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Featured Commentary category, Page 79

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Lucille and Clyde Bittner: Put aside differences and help people
As a married couple of 27 years, where one of us identifies as a Republican and the other as a Democrat, we understand better than most the idea that politics shouldn’t make it to the dinner table. During the last election, we were a split Trump and Biden household — and...
Janet Swim and Nathaniel Geiger: Americans support climate change policies, especially those that give them incentives, clean up energy supply
As the Biden administration tries to build support for new climate and energy policies, a set of studies offers some insights that could help them appeal to the widest audience. We are social scientists who examine how people think about climate change solutions. In the studies, we explored how the...
Greg Fulton: In honor of James Harrison, the ultimate grinder
If there were a Grinder Hall of Fame, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison would be in it. In fact, his statue might be in front of it. Grinder is a term in sports that refers to a player who may not have been born with great natural skills or physical...
Gene Barr: ‘Shop small’ takes on new meaning this year
Small businesses — the backbone of the American economy and the heart of many Main Street communities in Pennsylvania — have experienced unprecedented setbacks due to the covid-19 pandemic. Those challenges, combined with workforce shortages, labor market issues and supply-chain disruptions, have left small businesses struggling to survive. In fact,...
Cal Thomas: Thanks for giving
For some, this Thanksgiving — like last year — is a more difficult occasion than previous ones. Perhaps a loved one has died from covid-19, or you feel isolated from relatives and friends due to lockdowns, quarantines, travel restrictions, vaccinations (or not), masks and “distancing” and might think you have...
Jim Gluch: Scrutinizing Pa.’s stake in infrastructure deal
The local politics of the bipartisan infrastructure bill is worthy of scrutiny as we contend with our 21st-century issues and endeavor to make that future happen. The breakdown of Pennsylvania’s stake in the so-called BID (Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal) was made after its passage in the Senate this summer. It bears...
David Greineder: Increased taxes harm workers and hinder American competitiveness
In Pennsylvania, our recovery from the pandemic depends upon a pro-business environment both enacted and maintained statewide. Our workers and businesses have been hit hard by the economic fallout of the pandemic — we cannot increase taxes, regulations and other financial burdens from the government at a time when so...
Ron Perkins: College degree should not be lifetime barricade to a good-paying job
Over the last decades, the education to workforce ecosystem has myopically evolved into a standardized pipeline, where graduates are not necessarily set up to succeed. The standard high school diploma now offers 50% fewer opportunities for family-sustaining careers versus 30 years ago, and 40% of recent college graduates are underemployed...
Cal Thomas: The Rittenhouse verdict
Before the right to keep and bear arms is stated in the Second Amendment, the Founders wrote why they believed it necessary for people to arm themselves as part of a “militia.” They said it is a “necessity to the security of a free state.” The Founders knew that liberty...
Rep. Joanna McClinton: Federal bill invests in Pa.; state legislative leaders need to do the same
After four years of false starts and one year of hard work and compromise, there’s finally a federal bill that mirrors what we’ve been fighting for here in Pennsylvania. A bill that brings real money to our communities and creates jobs that cannot be outsourced. It includes investments to connect...
Ryan Shafik: Jake Corman runs for governor, Josh Shapiro rejoices
Dynastic career politician Jake Corman, president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania State Senate, is the latest Republican to toss his hat in the ring for governor of this great commonwealth. Given Corman’s insatiable ambition, his decision to enter the fray isn’t necessarily surprising. What is shocking is that someone with...
James Knights: We’re not learning — genocides on rise
On Veterans Day, I was asked to give a few remarks at an exhibition hosted by the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education at Seton Hill University in Greensburg. The focus of the exhibition was a collection of my father’s wartime photographs of the little-known German massacre of 1016, mostly...
Kirk Allen and John Kraft: Fauci warned about coronaviruses in 2003 — but didn’t act on it
Few would argue the United States, or any country for that matter, was prepared for the covid-19 pandemic, even though, starting in 2003, the U.S. devoted $5.6 billion to fund Project Bioshield, running through 2013, and another $2.8 billion of funding through 2018. Project Bioshield was designed to prepare the...
