Opinion category, Page 283
Sally C. Pipes: Price controls in Medicare will kill new cures
President Biden just released his budget plan for the next fiscal year. It purports to extend Medicare’s solvency by decades and reassure the millions of Americans who rely on the program. But once they realize his approach will grind drug research to a halt, perhaps they’ll come to a different...
Letter to the editor: Bad math on wage taxes
The writer of the letter “Reasons for Pittsburgh population loss” (April 7, TribLIVE) spent 30 years in education, but apparently it wasn’t in math education. A 3% city wage tax doesn’t translate to 6% for two spouses. It’s still 3%. Under his reasoning, a family of 33 would pay 99%...
Letter to the editor: Alcohol Awareness Month — a time to think about your drink
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and a good opportunity for adults to be thinking about their drinking. Enjoying a beer, glass of wine or cocktail can be part of a balanced lifestyle for most adults, but moderation is essential. Moderate drinking is defined as consuming up to one standard drink...
Letter to the editor: Pence’s testimony potentially devastating for Trump
Is anyone surprised that former President Trump is attempting to silence his Vice President Mike Pence, seeking court action to block his testimony regarding Trump’s efforts to overturn the legitimate result of the 2020 presidential election? Trump does not seem to be an intelligent man, but he is smart enough...
Editorial: Taxes add up in Pennsylvania
It’s that time again. If you haven’t filed your federal income tax return, it’s due today. For about half of Americans, it doesn’t matter. They’re the ones who have already filed their taxes by March — 36 percent in February, shortly after their paperwork for 2022 income was in hand,...
Letter to the editor: Climate ‘consensus’
The writer of the letter “Humans have changed the climate cycle” (April 4, TribLIVE) disguises climate dogma as academic rebuttal citing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) “scientific consensus.” By definition, consensus is nothing more than general agreement, and it’s certainly not scientific. The United Nations IPCC advances “anthropogenic”...
Letter to the editor: Any tool can be used in horrific crime
Regarding the letter “Thoughts and prayers not enough to stop school shootings” (April 4, TribLIVE): The Founding Fathers did not give citizens the right to bear arms. The rights in the Bill of Rights are not given to us by government. Those rights are endowed to us by our creator,...
Tom Purcell: What we need this Earth Day is more green thumbs
Earth Day is coming April 22, and I can’t think of a better opportunity for Americans to get their hands dirty. When Earth Day became an annual event in 1970, its purpose was to demonstrate support for protecting the environment. Today, more than 1 billion people in almost 200 countries...
Letter to the editor: Time for Mark Madden to go
Mark Madden’s caustic insults to Pittsburgh sports teams and fans do not belong in our great city. He has crapped on the city that has allowed his inciting negative comments for too many years. Good or bad, mismanaged, whatever — we are the fans of everything great about Pittsburgh and...
Letter to the editor: Reelect Bethany Hallam
I’m excited to vote for Bethany Hallam for Allegheny County Council At-Large during the May 16 Democratic primary. Hallam brings ambition for what’s possible within Allegheny County government. She advanced bills that protect our environment, create more opportunity for Community College of Allegheny County students, strengthen our elections and improve...
Letter to the editor: Reelect Synan as Murrysville mayor
Murrysville has indeed been fortunate to have been led by Regis Synan, who has decided to run for a second term. With skills honed by a lifetime of both industrial business and emergency services for the community, he focused on public safety (police, fire and EMS) and related committees while...
Editorial: ‘Skill’ games are gambling; regulate them
Gambling is among the most heavily regulated and taxed businesses in Pennsylvania — except for the variety available at the local convenience store. Electronic “skill games” look much like casino slot machines. But skill games require input beyond money — the answer to a trivia question, a quick-reaction challenge or...
Letter to the editor: Improve judicial system rather than violate Second Amendment
A recent letter pleaded for legislative action to ban the “weapons of war” (“It’s guns, and we must fix the problem,” April 5, TribLIVE), while another wanted to “make things more difficult on the criminals” (“We must make it more difficult for criminals to get guns,” April 3, TribLIVE). Neither...
Letter to the editor: Motorists can help keep road workers safe
In 2020, 857 people were killed and 44,240 people were injured in work zone crashes, according to the National Safety Council. The number of lives impacted by these incidents demonstrates the need for safer work zones. In honor of National Work Zone Awareness Week April 17-21, which encourages community members...
Editorial cartoons for the week of April 17
Editorial cartoons for the week of April 17....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of April 17
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of April 17....
Letter to the editor: We’re lacking leaders on both sides
I have read my share of letters written here by those who condemn Democrats or who denounce Republicans. Such criticism can lead to a vacuum of leadership. What young and bright upcoming politician would want to step into the vitriol of the partisan divide that affects our politics today? What...
Letter to the editor: Guns in the great outdoors
Ah, the love of nature, to be in the woods, in orange. The hunters natter on about which day is best to begin deer season; some are “sickened” at the thought of a Saturday start, while others are “appalled” by a Monday starting gun. A recent letter stated that the...
Letter to the editor: Biden’s proposed Title IX changes no way to help children
The Biden administration’s proposed change to Title IX is yet another example of government run afoul of common sense and decency. This change would force our schools to allow boys and men to compete on the same playing fields as girls and women. This can only result in the end...
Editorial: Pa. State System of Higher Education needs to embrace change
PennWest University is taking steps to save costs. The university is in its infancy under this name. Until the 2022-23 school year, PennWest didn’t exist. It was born of the merging of three Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities: California, Clarion and Edinboro. The purpose of the merger was...
Letter to the editor: Who’s profiting from our high utility bills?
Electricity and/or natural gas affects every household in Pennsylvania in one way or another. Aren’t we fortunate to live in a state that produces more natural gas through fracking than nearly every other state in the nation? If that is indeed the case, do you wonder why our prices have...
Letter to the editor: Pardon power amendment
The founders recognized that the Constitution might need adjustment in the future and that all circumstances requiring attention might not have been appreciated as the Constitution was originally conceived. Thus, Article V was included, which allows for amendment of the Constitution. Time and experience moved the will of the people...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Troubles in Tennessee
Political careers can turn on a dime, as the sudden fate of two Tennessee state legislators proved when they were expelled from the state House of Representatives. Reps. Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin Pearson of Memphis, both Democrats and both Black, were stripped of their elected positions by a...
Sean Beadle and Teyah Spangler: Conquering the disease of addiction
Drug and alcohol addiction is a growing problem that continues to cause wreckage in the lives of individuals and families across the country and especially in our local communities. In 1987 alcohol and drug addiction was added to the list of known diseases, and in 2011 addiction was defined as...
Letter to the editor: It’s unfair to tax the elderly
I don’t think it’s fair that elderly people who never had children in school have to pay school taxes. The government gives more money back on tax returns when families have children, but single people don’t get money like that back. It’s not fair to the elderly. Lisa Illinsky Springdale...
