Opinion category, Page 608
Letter to the editor: Let the kids play — safely
I cannot take it anymore. Why are fall sports an all-or-nothing issue? Everyone agrees the kids need to play. The question is, can it be done safely? Schools are infected by students and staff bringing the virus in from the community. Communities are infected by members of the community going...
Letter to the editor: Term limits needed for House, Senate
I promised myself no more letters to the editor. But the current political atmosphere warrants one more. I’ve read all the hate/admiration letters for both candidates, and one question keeps bugging me: Why not term limits for the House and Senate? Joe Biden is a prime example of the need...
Letter to the editor: Buy honey from local farms, hobbyists
I’m glad letter-writer Amy Elizabeth of PETA (“Be a ‘honey’ to the bees,” Aug. 17, TribLIVE) shed some light on some of the malevolent practices of the pollination and honey industries. With that said, I believe she misses some important points. As a local beekeeper, harvesting honey is only one...
Letter to the editor: Fight for the Postal Service
The recent attacks on the U.S. Postal Service are an insult to anyone who has worked for this dedicated group of Americans. After my dad came home from World War II, he got a job as a letter carrier and spent almost 40 years doing a job he loved. He...
Letter to the editor: HEROES Act, clean energy essential
In May, House Democrats passed the HEROES Act, a bill to help families, workers and businesses weather the economic fallout of the pandemic. However, Senate Republicans have left the HEROES Act that would help us climb out of this mess and work toward a brighter future to languish in a...
Kenneth Gatten: We must amend Pa.’s charter school law now
In a recent report, Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale called Pennsylvania’s charter school law “the worst in the nation” because it prevents the state from “performing full reviews of charter management companies.” Indeed, a 2016 report by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) finds the PSBA had to take charters...
Colin McNickle: Shale gas impact fee receipts down; future take a wild card
It was a challenging 2019 for a shale gas industry beset with a glut of product that kept prices low and aging wells as the impact fee distribution numbers for 2020 attest, shows an analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. And while those prices remain a wild card...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: ‘Shoeless Joe,’ Trump and cheating outrage
When “Shoeless Joe” Jackson was indicted for fixing the 1919 World Series, it rocked the nation. Jackson was a star player for the Chicago White Sox, a great hitter in his prime when he was accused of conspiring to throw the series to the Cincinnati Reds for $5,000. “Shoeless Joe”...
Rosa Mendoza: Biden plans could harm Latinx, and all Americans’, medication access
Joe Biden is officially the Democratic presidential nominee, all thanks to his moderate reputation. The former vice president trounced over a dozen progressive primary opponents by promising stable, centrist leadership and gradual change. It is now perplexing that Biden is embracing many of his defeated opponents’ ideas, which Democratic base...
Editorial: Does state’s ‘guidance’ open schools to liability?
There are lots of things to worry about as the 2020-21 school year gets education back into gear. Do we send the kids back into the classroom in spite of covid-19? Does the coronavirus caution us to keep them at home? Do we do both? Do we strike a balance...
Sounding off: Do the patriotic thing to stop covid-19
I am saddened to hear Americans call covid-19 a hoax. I believe these are patriotic Americans. But what’s patriotic about dismissing covid-19, when it has killed more than twice as many Americans as died in the Vietnam War? What’s patriotic about not social distancing to limit its spread and allow...
Letter to the editor: Who will pay for government giveaways?
I have just one question: Who’s gonna pay for all the money given away by the U.S. government? Just sayin’ … . Joe Marmo Cheswick...
Letter to the editor: USPS won’t be able to handle mail-in voting
In April 1755, Benjamin Franklin established two-day delivery between Philadelphia and New York. In July 2020, I mailed a check from Mt. Pleasant, Pa., to West Newton, Pa. Seven calendar days later it arrived. At least the U.S. Postal Service has notified Gov. Tom Wolf (where did he have his...
Letter to the editor: We’re all just as good as each other
Don’t be a racist apologist. When I was little, my parents told me, “If someone asks, ‘What are you?’ answer, ‘I’m an American.’ And always remember that you are just as good as anyone else, no better, no worse.” That advice has served me well through life. I pass it...
Letter to the editor: Judicial Watch doing politicians’ work
I read Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli’s letter about voter suppression by the Trump administration and President Trump’s “allies” (“Trump’s attacks on voting rights,” Aug. 7, TribLIVE). How are they actually doing this, as it was not really explained in her letter? Judicial Watch sued three Pennsylvania counties to clean...
Letter to the editor: Trump took action on covid-19
I am appalled at the main untruth of Richard Giannamore’s letter “Coronavirus not under control” (Aug. 15, TribLIVE). He stated that President Trump “waited almost one month to take action.” According to the internet and other sources, the first known case of covid-19 was on Jan. 21. The president restricted...
Letter to the editor: Strengthening Social Security
Many older Pennsylvanians find themselves deferring retirement or coming to grips with unexpected unemployment. As we grapple with the abrupt changes brought on by the coronavirus, it is clear we must maintain Social Security’s hard-earned benefit for millions of older Americans and their families. Last week, AARP wrote to President...
Editorial: Affordable housing is good investment
Ask someone whether they want to live next to “low-income housing” and you may get push back. It’s an idea President Trump has brought up recently, tweeting about stopping those developments from invading other neighborhoods. While the president took heat from opponents about the topic, proposed low-income housing is often...
Letter to the editor: Biden vs. Trump on faith
Voters holding religious beliefs have been forewarned. We should consider falling to our knees in a prayerful position and listen carefully, as the Chosen One Trump (COT) has spoken. We were awestruck when COT, in a Moses-like fashion, parted the peaceful protesters in Lafayette Square and led his nearly all...
John Stossel: Big-spending Biden
Which presidential candidate will bankrupt America first, Donald Trump or Joe Biden? Last year, we compared the costs of the leading Democratic candidates’ promises. At that time, Biden, to his credit, proposed the least new spending. Kamala Harris promised the most. She wanted to add $4.2 trillion to America’s debt....
Walter Williams: Back to academic brainwashing
Parents, legislators, taxpayers and others footing the bill for college education might be interested in just what is in store for the upcoming academic year. Since many college classes will be online, there is a chance to witness professors indoctrinating their students in real time. So there’s a chance that...
Sen. Gene Yaw: Is ‘green’ energy really ‘clean’ energy?
I recently read a commentary in the Sunbury Daily Item titled “Threat of Fossil Fuels.” This is one of many pieces I have seen in which the authors cite the use of fossil fuels as a detriment to our environment. Of course, these articles fail to reference clean coal technologies...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s ‘law and order’ moniker ironic
President Trump’s reelection strategy was based on our supposedly wonderful economy. When that plan was not successful, he pivoted to running as the “law and order” president, as highlighted in the article “Trump deploys more federal agents under ‘law-and-order’ push” (July 23, TribLIVE). One has to marvel at the irony...
Laurels & lances: Podcast, protest, profession
Laurel: To a new act. For some people, Andy Warhol was right about that 15 minutes of fame. But other people do get another bite at the celebrity apple. A local couple is getting that shot. It comes via a podcast for Shannon Edwards and Jesse Sally. Do those names...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s deeds match his promises
Tom Pevarnik wrote many negative remarks against our president in his letter “What I’ve learned about Trump” (Aug. 14, TribLIVE). As I read it, I grasped that his views were an emotional response to President Trump’s personality. He did not discuss the economic boom our country had experienced until covid-19...
