Opinion category, Page 175
Letter to the editor: Biased ranking of presidents
Regarding the letter “Ranking Biden and Trump” (April 5, TribLIVE), on the rankings of our presidential leaders: Look, I’m not here to endorse Donald Trump or Joe Biden. In fact, we are in quite a quandary with these two guys as our choices. But could this ranking poll be a...
Letter to the editor: Concerns about odors from gas wells
Thanks for your article “Murrysville abandoned gas well to be plugged; state officials assessing thousands more” (March 28, TribLive). I am concerned about the escaping methane odor that bothered Pamela Schrank. Methane is dangerous because it is explosive. However, it is odorless. Gas companies put odorants like mercaptans into their...
Letter to the editor: Fetterman should rethink support of Netanyahu
In the last five months more than 30,000 humans have died violently in Gaza as a result of the military action ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. Sen. John Fetterman has stated: “We have an opportunity to stand with Israel in this situation, and this is what I...
Editorial: What’s next for U.S. Steel deal?
U.S. Steel stockholders Friday voted for the merger with Japanese-based Nippon Steel Corp. It was not a close decision, with 71% of stockholders voting and 98% of those approving the proposal. For perspective, the last U.S. president to be elected with a margin like that was James Monroe in 1816....
Letter to the editor: Our tax dollars shouldn’t go to Texas
State Senate Republicans Kim Ward, Joe Pittman, Patrick Stefano and others passed Senate Resolution 251 calling on Gov. Josh Shapiro to deploy the Pennsylvania National Guard to the Texas border. The text of the resolution and Ward’s March 23rd e-newsletter incorrectly assert that undocumented migrants are the source of fentanyl...
Letter to the editor: Shapiro’s energy proposals threaten affordable, reliable energy in Pa.
In his op-ed “My commonsense plan for a new era of energy leadership in Pa.” (April 2, TribLive), Gov. Josh Shapiro claims, “Doing nothing is not an option.” However, his energy proposals are solutions in search of a problem that will do nothing but harm Pennsylvania’s energy industry and raise...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Looking to the heavens, together
It took a major astronomical event, but we learned last week during the solar eclipse that Americans are still capable of standing together. Tens of millions watched the eclipse from Arizona and New Mexico to Maine and New Hampshire. Many folks here watched a partial eclipse from home. Some of...
Point: IRS Direct simplifies tax filing, saves money
If there’s one thing we should be able to agree upon, it’s that everyone should pay the taxes they owe without having to pay for the privilege of doing so. This year, for the first time, residents of 12 states who file simple tax returns can file online for free...
Counterpoint: IRS shouldn’t be trusted with Direct File
Tax Day looms, and the taxman cometh. It is a certainty, as Ben Franklin said. This year, the Internal Revenue Service has launched a pilot program dubbed “Direct File” through which Americans can opt to have the IRS prepare their taxes for free (well, except for the billions of taxpayer...
Letter to the editor: Just mail in your ballot — what could be easier?
Regarding all the letters about “mail-in drop boxes” and the absence of same: No one is trying to squash anyone’s vote. If you have the ability to travel to a drop box, then you have the ability to go and vote in person at your voting precinct. Otherwise, since it’s...
Sounding off: Gun violence, politics on readers’ minds
Senate must take action on gun violence I read the essay Meredith Elizalde wrote about her son Nick, who was killed during a mass shooting at his school’s football game in September 2022 (“State leaders disdain gun victims,” Feb. 9, TribLive). The reaction of lawmakers in Harrisburg to this mother’s...
Letter to the editor: Revisionist history
Regarding Elwood Watson’s op-ed “The creep of Christian nationalism” (March 12, TribLive): Elwood, Elwood, Elwood, lend me your brain. On second thought, please don’t. There are a few skinless sheep shivering out there. You owe them an apology. To call you a country bumpkin would be an insult to country...
Letter to the editor: Leadership matters — vote Jill Cooper
I am writing to express my strong support for Jill Cooper as the best proven conservative option for our state representative in District 55. Many politicians talk a good game, but very few actually get important things done. Cooper proved in her first term that she is committed to meeting...
