Opinion category, Page 698
Jonah Goldberg: Shaking down the rich is bad for democracy
Forget whether the math works. (It doesn’t.) Expecting billionaires to pay for all the nice things is bad for democracy. One of the more exhausting rituals of presidential campaign season is the effort to make every new proposal “add up.” Sure, it’s better that politicians try to come up with...
Tom Purcell: Let’s talk this Thanksgiving
America could use a good food fight this Thanksgiving. Every day in our country, factions grow and battle lines harden. Americans are spending more time with like-minded people, their “tribes,” and less with people holding differing viewpoints, those “Neanderthals hell-bent on destroying the country.” Technology has widened our divide. Social...
Editorial: Kids shouldn’t suffer for politics
Kids need homes. A kid doesn’t necessarily need a smartphone or a new game system or a puppy, though those might all be on a wish list. But there are basics, like a roof and a door and clothes and food that are non-negotiable. There are things like love and...
Editorial: Give thanks for food bank grants
The shopping lists are being made. There’s the turkey. You’ll need the stuff to make the stuffing. Potatoes, of course — both sweet and starchy. The cranberry sauce that might not get eaten at all but still somehow seems necessary. Pies, lots of pies, but with whipped cream or ice...
Letter to the editor: Trust NASA on global warming
If you’re still not sure who to believe about global warming, NASA has a website devoted to the subject. You can access the site by Googling “NASA global warming.” There are good reasons why one might trust NASA’s information. They literally are “rocket scientists,” and please recall that 50 years...
Letter to the editor: Help out Alzheimer’s caregivers
Alzheimer’s disease is devastating — not only for the more than 5 million Americans living with the disease, but also for the more than 16 million family and friends serving as caregivers. The caregiving needs for someone living with Alzheimer’s are extensive and increase over time – on average four...
Letter to the editor: Pro-life candidates succeed
After the election I was scared to find out how the candidates we identified on the LifePAC flyer as pro-life had done. I knew that only one of two Superior Court candidates won and that Allegheny County did poorly, and even my township conservatives did poorly. But my initial fears...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Nov. 18
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Nov. 18....
Editorial cartoons for the week of Nov. 18
Editorial cartoons for the week of Nov. 18....
S.E. Cupp: Senate vote could offer up some surprises
At a time when politics has become less and less about governing and increasingly, well, about politics, last week is perhaps the penultimate illustration. Last week the testimony began in President Trump’s impeachment inquiry, and the nation is watching as members of Congress from both sides of the aisle perform...
Dan Hensley: Community-based programs help passionate learners
According to experts — and a famous ratio — 90% of how we learn is considered informal learning. That’s because 70% of how we learn is from experience and 20% is from peers. The other 10% is through self-directed learning. Add it all up and you have the 70:20:10 ratio,...
Letter to the editor: All news, Fox, too, should be factual
I am puzzled by the question Jon Herby asked in his letter “Fox News & factual news” (Oct. 19, TribLIVE): “Does letter-writer Michael Bitterice include Fox News in his opinion of ‘factual news’?” In my letter ”Media’s bias is dangerous” (Oct. 16, TribLIVE), I offered no opinion on “factual news”...
Letter to the editor: GOP holding up bills that will help Americans
I am ashamed of Pennsylvanians. I am embarrassed at their ignorance. There are so many levels to this stupidity. For example: There are a number of bills passed by the House and sitting in the Senate where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to bring them up for a vote. These...
Letter to the editor: Send Jane Fonda back to Vietnam
Hanoi Jane Fonda is protesting climate change. A simple solution: Move to Vietnam and enjoy a tropical climate. I know she has a lot of friends there. I don’t think she is broke and cannot afford to move, but I also know many Vietnam vets will take up a collection...
Letter to the editor: Celebrating public schools
The week of Nov. 18 we celebrate American Education Week, a great opportunity to appreciate the amazing public-school educators and support professionals who work hard every day to prepare our students for future success. Our educators introduce students to the wonders of reading. They teach them to reason with numbers...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Remembering the two Kennys of Westinghouse Memorial
It was only natural for me to think about our two Kennys last week. Kenny Rubbo and Kenny Kline were part of the “Class of 1967” of Westinghouse Memorial High School in Wilmerding. Within months of graduation, some of my classmates headed to the factories and mills and some to...
Charles Pratt: Adapting from steel & coal to hospitals & universities
The City of Pittsburgh’s Bureau of EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Medic 5 is located at the border of two vastly different neighborhoods. One, Oakland, is home to the University of Pittsburgh, two major hospitals and a busy business district. The other, the Hill District, is a historically black community that...
Antony Davies & James Harrigan: Let markets solve health care crisis
The presidential election is just about a year away, and we are already being subjected to a steady diet of politicians telling us what we need to do to fix the health care industry. Their rallying cry is familiar: We cannot allow “unfettered capitalism” to “deny us access” to health...
Cal Thomas: The importance of ‘no men’
Shortly after Jim Bakker’s release from prison in July 1994, I invited the disgraced TV evangelist to my home. There was an important question I wanted to ask him. Some background: Bakker and his “Praise the Lord” (PTL) associates sold $1,000 “lifetime memberships” to people who were promised annual three-night...
Editorial: Veterans’ way out of homelessness
There are things that we promise our service members. We tell them that they will be paid and that they will be trained. We tell them that when they complete their service, they will have the opportunity to go to school. They will have medical care. They are told that...
Sounding off: Without consensus, no impeachment
In the last two impeachments, the facts were clear. Nixon was caught authorizing hush money, directing the cover-up, and using the IRS to harass accusers for starters. The consensus was that he had to go, and he resigned. Clinton was caught sexually exploiting a subordinate, lying about it under oath,...
Letter to the editor: Safeguarding our prosperity
What causes poverty? Wrong question, since poverty is the natural state of humans. It’s been that way for 100,000 years. The correct question is “What causes wealth?” Quick answer — free-market capitalism. Since the late 18th century, a middle class has been forming, thanks to small-business owners depending on their...
Letter to the editor: Atheism & politics
In response to letter-writer Dr. Joel Last (“Socialism & religious values”): As an atheist in Westmoreland County, I can guarantee you that my political leanings have zero to do with my lack of belief. We live in the information age, and the more you know, the less religious you become....
Letter to the editor: End emissions testing
I salute Sen. Kim Ward’s efforts to change emissions testing in Pennsylvania. Emissions testing is archaic and was not fair from the start. As a resident of Westmoreland County, I am required to have my car tested. But if I lived in Forest County, I would not be held to...
John Stossel: Government creates mandatory shortages
Governments create problems. Then they complain about them. “A public health crisis exists,” says Kentucky’s government, citing a report that found “a shortage of ambulance providers.” Local TV stations report on “people waiting hours for medical transportation.” “Six-year-old Kyler Truesdell fell off his motorcycle,” reported Channel 12 news. “The local...
