Letters to the Editor category, Page 185

Andrew Yang has started a new third political party, the Forward Party. He sent me an email titled “American Men,” in which he cites many statistics and studies that convince me that boys and men have indeed fallen behind girls and women in many ways. He writes “I’ve long felt...

“I’m from Allegheny County government, and you can trust me.” This is what we expect when we pay our property taxes. The Pennsylvania Constitution mandates uniformity in the way tax bills are divvied out. Assessed values haven’t changed in 10 years. County leaders say they could remain frozen for another...

Why is it that Republicans scream “cancel culture,” but the minute they don’t agree with something, that something needs to be silenced? Letter-writers Lou Hoetzlein (“S.E. Cupp not credible,” Jan. 21, TribLIVE) and Frances Olyarnik (“Why run S.E. Cupp’s bitter diatribes,” Dec. 20, TribLIVE) don’t agree with columnist S. E....

Welcome to 2022: We have a national midterm election this year, which I fear will include lots of partisan fighting. Please remember that the other team is not the enemy; they simply see things differently than you. Shawn Mason Trafford...

How would you like a job where when you made a mistake, a big red light goes on and 18,000 people boo? That’s a quote from Jacques Plante, goalie of yore for the Montreal Canadiens. Unfortunately, it’s like that for today’s cops, who are being scrutinized on the way they...

Regarding the article “Pennsylvania casinos not ready to cut smoking from gambling experience” (Jan. 3, TribLIVE): I’m from Greensburg, and when I left, it was a smoking city. I’m a nonsmoker (actually no bad habits). There are 24 states that outlaw smoking (an addictive habit) in their casinos. A lot...

This is in response to your editorial “Truth is kids need to be safe from gun violence”. The truth is kids need to be safe from all violence, and schools should use education to try to make it so. We should be using schools to reduce violence throughout life with...

Here’s why I am happy to refuse plastic bags and straws: I know that I am not responsible for the beached whale that died with its stomach full of plastic trash. I know that the pain of the sea turtle with a plastic straw caught in its nose was not...

Letter-writer Dale Vukovich (“Vaccines and gas prices”) must have missed President Biden, Vice President Harris and many of their Democratic friends last October saying they wouldn’t “trust or take the vaccine that was developed under Trump.” He must have missed Biden during the second presidential debate saying that “anyone who...

OK, multiple days of letters to the editor by people complaining about the Westmoreland County commissioners not putting money toward homes for the homeless, mental health facilities, drug treatment facilities, etc. Enough: If you Voice of Westmoreland people feel so strongly about helping people who need those facilities, why don’t...

The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on access to affordable housing. A 2022 report found that, since the pandemic began, Southwestern Pennsylvania was near the top for rents rising faster than home prices. In Westmoreland County, renting costs $400 a month more than a home mortgage. That $400 represents...

I read with interest the letter “Socialism in line with Christian faith”. An extensive history of socialism was conducted by Igor Shafarevich, a Nobel Prize-winning mathematician and an associate of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. Solzhenitsyn and Shafarevich had a front-row seat to the glory days of socialism. That seat provided them with...

My open letter to Congressman (Hope-to-be-Senator) Conor Lamb and Sen. Robert Casey: I have received several of both of your “updates” extolling your perceived legislative accomplishments under the guidance of President Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and you know guys, I’m just not feeling it. What both...

Regarding Jim Papke’s letter “Biden should learn history, humility” (Jan. 19, TribLIVE), contending that President Biden should learn the correct history of the Republican and Democratic parties: The first thing one should learn is that the parties have switched stances throughout our history. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were Republicans...

We, the people of Westmoreland, have the absolute right to access our county commissioners when they hold public meetings at the courthouse, without fear of contracting covid-19. As an individual with multiple sclerosis, I am desperately trying to avoid putting myself at risk. Transparency and accountability at these meetings are...

What the politicians and car makers aren’t telling you: The maximum distance most electric cars can travel between charges is around 260-300 miles. That’s if your car has permanent magnets made from neodymium oxide in the motor. Guess who controls 90% of the supply of neodymium oxide? China. Mining this...

I was touring Ireland when foreign terrorists attacked the U.S. on 9/11. So it wasn’t until I returned three weeks later that I really began understanding that event. I recall how proud I was seeing the waving flags and sense of national unity I returned home to. But no more....

Reagarding Cheri Blum’s letter “Indoctrination in schools”: If schools aren’t supposed to be used for indoctrination, why do students say the Pledge of Allegiance? And why do Catholics have their own schools? Kris Weinschenker Unity...

Westmoreland County residents should thank Diana Steck, Bob Mason and Michael Pardus for their leadership and advocacy around the American Rescue Plan funds ("Westmoreland County needs a people’s American Rescue Plan," Jan. 9, TribLIVE). For almost a year, these three concerned citizens, alongside the many volunteers at Voice of Westmoreland,...

We are at a tipping point in this country. Around the world, countries are locking in the unvaccinated and forcing vaccinations on citizens, with some putting the unvaccinated or those with covid in “quarantine camps” for their, and society’s, safety. Here in the United States, we are being divided into...

Instead of looking through a telescope for life somewhere else, look through the body to find a cure for arthritis and cancer. Bobby Rowe Arnold...

Mental health awareness has been on the rise in recent years, especially with the added pressures covid-19 has supplied. We’ve come a long way as a society creating a space for those suffering from mental health issues, of any capacity, and creating a supportive and resourceful community. However, there is...

The recent Pennsylvania Farm Show celebrated Pennsylvania farmers with a 1-ton butter sculpture. Unfortunately, climate change is poised to impact our state’s dairy and agriculture industry. Average annual temperatures in Pennsylvania have risen roughly 0.5 F (0.3 C) over the last century. Climate change causes an increase in the number...

Regarding the article “Pittsburgh looks to make city more accessible for people with disabilities”: As a full-time wheelchair user and student at the University of Pittsburgh, I unfortunately have experienced many accessibility issues in Pittsburgh. Reexamining policies and programs in place for those with disabilities would be extremely beneficial. In...

Regarding the article “Norwin school board member wants to bar CNN news show for students” (Jan. 12, TribLIVE): Schools are for teaching, not for indoctrinating. Cheri Blum Canonsburg...