Opinion category, Page 61
Letter to the editor: Pa. needs an ‘excess wealth tax’
As the budget battle unfolds in Harrisburg, one thing is clear: Working people are being told, once again, there’s just not enough to go around for you. Not enough for schools. Not enough for housing. Not enough for health care. But somehow, there’s enough for a tax break for billionaires....
Cal Thomas: Faith and government
Last week, President Trump announced the establishment of a White House Faith Office. Its purpose, as described in a White House announcement, is to “… empower faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to better serve families and communities.” Don’t they already have access to a higher power? There...
Sally C. Pipes: Insurers, bureaucrats shouldn’t deprive patients of lifesaving treatments
Imagine being told there’s a drug that might save your life — but your insurance won’t cover it for 18 months. That’s the reality for patients under a new policy from Independence Blue Cross, a Philadelphia-based insurer. The insurer announced earlier this year that it will delay coverage of therapies...
Daniel Porterfield and Saleem Ghubril: Our nation must prioritize investing in our greatest natural resource
People are every nation’s greatest natural resource. Growing and investing in that treasure ought to be every leader’s priority. Globally, the United States is in 131st place in terms of population growth (0.67% growth rate, according to CIA.gov). It is anticipated that we will be in negative territory by 2042,...
Jason W. Park: Overworked, underpaid and unappreciated: Sound familiar?
Americans are finding “nice work if you can get it” an increasingly unlikely scenario. Whether down on the farm or high atop the skyscraper, manufacturing goods or providing services, at Fortune 500 corporations or mom-and-pop stores, employing college graduates or tradespeople, Americans feel completely exhausted, unfairly compensated and totally expendable....
Letter to the editor: We must strengthen our power grid now
Last week, I went three days with no electricity. Watching Netflix on my big screen became a fading memory, beads of sweat formed on my brow without AC, and who knew you could cook without a microwave? Now I know what it’s like being an early American settler or living...
Letter to the editor: Lingg shows genuine leadership in Murrysville
Since being elected to Murrysville Council, Jamie Lingg has worked to protect citizens’ safety, homeowners’ rights and taxpayers’ dollars. Great generalizations, but facts speak loudest. Please, read on … . Originally, Murrysville Council planned unisex park bathrooms for simultaneous use by men, women and children. The risk with that, especially...
Editorial: Transparency versus security over arson at governor’s residence
Journalists are big fans of transparency. We like the windows of information open and the lights of access turned on. If government is doing something, we think the people should be able to know about who is paying for it, who proposed it, who benefits from it, and who voted...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s first 100 days
Let us evaluate President Trump on the following four policy issues. Regarding immigration, under President Biden, a good bill agreed upon by Democrats and Republicans ended up rejected by Senate Republicans due to pressure from Trump, who I believe wanted to garner credit for solving the issue once elected. Instead,...
Letter to the editor: We need truth on air quality
As someone who has traveled extensively in the United States, and as someone who has asthma, of course I am sensitive to any efforts to have clean air. However, the EPA and the American Lung Association are politicized organizations that “bend” the truth to achieve their ends. Below is a...
Editorial: Virginia Giuffre’s crusade against Jeffrey Epstein changed how we listen to survivors
Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most outspoken victims, died by suicide late last month at the age of 41. In 2015, Giuffre was the first Epstein victim to go public about the sexual abuse and forced participation in a sex-trafficking ring allegedly led by Epstein and his girlfriend, Ghislaine...
The Conversation: What it’s like to be a scientist whose funding has been cut
Editor’s note: The following is portions of an interview conducted by Gemma Ware, host of The Conversation Weekly podcast, about what it’s like to be a scientist whose funding has been cut by the Trump administration with Brady Thomas West, a research professor of survey and data science at the...
Charles J. Russo: Court to decide if faith-based charter school a threat or necessity
As demonstrators gathered outside, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on April 30, 2025, about whether Oklahoma can operate the nation’s first faith-based charter school. St. Isidore of Seville would be a virtual, K-12 school run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa. Charters...
Dr. William Dailey: Penn State abandoning its people
The 30 pieces of silver have already changed hands. Pilate has washed his palms, pretending neutrality. And the die has been cast. That’s what it feels like as a Pennsylvanian watching Penn State turn its back on the very communities that built it, funded it and depended on it. I’m...
Letter to the editor: Show us the proof, President Trump
President Trump claims gas and grocery prices are coming down. This is what I would like to see from Trump: name the states where gas prices are coming down. Name the states where grocery prices are coming down. Name the gas stations where he claims gas is $1.98. Name the...
Letter to the editor: Experience matters for coroner, and Ackerman has it
John Ackerman possesses the No. 1 item necessary to be the next Westmoreland County coroner: qualifications! Hands down, Ackerman’s training, education, certifications and experience raise him over his opponent. Ackerman worked side by side with me for 18 years and has shown a constant drive and dedication to determine cause...
Letter to the editor: Russia’s war demands should be rejected
I am writing this after reading about the demands Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made for the Ukraine war to end. He has demanded about 20% of what is actually Ukrainian territory be relinquished to Russia. This is much more than what was initially offered at the earlier proposal. As...
Letter to the editor: Wian best to lead register of wills office
In February, the Pennsylvania Senate approved and Gov. Josh Shapiro appointed Jon Wian to lead the vacated register of wills office following a period of mismanagement and resultant court-appointed conservatorship. As register of wills, Jon Wian is responsible for the county’s estates, probation of wills, marriage licenses, adoptions and guardianships....
Letter to the editor: Unrecognizable America
As an old flag-waving military veteran, it isn’t easy to say that I’m ashamed of my country. But I no longer identify with the America I once knew. A failed system of justice has seemingly blinded many who witnessed the Jan. 6 insurrection, followed by presidential pardons, and they have...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of May 5
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of May 5....
Editorial cartoons for the week of May 5
Editorial cartoons for the week of May 5....
Letter to the editor: Game commission’s taxes
Do you feel your property taxes are too high? When gambling was approved in Pennsylvania, legislators voted to use it to help the residents with property taxes. However, the payment in lieu of taxes paid for property owned by the Pennsylvania Game Commission is $9.20 per acre, of which only...
Letter to the editor: The benefits of Sunday hunting
Pennsylvania hunters may soon be allowed to pursue deer, turkeys, upland birds and waterfowl on Sundays for the first time in more than two centuries. Senate Bill 67, currently being considered in the state Legislature, would amend state statutes to remove existing bans on Sunday hunting and give authority to...
Letter to the editor: Middle is disappearing
“The middle is disappearing,” according to Michigan Sen. Gary Peters. For this reason, he and other moderates in Congress have decided not to run for reelection. This sentiment reminds me of W.B. Yeats’ poem “The Second Coming”: Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the...
Editorial: PBS, NPR and being the helpers Mister Rogers talked about
After any tragedy or disaster, it is a virtual guarantee that someone will quote Fred Rogers. The man behind “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” was known for his lifelong efforts to help children make sense out of what happened around them, from how crayons were made to having big feelings. Among those...
