Opinion category, Page 199
Letter to the editor: Plastic bag bans only serve to make people feel better
New Jersey’s plastic bag ban was followed by an increased use of plastic. This has happened in California and across the land, including here in Pittsburgh. But data doesn’t matter. “There’s clearly a hiccup on this,” Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Smith told The New York Times. Makes some people...
Editorial: Keep asking questions about school violence
“No child should ever go to school and never come home.” Terra Campbell is absolutely right. She knows that better than anyone. Her son, Marquis, was shot and killed as he sat in a school van outside Oliver Citywide Academy on Jan. 19, 2022. On Thursday, Eugene Watson was sentenced...
Letter to the editor: No time to go backward on abortion safety
Karnamaya Mongar was a female immigrant patient who died as a result of the negligence of West Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell. It was a tragic death that could have been prevented. It is in the memory of Karnamaya and all those women who suffered at the hands of Gosnell that...
Letter to the editor: Prioritize brain health
As Pennsylvanians keep to their New Year’s resolutions, the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Pennsylvania Chapter is urging everyone to make brain health a priority in 2024. Currently, two-thirds of Americans have at least one major risk factor for dementia. The need for effective risk reduction strategies to help all communities grows...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Jan. 29
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Jan. 29....
Letter to the editor: Look to character rather than party affiliation when voting
I believe, in light of the American political climate today, party affiliation is less important than a candidate’s character and positive accomplishments. A commitment to truth, a strong moral compass, empathy toward those less fortunate, compassion for those who are sick in mind and body, and a commitment to a...
Letter to the editor: Patience of Pirates fans is wearing thin
Jan. 12, 2007, may have been the worst day in the life of every baseball fan in Pittsburgh. As they were fathered by a new principal penny-pinching owner who has justifiably earned the nickname “Bottom Line Bob.” As the fans of the once-great ball club long for change, the reigning...
Editorial: Shapiro’s big idea on colleges needs more detail
Gov. Josh Shapiro has proposed an overhaul to the way postsecondary education works in Pennsylvania. The state is a leader when it comes to going to college. It sports an Ivy League school in the University of Pennsylvania, one of the largest universities in the country in Penn State, groundbreaking...
Letter to the editor: Keeping Tomlin shows disregard for players, fans
I have been a Steelers fan for well over half a century and remember the days when Buddy Parker was allowed to walk away, Mike Nixon was terminated after only one season and Bill Austin was let go after three. What has followed may have earned Dan and Art Rooney...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Clemente magic
Democrat Chris Deluzio and Republican Guy Reschenthaler, two Western Pennsylvania members of the U.S. House and unlikely allies on any piece of legislation, have co-sponsored a bill. The Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act sounds like an easy layup for both politicians, but nothing is easy in politics these days. Just...
Jackie Calmes: Why 2024 may not be the worst political year ever
The 2028 presidential campaign can’t come soon enough. Just think: Fresh faces, furrowed by fewer lines. Fresh ideas, not of the authoritarian, willfully divisive kind (we can hope). Fresh blood, and without triggering Hitlerian talk of “poisoning” our nation. A new contest, not a rematch of two unpopular geriatric retreads....
POINT: Housing alone cannot solve homelessness
In March 2021, San Francisco’s Mission Hotel held a joint funeral service for seven residents. The hotel is one of the sites leased by the city to house the unsheltered population, and resident deaths have become so frequent in these facilities that joint memorials have become the norm. Although the...
Counterpoint: Housing is a human right, not a privilege
Homelessness in the United States surged by a record 12% between January 2022 and January 2023, according to a report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In the world’s wealthiest nation, how does this happen, and what can be done to remedy it? The primary reason people are...
Letter to the editor: Greensburg Salem school costs disheartening
The article “Greensburg Salem seeks committee to navigate potential construction upgrades” (Jan. 19, TribLive) concerning capital needs of Greensburg Salem School District was disheartening. How could such a long list of needs have developed? Has maintenance been deferred or ignored? Would the millions of dollars of covid relief funds spent...
Sounding off: Writers focus on Steelers, CEO pay, Trump, county tax hike
Post-season thoughts on Steelers In reference to the end of the Pittsburgh Steelers season, the onus has been placed upon the coaches, which is mostly valid. I offer my own thoughts on this matter. Chuck Noll went from the basement to NFL history. He demanded discipline. He drafted the best...
Letter to the editor: Trump should not have immunity
Alexis de Tocqueville, in “Democracy in America,” Volume 1, Chapter 6, states: “The right granted to the courts of punishing the agents of the executive government when they violate the laws is so natural a one that it cannot be looked upon as an extraordinary privilege. Nor do the springs...
Editorial: What is the future of volunteer fire departments?
Fire departments aren’t an optional public service. Some things we enjoy having, such as a museum or library, make lives better or help people access important services. Other things augment our communities and improve property values, such as swimming pools or baseball fields. But fire departments are something we can’t...
Letter to the editor: Biden derelict in his duties
On Jan. 20, 2021, Joe Biden spoke the following words inscribed in the body of the Constitution; “ I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and...
Gary Franks: Haley must tell us why she’s better than Trump
The Republican establishment is with former President Donald Trump. Nearly every Republican elected official in Washington is rushing to kiss his ring. Yes, the same guys and gals who have played a role in getting us into this mess want to have the sole person who, along with President Joe...
S.E. Cupp: Stop deepfake porn’s assault on women
I honestly hadn’t thought about the image in a very long time, mercifully. It’s been 12 years since it first hit the internet, and I’m happy to say I — and everyone else — have moved on. But I was 33 years old when Hustler, the Larry Flynt smut rag,...
Lisa Jarvis: A promising turn in the quest to treat long covid
A new study published this month in Science makes a compelling case that people with long covid have a chronic imbalance in their immune response. The findings don’t explain why that immune response is out of whack and needs confirming in larger studies. Still, this is important new piece to...
Sen. Dave Argall: Cracking down on thieves and looters in Pa.
Retailers across the nation are under siege, with some struggling to stay afloat amid a rising tide of crime. Many of us take for granted the ease with which we can walk into a store and buy the simple items we need to go about our daily lives — a...
Letter to the editor: Lawmakers should pray
Lawmakers, make a commitment to use the Congressional Prayer Room. When considering important legislation for our country, the prayer room offers a quiet place to consider, discuss and pray about essential items on your agenda. “But when you pray, you should go into your room, close the door and pray...
Letter to the editor: Politicians won’t take responsibility for anything
I find it most annoying that I cannot say “Because I am unable to properly manage my income I am unable to pay my bills, and because of this you will simply have to raise my Social Security at least 32%.” Yet all of our politicians can do this (“Westmoreland...
Lori Falce: What is the best way to spend $65 million? Let us count the ways
Pittsburghers — like most Pennsylvanians and, well, people in general — are not really fond of change. Ask for directions, and you are likely to be given turns based on businesses that aren’t there anymore. A fair number of people still talk about Three Rivers Stadium, let alone Heinz Field,...
