Fayette needs more than government support programs
This letter is in response to a the letter “Political author doesn’t get Fayette County’s sense of community” by Kevin Jones published in the March 1 edition.
I admire Mr. Jones’ passion (evident in his colorful language) and his dedication to Fayette County (evident in his seeking public office). I grant that Mr. Jones knows the ins and outs of Brownsville and Uniontown better than I do. But it’s too bad Mr. Jones expects so little from the community and so much from the government.
He chastises me for noting the negative effects of some welfare programs and suggests that what Uniontown, Fayette City and Brownsville need is more of a “hand up” from the government. In order to make this argument, Jones tries to downplay the problem of eroding community institutions.
He denies that growing “disconnectedness” in Fayette County causes the problems currently plaguing the area, such as opioid overdoses (57 per 100,000 population, 50 percent higher than the state average, which itself is twice the national average), high school dropouts (3.8 percent in Uniontown, more than twice the state average), and out-of-wedlock births (more babies born to unmarried moms than to married mothers).
His denial is absurd, and in fact, dangerous. Everyone who has raised a family knows how crucial it is to have the support of a parish, a neighborhood, and strong schools. Everyone who has gone through tough times knows that community hubs, with real, human connections, are crucial to keeping people on the right path.
Mr. Jones might think a more generous “hand up” from Washington or Harrisburg can take the place of these local institutions, which is why he attacks my book, Alienated America, for emphasizing their importance.
To his credit, Mr. Jones takes pride in the fish fries and pancake breakfasts of Fayette County, as he should. But he shouldn’t deny that the people of Uniontown and Brownsville and Connelsville have fewer and fewer of these meeting grounds than they used to.
A dozen Catholic parishes have closed in Fayette County in the past decade. The Brownsville Public library is under threat of closure. Penn State has created a “social capital” score for every county in America, measuring the strength of communities. Fayette Co. has the third worst score in Pa.
So Mr. Jones is correct that Fayette County’s strength is in its “churches, our congregations, American Legions, VFW’s, our Masonic Lodges, Sons of Italys, Slovak clubs, our Eagles, our Lions, our Volunteer Fire Departments, and our labor unions.” And so Fayette County’s affliction is that these organizations are slowly disappearing. This leaves the good people of the county with less of a safety net, less of a sense of purpose, fewer connections, fewer friends, and less hope.
Mr. Jones, it appears, is upset I tried to tell the story of that difficulty rather than call for more “government support programs.”
Timothy P. Carney is the author of “Alienated America”