Opinion category, Page 761
Barbara Cisek: Congress must take action on drug prices
When Sen. Bob Casey asked me to testify at a March 6 Senate hearing on big pharma and rising drug prices, I immediately thought about every senior citizen who has stood alongside me in line at the pharmacy, only to be forced to leave behind a needed medication because the...
Tim Schmidt: Support responsibly armed Americans, not more failed gun laws
All too often a murderous maniac opens fire on innocent, law-abiding Americans and forces us to take an honest look at what can be done to stop future attacks. It happened in Pittsburgh in October at the Tree of Life synagogue, claiming the lives of 11 innocent men and women....
David Wassel: A solution for the Electoral College
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic candidates for the presidency in 2020 are calling to eliminate the Electoral College in favor of a national popular vote. Yes, affording every state an additional vote in the Electoral College for each U.S. senator does somewhat skew influence in presidential elections more to...
Editorial: Kids are victims and culprits in sexting
A girl took some sexy pictures of herself. She sent them to a guy. Not a big deal. Happens every day. But they both ended up in court. Why? Because police say she was 15 and he was 16. According to state police, that means he was in possession of...
Sounding off: Democrat leaders are losers
Democrats apparently have a difficult time dealing with failure. They simply could not accept Donald Trump’s win over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Subsequently, under the dismal leadership of Sen. Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and with cheerleading from Rep. Adam Schiff and other mouthpieces from...
Editorial: The dirty dancing of regulation and industry
Allegheny County is a study in the delicate dance between industry and regulation. Between coal mining and the steel industry, Pittsburgh was long tarred with a smoky, sooty reputation for being a grimy factory town. It took a lot of work to polish up the Steel City, but one of...
Letter to the editor: Keep Pittsburgh airport world class
I have traveled into and out of Pittsburgh International Airport at least 240 times since the new terminal opened in 1992. My first trip was on the terminal’s first day. My wife and I arrived eight hours before our flight’s scheduled departure because we expected the newness of the airport...
Letter to the editor: Hunting’s opening day
The Pennsylvania Game Commission wants to change the first day of deer season from Monday to Saturday after Thanksgiving (“No guarantees around opening day and hunting participation,” March 30, TribLIVE). That’s all well and good, except they don’t seem to have taken into consideration how many families get together on...
Letter to the editor: Schools shouldn’t be funded by homeowners
David Poskin’s letter “Highlands budget woes” hit the nail on the head regarding school funding in Pennsylvania. Too many schools are experiencing declining enrollments but skyrocketing costs. Hardly a year goes by that there isn’t a sizeable increase in our real estate taxes. In districts where enrollment is declining, it...
Walter Williams: Police aren’t enough — fathers are needed
In 2018, there were 308 homicides in Baltimore. So far this year, there have been 69. That’s in a 2018 population of 611,648 — down from nearly a million in 1950. The city is pinning its hopes to reduce homicides and other crime on new Police Commissioner Michael Harrison. Another...
John Stossel: Breakfast isn’t important
I skipped breakfast again this morning. I won’t worry about it. Yes, I’ve heard the advice. “It’s the most important meal of the day.” It balances blood sugar levels, kick-starts your metabolism, stimulates the brain, etc. A Harvard University study said men who regularly skip breakfast have a 27% higher...
Letter to the editor: Why legalize pot?
Why legalize pot? With all of the problems going on now, Gov. Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman want to legalize grass. Then we can all be subjected to secondhand dope smoke, not to mention getting a buzz off of it when idiots stand in front of our houses...
Letter to the editor: Change needed in Rose aftermath
We were asked what we wanted black boys to do. For their society, they should consider not running from the police. We all suffer from the aftermath of shootings — endless news coverage; promises by district attorneys of convictions; protests of acquittals, shutting down roads; and promises to teach children...
Letter to the editor: Partisan propaganda
It is really sort of a shame that letter-writer Ron Raymond (“Balance of media needed,” March 9, TribLIVE) believes in the “24/7, Trump-bashing, fake-news mainstream media.” Perhaps he isn’t aware that Fox News is owned and operated by billionaire Australian Rupert Murdoch, called by some a proto-fascist. Murdoch probably does...
Letter to the editor: Frustrated with Red Cross
From Jan. 1-5, UPMC Presbyterian did a lung transplant each day and more since. The Jan. 2 transplant was for my younger brother. I constantly get emails and calls from the American Red Cross that it needs blood now, especially Type O Positive. Since I last donated blood on Jan....
Lori Falce: Biden uproar shows consent, intent matter
We have all been there. A sweaty hand shake that lasts forever. Aunt Margaret’s aggressively red lipstick kisses. The airplane seatmate who falls asleep on your shoulder. It’s all about the overlapping circles of a Venn diagram. It’s where consent meets comfort and intentions. It’s easy to make this about...
Laurels & lances: Healing, benefits, milk and beer
Laurel: To healing with those who understand. Parkland to Pittsburgh is a program that will bring together survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School shooting with the local Jewish community. While many people have said they empathize and understand and offered prayers and tears, the two groups are the...
Letter to the editor: Value of penmanship instruction
Tom Purcell’s column “Time to embrace cursive again” (Feb. 4, TribLIVE) poses an important question. Along with strong indications of value to be had, he points out that cursive instruction is being reconsidered by many educators. Rather than alphabet preference, consider ways handwriting instruction can help to improve language skills....
Letter to the editor: Facts on drugs
Letter-writer George A.West (“Ignoring facts,”) stated that most opioids are manufactured in the United States. While many legal prescription drugs are manufactured here, most illicit fentanyl — a major cause of fatal overdoses in the United States — is produced in China and transported through Mexico. Most of the world’s...
Letter to the editor: Separation of powers
Article 1 in our Constitution ensures that the Senate and Congress keep the separation of powers intact. A president trying to become authoritarian is courting fascism. When the majority of the people state that a border wall is not the answer, and it’s not wanted, and even the Senate has...
Donald Boudreaux: Conversation with a young socialist
Recently near my office at George Mason University I ran into a student of mine who was showing his friend around campus. The friend is thinking of transferring from Radford University to George Mason. The friend — call him “Jack” — wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the famous image of...
George Will: Madness of college hoops’ amateurism
WASHINGTON Appropriately, during the crescendo of this college basketball season, in which the most significant event was a shoe malfunction, a lawyer whose best-known client was a pornographic actress was indicted for threatening to shrink a shoe company’s market capitalization by making allegations about the company misbehaving in the meat...
Editorial: Student loans are the new mortgage
The changing demographics of the Pennsylvania Legislature are going to do more than increase Harrisburg’s social media presence and a demand for avocado toast. They are producing a whole new perspective on debt, and it’s an important view to understand as we move forward. We might pine for the old...
Letter to the editor: Drain the swamp
Donald Trump’s presidency is rooted in his love of country, God and family. Candidate Trump promised an ambitious agenda to which he has been faithful. He promised the American people jobs, a growing economy, unprecedented manufacturing opportunities, securing of our southern border, an allegiance to the Constitution and Supreme Court...
Letter to the editor: Nursing home Medicaid rates
Thanks for the article “Flat Medicaid rates concern Pennsylvania nursing homes” (March 7, TribLIVE). It highlights the inadequacy of the current state budget proposal, which calls for no increase in Medicaid rates for nursing home care. Pennsylvania has one of the largest 85-plus populations in the nation, and seniors are...
