Opinion category, Page 476
Editorial: The silver lining of unemployment aid ending
A ventilator is the last line of defense against covid-19’s assault on victims’ lungs. But when it comes to the economic impacts that have accompanied the coronavirus pandemic, that intensive care comes in another form: unemployment compensation. Until Sept. 4. That is when half a million Pennsylvanians will lose their...
Letter to the editor: Public education system failing
How is our modern exorbitant public education system faring? It appears to be adept at providing fodder for the current version of the three R’s — rioting, razing and revolting. The old version of the three R’s schooled a populace that won two world wars and was in the forefront...
Editorial cartoons for the week of Aug. 16
Editorial cartoons for the week of Aug. 16....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Aug. 16
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Aug. 16....
Antony Davies: Pa.’s alcohol monopoly — we told you so
Defenders of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) fought for decades against alcohol privatization efforts. Principal among these was Wendell Young IV, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Pennsylvania Wine and Spirits Council — the union that represents state store workers. Despite numerous studies and polls to the...
Jonah Goldberg: With eviction moratorium, Biden joins presidents who violated oath
President Biden has already violated his oath of office. The good news for him: He’s in fine company. In 2002, George W. Bush signed the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill into law. At the ceremony, he expressed his “concerns” that the law he signed “restrains the speech of a wide variety...
Letter to the editor: Make Election Day a holiday
Wife and I were discussing the state of our political system this morning. I came up with a way to possibly increase the turnout for upcoming elections. Declare a national holiday for each and any Election Day. Then everyone can vote, as they desire, with no time pressure, at least...
Trey Grayson: Exporting the fraudit to Pa. would be disaster
In July, Pennsylvania State Sen. Doug Mastriano announced his intention to bring the Arizona audit to Pennsylvania. County officials have rebuffed his requests for election data, and Mastriano is threatening subpoenas to fuel the investigation. This is going to be a mess. Strange circumstances aside, a Pennsylvania audit is a...
Letter to the editor: Tackling climate change with maturity
Climate change is as inevitable as the sunrise. Political factions threatening climate change legislation are very narrow-minded. They advocate for the poor. Fine, the poor will be well fed but also the first to suffer from extreme weather events. Unlimited food stamps will be of no use then. The progressives...
Letter to the editor: Diagnosing the president
Regarding the letter “Biden’s decline is evident”: I don’t see Dr. or Ph.D. in Douglas Johnston’s signature, so I will assume he is not qualified to diagnose the president as having “aging health problems.” Since Johnston wants to play a doctor in the newspaper, he should more closely examine his...
Editorial: Census numbers chance for fair redistricting
The 2020 U.S. Census results are out, and Pennsylvania did what was expected. The population nudged up a bit, about 2.4%, but not enough to balance larger growth in other states such as Florida, Arizona and Colorado. That shift in where people are choosing to live will mean Pennsylvania, ever...
Letter to the editor: Vaccine ignorance can’t stall our recovery
We daily hear the call for Americans to get vaccinated. Yet, amazingly, after a year of over 600,000 American dead, far too many refuse to get the vaccine that can save not only their lives, but the lives of their loved ones. We live in a nation where misinformation and...
Letter to the editor: Biden not building back better
We are six months into Joe Biden’s first term, and he has already written the foreign policy for Russia, China and Iran. They didn’t have to lift a finger. Biden did it for them. At the same time he has wrecked domestic policy with more to come. Instead of building...
Letter to the editor: Ignorance, apathy threaten democracy
A university professor told his class that the greatest threats to democracy were ignorance and apathy. When he asked his students to explain the difference, one responded, not knowing it was the correct answer, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” In the 2020 presidential election, voters took a step...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Celebrating our differences
“Ferragosto” is traditionally celebrated in Italy on Aug. 15, and our own Pittsburgh version of the Italian holiday will be celebrated this weekend in the Strip District. As with many customs that we have taken from the old country, we have made it our own, and how we do it...
Editorial: What to learn from fining students for skipping vaccine?
West Virginia was the last state where covid-19 reared its head. While Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland and more had patients test positive for the disease earlier in March 2020, it wasn’t until March 17 that the Mountaineer State had a confirmed case. More than a year later, its numbers remain low,...
Will Bardenwerper: Maybe Steelers can unite us
A few weeks ago, my wife, 4-year-old son and I joined my cousin’s family for Steelers Fest at Heinz Field. It was the kind of warm and sunny day that one dreams about during the frigid gray Pittsburgh winter. My son proudly wore a superhero cape over his Steelers jersey,...
Letter to the editor: Let’s talk about the good works police do
Regarding the article “Database of police misconduct launches in Pennsylvania” (July 14, TribLIVE): This is baloney. It is a waste of tax dollars. We ought to talk instead about all the good deeds done by police on a daily basis. For example, one late night in February, two inebriated men...
Letter to the editor: Fascism belongs on left
I am grateful again to have an opportunity to dispute another leftist writer who objects to my assertion that fascism is a left-wing ideology (“No debate — fascism spawned by the right,” July 30, TribLIVE). As usual the leftist knee-jerk reaction resorts to name calling while ignoring historical facts. The...
Letter to the editor: Corporations, wealthy should pay fair share
The Associated Press article “The Tax Man Cometh” (June 13) highlights our growing income inequality. The fact that the richest 25 people in the U.S. have paid very little income tax illustrates our failed tax system. ProPublica also mentioned the fact that 55 of the largest corporations in the U.S....
Laurels & lances: Emergencies and environment
Laurel: To a life-saving gift. For many emergency medical service operations, staying ahead of expenses and up-to-date on equipment can be a tricky balance. A gift from the AHN Forbes Hospital Foundation has helped make that a little easier. Seven ambulance services in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties have received a...
Letter to the editor: Allegheny County’s flawed reassessment system
If you’ve ever purchased a home in Allegheny County, you may have been reassessed on appeal. Why? You may have committed the crime of buying a home with a bad assessment certified by the county. This process isn’t fair but is legal. Allegheny County is being sued for alleged manipulation...
Lori Falce: Italians deserve better than Cuomo’s excuses
There are things I knew I had to accept when I married into an Italian famiglia. I had to understand that, despite the fact most people think I am a pretty good cook, my husband would never let me make sauce. Also, that I couldn’t send him to the grocery...
Letter to the editor: Time for a new Declaration
Our Declaration of Independence states “it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish (government), and to institute new Government” whenever it becomes destructive of their life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. How many conservatives believe our government supports our ideas of life, liberty and happiness? A...
Colin McNickle: A dichotomous jobs recovery
States with Right-to-Work laws continue to fare much better in their job recovery statistics following covid-19 lockdowns than states without such laws, concludes an analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. But the now-prevalent Delta variant could produce new challenges to that recovery, cautions Jake Haulk, president-emeritus of and...
