Opinion category, Page 442
Letter to the editor: Don’t worry about the unvaxxed
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald was on TV one night thanking businesses that mandated the vaccine and said that “… we know how safe they are. We know how effective they are.” He asked, “Who wants to work in an office among people who are unvaccinated, spreading this deadly disease?”...
Letter to the editor: Let’s build up Jeannette, not tear it down
I was appalled by the letter from Robert A. McLaughlin (“Lack of urgency for change in Jeannette,” Nov. 17, TribLIVE) criticizing our current Jeannette council. He has never attended a council meeting in the four years I have been mayor, that I am aware of. We have been working tirelessly...
Editorial: Freeze out energy costs by controlling your heating bills
Have you turned on that furnace? Cranked up the electric baseboard heaters? Touched the thermostat? Coming off a Thanksgiving weekend during which temperatures dipped into the 30s or below, you probably at least thought about it. But maybe you were among those who are acutely aware of the cost of...
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland County taking care of lead problems
In response to the article “Legislation would focus on lead paint in Pittsburgh homes” (Nov. 23, TribLIVE): Westmoreland County is ahead of neighboring counties in finding and mitigating lead contamination in homes. Our Community Planning and Development Department took steps in 2020 to secure grant funding for certified risk assessors to...
John Crisp: Breaking even against American vigilantism
The subtext of two prominent trials in recent weeks is vigilantism, the questionable notion that the institutions that we depend on — the police, especially — have declined into such impotence that ordinary citizens are called upon to maintain peace and order on their own. In both trials, justice prevailed,...
Jonah Goldberg: The tax-cut hypocrisy of Democrats’ ‘Build Back Better’ bill
For the first five years, the single most expensive item in the House version of the Democrats’ “Build Back Better,” or “human” infrastructure, bill is a gigantic tax cut for millionaires and billionaires. This provision would lift the cap from $10,000 to $80,000 on income tax deductions for state and...
Peter Morici: Republicans should force Biden to spend less in coming debt-ceiling showdown
As Congress returns from Thanksgiving fresh from carving turkeys, eating pumpkin pie and serving up polemics about the manifest blessings of America, it will be wrangling about raising the federal debt ceiling — again. The federal government collects too little in taxes to pay its bills, and most months it...
Letter to the editor: Trump to blame for Biden? What a joke.
Edward Svitek, I’m sure, doesn’t realize he’s a comedian. His letter “Another Trump presidency not the answer” (Nov. 18, TribLIVE) had me laughing for 10 minutes. He blames President Trump for Joe Biden winning the election. What? How about the state of the Democratic Party is so low that Biden...
Letter to the editor: RGGI vital to fighting climate crisis
Recently, state Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, voted against a harmful attempt to keep Pennsylvania from joining one of the most successful climate programs in the country, and for this, I am proud to call myself one of his constituents. The effects of the climate crisis are becoming more obvious...
Editorial: Lemieux’s place in new Penguins leadership shows value of continuity
OK, now it’s official. Fenway Sports Group is buying the Pittsburgh Penguins, with a price tag some are putting at around $900 million. The Boston-based company announced Monday that, yes, the rumors are true and the Penguins will be added to its stable of teams that spans sports such as...
Letter to the editor: Dumbing down Pittsburgh police response
What if the owners of newspapers told their editors to write without regard to the rules of grammar and punctuation? And what if they were told to dumb it down some; they are writing at too high of a level for their readership? Do you think the editors would feel...
Leonard Pitts Jr.: In America, justice should not have to be a relief
The first feeling is relief. On Wednesday in Brunswick, Ga., three white men — Gregory McMichael, his son Travis McMichael and their neighbor William Bryan — were found guilty of felony murder in the death of Ahmaud Arbery. And one doesn’t feel joy, nor even vindication. Nope. Only relief. Justice...
Stephen Moore: We need a little more Milton Friedman right about now
Not long ago, President Biden made an offhanded comment that “Milton Friedman isn’t running the show anymore.” This president has seldom spoken more valid words. And that’s where the trouble has begun. If you were to rate the three most influential economic minds of all time, you’d be hard-pressed to...
Letter to the editor: Parenting should require a license
Many years ago I wrote a letter to the editor concerning parental licensing. I see and read about so many parents killing their children. You need to pass tests to become a police officer, drive a car, be a pilot, be a veterinarian … but there are no tests required...
Letter to the editor: Why gas prices are high
Regarding Sean Peters’ letter “Biden’s blunders” (Nov. 22, TribLIVE): As a citizen of this United States, I feel it is my duty to point out the misinformation you have asserted in your letter. There’s a reason prices have gone up lately, and it has nothing to do with President Biden....
Editorial: Butler County Community College teaches lesson with ransomware shutdown
Colleges like to compare themselves to each other. Pitt measures itself against its state-related siblings Penn State and Temple and its neighbors like Duquesne University and Carnegie Mellon. They all pay attention to where they fall against their peers on other lists. Which is ranked highest in U.S. News and...
Letter to the editor: Pa. leaders don’t invest in Pa.
I am still rolling with laughter over the op-ed penned by Rep. Joanna McClinton, “Federal bill invests in Pa.; state legislative leaders need to do the same” (Nov. 22, TribLIVE). What nerve. First of all, our so-called leaders invest nothing in Pennsylvania; they use taxpayer dollars to pay for the...
Tom Purcell: Just say no to well-meaning but unaffordable spending
I wish I had a change of heart, but I still can’t support it. Back in 2009, long before I got my beloved 11-month-old puppy, Thurber, I was critical of a proposed federal bill that sought tax deductions for pet owners. Robert Davi, a tough-guy Hollywood actor, and then Rep....
Cal Thomas: Isn’t it rich? Thank you, Stephen Sondheim.
The death of composer Stephen Sondheim at 91 is more than the end of an era. It is the end of a chain of great Broadway musicals dating back to the 1920s when Jerome Kern’s “Showboat” first dazzled theater audiences. I met him only once. It was at Barbara Cook’s...
David Wassel: Reapportionment means never having to say you’re sorry
Following every census, legislative districts are redrawn to reflect population changes, preserving the idea of “equal representation.” Districts are currently being drawn for state legislative elections next year. This process is already generating debate, with concern over gerrymandering, misrepresentation of the 2020 presidential election results and attempts to curtail voting...
Letter to the editor: Arbery’s name should have been in headline
Your Nov. 25 front-page headline “3 found guilty of killing Black man in Georgia” sadly points out just what is wrong with our society. That Black man had a name, Ahmaud Arbery. Until society stops seeing and identifying each other by color, the prejudice and hate so rampant now will...
Letter to the editor: National vs. local journalism
I attended virtually the inaugural symposium of Duquesne University’s Institute for Ethics and Integrity in Journalism, “The Importance of Local Journalism in an Age of Declining Trust in Media.” It was obvious that the keynote speaker and panel members had a wealth of experience in their field, and all shared...
Editorial: Most important part of gun ownership is responsibility
With great power comes great responsibility. That’s more than just a good life lesson from the pages of a comic book. It’s an undeniable truth. The more power we hold in our hands, the more responsible we are for what we do with it. Drive a car, and you have...
Letter to the editor: Understanding Build Back Better Act
Our country will fundamentally change if the U.S. Senate passes the Build Back Better Act. You need to understand how it will change. The child tax credit will continue for one additional year, at which time the tax credit for a 0- to 6-year-old child will return from the current...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Nov. 29
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Nov. 29....
