Opinion category, Page 458
Letter to the editor: Carbon fee and dividend is fair
Bob Horger’s letter attacking the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (“Carbon fee, dividend is wealth redistribution scheme,” Oct. 2, TribLIVE) ignores the larger imperative to address the damage done by global warming. The current fires, floods and heat waves portend much more serious disasters if we do not stop...
Tom Purcell: The pitfalls of Daylight Savings Time
Be extra cautious when you “fall back” on Nov. 7. That’s the date we must set our clocks back one hour in honor of daylight saving time. But watch out. The jarring shift to our daily sleep patterns and routines each fall — and each spring — is linked to...
Sheldon Jacobson: NHL teams exercising power of choice on vaccinations
The National Hockey League will open its season Oct. 12. As of Oct. 1, just 12 NHL players were reported to not be fully vaccinated, though several are reported to be in line to have their second dose by opening night. This means that no less than 20 teams are...
Letter to the editor: Fighting back against loss of our freedoms
Once a freedom is lost, you will never get back. Much like a temporary tax, once its on the books, it will never be removed. The Democrats/socialists are using the pandemic and any other crisis to take away many of your personal freedoms. We must fight back now. Steven Ignatz...
Letter to the editor: Ideas to end labor shortage
I have not been tutored in government performance and organization, but it appears that the current shortage in the labor pool may be related to certain well-intended government initiatives gone awry. I cite a brief encounter with a customer service representative who was confined to a wheelchair. Certainly there are...
Letter to the editor: Pitts’ attack on unvaccinated missed some facts
Leonard Pitts Jr.’s column “No vaccine? Goodbye, and good riddance” to me showed that facts don’t matter. The article attacked Americans that are not adhering to the vaccine mandates. Among the many reasons for not complying are that those who had covid-19 have immunity and some are not being vaccinated...
Editorial: Bedbugs aren’t a problem that can wait
Don’t let the bedbugs bite. It’s more than just the cutesy saying your mom would use when tucking you in. Bedbugs are no fairy tale. They’re an all-too-real pest that is not easy to eradicate. Vandergrift residents were thus right to be more than a little alarmed — and grossed...
Letter to the editor: Americans are being played
There is plenty of blame to go around for the catastrophe that is current day America. Is it the fault of the guy who spent four years in politics, or the guy that’s been in government for 48? The increasing power of lobbyists? Maybe it goes deeper? Maybe the endless...
Editorial cartoons for the week of Oct. 11
Editorial cartoons for the week of Oct. 11....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Oct. 11
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Oct. 11....
Mona Charen: What Nobel Prizes say about national greatness
It’s Nobel Prize season. The just-announced 2021 winners in medicine/physiology are two Americans, Drs. David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian, who’ve done groundbreaking research on the senses of touch, taste, heat and pain. Their joint discoveries may yield new, nonopioid treatments for pain and other breakthroughs. Patapoutian had his cellphone switched...
Charlie Melancon: Congress should pause before rushing to spend $3.5 trillion
Underway in Washington is a debate surrounding Congress’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. The bill removes important industry tax deductions and establishes a new natural gas tax, essentially making it punitive to produce resources here at home. With rapid decarbonization goals driving the Biden administration’s agenda, some policymakers overlook the reality...
Letter to the editor: Train travel a good option for many
In response to Ken Goga’s letter “Amtrak an unwise investment” (Sept. 21, TribLIVE): A second Amtrak Pennsylvanian operating between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg would be a welcome addition for Western Pennsylvania travelers. The lack of public intercity transportation, decreasing percentages of licensed drivers, enhanced time utilization and significant unmet demand —...
Letter to the editor: Giffin deserves appreciation, gratitude
I met Doc Giffin in the press tent at the 1962 PGA Championship. He was the PGA press secretary, and I was a novice golf reporter for the Trib, and always the last to leave, except for Doc, who, despite long, frenetic days, would stay to be of assistance even...
Letter to the editor: Thrasher needs to be voted out
I see our fearless county commissioner, Gina Cerilli Thrasher, is up to her old tricks. According to the article “Westmoreland commissioners oust airport authority board members over restaurant lease” (Sept. 30, TribLIVE), Thrasher orchestrated the dismissal of Donald “Doc” Giffin and the well-liked and respected chairman, Paul Puleo, a successful...
Editorial: Responsible gun ownership means following rules
Conversations about guns and the limits of their accessibility are never easy. While most other rights like speech or a speedy trial are intangible, a gun is the one that can be held in your hand. It can be strapped at your side. It can even be packed in a...
Letter to the editor: Flying flag upside down is disrespectful
I noticed some local residents have been flying the U.S. flag outside their homes upside down. I believe some people feel this a way of protesting or expressing dissatisfaction with current U.S. officials and policies. While it is legal to express yourself in whatever way you so choose, it is...
Election letters deadline
Letters to the editor regarding upcoming election issues, including endorsements, will be accepted until Oct. 18. Election-related letters will not be printed after Oct. 24...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: John Wetzel taking his common sense on the road
John Wetzel was the warden of a small jail in Franklin County when he was nominated by Gov. Tom Corbett to become the commonwealth’s secretary of corrections. Wetzel, a former offensive lineman for Bloomsburg University, had started as a part-time corrections officer 20 years earlier, and he was ready for...
Colin McNickle: Chimera of ‘progress’ at PPS’ weakest-performing schools
Just-departed Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS) Superintendent Anthony Hamlet promised “good things” when he was hired as head of the outlandishly expensive and academically struggling city school district in 2016. You might recall the prose from the 2017-22 strategic plan in which problems such as a falling graduation rate and declining...
Sen. Mike Regan: The right way to legalize adult-use marijuana
As a Republican senator who spent more than two decades in law enforcement, it may come as a surprise to some people that I have circulated a co-sponsorship memo outlining my intent to introduce legislation legalizing adult-use marijuana in Pennsylvania. For decades, marijuana has been used by adult residents in...
Sounding off: Misusing the word ‘freedom’
Personal freedom from the tyranny of a fascist or totalitarian government is what we all desire. However, the word “freedom” is sometimes used incorrectly. What has happened in Texas is a textbook example. The government of Texas wanted freedom from wearing masks and getting vaccinated. So covid cases spiked, sickening...
David Ayers: Doomed to marry beneath them? Marriage and the gender gap in college
The Wall Street Journal recently published a powerful article on the large and growing gap between the numbers of men and women enrolled in American colleges and universities. Enrollments have declined steeply in recent years, but they have declined much more among males than females. Only 40% of current college...
Letter to the editor: Grateful for honest people
It’s easy to get bogged down with negative news, which is why I’m writing with a positive story. A few days ago, I went to the farmers market in Lower Burrell. I bought a few things and then I left. Eventually, I noticed that I was missing my debit card,...
Letter to the editor: I don’t trust this covid vaccine
I consider all of the covid-19 vaccines “experimental.” I don’t agree that the completion of clinical trials and authorization for emergency use, or the FDA’s approval of one vaccine, make them safe. It has only been about 18 months, and no one can know the long-term effects that may manifest...
