Opinion category, Page 193
Letter to the editor: Tax hike and wasted ARPA funds
In response to the letter “Vote out county commissioners” (March 13, TribLive): I have been beating that drum for several years, pointing out that I believe Commissioners Sean Kertes and Doug Chew were using the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds to keep taxes down so that they would be reelected...
S.E. Cupp: Donald ‘I’m Really Rich’ Trump needs a bailout
“Here’s the good news. I’m very rich.” That was 2015 Donald Trump, who spent much of that year bragging about his immense wealth as he mounted a then unlikely run for president. “I’m the most successful person ever to run for the presidency, by far,” he said then. “Ross Perot...
Elwood Watson: Meghan Markle doesn’t have to help Princess Kate
I knew it was only a matter of time before segments of the right-wing media, both here in America and in Britain, would reignite their propaganda/outrage machine toward Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. Meghan has been urged to defend her sister-in-law, Princess Kate, after she found herself at the...
Marian Schneider: Westmoreland should be making it easier to vote, not more difficult
In early March, two of the three Westmoreland County commissioners announced that they would not consider installing a ballot drop box anywhere in the county in 2024, despite doing so in each election year since 2020. The commissioners claim that drop boxes in recent elections weren’t getting enough use. But...
Letter to the editor: Commissioners should be voted out over tax hike
Everybody is disgusted with our Westmoreland County commissioners. Their tax increase is ridiculous! This affects a lot of people on fixed incomes. When my husband and I make a purchase, we budget for it. I guess our commissioners just raise taxes. When I filled out my tax rebate in February,...
Letter to the editor: Palestinian propaganda
Palestinian supporters misunderstand the term Palestinian. In 70 AD, the Romans vanquished the Jewish kingdom of Israel. Most of the Jewish people migrated throughout the world for the next 2,000 years of the diaspora. But, throughout that time, the land was occupied by Arabs, Christians and a few Jews. The...
Lori Falce: Fire sales and forum shopping
I love shopping. Not just picking out the perfect shoes or a great dress. I like grocery shopping. I like vacation shopping. With PowerBall and Mega Millions both in spitting distance of a billion dollars, I’m doing quite a bit of fantasy real estate shopping right now. I don’t care...
Laurels & lances: March Madness edition
Laurel: To sweet victory. In a city filled with colleges and sports teams, it can be hard to stand out. The Duquesne Dukes are doing just that. It started with the Atlantic 10 championship in New York City, as the Dukes took the crown. The 57-51 win over Virginia Commonwealth...
Letter to the editor: Solving Pittsburgh’s housing problem
A specter is haunting the city of Pittsburgh — the specter of organized renters and unhoused people. All the powers of ruling-class Pittsburgh are teaming up to stop us. From real estate developers to landlords, from technology to health care CEOs and elected officials, all are leaning in to enforce...
Maya Haber: Opponents as enemies a dangerous tactic
I was born and raised in Tel-Aviv, Israel. On the evening of Nov. 4, 1995, I attended a rally there to support Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s peace initiative. At the end of the rally, an ultranationalist assassinated Rabin. The next morning, an IDF soldier I was speaking with insisted that...
Letter to the editor: Sad state of sports in Pittsburgh
The way all the Pittsburgh pro sports teams have played in the last several years is about as bad as it gets. In my opinion the owners are in it just for the money. I am so upset the way the owners are doing business. Every team — baseball, football,...
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland’s many issues
In 2014 our three commissioners decided to avoid lawsuits in our prison system by allowing a watered-down sanctuary status. In 2019 and 2023, I ran for county commissioner and spent $102,000 of my retirement money to wake Westmoreland up on a number of issues. I mailed 140,000 flyers to every...
Editorial: Firefighters show up when it matters most
If you want to know why it is important to support emergency services, look to Jeannette. At 12:02 a.m. Wednesday, the first call came in about a fire with entrapment on Guy Street. Jack Mull was a neighbor who made the call after he stepped out for a cigarette and...