Rep. Mike Kelly: Parents deserve — and have earned — a greater voice in children’s education
Since Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin’s decisive win in Virginia, education has been deemed the top issue that propelled him to victory. Specifically, the infiltration of critical race theory (CRT) into some classrooms nationwide. Parents in Virginia revolted and ultimately awarded Youngkin the governorship, and he became the first Republican to win...
Cathy Bordner: 3 projects hamper Pittsburgh’s climate progress
Recently there has been a lot of news coverage about awards being won by the city of Pittsburgh for progress against climate change. These are certainly major accomplishments, but if you look closer at Southwestern Pennsylvania, you’ll recognize the irony of these awards. The Nov. 10 Public News Service article,...
Mark Kempic: Help is available for those struggling to stay warm
Autumn’s chill air means that winter is quickly approaching, and with it, colder temperatures increase our reliance on natural gas to stay safe and warm in our homes. Each year though, many Pennsylvanians struggle financially with heating bills during the winter months, and utility providers like Columbia Gas work to...
Turahn Jenkins and Robert Perkins: Addressing racism in Allegheny County courts
According to a recent TV news story, a meeting of Allegheny County judges this month “erupted in protest” over the draft of a new court mission statement proposed by President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark. The disputed portion of the statement proclaims that “We are committed to being fair and consistent,...
Leslie Poston and Sara Goodkind: It’s time for UPMC to do more than fly banners for our health care heroes
Around the country and across industries, workers are standing up to demand fair pay and treatment. The worker shortage — called “The Great Resignation” — is particularly acute in health care, where the staffing crisis has left many concerned for worker and patient safety. Essential care workers are being pushed...
Sheldon Jacobson: Team sports require team decisions on covid vaccination
Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers’ star quarterback and reigning AP NFL Most Valuable Player, tested positive for covid-19. He also admitted that he was not vaccinated. Individuals living in isolation are free to make any choice they wish when it comes to vaccination. However, when personal choices have community...
Ronald A. Smith and Terry Engelder: Jerry Sandusky should be retried
Ten years ago, Joe Paterno, the Brooklyn-born winningest football coach at Penn State University, was fired at night over the telephone, five days after the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office released the presentment charging defensive coach Jerry Sandusky and Penn State administrators with crimes of child abuse. Paterno was never found...
Scott Brown: A case for city ownership of Greensburg parklet
Greensburg’s Pennsylvania Avenue parklet, built in 1988 and gifted to the city in 1989 by nonprofit Go Greensburg, is the subject of debate about who should own the park. Constructed for $30,000, the park was funded entirely by donations from benefactors and generous citizens. In May 2020, the city sold...
Alison Bell: Pa.’s health care workforce needs ‘rapid response’
Uncertainty, fear and anxiety gripped the nation in early 2020 as we began to deal with the covid-19 pandemic. This was especially true for health care workers who were tasked with treating a novel virus we knew very little about other than the lethal impact it had in other parts...
Michael Torres: ‘Old school GOP’ prevailed in Pa.’s swing counties
Last week, voters in Pennsylvania’s key swing counties sent a message to Republicans: Nominate a competent candidate who cares about our quality of life, and we’ll give you a win. Given that a few thousand of these voters can easily determine statewide and even national elections, the GOP should take...
Kevin Walker: Now is the time to embrace electric mobility
When I moved to Western Pennsylvania in the spring of 2020, I immediately learned that we’re a region of opportunity. This has been true since the Industrial Revolution established Pittsburgh as the steel capital of the world and solidified our reputation for being a driven, innovative and resilient community. Pittsburgh...
Johnny Wilson: Veterans are strong assets for employers
Semper Fidelis is Latin for “always faithful.” It is a fitting credo by which every United States Marine lives — “an eternal and collective commitment to the success of our battles, the progress of our Nation, and the steadfast loyalty to the fellow Marines we fight alongside.” As someone who...


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