Opinion category, Page 639
Letter to the editor: America threatened by Democratic insanity
I hold out hope that our nation will somehow right itself — but I am beginning to lose all hope, because the ongoing hierarchy of Democratic buffoonery and insanity is limitless and, in concert with old-world Republican stupidity, will ultimately cause the destruction of our democratic system. “Anarchy” already is...
Letter to the editor: Bud Cook making difference in Mon Valley
Many Mon Valley residents have perceived for years that Pennsylvania government has neglected the needs of its citizens, directing its efforts instead to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. One lifelong Mon Valley resident decided four years ago to try to change the status quo. He successfully ran for office to put himself...
Letter to the editor: Thankful for support of small business
Covid-19 hit my small business very hard, as well as so many others. I am fortunate that I was able to open for Mother’s Day with online and phone orders, curbside pickup and no-contact deliveries. Our wholesalers and the flower farms they purchase from had all been shut down for...
Laurels & lances: Franks, Zoom and food
Laurel: To good news on a bun. Who wasn’t crestfallen at the news that the Original Hot Dog Shop in Oakland had closed down? The Oakland eatery was a landmark with must-eat wieners and yes-please fries. So hearing that it was shutting down in April was a crushing blow to...
Paul Kengor: The year they didn’t celebrate Memorial Day
I never miss the annual Memorial Day parade in Mercer. How could I? It’s old school, pure Americana: high-school bands, snow-cone stands, church groups, VFW, rotary club and flags, flags, flags. This year, however, the streets were eerily empty. They were lined with flags, but no people. No one marched....
Lori Falce: Seven breathless minutes
I frequently tell my son that more can happen in a short period of time than he thinks. This usually happens as I am pushing him to clean his room or bring down the laundry or take out the trash or empty the dishwasher. Seriously, the boy has very few...
Bea Spolidoro: Aging in (a safe) place
Aging-in-place has become the preferred option for many when planning for their future. Independence is precious. This said, entering a dedicated facility is an extreme step that for many families, unfortunately, often becomes the only feasible and safe option. Yet around the world, the covid-19 crisis has claimed many lives...
Arthur Allen: While the U.S. rushes to develop a covid-19 vaccine, here’s what science tells us
If there is a silver lining to the flawed U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, it is this: The relatively high number of new cases being diagnosed daily — upward of 20,000 — will make it easier to test new vaccines. To determine whether a vaccine prevents disease, the study’s...
Letter to the editor: Sports can be played, watched safely
Sports for kids are being canceled this summer even when we go green. It seems that under green the number of fans will still be restricted. Please let me do the math. A typical playing area for baseball, soccer and various other sports is 3 acres. An acre is approximately...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s dangerous mask belittling
We never had a president who weighed in on culture wars. They were usually too busy running the country to spend almost a day a week on Twitter. Really scary, though, to see President Trump jump right in and turn the wearing of a mask during a pandemic into a...
Letter to the editor: Pittman supporting Pa. during crisis
In his first year as state senator for the 41st District, after winning the special election in May 2019, Joe Pittman was appointed chairman of the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee and vice chairman of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. Pittman is also an active member of the Senate...
Letter to the editor: Conklin for auditor general
Pennsylvania residents continue to be devastated by coronavirus cases and deaths throughout the state. We need honest, hardworking leaders willing to make tough ethical decisions to save people’s lives and shore up our society and economy. Democratic auditor general candidate Scott Conklin of Centre County is the leader we need...
Letter to the editor: Joe Biden has big problems
In her letter “Joe Biden knows how to be president” , Renalda Arndt states that facts will be important to Biden and he will never put his own interests ahead of Americans’. Biden has some big problems, including accusations of corruption and inappropriate contact, and he shows signs of confusion....
Editorial: Pennsylvania budget not done
OK, we know the drill. It’s May. Almost June. That’s the time of year that Pennsylvania’s lawmakers and the governor get serious about their annual battle of wills over the budget. They posture. They bluster. They make pronouncements about the value of their own spending plans and disparage the proposals...
Joe Nocera: Lockdowns haven’t proved they’re worth the havoc
My junior and senior years in high school were 1968 and 1969; five decades later, I can still remember some of the main events of that era: the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy, the bombing of Cambodia, the Apollo 8 spaceflight that orbited the moon, and...
Colin McNickle: Allegheny County’s coronavirus revenue challenge
Allegheny County, its economy hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic and struggling to meet its revenue needs, may have to tap fund reserves and resort to furloughs, concludes a new analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. “The economy of Allegheny County has been savaged by the coronavirus and...
Letter to the editor: Protecting special-needs adults
Special-needs adults need protection. Often a parent is vindictive through a divorce or separation, keeping a special-needs child away from the other parent once the child turns 18. Orphans Court is an option, but it’s complex and can eliminate rights of a parent. Special-needs adults have no voice in some...
Letter to the editor: Consolidated polling places a liberal scheme?
Let me see if I understand this: When people were told they needed a photo ID to vote, the liberals and the ACLU went nuts. They said the elderly would be disenfranchised because they can’t obtain documents needed to get a photo ID. Now that most areas have consolidated polling...
Letter to the editor: Expecting honesty from elected officials
It has been brought to light that prior to the May 4 Franklin Regional School Board meeting, a board member sent an email to the other board members and James Heck, director of facilities, with information concerning a bid on musical equipment. The email was discussed during the May 18...
Letter to the editor: I will happily pay extra in restaurants
I’m no economist, but I understand need and money. I need to enjoy some of my favorite restaurants, from the pierogies in the South Side to terrific fish at the top of Mount Washington. My co-workers are in their early 30s and want to enjoy a wonderful meal with their...
Letter to the editor: People, not government, the solution
What do you find to be the most distressing thing that you have faced in the last two months? Is it the loss of security and hope, loss of job, loss of freedom, loss of a family member or friend, loss of a financial fortune? Between the news coverage, social...
Pat Buchanan: What does winning mean in a forever war?
When a Wall Street Journal editorial warned last week against any precipitous U.S. withdrawal that might imperil our gains in Afghanistan, an exasperated President Trump shot back: “Could someone please explain to them that we have been there for 19 years. … and except at the beginning, we never really...
Editorial: Courts get back to speedy trials
Allegheny and Westmoreland county courts are both getting back to business. Plexiglas shields will stand between the judge and the lawyers. Social distancing is being promoted in the gallery. Hearings will be staggered to limit the number of people in the courtroom. But those appearances are being scheduled. The court...
Page Gardner: Coronavirus must not endanger health of our democracy
Instead of standing in line at polling places, hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians are signing up online to vote by mail in the state’s June 2 primary — a herculean effort to avoid the spread of the deadly coronavirus (the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is May 26)....
Dr. David Macpherson: Shared sacrifice needed in our war on coronavirus
There’s been an enormous amount of talk lately about viruses. For the SARS-CoV-2 virus, given its ability to sicken and kill us, we speak as if we are fighting a war against an enemy bent on destroying us, as if the virus has a consciousness and developed a war plan....
