Opinion category, Page 150
Letter to the editor: Democrats’ malfeasance
The debate between Presidents Trump and Biden was over much sooner than liberals would have liked, as it was instantly apparent Biden was not dialed in and gave the worst performance in contest history. In the immediate aftermath, network personalities critiqued both candidates, focusing the overwhelming majority of their commentary...
Laurels & lances: Furries and Philly
Laurel: To furry friends. You might want to dismiss Anthrocon as a bit silly. When you have thousands of people dressed like stuffed animals, the jokes do tend to write themselves. But the convention is serious business, too. VisitPittsburgh’s senior director of communications and public affairs Emily Hatfield said this...
Lori Falce: Why can UK and France move faster toward political change than U.S.?
America is a relatively young country. At just 248 years since announcing our debut as an independent nation with the Declaration of Independence, we are relative children on the world stage. Let’s look at the other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — a good starting point for...
Mark Z. Barabak: It’s not just the White House. Biden could also cost Democrats control of Congress
As if Democrats don’t have enough to keep them up nights, here’s something beyond frightful visions of a Trump victory: a Republican trifecta in Washington. Joe Biden’s calamitous debate performance and the burgeoning concerns about his age and acuity aren’t just undercutting his chances at a second term. They’re also...
Jonah Goldberg: What too many Republicans still don’t understand about Donald Trump’s agenda
Donald Trump isn’t normally thought of as a consensus-builder, but in one sense that’s exactly what he is. Many of Trump’s most ardent fans and foes alike believe he is the leader of a political movement with a clear and defined set of principles and goals. They disagree only on...
Letter to the editor: WPIAL won’t correct inequities
It’s obvious the WPIAL will never correct the inequities that allow the Catholic/private high/low schools to enjoy athletic recruiting from anywhere. Question: Is it possible to determine how many members of the board of directors of the WPIAL (and the PIAA) are Catholic? The media, when dealing with “higher ed”...
Letter to the editor: Dziados will work for women’s rights
Whom do you want making decisions for you in the medical exam room? Your doctor? Or your congressman? On June 24, 2022, Chris Dziados, who is recently retired from the military and running for Congress, stood on the steps of the Supreme Court, horrified that SCOTUS would strip away women’s...
Editorial: If Biden won’t say Fogel’s name, Trump couldVideo
Please say Marc Fogel’s name. Say his name, say it often, say it in important places and bring him home. Fogel, 62, is a teacher from Oakmont who has spent his whole adult life teaching kids in foreign countries. In August 2021, he was arrested in a Moscow airport for...
Letter to the editor: Shapiro-Whitmer good bet for Democrats
It now appears fairly certain that Joe Biden is not going to be the Democratic nominee for president, that he will not be able to overcome a disastrous debate performance which was viewed by tens of millions and which will make for devastating ads to be run by his presumed...
Letter to the editor: Let’s look into Biden’s ‘cold’
In the many critiques that have been made public of the recent presidential debate, so much has been made of the cold that so severely afflicted President Biden that witnesses, including a number of Democrats, have expressed doubts about his ability to maintain the present campaign to a successful, winning...
Peter Morici: Whatever the inflation reports say, the Fed has no business lowering rates now
Anticipating the Federal Reserve’s moves is tough because the U.S. central bank has not effectively articulated the challenges it faces. Monetary policy features famously long lags that change from one business cycle to another. Much depends on structural changes in government finances and the private economy, external shocks that instigate...
Leonard Greene: First lady Jill Biden getting unnecessary abuse after Joe’s debate flop
Her loving students might call her Dr. B., but one cynical columnist has gone so far as to deride her as “America’s most famous community college teacher.” Jill Biden can’t win. If she talks her husband into staying the course after his widely panned debate performance, she’s a power-hungry puppet...
Letter to the editor: Where does Dave McCormick live?
