Opinion category, Page 492
Letter to the editor: Gerrymandering needs to end
The fight to end gerrymandering in Pennsylvania is in trouble. This legislative session’s anti-gerrymandering bill has been stalled in committee after being introduced more than 100 days ago, then considered at one initial hearing. This bill responds to the 70% of Pennsylvanians who want gerrymandering to end. Months of citizen...
Tom Purcell: Learning dignity for $1 an hour
They called me “The Trail Blazer,” Good Buddy. That was my citizens band radio handle in the summer of 1977, when the hit movie “Smokey and the Bandit” created a CB craze and millions of kids like me dreamed of getting one. Much to my surprise, my father permitted me...
Nathan Benefield: With $7 billion windfall, Pa. should focus on jobs, students
Every year, Pennsylvania enacts a 1,000-page budget, full of obscure spending rules and indecipherable earmarks. Yet it’s arguably the most important vote legislators take each year because it determines our state government’s priorities for the next year. This year’s budget talks face a rare challenge: What to do with an...
Letter to the editor: Why the hatred for Republicans?
Letter-writer Edward Svitek (“Biden’s job to restore our dignity” (June 10, TribLIVE) reminds me of my departed grandmother (RIP, Grandma): They both hate/hated Republicans with a passion, but can’t/couldn’t present a valid true reason why. That’s why many years ago I registered as an independent, considering both sides of a...
Letter to the editor: Pa. Republicans aiming to suppress votes
During the four years of the Trump administration, the general public was subject to claims that the Democrats could not let go of the fact that they lost the election. In hypocritical fashion, we are now being inundated with equally false claims that the election was rigged, stolen or otherwise...
Editorial: Westmoreland Transit making right moves to bring back passengers
The federal CARES Act funding passed in 2020 was meant to do more than just provide stimulus checks to families and loan money to keep businesses writing paychecks. It also was about keeping necessary services from closing down. The Westmoreland County Transit Authority will be making use of that to...
Letter to the editor: No politics in sports
Who would ever have thought they would see the day the MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL would move from being politically neutral to the progressive left? They must now bear the descriptive title of “professional sports and social justice organizations.” We are not privy to the reasoning behind Major League...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of June 21
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of June 21....
Editorial cartoons for the week of June 21
Editorial cartoons for the week of June 21....
Jonah Goldberg: Concept of antiracism leaves no room for dissent
“If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.” I’ve long argued that this exhortation is a soft form of totalitarianism. It’s rhetorical bullying. The speaker assumes he or she has authoritative knowledge of not just the problem but the solution. And if you disagree, you’re a...
Mona Charen: America’s next noble act
Speaking to the Munich Security Conference in February, President Joe Biden proclaimed that “America is back.” It’s a pleasing sentiment, but our allies as well as our adversaries can be forgiven for taking a wait-and-see attitude. America’s approach to the world has gyrated over the past two decades from George...
Letter to the editor: Responsible gun owners don’t ‘forget’
For the 12th time this year, a loaded handgun was confiscated by TSA at Pittsburgh International Airport from a passenger’s carry-on bag (“Man faces charges after being stopped for gun at Pittsburgh International Airport,” June 7, TribLIVE). He used the same excuse as the others: “ I forgot it was...
Letter to the editor: Time for Pa. to raise minimum wage
Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget contains a golden nugget: a raise in the minimum wage. This would improve the lives of 1.6 million Pennsylvania workers. It would be a shot in the arm for 27.5% of our workforce. With our ridiculous wage inequality, this increase is essential for the well-being of...
Letter to the editor: ‘Real dairy’ important for health
As an expert in food, diet, nutrition and health issues, I’m compelled to respond to the letter “Plant-based dairy a viable option” (June 13, TribLIVE). Dairy foods are safe, natural, available, accessible and affordable. The 2020-25 U.S Dietary Guidelines for Americans point to “real dairy” as an important component of...
Editorial: Cocktails-to-go and other no-big-deal moves from the state
Pennsylvania has long been home of some of the most restrictive alcohol laws in the country. The Keystone State has made it harder to get a drink than just about any state but Utah. While other states had effortless mechanisms to pick up their beer and wine, Pennsylvanians had to...
Letter to the editor: Turnpike tolls are a bargain
Columnist Paul Kengor takes an odd turn down the road of turnpike bashing; Did he type “Easy Street” into a GPS for his editorial destination (“Highway robbery on the Pa. Turnpike,” June 10, TribLIVE)? He criticizes costly tolls, and boasts stubborn refusal to use E-ZPass like a child demanding ice...
Letter to the editor: Critical funding needed to keep canines, communities safe
As an animal welfare advocate, dog mom and native Pittsburgher, for me, it is paramount that we always support the health and well-being of dogs in our communities. The primary institution responsible for this protection, the Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, relies primarily on fees from dog licenses to conduct...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: A father’s advice lasts a lifetime
A father’s love and advice last forever. And it seems that we all have a story — a life lesson — that began with a few words of wisdom offered by a father to his child, sometimes at a crossroads in life and often worth retelling. Last week, with Father’s...
Joshua Rosen: Anti-stacking plan bad for consumers
Accidents happen every day, and they easily could happen to any of us at any time. Insurance is a protection if an accident occurs, and it is important to know that you are adequately covered and not forced to dip into savings or go into debt because of someone else’s...
Sounding off: You’ll need a loan for that cone
In his column “Klavon’s wage hike great for business and workers,” reliably liberal Joseph Mistick lauds the owner of Klavon’s Ice Cream Parlor in the Strip for increasing his starting wage to $15 an hour, in line with the current push for a similar nationwide minimum. The owner claimed he...
Colin McNickle: Questions and pitfalls on emergency public school funding
Billions of dollars in coronavirus pandemic relief money will have flowed into Pennsylvania public schools’ coffers when it’s all said and done with. But a scholar at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy says plenty of questions remain and pitfalls loom large for taxpayers going forward. “(I)t is easy to...
Letter to the editor: Obscene displays desecrate our treasured flag
The article “Leechburg man defends obscene anti-Biden flag visible from preschool, daycare, church” missed the heart of the matter. I saw the same flag on Constitution Boulevard in Arnold. Both homeowners should be ashamed of themselves, but not for expressing a political view. I couldn’t stand President Trump. They can’t...
Letter to the editor: Strategies to get back to work
In the editorial “More than one reason for unfilled job openings” (May 18, TribLIVE), you conclude that the additional pandemic unemployment benefits are not the only reason there are hundreds of unfilled jobs in the Pittsburgh area. The association I lead includes the 22 local workforce development boards that operate...
Editorial: How to celebrate Juneteenth
On June 19, 1865, 2,000 Union troops marched into Galveston Bay, Texas. They carried a message for the 250,000 enslaved people of the Confederate state — and the people who owned them. Slavery was over. This was the last corner of America to hear the news. It came three years...
Letter to the editor: Not all scientists are objective
Recent disclosures have shown that not all scientists are objective in their actions. Many in the general public and even the press are now finally starting to question the “science” supporting the covid-19 response. It is now evident that political and even financial incentives were the rationale for many of...
