Opinion category, Page 227
Editorial: Media not alone in questioning Aspinwall’s media policy
There is a difference between your mom’s house rules and your government’s requirements. A parent can make things up on the fly, improvising without worrying about any kind of appeal. Question the decree and you risk running into the insurmountable endgame response: “Because I said so, that’s why!” Government certainly...
Letter to the editor: Karaica best candidate for judge
Thankfully, my decision for magisterial district judge in Cheswick, Frazer, Harmar and Springdale is an easy one. I have known Mitchell Karaica all of his life, as he grew up going to school with my daughters. He has always had the character of being fair and compassionate, with a big...
Letter to the editor: Girardi committed to community, individuals
Michael Girardi’s legal education/experience and performance as a councilman make him an exceptional candidate for district magistrate. However, lost in the campaign is that he is a kind and caring person who is an advocate for the individual. During 42 years on Cheswick Council, I have served with many fine...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Oct. 23
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Oct. 23....
Editorial cartoons for the week of Oct. 23
Editorial cartoons for the week of Oct. 23....
Michael Reagan: Republicans, our new national joke
The world is going to hell and taking America’s wealth, military power and geopolitical influence with it. Thanks to the terrorists of Hamas, we’re slowly being pulled deeper into a war in Israel that could set the whole Middle East on fire. And remember the bloody war in Ukraine? It’s...
Letter to the editor: How about ‘forgiveness’ for our national debt?
The White House should issue an executive order which cancels the nation’s $32,000,000,000,000 debt under the guise of “debt forgiveness.” Problem solved! Len Kabana Delmont...
Letter to the editor: An Allegheny assessment answer
Property taxes are always a bone of contention in Allegheny County. Everyone remembers the last assessment, with its disastrous inequities and bureaucratic snarls. In this year’s race for county executive, one candidate pledges no reassessment, leaving finances with no help for improving government services. The other wants a new assessment,...
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland needs higher wages to grow population
Some recent articles spotlighting trending population declines in Westmoreland County and efforts by county commissioners to make the county more attractive to employers and job seekers, while discussing a number of issues contributing to this decline, did not address the elephant in the room. This is WAGES. Pennsylvania still has...
Editorial: Shapiro fails on transparency with staffer harassment complaint
Quiet, private ends to potentially messy lawsuits or conflicts are common. They happen in entertainment. Nondisclosure agreements were wielded by convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein, with The New York Times documenting at least eight women. Bill Cosby accuser Andrea Constand’s NDA was a sticking point in the criminal case against the...
Letter to the editor: Polio is still a threat
Since 1988, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative have reduced polio cases by 99.9% worldwide. That’s why we celebrate World Polio Day on Oct. 24. For us, it’s deeply personal because we’re polio survivors. We are asking everyone to help us finish the job and end...
Letter to the editor: Pa., municipalities must support EMS
Tawnya Panizzi’s well-written article “Unsustainable funding model, shrinking workforce leave ambulance services in critical condition” (Oct. 8, TribLIVE), detailing the emergency medical services funding crisis across Pennsylvania, brought much-needed attention to a grim reality: Vital, lifesaving mandated EMS will cease to exist without permanent, sustainable funding. Lower Kiski Ambulance Service...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Politics is still a people business
The race for Allegheny County executive may still be Sara Innamorato’s to lose because of the heavy Democratic registration edge here, but her Republican opponent, Joe Rockey, appears to have a shot. There seems to be a lack of enthusiasm for Innamorato among traditional older Democrats, including many Democratic committee...
Peter Mansoor: 9/11 offers awful lessons for what could happen with a Gaza ground invasion
After the invasion of southern Israel by Hamas militants, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday vowed to destroy Hamas. “We are fighting a cruel enemy, worse than ISIS,” Netanyahu said, comparing Hamas with the Islamic State group, which was largely defeated by U.S., Iraqi and Kurdish forces in 2017....
Allison M. Prasch: Biden’s Middle East trip has messages for both global, domestic audiences
President Joe Biden’s decision to travel to an active war zone and the scene of an unfolding humanitarian crisis spoke volumes, even before his arrival. The White House has stated that Biden’s purpose is to “demonstrate his steadfast support for Israel” after Hamas’ “brutal terrorist attack” Oct. 7. But Israel wasn’t...
Letter to the editor: Police, stop signs needed on Arona Road
Here we go again, another wreck on Arona Road. When is it going to end? I live on Arona Road. What is the answer to this situation? The people who travel on this road seem to think it’s a raceway. No one goes the speed limit — trucks, cars, school...
Sounding off: Israel, county leaders, Biden, bag ban among week’s topics
Comparing Hamas, Nazis As one whose parents were Jewish Holocaust survivors, I find the behaviors of the butchers of Hamas eerily reminiscent of the descriptions relayed to me by my parents who witnessed the murder of their families by the Nazis. This current Middle East war, in part, is based...
Letter to the editor: Sen. Kim Ward’s nonsense
“The alleged offender remained in his influential role until he tendered his resignation, leaving the victim in an unsafe space, to fend for herself, with limited options. This is unacceptable.” Those are the words of state Senate President Pro Tem Kim Ward regarding the resignation of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s former...
Editorial: Elections board owed voters a real vote on drop box
If you were planning to drop off your ballot at the Westmoreland County Courthouse for the general election this year, you are going to have to switch things up. The three-member elections board has rejected the idea of placing a drop box for mail-in ballots in the courthouse lobby. The...
Letter to the editor: Comparing Hamas, Nazis
As one whose parents were Jewish Holocaust survivors, I find the behaviors of the butchers of Hamas eerily reminiscent of the descriptions relayed to me by my parents who witnessed the murder of their families by the Nazis. This current Middle East war, in part, is based on antisemitic propaganda....
Gary Franks: No speaker yet? The ball is in the Democrats’ court.
Today’s Democrats have an opportunity to make history and have a positive impact on America. With assistance, they can select which Republican will be the next speaker of the House. Well, a turnabout would be fair play. After all, Democrats brought about former Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s demise along with just...
S.E. Cupp: The right is broken, and no one is fixing it
As I write this column, it has been more than two weeks, and the House of Representatives still doesn’t have a speaker. Even in times of peace and stability, this would be a troubling development inside a political body meant to, you know, solve problems. But these aren’t times of...
Matthew Yglesias: The federal deficit matters now more than ever
A decade ago, the U.S. was deep into a misguided elite-driven freakout about the federal budget deficit. Back then, inflation was low, interest rates were low, and unemployment was high. In other words: There was no urgent reason to have a debate about ways to reduce federal borrowing. Now the...
Matt Mackowiak: Steel industry consolidation threatens American workers and our security
The average American may spend little time thinking about the domestic steel industry, but despite its low profile it remains vital to the American economy (especially in manufacturing) and to our national security. According to BDO, “annual (steel) production was approximately 1.25 million tons in 1880, 10 million tons in...
Letter to the editor: Peck Yakopec best candidate for judge
I am writing to recommend Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec for reelection in Magisterial District 10-1-04. I have known Peck Yakopec for more than 30 years, and she had been an effective magistrate. When I took students into her office for various incidents, she was fair and consistent. She always worked...