There have been many opinions about Senate candidate Dave McCormick and his upbringing. Clearly, McCormick is originally from Pennsylvania, born and raised. Sen. Bob Casey is raising questions about McCormick’s current residency. Meeting the requirements to get on the ballot requires residency. If it’s a property bought to meet these...
Letter to the editor: Credit card swipe fee proposal would hurt consumers, small businesses
Some members of the Pennsylvania Legislature are making a misguided effort to exempt sales tax from credit and debit card interchange fees. I fear this radical change would adversely affect consumers and small businesses, including members of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania. Interchange fees are payments...
Editorial: Standing up for youth lost in accidents and crime
We lose children every day. There are a million ways every year that our most precious resource slips through our fingers. All of them are heartbreaking. All of them are terrible. Nationwide, the total is about 37,000 annually, according to the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention. In Pennsylvania,...
Letter to the editor: Making the Strip District safer
I recently read a letter from a fellow resident who moved to Pittsburgh for work and was convinced to stay because of the Strip District (“Strip District should cater to pedestrians,” June 30, TribLive). He highlighted the pleasant experience of walking to work, getting groceries and dining out, contrasting it...
Amber Bloom: Paying student teachers stipends is a win-win
As the daughter of a sixth grade teacher, I’ve grown up surrounded by educators. Ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to follow in my mom’s footsteps and become a teacher myself. I’m very clear on my purpose in life: it’s to serve my students. But as a college student...
Jess Ward and Mattias Gugel: Pa.’s swipe fee cap — more harm than good for small businesses
The latest legislative misstep in Pennsylvania, HB 2394, aims to prohibit financial institutions from charging interchange fees on the sales tax portion of credit card and debit card transactions. While the intent to lower business costs is laudable, the execution is as ineffective as a Hershey’s chocolate teapot. Lawmakers are...
Letter to the editor: We must find middle ground on abortion
Are you familiar with the Ten Commandments? The Fifth Commandment is “Thou shall not murder,” translated loosely as “respect human life.” Unborn babies are human lives. Abortion is the killing of another human being. The unborn baby must be recognized formally as a human life before birth. The Democratic left...
Letter to the editor: Look at Biden, Trump accomplishments before voting
Debates are a poor way to determine votes, especially when one side ignores the truth. In the recent debate, President Biden stumbled early while affected by a cold, while former President Trump spouted nonsense with one lie after another. “After-birth abortion?” This from a man whose party is responsible for...
Editorial: Kiski Township should let Sunshine Act clear up Bartolicius’ departure
Residents of Kiski Township know one thing about the resignation of Lee Bartolicius from his position as police chief: Township supervisors accepted it. Do they know why he resigned? No. Do they know if there were problems to be resolved? No. Do they know what he received in a severance...
Letter to the editor: Don’t vote for Biden — or a replacement
A few weeks ago, I started drafting a letter directed to Joe Biden supporters, via your paper, arguing that, under no circumstances, should they ever vote for Biden in the general election. My argument followed a pure logic channel: 1. In 2014, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates claimed Biden...
Guy Ciarrocchi: Rural Pa. can thrive, not just survive
When it comes to rural Pennsylvania, reporters have focused on three issues: the pace of rural population loss, what happens when these communities hit rock bottom and if anything can be done. The last point — what can be done — is the key challenge faced by rural communities. But...
Robin Abcarian: Surgeon general acknowledged America’s gun violence emergency. Here’s why that matters.
Hey, cheer up: The news is not all bad. The federal government acknowledged for the first time last month that gun violence is an urgent public health crisis. You already knew that, of course. We all knew it. But, thanks to the gun lobby’s stranglehold on our political class, it’s...
Letter to the editor: Early morning airport woes
Once again, Pittsburgh International Airport is not doing what is has to do to assist travelers. They are telling people now to arrive three hours before their flight leaves. So, if your flight leaves at 6 or 7 a.m., you have to arrive at the airport between 3 and 4...