Letter to the editor: Start a kindness movement
It takes one person to start a movement. That one person could be you. Today, with divisiveness being stoked by politicians and the media, change may seem hopeless. But it does not have to be this way. The power others seem to hold they have because we give it to...
Jonah Goldberg: Did Trump literally threaten a ‘bloodbath’? No, and claiming he did only helps his campaign.
At a rally in Ohio on Saturday, Donald Trump said that if he is not elected in November, there will be a “bloodbath.” That he said that much is true. Having actually read the text of his remarks, however, I do not believe he was threatening: Elect me president or...
Robin Abcarian: Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and iPhones are ruining my kid and yours
With apologies to Allen Ginsberg: I am seeing the best minds of our middle- school generation destroyed by Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and iPhones, Teenagers on the cusp of young adulthood dragging themselves out of bed each day to mainline TikTok and Snapchat. Measuring themselves by the yardstick of uber-filtered Kardashian perfection...
Christine Ledbetter: Aging comes with stigma. Let’s admire the defiant.
Who do you want to be when you grow old? Increasingly, senior citizens decide to keep working, including the two front-runners for the 2024 presidential election. Because many Americans consider the candidates too old for the job, age has become part of the national conversation. Both Joe Biden, 81, and...
Marc Champion: Biden is right. Netanyahu is damaging Israel’s future.
Tensions between the leaders of Israel and the U.S. have boiled over, with President Joe Biden accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of doing more to harm than help his own country. These are harsh words to hear from your most important ally, and Biden went further still. He described the...
Letter to the editor: In U.S., many dangers from within
I fear the dangers to our republic are coming from within. Our policies toward immigrants are encouraging more folks to cross the border illegally. Some of these people are receiving pre-loaded credit cards, transportation and housing in the sanctuary city of their choice. California even offers these “newcomers” financial aid...
Letter to the editor: Abstain on MeatOut Day
Once again the mayor of Washington, D.C., has proclaimed March 20 MeatOut Day to her 700,000-plus residents. MeatOut, launched in 1985 by Farm Animal Rights Movement, has grown into one of the largest annual grassroots educational programs encouraging the end of the use of animals for food. On the first...
Editorial: Allegheny County can continue to sue Allegheny County
Allegheny County council is suing the county government over a five-year contract with Adelphoi to reopen and operate Shuman Juvenile Detention Center. Why? Because the contract was entered into by former county Executive Rich Fitzgerald. Under the county’s Home Rule Charter, the executive can do that for services the county...
Letter to the editor: Another side of Trump
In 2005, Donald Trump sent a handwritten letter to former Miss Wisconsin Melissa Consin Young, who was lying gravely ill in a hospital room. She described the letter in 2016 during Trump’s presidential campaign, noting that he wrote, “To the bravest woman I know”; “I remember, such a wonderful, beautiful...
Dr. Asif Ilyas: Leveraging resources for opioid recovery
As the United States continues to confront the opioid crisis, a comprehensive strategy that includes robust support for addiction treatment and recovery services is critical. The opioid epidemic has devastated communities across the nation, leaving a trail of destruction that demands an effective, multifaceted response. Central to this approach is...
Jason Altmire: Crippling LNG would be a political blunder Biden can’t afford in Pa.
As a Donald Trump/Joe Biden rematch comes into focus, we find ourselves at an important crossroads. The decisions Biden makes between now and the election will impact not only his electoral viability, but also America’s energy independence. Biden has focused on our commonwealth early and often, already visiting Pennsylvania three...
Letter to the editor: Doesn’t anyone care about roadside trash?
I recently traveled toward Pittsburgh on Route 28 and was saddened to see that no one seems to care about the trash along the roadside. Grass and weeds will soon grow, and the mowers will chop up what they ride over. That will spread the trash to more places. I...
