Opinion category, Page 577
Editorial: Pa. budget brawl starts again
Once again, fall is here and Pennsylvania has no plan for how the money will be spent and where it will come from for the next seven months or so. It’s like a rerun of a show you didn’t even like the first time around. It’s a tragic sitcom where...
Jonah Goldberg: Barrett’s ‘originalist’ stance is only one that makes sense
Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, is an “originalist.” Given that originalism is a term coined by lawyers, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that there are many different flavors of originalism. But, as Barrett explained in her confirmation hearings, they all share the basic idea that the meaning of...
Sounding off: Goodbye Columbus, hello Bruno
After much weeping, moaning and gnashing of teeth (on both sides), a panel has recommended to “disappear” the statue of Christopher Columbus from Schenley Park (“Pittsburgh Art Commission recommends removal of Columbus statue from Schenley Park.”) and the mayor agreed. The “art commission” has no problem with a “worthy Italian...
Colin McNickle: How dire the straits at Pittsburgh International?
The coronavirus pandemic and state-ordered restrictions on travel-related industries resulted in massive declines in passenger counts at the nation’s airports during the March-through-June period. “Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) was no exception,” say Frank Gamrat, executive director of the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, and Jake Haulk, the president-emeritus of the...
Letter to the other: Topsoil is better than mud
Democrats and Republicans should stop slinging mud at each other and find some good topsoil. Bobby Rowe Arnold...
Letter to the editor: US is not ‘leading world’ in covid-19 deaths
Death! Our media proclaim that the U.S. leads the world in covid-19 deaths and that it’s President Trump’s fault. The article “‘Unfathomable’: U.S. death toll from coronavirus hits 200,000” shockingly equated it as equivalent to a 9/11 every day for 67 days. But we are a nation of 330 million...
Letter to the editor: Trump has given us back our pride
Hate President Donald J. Trump or love him, he has brought respect back to our great nation. He has created an economy that is envied by the world. He has created jobs and brought manufacturing home. He has eliminated crippling regulations; improved the lives of all Americans, especially minorities; he...
Letter to the editor: Gratitude and respect for police
Since the merger of the Springdale Township and Cheswick police departments, it has been noticed in our communities the increased level of police presence and the amazing outreach the officers do on a daily basis. From driving down the street and waving, to stopping and talking to children and citizens...
Letter to the editor: A liar is a liar, no matter how many lies
President Trump has called the Democrats’ health care plan a “socialist nightmare.” Like most greedy, self-serving conservatives, he doesn’t seem to be able to handle the concepts of Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare given to us by progressive thinkers. If he gets reelected, we can probably kiss those programs goodbye....
John Stossel: Tale of 2 camps shows public-private differences
When covid-19 hit, I quarantined in eastern Massachusetts. Biking around the woods, I noticed something strange. There are two campgrounds near my house. One is full. Lots of people pitch tents or park trailers at a place called Maurice’s. A short bike ride away is a much bigger campground that’s...
Robert Lysek: Schools should work together to solve covid-19 problems
When the pandemic upended our lives, it was common to hear “We are all in this together.” It was an attempt to acknowledge that things may be different, but we can work together to find the answers. Public charter schools rose to that challenge. Charter schools quickly adapted innovative solutions...
Alison Grass: Cracking through Trump’s fracking claims
The road to the White House once again runs through Pennsylvania, which explains the campaign photo ops and nonstop TV ads. It also means we’ll be treated to a lot of claims about fracking. Unfortunately, much of what we’re hearing about drilling is not rooted in the facts. The stories...
Lori Falce: Supreme Court hearing needs more listening
“I did it!” my kid said to his screen. The answer sounded approving, but I couldn’t really tell what she was saying. My son is taking a computer coding class. His teacher is a delightful woman from India who is encouraging and supportive. Neither of them really understand a word...
Letter to the editor: Done with college, pro football
I tried to watch college and pro football on TV, and I was appalled at what I saw. A few years ago, I witnessed the NFL permit its employees to, in my opinion, disrespect the men and women who have fought and died for our country, our flag and their...
Letter to the editor: Stacy Garrity best choice for treasurer
Elections are about choices, and I see the biggest contrast in the Pennsylvania state treasurer race. Our current treasurer, Joe Torsella, is a member of the Philadelphia elite. I don’t think he has any idea how middle-class, hard-working Pennsylvania families in the center of the state struggle to make ends...
Laurels & lances: Honors, arts and marts
Laurel: To honoring service. James Wilson of Herminie was a U.S. Marine and a World War II veteran, but he was more than that, too. He fought another battle as one of the first Black men to serve in the Marine Corps. In 2011, President Obama signed the legislation that...
Letter to the editor: Marxists have succeeded in influencing Western civilization
In the 1940s and early 1950s, Russian communist agents Manning Johnson, Bella Dodd, Whittaker Chambers and Elizabeth Bentley defected and exposed the massive communist undertaking that was formulated in the 1930s, detailing the steps Marxists must take in order to successfully drive their communist agenda in subverting Western civilization. To...
Paul Kengor: Why did steelworkers union ditch Donald Trump?
I wrote here two weeks ago about the steelworkers union’s unique form of political campaigning for the Biden-Harris ticket. It was a shocking display whereby the union leadership ran a so-called “batlight campaign” illuminating Pittsburgh landmarks with massive “Biden-Harris 2020” images, from Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning to other spots, including...
Matthew Galluzzo: As life moves outdoors during covid-19, lean on Pa.’s special strength
Earlier this summer, The New York Times explored a fascinating chapter in American history. In 1907, at the height of the tuberculosis epidemic, doctors and educators tasked with preventing the spread of the disease in schoolchildren experimented by opening wide schools’ classroom windows. In some instances, they moved classes outdoors...
Geraldine Jones: Cal U-Clarion-Edinboro merger will empower students
More opportunities for students. That’s the driving force that propels California University of Pennsylvania toward a proposed integration with Clarion and Edinboro universities. With the initial financial review completed and the initiative affirmed unanimously on Wednesday by the Board of Governors for Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, the trio...
Letter to the editor: Trump is right pro-life choice
Regarding the article “Pittsburgh Bishop Zubik issues letter as pundits call Catholic vote ‘crucial’ to presidential race” (Sept. 24, TribLIVE), Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik mentions a problem with each candidate. President Trump is for the death penalty. Joe Biden is pro-choice. Since Trump has been in office, 84 convicted criminals...
Letter to the editor: Trump hasn’t made America great
I have been around since the time of Harry S. Truman, and I have voted in many presidential elections. I have voted either Democrat or Republican, depending on the candidate. I have seen good and bad presidents. However, I don’t believe any one of them has been as incompetent as...
Letter to the editor: Trump on white supremacy
In an Oct. 1 White House briefing, reporters John Roberts (Fox) and Paula Reid (CBS), in an apparent coordinated effort, turned the event into a circus by badgering press secretary Kayleigh McEnany with their claim “the president hasn’t denounced white supremacy,” despite him having done so numerous times. I think...
Letter to the editor: PetFax act will protect animals
With his introduction of the PetFax Act, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, is leading a bill in Congress to protect animals from cruelty. This bipartisan legislation will not only help dogs, but improve transparency in the puppy-selling business by requiring pet stores to disclose where a puppy was bred, the puppy’s...
Editorial: Election vendor problems demand solutions
The other day, we said that the various hurdles this year’s voting has been experiencing aren’t reasons to give up but challenges to overcome leading toward the 2020 elections. We stand by that — even though additional problems have cropped up since then. We already knew Westmoreland County was having...
