Opinion category, Page 265
Letter to the editor: Focus on candidates’ skills, not physical traits
The writer of the letter “Biden and Kennedy are the best Democrats have?” (June 7, TribLIVE) is critical of the Democratic Party for considering Robert Kennedy Jr. to be its candidate to be our next president because, in his words, Kennedy “has a terrible speaking voice.” I’d encourage him not...
Letter to the editor: Communication, legislation can help gun violence crisis
Better communication and transparency can help alleviate our country’s gun violence crisis, especially actions by local municipalities that bridge the gap between police and citizens. Police officers should know the people they are policing in their communities in a positive way to make people feel safer. In addition, several passed...
Editorial: ‘Protection’ still core of DEP’s job
Farcically claiming that the state Department of Environmental Protection is an intimidating regulatory bully, state Senate Republicans have decided to promote a culture change at the agency by renaming it the Department of Environmental Services. On a strictly party-line 28-22 vote, the Senate passed the name-change bill Wednesday. “The word...
Letter to the editor: Honoring those who protected our democracy
There were many emotional Memorial Day celebrations across the country on May 31. Close to home at Westmoreland County Memorial Park was a day of remembrance for those who sacrificed. The organizers did a beautiful presentation of reading veterans’ names and a 21-gun salute. These programs made me think of...
Editorial cartoons for the week of June 12
Editorial cartoons for the week of June 12....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of June 12
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of June 12....
Sloane Davidson: Pittsburgh’s population decline can be improved by retaining, not just recruiting, newcomers
Pittsburgh’s population has been steadily declining since the collapse of the steel industry nearly 50 years ago. We now have one of the oldest populations in the entire United States, and deaths outpace births every year. Migration out of urban areas is seen throughout the country, but no metropolitan area...
Susan Crabtree: Christie’s high-risk spoiler run
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie might be best known — at least on the presidential debate stage — for tearing down rivals rather than building up fellow Republicans. In a 2016 GOP primary debate, he famously roughed up Marco Rubio in a debate at Saint Anselm College in New...
Letter to the editor: Juror who caused mistrial should pay
According to the article “Mistrial declared as jury weighs assault, strangulation charges against Greensburg man” (June 7, TribLIVE), Judge Christopher Feliciani declared a mistrial in a criminal case after jurors were prepped to deliberate when “it was discovered that a juror had communicated with another about the case via Facebook.”...
Letter to the editor: Mental health days help students succeed
As a recent high school graduate, I can wholeheartedly say that our schools need more mental health support. Across Western Pennsylvania, the recommended ratios of guidance counselors to students are not being met, workloads are increasing and students are suffering. If “mental health day” legislation was passed in Pennsylvania, students...
Editorial: The cost of consideration for school construction
Everyone knows inflation has been difficult for the past couple of years. Gas was up. Eggs were up. It’s probably easier to list what didn’t go up dramatically since 2019. That’s definitely a shorter list. The rising prices have made plenty of people think twice about purchases. So what if...
Letter to the editor: Parable of the Good Samaritan for 2023
There was a cable news anchor who obtained an exclusive interview with Jesus Christ. Wanting to boost his station’s ratings, he asked Jesus, “Teacher, what is the greatest commandment?” Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength,...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: America learns from tough times
On June 5, much of the media covered the 55th anniversary of the 1968 assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, who was running for the Democratic nomination for president when he was killed. If you were around then, it was the latest bad news in a decade of bad news....
John Tamny: There’s no such thing as ‘government stimulus’
Money has no purpose absent production first. Say it over and over again. Money is abundant in the United States not because the Fed decreed it so, but because productivity is a magnet for investment. If ever there comes a time when Americans cease their productive ways, the money will...
Noah Feldman: With Trump’s federal prosecution, timing is everything
Former President Donald Trump has been indicted on federal charges, catapulting the U.S. into new legal and constitutional territory. What this means for democracy and for the 2024 presidential race I’ll leave for others to explore. Legally, the two key issues for Trump’s future are, obviously, whether Trump is convicted...
Shannon Bow O’Brien: Pence vs. Trump race breaks new ground
Former Vice President Mike Pence launched his campaign bid for president on June 7, placing him in unusual ranks. While 18 of the 49 former vice presidents have gone on to run for president, it’s rare for vice presidents to run against their former bosses. Six of these former vice...
Letter to the editor: If Trump wins GOP nomination …
If President Trump would win the GOP nod for the election and lose, what would the Trumpers do? See insurrection, payoffs, etc. Would he be able to serve from behind bars? See jail sentences for his puppets. Maybe destroy the Statue of Liberty, Lincoln Memorial? He lost. Face it Kirk...
Sounding off: U.S. debt, lying politicians, kids’ future, ‘gender insanity,’ ‘getting tough’ among week’s topics
We’ll go to war or go broke The U.S. has the largest debt burden of all the countries in the world, over $31 trillion and growing. We have the largest military budget in the world. The U.S. spends more than the next 10 countries combined on its military. We have...
Letter to the editor: Hempfield tax hike
Regarding the article “Tax increase included in draft Hempfield Area budget” (May 22, TribLIVE): No one would argue against better curriculum or more police officers for the district. But can someone please explain to me how a $30 million increase in the construction costs is not the reason for a...
Editorial: Electric vehicle fee for road use is only fair — but is there a better path forward?
Changing technology doesn’t just affect business or industry. It also affects government, sometimes in how it regulates and sometimes in how it taxes. We are seeing that now with electric vehicles. In Pennsylvania, roads and bridges are funded, in large part, through gas tax. The Keystone State has some of...
Letter to the editor: Politicians should study financial literacy, too
I read the article “Show me the money: Teachers, education experts advocate for financial literacy” (May 21, TribLIVE). We should make it mandatory for all politicians to take a financial literacy course and be tested afterward. If you talk to a financial adviser, the first thing he or she will...
Gary Franks: Kudos to CNN and CBS for some great reporting
Recently, CNN and CBS each earned kudos for digging deeper on an issue. They asked the tough questions that made folks in authority extremely uncomfortable and had equally as challenging follow-up questions. Adroit investigative reporting better serves the public. When the media does its job, it ensures that we have...
Ken Hersh: We must work to protect democracy
The United States is in the middle of a two-front war. We face dangerous external adversaries at a time when many inside our country doubt the benefits of our own leadership and the integrity of the very institutions that are designed to support our democracy here at home. 9/11 taught...
S.E. Cupp: Mike Pence 2024 still thinks he’s Pence of 2014
At a spry 64 years old, former Vice President Mike Pence is celebrating. On Wednesday, he marked his birthday — and formally announcing his run for president. It’s a strange and circuitous series of events that led him from a promising future as a GOP rising star to here, polling...
Colin McNickle: High costs, poor results — the troubling PPS story
Despite per student annual expenditures of nearly $30,000 that rank among the state’s highest, Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) continued to be a major disappointment when it came to academic achievement in 2022, concludes a new analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. “Clearly, money is not the answer,” says...
