Opinion category, Page 406
Editorial: GOP candidates should embrace better debates
The Republican gubernatorial candidates who are pushing away a real, moderated, journalistic debate are not only doing themselves a disservice but also are doing the same to their party and constituents. On Monday, four members of the jam-packed field of GOP candidates vying for the top spot in Pennsylvania politics...
Letter to the editor: Biden’s Ukraine irony
President Biden’s first State of the Union address was a meandering tale full of irony and misinformation complete with the typical theatrics common to all such addresses, and a few classy moments such as recognizing retiring Justice Stephen Breyer and the Ukrainian U.N. ambassador. The irony started when Biden boasted...
John Stossel: Renewable failure
The “Greens” promise renewables, solar and wind power, will replace fossil fuels. After all, the wind and sun are free, and they don’t pollute! Oops. Now countries that embraced renewables are so desperate for power that they eagerly import coal, the worst polluter of all! Do they apologize? No. Greens...
Leonard Pitts Jr.: A war against your lying eyes
When Russian bombs began to fall on Ukraine, Julia Tymoshenko called her aunt in Moscow. She told her about spending a night in the basement as explosions thundered overhead. Her aunt was unimpressed. “Well, you don’t know who did that,” she said. “We’re seeing one thing on the news, you’re...
Letter to the editor: Proud of roots, embarrassed by Biden
My husband and I are both of Eastern European heritage. My grandparents and great-grandparents emigrated from Poland. My husband’s grandparents emigrated from Poland and Slovakia. Regarding the war in Ukraine, never have we been more proud of our Polish and Slovak roots and embarrassed by the actions of our president...
Letter to the editor: Shrinkflation
I have been hearing about “shrinkflation” like it is news. Shrinkflation is nothing new to consumers who have been paying attention over the past three decades. Back in the day, fun-sized Snickers candy bars were sold in a 12-pack for 99 cents. Now at Walmart, a 6-pack of smaller-sized Snickers...
Letter to the editor: Norwin meeting report sensationalized
It’s a shame that reporter Joe Napsha decided to highlight a very brief display regarding critical race theory at the end of the March 14 Norwin School Board meeting (“Norwin debate continues in regards to systemic racism, critical race theory,” March 16, TribLIVE). Much more impactful were the presentations by...
Letter to the editor: Biden stoked fires of inflation, war
In order to appease the Squad and the rest of the Democratic Party and counteract President Trump’s policies, President Biden’s first actions were to cancel plans for the Keystone XL gas pipeline to cross into the United States and stop our drilling on government lands. He also waived sanctions on...
Editorial: Eagle chicks bring welcome respite worldwide
The popularity of animals on the internet is nothing new. From cats popping out of boxes to miniature goats frolicking in pajamas, the viral videos tend to spread faster than the flu. Make them about baby animals, and the speed increases with the cuteness factor. Everyone loves a puppy, a...
Letter to the editor: Hateful divisiveness must stop
Seeing an autocracy in real time, I wonder if insurrectionist supporters have given pause to their goals. Democracy nearly died, and America was headed toward an autocracy. How fortunate we are to live in a democracy. In Ukraine, we see Putin showing no compassion for life. Americans cry and are...
Letter to the editor: Democrats and simple math
With the recent addition of Ohio, 10 states require high school students to take a course in personal finance. Maybe Pennsylvania should do likewise. Many of our elected politicians are clearly defective in their understanding of basic finance. President Biden proudly cites his Scranton roots. Sen. Bob Casey and Rep....
Rep. Joanna McClinton: America deserves a high court that reflects the diversity of our people
America deserves a high court that reflects the diversity of our people. It took 148 years for the first African American woman to be elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the esteemed Crystal Bird Fauset. Yet it has taken 232 years to even have a Black woman nominated to...
Rich Askey: Make education a priority in Pa. budget
I have a homework assignment for you. Put 100 people in a room and get 80 of them to agree on something. You’re shaking your head. You’re saying it can’t be done. Yet in a recent poll of public school parents from Hart Research and Lake Research Partners, a remarkable...
Letter to the editor: How about a Harris/Pelosi ticket for 2024?
2024: Kamala Harris, president. Nancy Pelosi, vice president. Francois Vukosic Bridgeville...
Letter to the editor: Smoke and mirrors
America, once again your president is trying to pull the wool over your eyes. He’s blaming high gas and fuel prices on Putin. Meanwhile, that has been happening almost since day one, when he canceled plans for the Keystone XL pipeline, halted exploration drilling and stopped selling leases. Yes, there...
Letter to the editor: Real reasons why covid is still here
Regarding the letter “Nice pandemic plan, Biden”: I can provide an answer as to why the pandemic is still in our lives. It’s because covid was denied, then politicized; anti-masking was the fight for the excuse “my body, my choice.” Then the vaccine was poison, it doesn’t work, I will...
Letter to the editor: Sheriff van tickets petty politics
That the City of Greensburg parking enforcement officers are ticketing the sheriff’s inmate transport vans for parking in metered spaces smacks of petty, partisan politics and that stinks (“Parking tickets pile up for Westmoreland Sheriff’s Department due to courthouse garage project,” March 15, TribLIVE; “Prison van prompts petty parking tickets,”...
Letter to the editor: Shoeboxes bring joy to children in need around world
Despite a global pandemic, Allegheny County residents shared the true meaning of Christmas with children in need last year. Generosity resulted in 13,834 gifts collected in Allegheny County at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child. Shoeboxes reached children in Ivory Coast, Honduras, Mali, Dominican Republic, Lesotho,...
Editorial: Redistricting process needs to be fixed sooner rather than later
With the newly drawn redistricting maps finally setting the lines that will define legislative districts, it is time for people to analyze what the definitions will mean. In Westmoreland County, for example, the people will go from having eight seats in the state House of Representatives to six. While all...
Letter to the editor: World Water Day
March 22 is World Water Day, a day set aside to increase awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to clean water. Here in Pennsylvania with our abundant rainfall and miles of rivers and streams, you might think that World Water Day is a cause we can ignore....
Tom Purcell: How commoners can cope with inflation
Finally, people have found something to agree about. Last week, economics professor Teresa Ghilarducci penned an op-ed for Bloomberg News in which she offers tips on how people who earn less than $289,000 a year can cope with inflation. Her piece got quite a negative Twitter reaction from people across...
Michael Brevda: Pandemic staffing issues cause distress for nursing home residents
When pandemic lockdowns began in March 2020, many nursing homes suffered because of poor staffing. Sadly, both residents and staff were falling sick, some even dying, due to covid-19. Families, previously a source of informal care for residents, could not visit due to in-person restrictions at care facilities. New job...
Letter to the editor: Why no coverage of national wrestling championship?
I was disappointed to see the six-page spread on the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments March 17. Why haven’t the NCAA Division 1 wrestling championships, which began March 17 in Detroit, garnered one sentence of coverage? Is anyone at the sports desk aware of the number of local men...
Letter to the editor: Government subsidies shouldn’t go to billionaires, corporations
Government subsidies can have a very positive effect. Think miracle drugs, the computer and internet. However, some could use scrutiny. Take Elon Musk, who has received $4.9 billion in subsidies, is worth $266 billion and some years paid little or no taxes. Or Jeff Bezos, who is worth $198 billion....
Editorial: Is probation enough for sheriff’s department guilty pleas?
The Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Department under former leadership had a problem. It was a legal problem — namely that a number of its employees were not merely serving documents or escorting prisoners. No, they were facing charges themselves. It started at the top, with then-Sheriff Jonathan Held, who was investigated...
