Editorials category, Page 27
Editorial: Is the NFL Draft or a Super Bowl better for Pittsburgh?
Is the NFL Draft coming to Pittsburgh in 2026 really that big a deal? From a financial perspective, it definitely could be. It seems unlikely Pittsburgh will see a Super Bowl on the North Shore anytime soon. The February weather in Southwestern Pennsylvania is too changeable for 120 million eyes...
Editorial: Elected official shouldn’t require babysitting to do her job
The drama in the Westmoreland County Register of Wills office continues. It started with judges ordering Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton to comply with certain timelines. She didn’t. There was a hearing that revealed more of the dysfunction in the office, including a large backlog of uncompleted work delaying...
Editorial: John Fetterman should be careful throwing political stones
Those who live in glass houses are often cautioned about the casual tossing of stones. On Friday, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Braddock, decided to pick up some rocks and juggle. “In the past, I’ve described the U.S. House as ‘The Jerry Springer Show,’ ” he posted on X.com. “Today, I’m apologizing...
Editorial: The rematch is set: Biden vs. Trump debates have the right balance
The last time the Democrats and Republicans held a White House rematch with the same contenders was 1956, when Ike beat Adlai Stevenson for the second straight time. Earlier, there were redos with William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan (McKinley won both in 1896 and 1900) and Grover Cleveland vs....
Editorial: Body cameras can protect police but only if policies allow it
Body cameras for police have become expected. In January, a report from the Police Executive Research Forum — an independent research group focused on law enforcement issues — pointed to how the devices changed over a 10-year period. There were 200 policing experts pulled together in 2013 to discuss this...
Editorial: Is paying former city employee with credit card an ethics problem?
Do we really need to keep explaining ethics to government officials? Looks like it. OK, one more time. Ethics are the moral principles governing what we do. They apply in a variety of arenas. There are business ethics, medical ethics, educational ethics, legal ethics. What we’re talking about here is...
Laurels & lances: Superintendents and cyclones
Laurel: To the next step. First Hempfield Area School District got an architect for the high school renovation. Then it got a project manager. Then it got an owner’s representative. Then it asked for bids, which went way over budget. Then it threw the bids out and went back to...
Editorial: Does quadriplegic inmate deserve compassionate release after 49 years?
Ezra Bozeman was convicted of second-degree murder in 1975. The jury came to that decision 10 months after the crime occurred, when Morris Weitz was shot and killed during a robbery at a dry cleaner’s shop in Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood. Bozeman was sentenced to life in prison. He has...
Editorial: What can Pennsylvania do about truancy?
Schools can be caught in a no-win situation when it comes to getting kids in the doors. Students are required to attend school until they turn 18 or graduate. It might be a public or private or charter school, but they have to be learning to read and write and...
Editorial: Cyril Wecht changed forensics and true crime
There is no denying that Cyril Wecht was a leading figure in his field. The forensic pathologist’s career was about death and the puzzles that surround it. He reviewed evidence in the assassination of John F. Kennedy and consulted on the investigation of Robert F. Kennedy’s shooting death. He weighed...
Editorial: Applying to college shouldn’t be so complicated
Although college isn’t for everyone, earning a degree still offers a pathway to success for many Americans. Yet, each year, hundreds of thousands of low-income, college-ready students never actually enroll, partly because the application process prioritizes administrative busywork over academics. Policymakers should work to make it simpler. Applying to college...
Editorial: Jacob Jaillet’s story reveals the overlooked consequences of gun violence
When it comes to tragic outcomes, death can often be seen as the most terrible end. It is important to remember that sometimes that might not be true. Jacob Jaillet was not murdered by a bullet on July 27, 2021. It severed the 21-year-old’s spinal cord and left him imprisoned...
Editorial: Some government jobs require more professionalism than popularity
Elections or appointments can fill a job vacancy in one of two ways. It may by popular acclamation — meaning of all the people up for a job, one person emerges as the favorite. Or it may be by default if only one person is in the running. In jobs...
Laurels & lances: Blood, gators and money
Laurel: To a rapid response. In the event of an emergency, time isn’t money. Time is life or death. The speed of getting medical attention is the difference between survival and tragedy. That is why it is amazing to see local EMS organizations on the cutting edge of a vital...
Editorial: Time for Westmoreland’s register of wills to step down
Contempt of court has been in the news a lot lately because of the multiple counts leveled against former President Donald Trump by a New York criminal court judge. On Tuesday, a Westmoreland County official found herself in the same boat. Sherry Magretti Hamilton is the register of wills. It’s...
Editorial: TSA checkpoint bill is overdue
State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Squirrel Hill, wanted to have the TSA Firearm Compliance Act introduced to lawmakers already. That hasn’t happened. It has been held amid ongoing communication with state and federal law enforcement to make sure the proposal accomplishes the goals of cutting back on the number of guns...
Editorial: Paying a dirty cop’s pension seems like a crime
It ought to go without saying that breaking the law voids an agreement. For example, if you shoplift at Walt Disney World and get kicked out, Disney is under no obligation to refund your expensive tickets. If you get in a fight in the bar of your hotel, be prepared...
Editorial: Why do USGA and Oakmont Country Club need state money for U.S. Open?
The U.S. Golf Association is, technically, a charity. According to a ProPublica investigation, the U.S Golf Association has assets valued at $791 million. In 2022, the organization had $223 million in revenue and $263 million in expenses, leaving it $28 million in the hole. Those expenses included 10 people making...
Editorial: Rustic Ridge emerges as village of importance
Pennsylvania does not have “towns.” The state has a few dozen cities, most notably the bookends of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The rest fall into two real categories. Boroughs are what most people would identify as towns: communities that are bigger than an unincorporated village and smaller than a city. Townships...
Editorial: Difference between Brittney Griner and Marc Fogel? One came home
On Wednesday, WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner was featured in a “20/20” interview ahead of the release of her new book, “Coming Home.” It was a powerful interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts. The 6-foot-9-inch athlete was generally quiet and subdued as she spoke in her deep, gentle voice about the basketball...
Laurels & lances: Education and resistance
Laurel: To recognizing worth. The cost of a college education has skyrocketed in the past decades. Pennsylvania’s college costs, in particular, are higher than in many other states. Auditor General Timothy DeFoor visited Westmoreland County Community College on Tuesday to talk about opportunities in his office. The department is expanding...
Editorial: For a change, state lawmakers put ethics at the fore. Now they should look in the mirror
Bryan Burhans has stepped down from his position as executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The move came suddenly after lawmakers and other commission members questioned a limited liability company he operated. “That’s not to suggest there were any ethical violations on his part, but there were questions about...
Editorial: Internet accessibility shouldn’t be a bait-and-switch
How is a new government program like a special rate from your cable company or cellphone provider? It can expire, leaving you with a bill you didn’t anticipate. For low-income households who were given access to broadband internet through federal investment, the special offer could be about to end. The...
Editorial: Kent State shooting should teach lessons for dealing with protesters
The students were upset. They wanted to be heard. They were emphatic that the university listen to their demands. They were opposed to a war half a world away and wanted to do something. And then people died. In May 1970, U.S. college campuses were rife with protests regarding the...
Editorial: Let the competition begin: The FTC did its duty banning noncompetes
In a narrow vote this week, the Federal Trade Commission approved a rule that will ban the vast majority of noncompete clauses by U.S. employers, which have long prevented workers from switching jobs or setting out on their own. In doing so, the agency did its duty to protect American...
