Opinion category, Page 183
Letter to the editor: Legislation to halt zombie mines is essential
On April 11, Pennsylvania Congressman Matt Cartwright introduced two bills in the U.S. House to assuage issues associated with “zombie mines,” coal mines that no longer produce coal but haven’t been cleaned up by the operator. If passed, these bills could better deter mine operators from leaving legacy pollution in...
Jason W. Park: The Crumbley case — who else should go to jail?
Jennifer and James Crumbley, the parents of Ethan Crumbley, who killed four students in a 2021 school shooting in Oxford, Mich., were each sentenced April 9 to 10-15 years in prison, weeks after being convicted of manslaughter. They are the first parents to be held criminally responsible for a mass...
Joanne Kilgour and Alison L. Steele: This Earth Day, let’s work together to build a better future for Pa.
Each year, Earth Day marks a chance to imagine a better, brighter world. Picture a Pennsylvania with bountiful clean water, skies unclouded by pollution, a strong, diverse economy and an equal opportunity for all to be healthy and thrive. Today, that vision is closer than ever to reality. Billions of...
Beau Breslin: Brown v. Board of Education at 70
American history is replete with paradigm- shifting, landscape- altering, game-changing moments. Brown v. Board of Education is one of them. Little of what we knew or understood before May 17, 1954 — 70 years ago next month — resembles what came after. Good thing. Dismantling America’s system of educational apartheid was long...
Letter to the editor: Putin, Trump and Reschenthaler
Vladimir Putin and Russia think they’re omnipotent. They want to start another empire. They teach their people that they won World War II by themselves, erasing the many contributions from Western allies. Russia has to be defeated. Ukraine is in the fight of its life. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler is a...
Letter to the editor: World would be safer without Biden in charge
When Robert Hur, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to serve as the special counsel, released his long-awaited report into President Joe Biden’s mishandling of classified documents, a number of things were extremely enlightening and frightening. The report said, “Our investigation uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully...
Editorial: Voting is your duty and your obligation
Every year, twice a year, we do our best to push you to the polls. It’s your duty, we tell you. That is true. It’s your responsibility, we stress. Also true. It is your privilege, we encourage. Just being accurate. But, this year, we are adding one more item to...
Letter to the editor: ‘Uncommitted’ sends message to Democratic Party
On April 17, Pittsburghers showed up to President Biden’s visit to let him know Pittsburgh stands with Palestine, and, on April 23, we’ll be sending a message to Biden at the polls: no votes for genocide. Over 30,000 Palestinians have been martyred and more than 1.7 million people have been...
Letter to the editor: We need fighters for the middle class
A TV newscaster’s frequent line is, “Watch what they do, not what they say.” Let’s look at what they do. One hundred percent of House Republicans voted against the Inflation Reduction Act. This act reduced the deficit, decreases energy costs and carbon emissions, reduces drug costs and ensured mega corporations...
Editorial cartoons for the week of April 22
Editorial cartoons for the week of April 22....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of April 22
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of April 22....
Letter to the editor: Remembering ‘Super Steelers’ of ’74
While I’m not from the Pittsburgh area, as we near the 2024 draft I’d like to recognize the 50th anniversary of the incredible Steelers draft class of 1974. Growing up in the 1970s in New Jersey, those players and teams got me and many kids I knew hooked on football....
Letter to the editor: Kiski Valley community center needs support
Regarding the article “Senior citizen forms nonprofit to help generations come together in Vandergrift” (April 3, TribLive) concerning a proposed community center for the Kiski Valley: A community center would give our many young people and seniors an educational and recreational facility that’s not currently available in our area. A...
Letter to the editor: Which generation started our disrespect for family, country?
It’s called, “The Silent Generation,” my generation, born between 1928 and 1945. We rode our bicycles to each other’s houses, used our 50 cents to buy ice cream at Dairy Queen and played outside all day and came back home “before dark,” like my Mom and Dad said to be...
Editorial: U.S. needs to make more and faster strides on Fogel release
It took only nine months, but the U.S. Senate took its first step toward pushing for Marc Fogel’s release from a Russian prison. At this rate, the Oakmont teacher may serve his whole sentence before he receives any real help. On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations voted for...
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland County tax hike could have been raised gradually
I recently wrote to Westmoreland County Commissioners Doug Chew, Sean Kertes and Ted Kopas asking why our property taxes soared by 32.5%. Chew and Kopas responded to my query. Kertes did not. Kopas provided this answer as part of his response: “unfortunately, after 20 years of flat property tax revenue,...
Letter to the editor: Celebrating volunteers
The last week of April heralds the anticipation of spring planting, warmer weather, longer hours of sunlight and a celebration: National Volunteer Week, April 21-27, a time to acknowledge and thank those who give of their time and talents to meet community needs. This year’s theme, “Something for Everyone,” expresses...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Flip-flop season for Republicans
The problem with speaking for the record in this social media age is that your words are out there forever, and I realized some time ago that I was too tough on Mitt Romney when he ran for president in 2012. I regret that now. We all had our fun...
Letter to the editor: Reschenthaler’s devotion to Trump
He’s at it again: Guy Reschenthaler, our U.S. House of Representatives representative. Instead of looking after his constituents, Reschenthaler’s currying favor with his boss, Donald J. Trump. Reschenthaler has proposed House Bill 7845 to rename Dulles International Airport as Trump International Airport. Of course it has no chance of passing...
Sounding off: Politicians, guns, abortions among week’s topics
‘Promise season’ Sometimes it’s duck season. Other times it’s rabbit season. Recently, we have begun the first of two periods of “promise season.” This season pops up twice a year around March and April, then later in September and October. This is the time of the year when it’s legal...
Letter to the editor: Write in ‘uncommitted’ for president to end violence in Gaza
I am one of the many Pennsylvanians who are deeply troubled by the situation in Gaza where 2 million people face starvation and displacement amidst attacks on humanitarian aid workers. Billions of U.S. dollars are sent as military aid to Israel, including over $10 billion in arms supplied to in...
Editorial: Mental health is more important than political power
The Pennsylvania state House of Representatives could be changing yet again. For the last two years the legislative chamber has been on a roller coaster as lawmakers have been voted in, stepped down or moved on. That’s meant special elections, keeping the House with its hair-thin majority question in a...
Letter to the editor: Unfair pension system at county jail
The recent Allegheny County controller’s audit report found that we need 100 more correctional officers at the Allegheny County Jail, and the permanent staff of health care providers at our jail has decreased from 129 in May 2015 to 41 currently. The jail is forced to use temporary health care...
Letter to the editor: ‘Promise season’
Sometimes it’s duck season. Other times it’s rabbit season. Recently, we have begun the first of two periods of “promise season.” This season pops up twice a year around March and April, then later in September and October. This is the time of the year when it’s legal for candidates...
Letter to the editor: Easy Earth Day actions
Earth Day serves as our yearly reminder that we need to take steps to protect our planet. Though it’s not anyone’s sole responsibility to save the planet, many people doing a little bit can make a big difference. So here are three small and manageable things that you can do:...
