Opinion category, Page 184
Letter to the editor: Recalling Italian immigrants
Recently, I saw the movie “Cabrini” because I was raised Catholic, had Italian relatives and married an Italian. I highly recommend the movie for what it shows of the life of the heroic Mother Cabrini and her nuns. But more than that, I want people introduced to the discrimination and...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Remembering Roddey’s political gusto
It is not often that we are surprised when someone dies at age 91, but it seemed like Jim Roddey would live forever. When Jim arrived in Pittsburgh in 1979, he was a Republican businessman with a Southern accent. When he died this month, he was a true Pittsburgher, a...
Peter Morici: Biden gets blame for high inflation, but he shouldn’t
Inflation has come down, but not enough for voters to stop complaining about high prices. Since President Joe Biden took office, the economy has recovered from the covid-19 pandemic shutdowns and is now advancing, just as economists expected in 2019 before the pandemic was on the horizon. The rub is...
Autumn Brewington: Kate Middleton messed up. But the royal family has bigger problems than one photo.
The Kate Middleton photo debacle is an unforced error from a person usually seen as picture, and princess, perfect. Yes, Catherine, Princess of Wales, apologized on social media Monday for “any confusion” over the image manipulation that led five major news agencies to recall the family photo the royals had...
Letter to the editor: Vote smart to end stupidity
Stupidity is a cruel word which means lack of intelligence, and I like to think that nobody is stupid. Well, our politicians have proven me wrong again. When Donald Trump tells Republicans to nix a bipartisan immigration bill, I guess because it’ll be an election issue and they listen to...
Sounding off: Politics, border top letter topics for week
Vote out county commissioners Taxes paid by Westmoreland County homeowners are monies we entrust to our commissioners to spend wisely. County commissioners are stewards of our money. Unfortunately, commissioners Sean Kertes, Doug Chew and Ted Kopas have not done their jobs. They have, along with previous commissioners, squandered our money...
Letter to the editor: Republicans shouldn’t compromise on abortion
In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled a person may choose an abortion until a fetus (genetically complete human being) becomes viable. “Viability” is an arbitrary term used to determine when it is legal to terminate human life. Factors such as fetal lung development, heartbeat and the ability to...
Editorial: The dollars and sense of the Mon Incline
There are certain fixtures that simply define their city. For Paris, it’s the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. For Washington, there are the White House and the Capitol and the monuments on the mall. For Philadelphia, it’s the Liberty Bell, the LOVE sculpture and the steps of the...
Letter to the editor: Congress must rein in pharmacy benefit managers
As a clinical pharmacist, it’s difficult to sit by and watch as policies and practices put in place by insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, continue to have such a negative impact on patient access to care, affordability and the future of local, independent pharmacies here in Pennsylvania and...
Gary Franks: Have we lowered the bar for Biden?
Press conferences? “No, we’re good,” implies the Biden administration. And the liberal media allows President Joe Biden to get away with it. No president in recorded history has done fewer. It is a basic part of his job. But he insists he is ready for four more years in office....
Letter to the editor: We must stop aiding Israel
Rachel Corrie died March 16, 2003, in Gaza. She was a 23-year-old American, in Israel peacefully protesting Israeli policies against Palestinians. She was purposefully run over by an armored Israeli tank, and the U.S. government did nothing, in spite of dozens of witnesses who saw this outrageous act. I have...
S.E. Cupp: Biden and Trump are not treated the same
Welp, it’s official. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump — both of whom are unpopular and underwater in terms of favorability among Americans — are going to be our two major party choices for president. Congrats, America? On Tuesday night both Biden and Trump clinched enough delegates to...
Madelyn Sanfilippo: Dealing with false facts — how to correct online misinformation
Deepfakes of celebrities and misinformation about public figures might not be new in 2024, but they are more common and many people seem to grow ever more resigned that they are inevitable. The problems posed by false online content extend far beyond public figures, impacting everyone, including youth. New York...
Curt Schroder: Caps on damages are necessary, not shameful
A recent editorial and article about the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse overlook some key aspects of sovereign immunity and why damages caps are a necessary taxpayer protection. The bridge collapse was indeed a tragedy, but to suggest that the city would have repaired the bridge if caps on lawsuits against...
Letter to the editor: Jill Cooper deserves reelection
Few representatives have gone to Harrisburg as well prepared to perform effectively as Jill Cooper. She is well known in the Murrysville community as a hard-working and enthusiastic individual who was willing to work as needed to successfully improve our schools, business community and her chosen political party. Since beginning...
Lori Falce: TikTok, hypocrisy and easy answers
If you go on TikTok today, you are going to see a lot of the same things that pop up every day. The “For You” page is a tab on the app where the things that interest you are funneled. The app’s algorithm notices that you engage with cooking demos...
Laurels & lances: Water and bugs
Laurel: To getting back to normal. In November, Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County notified some customers about water restrictions. The move came because of low levels at Beaver Run Reservoir. Drought conditions across the region meant the reservoir was not being replenished by rain, and the amount of water to...
Letter to the editor: What is Trump’s appeal?
Regarding the letter “Trump’s appeal continues to grow” (March 6, TribLive): I am curious what President Trump could have said on Newsmax (!) that would appeal to voters. In my opinion, Donald Trump hates the military (he reportedly called those killed in war “suckers” and “losers”; he asked the father...
Paul Kengor: Remembering true civic leaders — Jim Roddey and Andy Russell
In early 1995, my wife and I, recently married, were looking to come back to Pittsburgh. We were working and living in the Washington, D.C., area. There were appealing things about the area, but it undeniably felt like the proverbial “rat race” to us. It got worse when our house...
Colin McNickle: PRT not worthy of proposed funding increase
Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) would be in line for millions of new dollars in state funding in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed fiscal 2024-25 budget, about $40 million by one estimate. But a scholar at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy questions if such an increase is prudent. “This is the...
Rep. Chris Deluzio: A tough and fair border deal killed by Republicans
We need to fix our broken border and immigration system. Period. Like so many of my Democratic colleagues, I have been ready to work with our Republican counterparts to restore order, help local communities and bring some sanity to our immigration system. But guess what? Do-nothing Washington Republicans have killed...
Letter to the editor: Border problem shows our government is not working
Someone please tell me why the border problem has not been solved. Please tell me why! We have people from all over the world streaming across our southern border, and it seems like no one cares. This side says it’s the other side’s fault and vice versa, and as usual,...
Letter to the editor: Vote for Kennedy
Normally I don’t talk politics, but in this case, I am. I am a loyal Democrat and have been for many years. And I will vote for the best possible candidate who I feel will do the job — regardless of what party. Joe Biden is too old and looks...
Letter to the editor: Problems with electric everything
So in President Biden’s perfect world, everything will run off electricity — cars, ovens, home heating, just to name a few. I have some problems with this. Can someone please tell me where all this scrap from appliances, cars, etc. is going to end up once the scrap yards are...
Editorial: Is Westmoreland County a sanctuary or not?
Is Westmoreland County a sanctuary for undocumented individuals? It seems unlikely to anyone who knows much about the county’s politics. Republicans make up just over 50% of the county’s 245,290 voters. That might be just over half, but it’s still 13% more than the Democrats. Unaffiliated and “other” voters who...
