Opinion category, Page 463
Jessica Tomko: Disability representation in the entertainment industry
Representation. We see this word used a lot these days. It has become associated with the fight for social justice, a quantifiable goal, a hashtag, a marketing effort. In short, it has become a buzzword. I am a 31-year-old disabled woman, and I can safely say that I didn’t even...
Sounding off: RINOs have ruined conservative movement
Regarding the article “Sen. Toomey says it’s ‘completely unacceptable’ for GOP to pick Trump in 2024”: What is completely unacceptable to conservatives are Republicans in name only (RINOs) like you who have ruined the conservative movement. Your ilk of Republicanism is a ruse. You do not want to govern or...
Filippo Menczer: Battling social media manipulation
On the surface this seems reasonable. If people like credible news, expert opinions and fun videos, these algorithms should identify such high-quality content. But the wisdom of the crowds makes a key assumption here: that recommending what is popular will help high-quality content “bubble up.” We tested this assumption by...
Letter to the editor: Stop GOP’s plans to invade privacy to back ‘big lie’
Every registered voter in Pennsylvania should be outraged by what the pro-Trump lackeys in our state government are now trying to do. They have issued subpoenas to seek the name, address, driver’s license number and partial Social Security number of every person who was registered to vote in the last...
Letter to the editor: A look at how Trump honored fallen soldiers
Regarding Ed Liberatore’s letter “Comparing presidents’ honor of fallen soldiers” (Sept. 15, TribLIVE): From the Huffington Post dated Sept. 2, 2020: “According to a review of Air Force records, there had been 96 ‘dignified transfers’ at Dover AFB since the start of Trump’s presidency, which saw the return of 127...
Editorial: Canine comfort can help in the halls of justice
A courthouse can be an intimidating place, even if you aren’t charged with a crime. Victims of crime can have to relive their worst moments while facing down an attacker. A witness might have to find the strength to participate in the process. Family court cases, such as custody disputes,...
Letter to the editor: Commissioners should work with residents on ARP funds
The American Rescue Plan is confirmed. It’s designed to bring major improvements through out our nation. With skilled management it ensures the power to resolve glaring disparities currently existing in Westmoreland County, and particularly to its at-risk communities. For that to happen requires a closer relationship between our county commissioners,...
S.E. Cupp: Biden, a frenemy of our experts
He made the promise over and over again. During his run for president, and amid a worsening covid-19 crisis, Joe Biden promised if elected, he’d “follow the science.” The pledge was a clear rebuke of his then-opponent and now-predecessor, Donald Trump, who routinely and recklessly denied, questioned and even mocked...
John Stossel: Charity that changes lives
Government-run schools fail kids. Teachers unions and education bureaucrats say, “We need more money!” But America already spends a fortune on public schools. My town, New York City, spends $28,000 per student — half-a-million dollars per classroom! Think about what you could do with that money: Hire five teachers? Pay...
Leonard Pitts Jr.: You can starve an ideal only so long before you kill it altogether
Those pictures are traumatizing. That’s because they contain so much more than what’s in them, so much more than horse-mounted U.S. Border Patrol agents at the Rio Grande in Texas, running down and flogging would-be Haitian immigrants. No, those pictures contain George Floyd and forced removal from ancestral land, contain...
Letter to the editor: Rats a nuisance in Springdale
Rats and more rats are running around Springdale. I understand that everyone needs a home, but rats are a nuisance. It can become a dangerous situation for pet owners because of the hantavirus. Many residents were told that the abandoned house and vehicle near Ridge Avenue were not treated before...
Letter to the editor: Vaccination should be required for all
To prevent further spread of the coronavirus, we should require everyone to get fully vaccinated (including a possible third dose), unless exempted by a sincerely held religious belief or medical condition. We should write to our legislators and executives at all levels of government. Alvin Blake Mt. Lebanon...
Letter to the editor: Medicare negotiation critical
I am writing to urge support from the American people and lawmakers for the national-level bill House Resolution 3, which would allow Medicare to negotiate for lower prices. Five years ago, I went from a relatively healthy 30-year-old to very sick and unable to work in just a few months....
Lori Falce: How does a Mountain Dew cost more than $1.3 million?
There is an impression that the law is supposed to be fair. People who think that it actually works out that way don’t spend a lot of time comparing the way people are charged or sentenced. When it comes time to pay the price for bad behavior, it seems like...
Letter to the editor: Support small business, support community
Although the economy has shifted toward recovery, the rising number of covid-19 cases has generated a gnawing sense of concern among small businesses, which have been forever altered by the pandemic. Adapting has become the name of the game. Since I founded my business in 2013, it has been adopted...
Cara Ciminillo: Congress must extend Child Tax Credit to support child care gains
Since the Child Tax Credit was significantly expanded as part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, working families in Pittsburgh and across Southwestern Pennsylvania started receiving up to $300 per child per month starting July 15. While the tax credit expansion came as a way to tackle the economic fallout...
Laurels & lances: Drugs, tests and promises
Laurel: To addressing addiction. On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department announced a new campaign to address drug use and recovery in Westmoreland and eastern Allegheny counties. The program is a $75,000 effort to connect people who need help with services already being provided in the community, as well as information...
Rep. Eric Nelson: Creating an election system for 2021, not patching one from 1937
What was America like in 1937? Slower-paced, to be sure. Less than half of us owned cars. Boarding a plane and traveling from New York to Los Angeles in a few hours was basically unheard of. Communication was slower too. There were no computers and no internet. On the rare...
Ciora Thomas: How Toomey can help protect, empower next generation
The other day, I stood on the steps by the river at Pittsburgh’s Point State Park getting my photograph taken, along with several other colleagues, to add to my nonprofit organization’s website. I founded SisTers PGH in 2013 for fellow TGNC (trans and gender-nonconforming) folks after years of struggling with...
Letter to the editor: Price on carbon best for tackling climate costs
Bloomberg News recently broke a story about various means under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee to help fund the reconciliation bill. One method stands out: a carbon tax with some of the money provided as a dividend to lower-income residents. This could not only fund some infrastructure, but directly...
Letter to the editor: Biden is a disgrace
Has no one the courage as an American to say what needs to be said? I can say authoritatively as a Vietnam veteran that what is going on in Afghanistan is atrocious. It is immoral, humiliating and damn dangerous for those left behind. Would you want to be in their...
Editorial: Supply-chain shortages only made worse with panic
With a pandemic, there are certain things you expect to be problematic. Crowded emergency rooms are not surprising. Doctors telling you to keep your distance and wash your hands? That’s pretty on brand for them. Even the stock market rising and falling with the latest vaccine release or other developments...
Letter to the editor: GOP should focus on important issues, not jeopardize voters
As I read the article “Pa. Senate GOP moves to collect private voter information in controversial review of 2020 election,” I could not believe that the Republican Party continues to try to spend our money and jeopardize all voters by collecting Republican, Democratic and independent voters’ personal data. All for...
Don Walko: We can create jobs without sacrificing environment
Both of my grandfathers were coal miners in Westmoreland County, and my mother and father worked in factories in South Greensburg. They were like most Appalachians: They were hard workers who took care of their families and loved their communities. Until I was in first grade, my family lived across...
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler: Gaming is good for Pa. economy
Covid-19 devastated Pennsylvania, shutting our state down for months. Our economy felt the impact, contracting by $32 billion. The road to recovery has not been easy, but thankfully, the Keystone State is back on the rebound. Part of this is due to obvious factors, like stores reopening and people returning...
