Opinion category, Page 54
Mark Z. Barabak: A celebration — and wake — for a political time gone by
They came to the baking desert to honor one of their own, a political professional, a legend and a throwback to a time when gatherings like this one — a companionable assembly of Republicans, Democrats and the odd newspaper columnist — weren’t such a rare and noteworthy thing. They came...
Letter to the editor: Penn State trustees should do better
Closing Penn State campuses is a death-spiral plan, a no-brainer. Get rid of all people working there, sell the buildings and kill the community spirit. Where is the innovation to solve the financial problem? The trustees need to do a better job. Dennis Balenovich West Newton The writer is a...
Letter to the editor: A big morally and financially wrong bill
House Republicans just passed Trump’s Big Billionaire Bonanza Bill in order to transfer wealth from those with the least to those with the most. Then they literally celebrated this disgusting accomplishment! Now the bill is in the hands of the Senate. By the time this letter is printed, it might...
Editorial: Pennsylvania needs a solution for senior care
Pennsylvania has a lot of senior citizens. According to federal records, the state has 2.5 million residents over 65 years old. That’s 19.6% of the state’s population. Only California, Florida, New York and Texas have more, which is unsurprising as they are also the only states with overall populations greater...
Letter to the editor: Rising prices and Trump’s tariffs
Breaking news! Prices are going up. President Trump’s tariffs are to blame. I hope Americans are not dumb enough to believe tariffs are the only cause for rising prices. Steelworkers get a big fat raise and better benefits. The prices of all products using steel go up. Autoworkers get very...
Letter to the editor: Funeral director’s actions inhuman
Regarding Patrick Vereb (“Hazelwood, Harrison funeral director accused of pocketing $650K for pet cremations, burials that didn’t happen,” April 28, TribLive): What an inhuman act by this bloodless, unfeeling bestial. Our hearts were so broken by the passing of our Ruby, who was with us for 15 years, and now...
S.E. Cupp: Musk’s rise and fall was pitiful and predictable
He shot onto the political scene seemingly out of nowhere. But Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, made his presence known in short time. After acquiring Twitter in 2022 and wading into the controversial politics of free speech and misinformation, Musk’s first big move was to dump more than $50...
Oliver Bateman: Does Shapiro have a secrecy problem?
I want Josh Shapiro to succeed. As a centrist Pennsylvanian who voted for him over woefully out-of-his-depth Doug Mastriano back in 2022, I see a governor who could help lead the disorganized Democrats out of the wilderness. His pragmatic style, ability to work across the aisle and Obama-lite rhetorical style...
Athan Koutsiouroumbas: Pa.’s potential data center mirage — and your electric bill
When Pennsylvanians open their electric bills this summer, few realize that the price they will pay may be inflated not by the energy they use — but by energy that may never be used at all. Earlier this month, in a little-noticed hearing in the Pennsylvania state Legislature, a stunning...
Letter to the editor: Women’s role in the Catholic church
Regarding the article “Western Pa. Catholics anticipate papal conclave to usher in new era” (May 8, TribLive): It was not Pope Francis who “opened the way” for women and girls to serve as readers and altar servers at Mass, and to assist priests or administer Communion. Women and girls have...
Letter to the editor: Insider trading at the White House?
Who is policing possible/probable insider stock trading in Donald Trump’s White House? Based on the last five months of chaotic rollercoaster-ride stock prices, it is obvious that President Trump can drastically affect the price of practically any stock up or down with a simple on-or-off tariff announcement. For instance, Apple...
Editorial: Aaron Rodgers and the politics of playing games
Aaron Rodgers is the talk of Pittsburgh sports, which is fascinating since there’s no proof he will ever have anything to do with Pittsburgh sports. For months, the potential of the former Green Bay Packers and (briefly) New York Jets quarterback to don the black and gold for at least...
