting process. It takes more than four years, on average, to approve permits for transmission lines. We don’t have that much time to waste.
Many planned solar and wind farms are in rural areas. Long distance transmission lines are needed to connect them with population centers where energy demand is greatest. But the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission lacks authority to approve interstate transmission lines. Instead, such lines require state-by-state permit approval.
If we don’t build clean energy infrastructure faster, we will only achieve about 20 percent of the potential carbon pollution reduction from climate policies already in place through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, an analysis at Princeton University shows.
These policies could prevent up to 180,000 premature American deaths over the next decade by reducing air pollution, according to Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Urge your federal lawmakers to support permit reform legislation.
Diane Mills
State College chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby member
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