Editorials category, Page 20
Editorial: Courts need to decide election question on more than a race-by-race basis
Pennsylvania needs an answer — once and for all — on mail-in ballots. The ability to use the voting alternative without a reason like being out of town or having a medical condition was given blanket approval with the passage of Act 77 in 2019. It promptly got its first...
Editorial: Regionalization could rescue volunteer fire departments
Pennsylvania has 67 counties. Those counties contain 2,560 municipalities of various sizes, each with its own internal organizations. There are 2,400 fire departments, according to the Office of the State Fire Commissioner. More than 2,300 of those are strictly volunteer. Another 72 are a mix of volunteers with at least...
Editorial: Another step forward for river recreation?
The idea of removing a section of a concrete river wall in order to improve access to Johnstown’s waterways sounds like it would mesh well with the renewed emphasis on outdoor recreation as an economic driver in this region. The project was in the headlines again this past week when...
Editorial: The high cost of running for office
The 2024 election season was expensive. AdImpact, a Virginia-based advertising analytics firm, reported the total cost of political advertising leading to this year’s general election at a staggering $11 billion. Most of that, obviously, went to the presidential races. The top of the ticket crossed $3 billion. That was more...
Editorial: Does Allegheny County council need to swallow a tax increase?
Government is more than just elections. It is the hard part — the part that comes between elections. It’s deciding what services people want. It’s prioritizing what they need. It’s finding a way to promote growth while preserving character. It is finding a way to pay for it all. And...
Laurels & lances: Trees, water & a grenade
Laurel: To a church donation. Usually, when it comes to giving, it is people tithing to their house of worship which then in turn helps others. But one local parish is developing a habit of contributing to the community in a different way. Guardian Angels Catholic Parish in Springdale will...
Editorial: Bullying and harassment need to be defined to be stopped
What is bullying? What is harassment? The definitions in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary are simple. Bullying is abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger or more powerful. Harassment is an unpleasant or hostile situation — especially when involving uninvited or unwelcome verbal or physical interaction. But are those enough for...
Editorial: Is Gainey’s 2025 budget realistic and reasonable?
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey wants to focus on the core services the city provides to residents. That was the tentpole idea of his 2025 budget, presented Tuesday. Good. The administration needs to beef up those aspects that keep the city functioning. Traffic needs to be kept moving. Bridges need to...
Editorial: There is no place for hateful messages as we move on after election
Black Americans and women are being targeted by hateful messaging in the wake of last week’s presidential election. The racist messages are explicit in their referencing of slavery. They tell recipients they have been selected to pick cotton and tell them to be prepared to be picked up and transported...
Editorial: Veterans need political support every day, not just on Veterans Day
For Veterans Day, a classic Trib editorial: Everyone loves a veteran. Especially a politician. On Veterans Day, that pride and appreciation of those who stood up and did their duty when asked or stepped forward to volunteer will be on display in many corners. Flags will be flown, and speeches...
Editorial: The lesson of demographics and the 2024 election
If there was one lesson from the presidential election, it might be about counting chickens. The old adage suggests not counting them before they are hatched. Farm wisdom will tell you just because you have an egg doesn’t guarantee you get a chicken. That egg could end up in an...
Editorial: Court officers are not above the law or discipline
Law enforcement officers have been in the spotlight often in recent years for being on the wrong side of the handcuffs. Sheriffs, deputies, police chiefs, officers, state troopers and more have been arrested and charged, and followed the path through the justice system as defendants. Some have pleaded guilty or...
Laurels & lances: Politics & taking chances
Laurel: To getting through it. The election is over, and Pennsylvania made it through. After months of candidates and journalists all but parachuting into the area to lobby for votes or cover the campaigning, it’s done. With the exception of a few races coming down to the wire with counting...
Editorial: Pennsylvania still has lessons in wake of election
Everyone knew Pennsylvania would be a key player in the 2024 presidential election. What was less certain was the state being a microcosm of the election as it played out across the country. On Tuesday, as ballots were counted, the areas that voted for the Democratic and Republican candidates were...
Editorial: Was dog attack a pit bull problem or a pet owner one?
People expect a few scares on Halloween. Maybe there’s a guy in a hockey mask with a rubber knife lumbering down the street. Maybe an animatronic zombie lunges off the neighbor’s porch. Maybe there’s a spooky haunted house set up in the garage at the end of the block. But...
Editorial: It’s your turn to change the world
OK. That’s it. The 2024 election cycle might be the longest and the shortest ever. In some ways, it feels like it’s been going on since Donald Trump announced his Republican candidacy in 2015. In some sense, it might be dated to 2021, when the former president suggested he would...
Editorial: McDonald’s fickle McFlurry machines are now more fixable. That’s more significant than you might think
With an E. coli scare linked to some of its Quarter Pounders, likely the slivered onions thereupon, McDonald’s and its franchisees have had a rough go of late, as reflected in its share price gyrations. But this week brought some good news for the Chicago- based fast-food giant. The notoriously...
Editorial: The final pitches from the candidates
For months, Pennsylvania has been the focus of much of the American political world. The campaign of former President Donald Trump has been looking to the Republican stretches in rural areas and trying to carve off the edges of Democratic strongholds as he did in 2016. President Joe Biden spent...
Editorial: Halloween parade was no place for jump-scare of political retribution
Halloween is a blend of surprises and traditions. It’s a child-centric holiday that encourages time spent as a family. At the same time, it’s a celebration of the dark and scary, with plenty of blood and gore not generally fit for a G-rated crowd. It is both tricks and treats....
Laurels & lances: Visits & vigils
Laurel: To prioritizing tourism. Monroeville made a bold move this year, purchasing the Monroeville Convention Center after announcements were made that the building would be sold to become a Hobby Lobby. Now the future of that move is being cemented with a lease to Visit Monroeville, the tourism organization formed...
Editorial: Another mismanagement scandal in Pittsburgh is no surprise
It seems like no one knows exactly what is going on in Pittsburgh city government. There was the issue over the summer of purchasing cards being used improperly to pay a vendor formerly on the city payroll. Those credit cards are meant for things such as a subscription or picking...
Editorial: Making voting possible for domestic violence victims is empowering
Domestic violence wraps its tendrils around parts of life that most people don’t consider unless they have been touched by it. There are things like doctor appointments. How can you go for a routine visit if you might have to explain bruises? What about work? It can be hard to...
Editorial: High risk breast cancer MRIs are smart and cost-effective
Sometimes people want things from the government that sound great but just aren’t cost effective. It would be fantastic if utilities came without a bill, for instance. Long hot showers without worrying about paying for either the water or the heat? Who wouldn’t like that? But services come with a...
Editorial: Time to pass a federal shield law
Forty-nine states have enacted some version of a “shield law,” preventing the government from forcing reporters to reveal their notes or sources. It’s well past time that the folks inside the Beltway followed suit. Shield law protections give life to the First Amendment. If the government can compel reporters, editors...
Editorial: Are calls to remove district judge appropriate?
In a courtroom, there are rules about what can be introduced and when and how. For example, you can’t use evidence of a prior bad act as proof that someone did a new and different crime. You also can’t prosecute someone for a crime committed before a law was passed....
