Letters to the Editor category, Page 38
Letter to the editor: What is RFK doing about oil and gas?
In response to the Associated Press story “Trump officials want to ban junk food from SNAP. Past efforts show it’s not easy” (Feb. 19, TribLive) about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: What is he doing about oil and gas? His efforts aimed at Big Ag and Big Pharma seem like ways...
Letter to the editor: Banks have sordid role in credit card debt
I found myself doing mental gymnastics to follow the logic of the writer of the Las Vegas Review- Journal editorial “Credit card bill will hurt those it’s supposed to help” (Feb. 24, TribLive). After several readings, it appears to me that the writer’s logic is this: Banks’ earnings on their credit...
Letter to the editor: History in our backyards
When most of us want to learn history, we visit historical attractions like Gettysburg or Philadelphia. However, we either take for granted or are unaware of the historical events that took place in our own backyard. I live just a few blocks away from the burial sight of Arthur St....
Letter to the editor: Why turnpike tolls must sometimes be raised
Regarding the letter “Why does the turnpike keep raising tolls?” (Feb. 22, TribLive): Raising tolls is one of the most challenging votes our commissioners make annually, as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission recognizes the demands higher costs place on the 550,000 drivers who rely on our roadway daily. Context provides insight...
Letter to the editor: Ashamed of our president
I am an older man, listened to the results of the Truman/Dewey election. I know that everyone makes mistakes. I know that our national debt is too big, and that our government is too big and too expensive. I know that many dictators have come to power through the process...
Letter to the editor: All DEI programs are not the same
The article “Ending diversity push or fueling student anxiety? Trump administration’s anti-DEI stance sparks debate” (Feb. 25, TribLive) quotes Adam Kissel, currently at the Heritage Foundation: “The DEI party in education is over. As commonly practiced, DEI initiatives and offices treat people differently by identity group, stereotype by identity group,...
Letter to the editor: Free tax help is available
Death and taxes, the saying goes. But what if tax season wasn’t just a pain or a punchline and instead was the most stressful time of the year? For people in our region working multiple jobs but still not earning enough to meet their basic needs, filing taxes can be...
Letter to the editor: Audit of our government long overdue
The Democrats’ reaction to the Trump administration’s efforts to rein in waste, fraud and abuse across all federal agencies through DOGE is very strange. They are marching in the streets, singing and chanting like anti-war protesters in the late ’60s. Elon Musk and his cadre of young whiz kid engineers...
Letter to the editor: Elections have consequences
With alarm, we bear witness to President Donald Trump’s sledgehammering cuts to the federal government with agency closings, layoffs and indiscriminate and unlawful firings of civil servants, all occurring while Congress ineptly stands by. Unelected but Trump-appointed Elon Musk enters and closes numerous agencies with dangerous, uncertain firings of nuclear...
Letter to the editor: Christians did indeed vote for Trump
I disagree with the letter “Christians and Trump” (Feb. 27, TribLive), in which the writer claims that no real Christian voted for President Trump. Many of us who are Bible believers and follow Christ voted for Trump. It was our understanding that our nation was becoming weak and being filled...
Letter to the editor: International aid boosts economic prosperity, security
Not only is global poverty a humanitarian problem, but it also has an impact on national security and economic stability. Foreign aid, which accounts for less than 1% of the federal budget yet has a significant influence, is one way that the United States helps combat extreme poverty around the...
Letter to the editor: Let’s look at who’s paying their ‘fair share’
Democrats and their minions in the legacy media and various cable new outlets have “waged war” against the wealthy, saying that they have not paid “their fair share of taxes.” Most have never stated what “their fair share” should be. President Trump’s proposed $5,000 DOGE rebate essentially defines what a...
Letter to the editor: Musk’s havoc
I’d like to add some additional data to the letter “Speak up to stop Musk’s coup” (Feb. 15, TribLive). Elon Musk is the wealthiest person in the world, worth $442 billion, yet in 2022 and 2024 Tesla paid $0 in federal tax. It’s obscene that any one man should have...
Letter to the editor: Oversight needed for federal firings
On Feb. 13, Trump administration officials fired more than 300 staffers at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile. The administration is seeking to rehire these employees. The Department of Energy oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, research and development of nuclear power,...
Letter to the editor: Congress must address high cost of prescription drugs
While Congress could tackle a plethora of issues as it begins its 119th session, it’s my hope that the Pennsylvania congressional delegation works to introduce reforms that address the rising cost of prescription drugs. According to a recent KFF poll, a third of Americans don’t take their medications as prescribed...
Letter to the editor: Lost, stolen gun reporting laws can prevent tragedy
Can you imagine if your car was stolen but you couldn’t report it? Now, imagine a stolen gun, one that could have been prevented from ever getting into the wrong hands. This isn’t a hypothetical scenario for me; it’s a tragic reality that has forever altered my life. My 16-year-old...
Letter to the editor: Chainsaw cuts to VA will hurt veterans
The DOGE effort to make the government more efficient is trimming muscle and bone from the Veterans Health Administration. More veterans are now using the VA, while at the same time, VA’s service is improving with higher satisfaction ratings, higher quality care and better outcomes than the private sector. Finally,...
Letter to the editor: It’s about time government tightens its belt
Isn’t it crazy that people are so upset about federal employees losing their jobs because of downsizing? The government has needed to be downsized for quite some time, and we finally have a president exercising his powers to do just that. Every business at some time will go through an...
Sounding off: Government waste, Trump, gift ban, taxes among week’s topics
It’s about time government tightens its belt Isn’t it crazy that people are so upset about federal employees losing their jobs because of downsizing? The government has needed to be downsized for quite some time, and we finally have a president exercising his powers to do just that. Every business...
Letter to the editor: Per capita taxes no longer relevant
Has anyone taken the time to question the per capita (head) tax that we have to pay every year? Per capita is Latin meaning “for each head.” This tax’s initial purpose was on the heads of southern slaves. This tax is also a direct tax on adults 18 and older...
Letter to the editor: Trump not focusing on important issues
The price of eggs continues to rise and gas and grocery prices continue to be high, yet President Trump is not addressing these issues as he promised. Instead of focusing on lowering costs for health care and education and fixing our broken immigration policy, a member of the Republican- controlled Congress...
Letter to the editor: Older people want paper tax receipts
There you go again, government — you cut off the ability for us to get a paper receipt after we pay our house taxes. The elderly don’t have a way to print out a receipt, and many cannot use a computer. I need a receipt for my company’s accounting department....
Letter to the editor: Progressivism nothing new in Pittsburgh
I attended the District 5 community meeting for Greenfield hosted by Pittsburgh City Council Member Barbara Warwick. In his column “Progressivism killing the party, the city” (Feb. 22, TribLive), Joseph Sabino Mistick sets up two false dichotomies: incompetent progressives versus competent moderate traditionalists and “new” progressive residents versus deep-rooted residents...
Letter to the editor: Pa. legislators need to pass gift ban
As a union member in Pennsylvania, I understand if I failed to meet my employer’s expectations I would be fired. Our state legislators, however, face no such accountability when it comes to accepting gifts from lobbyists. Pennsylvania is one of only three states without a gift ban, allowing unlimited perks,...
Letter to the editor: With layoffs, why is Starbucks expanding?
I heard that Starbucks is laying off 1,100 employees. Here is a question for the CEO of Starbucks: Why are you laying off people when you just built and opened a new Starbucks in Lower Burrell and are building a new store in Leechburg? What, are you nuts? If you...