Editorial: Smart, timely action needed on electric vehicle fees
How much should electric vehicle owners contribute toward the cost of Pennsylvania’s roads? It’s a question that needs to be answered. The state Legislature is trying. Pennsylvania has more than 41,000 miles of state-maintained roads. That’s a lot of asphalt and salt for maintenance, not to mention billions of dollars...
Letter to the editor: Cooper will work across party lines
In the letter “Lingg will defend our values” (Feb. 9, TribLive) regarding the “uniparty,” I found it most interesting that the writer’s supported candidate, Jamie Lingg, is against the bipartisan “meet-me-in-the-middle” caucus collaborating across party lines. Is not the work on behalf of all constituents exactly what we send our...
Letter to the editor: Trump commandments
Now that he’s become a religious publisher, here are some commandments we might expect from citizen Trump: Overvalue thy properties for lenders and undervalue for collectors of tax. Remember that the Lord provideth female begetting organs for men of fame or wealth to grab. Belittle the meek, those with disabilities...
S.E. Cupp: Trump abandons pro-lifers; they may abandon him
In 1985, President Ronald Reagan addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference. It had been a very good five years for Republicans, starting with his election in 1980 and, for the first time in 28 years, a Republican Senate. He began by thanking the various groups in the room: the American...
Zach Kennedy: The pathway to preserving Pittsburgh’s steel industry
Throughout America and internationally, Pittsburgh is recognized as the Steel City. From the namesake of our storied pro football franchise to the production of the tanks that defeated the Nazis in World War II, steel is in our DNA and remains a cornerstone of our culture. It should come as...
Carl Kurlander: Development of Salk polio vaccine still one of our greatest stories
On April 12, 2005, I found myself at the Cathedral of Learning with students of mine from the University of Pittsburgh interviewing those who had worked with Dr. Jonas Salk to develop a vaccine that would conquer the most feared disease of the 20th century — polio. During that anniversary...
Letter to the editor: Bizzarro endorsed by many
The writer of the letter ”Bizzarro’s lack of leadership” (March 26, TribLive) accuses Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, the Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate for state treasurer, of not supporting reproductive freedom. It is ridiculous to believe that over 150 pro-choice Democratic leaders — from U.S. Congress members like Mary Gay Scanlon to...
Letter to the editor: Summer Lee delivers for Western Pa.
Summer Lee works tirelessly to champion for Western Pennsylvania. She promotes economic justice, union jobs and environmental justice, and co-sponsored 20-plus bills strengthening voting rights, safeguarding democracy and fighting for reproductive health. She passed through committee $10.7 million in funding for food assistance, addressing antisemitism, affordable housing, rebuilding infrastructure and...
Letter to the editor: Jill Cooper the better candidate
As a former eight-year member of Murrysville Council, I have a reasonable understanding of local politics. I’ve learned that the skill sets required to be an effective representative include intelligence, being principled, ethical and pragmatic, and honoring your commitments. I’ve known our current state representative, Jill Cooper, for nearly 20...
Lori Falce: Despite what happened in Arizona, medicine and law can’t roll backward
Medicine advances at a remarkable rate, with each new advance building on the discoveries that came before it. Today’s immunology and microsurgery and miracle drugs wouldn’t be possible without the anatomical, imaging and pharmaceutical innovations of the last century. There are entire branches of medicine that didn’t exist just a...
Laurels & lances: Texting and scamming
Laurel: To good technology. Text messaging has become one of the primary reminders in our lives. Order a pizza? A text tells you when it’s being delivered. Your kid missed school? A text confirms the absence was excused. Texts remind you of doctor appointments, flight times, hotel reservations and more....
Paul Kengor: The obscene cost of higher ed
The “higher” in “higher ed” ought to stand for higher tuition. Sure, everyone knows that tuition prices at colleges have risen to obscene levels in recent decades, but the obscenity just hit new highs (or lows). Four colleges — namely, Boston University, Tufts, Wellesley and Yale — will be charging...