Laurels & lances: Musicals & mud
Laurel: To rising stars. On Saturday, the talent and hard work of 34 local schools was celebrated at the Benedum Center with the annual Gene Kelly Awards. It is the oldest regional high school theater awards event in America. It began in 1991 and is named after the Pittsburgh native...
Letter to the editor: Greed is holding us back on energy
While China charges forward investing billions in nuclear fission, the United States is gutting the very university research that could unlock the clean, limitless energy of the future. Public colleges are laying off scientists, canceling projects and turning away brilliant minds — not because we lack potential, but because Big...
Diana Polson: Pa.’s clean energy renaissance — a model for economic growth
In Turtle Creek, a quiet industrial revolution is brewing. Inside a sprawling manufacturing facility, workers are building batteries that will power 130,000 homes — part of a broader economic renaissance reshaping the commonwealth’s industrial landscape. Through strategic federal investments in clean energy and manufacturing, Pennsylvania is witnessing the creation of...
Howard M. Rieger: Are Allegheny County elected officials abandoning us?
Ten months ago, the Allegheny County Board of Health proposed a fee increase for processing Title 5 operating permits for polluters, the most significant of which is U.S. Steel. Because of staffing vacancies, the Board of Health has an extensive backlog in processing such permits. Over the years, the Environmental...
Letter to the editor: Tax increase will have domino effect
Not one person disagreed with the 3.9% increase that the Quaker Valley school board voted 8-0 to raise our taxes once again. How could that be? You all must have “build a new high school fever.” Isn’t it enough that the Allegheny County council members raised our county tax by...
Princeton Lock: What comes after left and right? Students want systems, not sides.
You can walk into almost any American high school right now and feel it. Students aren’t just frustrated. They’re disillusioned. The message we’re hearing isn’t “get involved,” it’s “good luck.” We’re told to pick a side, vote blue or red, join a cause or take a stand. But when you’re...
Letter to the editor: Recreational marijuana should not be legalized
Recently I received a pamphlet from the Westmoreland Drug & Alcohol Commission that states, “Marijuana affects a person’s ability to: React to hazards, judge time, speed and distance; concentrate on driving.” It is irresponsible to legalize recreational marijuana. Contact your representatives and the governor. The Pennsylvania budget doesn’t need money...
Letter to the editor: Who deserves reparations?
Every now and again the subject of reparations comes up, but it just isn’t right. If there are any slaves alive here in the USA, pay them. If not, why should we pay anyone who never suffered as a slave? Remember also that Black people in Africa sold other Black...
Editorial: Americans should be able to easily e-file their taxes with the IRS for free
For millions of Americans, filing taxes is already a frustrating, time-consuming ordeal. Now a free online tool that promised to make the process easier is under political threat. The Associated Press last month reported the Internal Revenue Service is planning to eliminate its free Direct File tax-filing program, which debuted...
Letter to the editor: Most taxpayers won’t save much
The wire article “Report: Expiring Trump tax cuts will raise taxes $2,521 in Pa.” (May 2) presented misleading data. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act does not save the average Pennsylvanian $2,521. The savings are skewed to the wealthiest taxpayers. Eighty-one percent of the savings go to the top...
Letter to the editor: Reliable transit is key to survival for many
Reliable transportation is the key to maintaining a strong workforce and a healthy economy — yet in Pennsylvania, thousands of people with disabilities and low-income workers struggle to get to and keep their jobs due to inadequate public transit. My family has a history of working in the nonprofit sector,...
Jonah Goldberg: Baby boom, baby bust and the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
As the Senate takes up the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (Donald Trump’s name for it) passed by the House last week, there’s finally some discussion of the national debt. That’s because the bill is estimated to add $3.8 trillion over the next decade to the current debt: $37 trillion, or...
James Stavridis: How can Europe deter Putin? Revive the ‘Reforger.’
When I was a junior officer during the Cold War, the biggest North Atlantic Treaty Organization military training exercises — perhaps the largest in history — were annual drills called Exercise Reforger. The goal was to ensure NATO’s ability to deploy troops rapidly to West Germany if war broke out...
