Opinion category, Page 147
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Aug. 26
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Aug. 26....
Letter to the editor: Pirates, Steelers owners go for money, not championships
We know a rip-off when we see it, and we see it year after year. I’m talking about Pirates owner Bob Nutting and Steelers owner Art Rooney. Twin brothers of another mother. These billionaire bums shortchange Pittsburgh by making little effort to compete for championships. The City of Champions is...
Letter to the editor: Local politicians have too much taxing power
After the tax increase scam the former Greater Latrobe School Board members tried to pull last year and the one the current Westmoreland County commissioners did pull as a Christmas present to all of us, it’s obvious that the taxation powers of all local Pennsylvania politicians need to be severely...
Editorial: U.S. Secret Service has no margin for error in protection
The U.S. Secret Service has a remarkable record when it comes to protection. It was born in 1865 — not because of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln but because of wildfire counterfeiting in the wake of the Civil War. The Secret Service is a child of the Treasury Department, transferred...
Letter to the editor: Oil output under Biden tops Trump
In our politics and related economics, there are many questions whose answers largely reflect a point of view vs. a specific data-based conclusion. Are government-paid school lunches a good investment, are they morally sound? Is an abortion justifiable at three hours, three days, three months? Little in the way of...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Playing politics with the border
“That’s just politics” is a common response whenever Donald Trump says or does something outrageous, and it’s true that many of his carnival sideshow antics are worthy of nothing more than a chuckle. But his decision to get Republican senators to kill the bipartisan border bill in February deserves more...
Carl P. Leubsdorf: History hasn’t been kind to female nominees. Will it be different this time?
Once again, we are seeing how female nominees create excitement in presidential politics. But in the past, it’s mostly worn off by Election Day. Kamala Harris and the Democrats hope this time will be different, but it’s too early to know. The vice president’s nomination marks the fifth time in...
Point: Beware bias by omission
A long time ago, the American people expected reporters to gather and report the facts, explain the arguments of political parties and keep their opinions out of it. Today, reporters openly express their opinions, in their stories and in nearly every utterance on television and social media. The “objective” media’s...
Counterpoint: Media ‘bias’ is a perennial part of elections
Donald Trump’s esteem for Vladimir Putin is well known. For more than a decade, starting before he became president, Trump has expressed admiration for the Russian strongman, from his October 2013 claim that Putin had “done really a great job of outsmarting our country” to his July 2018 assertion at...
Letter to the editor: Unflattering Pittsburgh
In his op-ed “An unflattering portrait of Pittsburgh” (Aug. 17, TribLive), Colin McNickle has the courage to report what needs to be disclosed about the city: it is blunt, fault-finding and insulting,” all synonyms of “unflattering.” He states: “… the think tank researchers say Pittsburgh’s very high spending, excessive taxation...
Sounding off: Presidential politics
Trump is a real leader who cares I wanted to reply to the letter “Doesn’t Trump care, or does he think we’re stupid?” (Aug. 13, TribLive), but I found I couldn’t because he didn’t give any specifics about what had upset him. But I can reply to the tone of...
Letter to the editor: There’s still time to replace Trump
I find Donald Trump to be an old, weak liar, a stammering, cruel bully, a disgusting felon and a racist. Yet he appeals to a lot of white MAGA voters who forgive his criminal behavior, his billionaire tax cuts, his lack of any real substance. I think it’s because of...
Editorial: Was Pittsburgh credit card scandal really no big deal?
It was just an honest mistake. That was the Pittsburgh Office of Management and Budget Director Jake Pawlak’s interpretation of the misuse of city credit cards to pay a former employee as a contractor. A six-page summary of the three-month Office of Municipal Investigations probe was issued Wednesday, assuring everyone...
Letter to the editor: Beware Democrats’ Trojan horses
Four years ago, the Democratic Party presented the country with Joe Biden as its candidate for president. The DNC and its media acolytes claimed he was a moderate leader who would unify the divided electorate. Covid was raging, so the country was also suffering from conflicting policies on how to...
Harry Litman: What kind of prosecutor was Kamala Harris? The answer could be pivotal to her campaign
CHICAGO The presidential campaign is shaping up to be a tale of two prosecutors, both named Kamala Harris. Harris’ record as a tough-on-crime prosecutor was a constant refrain through much of the Democratic National Convention. A series of speakers echoed that theme. They touted Harris’ lock-’em-up bona fides. In his...
Gary Franks: Is it 1968 all over again, and will the results be the same?
Democrats think this election is about “joy” and “hope.” Wrong. It is about “peace and prosperity.” Democrats avoid talking about either because they have failed to deliver on both. We are financing two wars, and I will be discussing the economy. Will 2024 mirror 1968? It is on track to...
Letter to the editor: Trump is a real leader who cares
I wanted to reply to the letter “Doesn’t Trump care, or does he think we’re stupid?” (Aug. 13, TribLive), but I found I couldn’t because he didn’t give any specifics about what had upset him. But I can reply to the tone of it. I believe Donald Trump does care,...
Letter to the editor: Walz on weapons
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz adversely commented on the ownership of the AR-15 rifle by civilians, describing the AR-15 as a weapon of war. While the AR-15 resembles the U.S. service rifle, the M16, the AR-15 is a semiautomatic rifle, a type of arm first manufactured and sold in this country...
Lori Falce: Gus Walz was the real star of the Democratic National Convention
I was moved to tears Wednesday night as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz addressed the Democratic National Convention, accepting his place as the party’s vice-presidential nominee. It wasn’t by Walz’s words — though the Midwestern cadence and rhythm were as familiar as a lullaby to my own native Minnesotan ears. It...
Laurels & lances: Police and pests
Laurel: To obvious opportunities. Irwin police Chief Dan Wensel wants his borough leaders to authorize the department to join the Westmoreland County SWAT team. The group assembles members from eight other departments: Allegheny Township, Greensburg, Lower Burrell, Murrysville, New Kensington, North Huntingdon, Vandergrift and Washington Township. There are 25 operators,...
Letter to the editor: Trump is stale, Harris is vibrant
In 2016, Donald Trump became a vibrant alternative to traditional politicians and won the presidential election. In 2024, he has become stale bread and an old Elvis. He should rename his plane “Whiner One” because it seems that’s all he does. From what I’ve seen, his crowds have dwindled. His...
Jackie Payne: Undecided moderate women could be the tipping point this November
After a wild few weeks, the top of the ticket once again is set for Democrats and Republicans. Polls show Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck and neck. Over the past several years, we’ve seen presidential elections decided by slimmer and slimmer margins, and 2024...
Letter to the editor: Politicians should improve quality of nursing home care
It’s an election year, and the campaign ads are all over TV. It’s a fact that you don’t really know what is true or false, but that’s the way the political system works. One of the problems I’ve seen is in a Kamala Harris ad; in one scene she states...
Letter to the editor: Pa. may decide America’s future; vote wisely
Pennsylvania, the Keystone State. Its moniker will never be more important than this November. Citizens of our commonwealth will probably decide the course of America this fall. It has become clear that the mainstream media is not doing citizens any benefit in educating its readers about the candidates for president....
Editorial: Tight lips on investigations of police are unfair on all sides
Why isn’t the Arnold police chief at work? No one knows. Well, the people of Arnold don’t know. The people who have placed Chief Josh Stanga on administrative leave obviously do know. What they won’t do is divulge the reason, beyond Mayor Shannon Santucci stating that he is the target...
