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By DONALD JORALEMON

While the writers of the March 21 letter, “Mayor Sciarra, a competent, compassionate leader,” list several examples of what they see as the Northampton mayor’s compassion, they’re pretty thin on their basis for declaring her competence. The one item they raise of any possible relevance here — she’s “a whiz at budgets and spreadsheets” — is an awfully low bar for someone at the top of the organizational chart for a $137 million per year operation. A better measure of mayoral competence is to look at results.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services provides necessary funding and administrative funding to museum and library programs. They promote American English literacy by reports and funding research on literacy development. They help with the digitization of local historical records, career training, and projects studying American industry, Founding Fathers, and more. IMLS supports each of the 50 states, D.C., and American territories with technology access and instructions aimed at American information services. With the National Park Service, they fund the preservation of artifacts. Without their funding libraries will take away our learning through books, programs, classes, and the internet, which is free! Libraries can help with job searching, skill building, resume writing regardless of your age. Rural and underserved areas has vital resource in libraries and museums.We must not take away IMLS.

I was baffled and confused by the March 14 article about the Hatfield Housing Board and the criticisms launched against Chris Smith of Prospect Street in Hatfield [”Hatfield Housing Authority board presses for removal of ‘toxic’ member”].

As a 65-year-old woman who has lived in western Massachusetts for 47 years, I have seen my share of political crises in this country. But never — never — have I witnessed such a brazen, coordinated attack on our democracy and our communities as we are seeing today. This isn’t just about political differences; it is about the systematic dismantling of government institutions that serve and protect us all.

Fox News and the Republican Party have convinced many Americans that undocumented immigrants don’t contribute anything to our society and are just a drain on federal programs.

As a veteran who spilt blood for his country, I am now utterly embarrassed and ashamed of what my country has come to represent. Ethics, morality and mutual support, both globally and locally, are now lost and need to be regained.

If I had one wish for government officials (not that I have only one), it would be that they understand exponential equations.

Our Democratic experiment is under a full blitzkrieg. And too many Democrats really believe that remaining calm and quiet is the best tactic in defense. Sen. Chuck Schumer and others really believe that we should not challenge this blitzkrieg because these anti-democratic corrupt forces will just destroy themselves before they completely undo the American government and decency.

Once again I feel compelled to sing the praises of our daily newspaper. Last week, in addition to covering the day’s pressing news stories, the Gazette featured a quieter but no less important item in the B section: retired Hitchcock Center naturalist Ted Watt’s spirited recollection of taking a group of schoolkids on a snowy hike in search of animal tracks [”Learning a Sense of Wonder,” March 19].

By SARENA NEYMAN

By CARRIE N. BAKER and ANDREA MOORE

In 2021, now-Vice President J.D. Vance gave a speech titled ”Universities are the Enemy.”

By JIM PALERMO

The Northampton city dispatchers deserve recognition for their professionalism, skill, knowledge, expertise and patience in handling emergency calls. They are to be commended for their work. Great job!

Recent discussion in the Gazette about the Main Street project causes me to think it may not be too late for me, a non-Northampton resident, to comment. I live in Amherst. I shop occasionally from a few stores in Northampton; more often, I go there to cultural events at the Forbes, or the Academy of Music, Look Park or Smith College.

I write in response to Lundy Bancroft’s March 14 letter “Negotiate, don’t escalate,” which uncritically echoes the counterfactual talking points of the Russo-Ukrainian War’s unconditional aggressor: Russia under the authoritarian regime of Vladimir Putin.

Is it true? I just read that a bunch of Republicans in Minnesota are trying to get Trump derangement syndrome (TDS) listed as a mental illness.

Although not good news, I was glad to see the Gazette’s front page coverage concerning the impact that health insurance costs are having on municipalities and their school districts [”‘Budget buster:’ Spiking health insurance costs burdening local municipal budgets,” March 21].

Donald Trump makes Richard Nixon look like the pope.

By BARBARA A. ROUILLARD

I don’t know where the “peace activist” who urged negotiations with Vladimir Putin in the March 14 Gazette got her facts about the Minsk accords [“Negotiate, don’t escalate,” letter]. She claims Ukraine broke the agreement, so the war is Ukraine’s fault.