Opinion category, Page 769
Letter to the editor: Let’s get to work on traffic issues
Interesting article about the Parkway East/West having major traffic problems, especially for a city the size of Pittsburgh (“Parkway East, West among the most congested U.S. roads, study finds,” Feb. 12, TribLIVE), plus the subsequent “lance” from the Trib’s editorial board a couple days later (“Laurels & Lances: Perfection, Parkway,...
Russ Diamond: Pa. should lead the charge on banning daylight saving time
This weekend, we again will be forced to comply with an archaic tradition, one that offers no benefits. In fact, “springing forward and falling back” comes with many consequences at significant cost. If that’s not enough to make you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, remember that...
Paul Kengor: Michael Cohen, Trump’s buddy turned bad boy
Michael Cohen’s face is everywhere. Reviled by Trump supporters, cheered on by Trump opponents. The media has a new bad boy to tar and feather Donald Trump. But before he was the media’s buddy, he was Trump’s buddy. Cohen isn’t new news to me. I wrote an article in February...
Lori Falce: Women’s history is quiet, nameless
My grandmother didn’t make history. She made home. Grandma was a force of nature. She was barely more than 5 feet tall and was as delicate as the robins she fed on the porch, but I never knew anyone who did more in a day. She raised a family of...
Laurels & lances: Let the sun shine in
Laurel: To rebirth of local communities. Slowly — and cautiously — but surely, some downtowns’ formerly empty storefronts are filling again. Open a brewery, or an on-trend eatery, or turn a multi-level building — perhaps a department store in an earlier life — into loft apartments, and “they” will come....
Letter to the editor: No walls needed?
Letter-writer Keith Vacula (“No walls,” Feb. 17, TribLIVE) lists three places — Area 51, the Eastern Russian border, and the border between North and South Korea — without walls. I would like to see you try and walk into Area 51. I would like to see you walk across the...
Letter to the editor: Apollo needs its police
Apollo’s council raised taxes for the first time in over a decade (“Apollo tax hike approved, office hours cut until manager hired,” Dec. 18, TribLIVE). Although a bitter pill to swallow, it was overdue to keep up with inflation. The additional tax money will go into the general fund for...
Letter to the editor: A plea to Republicans
Guys … it’s time. The Republicans won the election in 2016. It’s undeniable it was a slaughter, winning the presidency and majorities in both houses of Congress. It wasn’t the outcome I wanted, but I accepted it. In the first two years of the Trump presidency, you’ve put an indelible...
George Will: Might the Democratic push for reparations benefit Trump?
WASHINGTON Tiptoeing along the edge of caricature, Sen. Elizabeth Warren says: Native Americans should be “at the table” with African-Americans for a “robust discussion” about making some Americans pay reparations to other Americans to atone for misdeeds by still other Americans. The enumeration of the misdeeds, and the assignment of...
Rick Ebert: Clean water, clear rules for farmers
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers have proposed a new plan to clarify what bodies of water and areas around waterways should be regulated by the federal government in conjunction with the Clean Water Act. The new proposal has been drafted to replace a flawed rule...
Editorial: Toomey bill addresses Trump’s tricky trade
Negotiating trade is not a crossword puzzle with a solution you can find in the back of the book. It is the building of a house of cards. The rules are simple. Balance. Lean. Nudge. Repeat. But little things can tilt the table — weather, growth in one area, development...
Letter to the editor: Trump ‘hate’ is justified
Let’s be clear about the emotion of hate. Some letter-writers are aghast at the degree of hatred that has been directed at Donald Trump and his presidency. Here are two questions for their consideration. 1. From our earliest years, are we not taught to hate mendacity, fraud, arrogance, narcissism, rudeness,...
Letter to the editor: McCarthy was right
In 1950 Sen. Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin said there were communists in our Congress. He was right then, and he would be right today, only today they would be called the New Socialist Democratic Party. Maybe we should call them the Democratic baby killers. Steven “Hoppy” Ignatz West Mifflin...
Letter to the editor: Dems are morally bankrupt
Regarding the letter “Where is my Democratic Party?” (Jan.27, TribLIVE): I think the Democratic Party started its decline under President Carter, who was a nice guy but lacked the experience to be president. President Reagan put us back on track, but that only lasted until Bill Clinton was elected. Clinton...
Pat Buchanan: Is the American Century over for good?
“Politics stops at the water’s edge” was a tradition that, not so long ago, was observed by both parties, particularly when a president was abroad, speaking for the nation. The tradition was enunciated by Sen. Arthur Vandenberg of Michigan in 1947, as many of the Republicans in the 80th Congress...
Editorial: Why do we demand apologies?
We need to stop demanding that people apologize. Every day, people in the public eye say things that are mean or stupid or wrong. They are sexist, racist, anti-Semitic, ableist, partisan, homophobic, classist and varieties of discriminatory for which we have no “ist” words. They may be vague microaggressions that...
Letter to the editor: Look to locals for Greensburg planning
Regarding the letter “Greensburg needs competent planning director” (March 3, TribLIVE): As a graduate architect, the importance of the planning director position is not lost on me. City Council would be remiss to not search close to home to find their new candidate. Highly educated, skilled and talented young people...
Letter to the editor: Let’s cancel cable
I really enjoyed Tom Purcell’s column “Living the cord-cutting dream” (Feb. 18, TribLIVE). He hit the nail on the head when he wrote that the average cost for cable TV is $1,848 yearly and will go up again this year. Purcell writes of cancelling cable and getting an antenna to...
Letter to the editor: Pope’s words on sex abuse misinterpreted
After reading the editorial “Pope lowers sex abuse expectations” (Jan. 29, TribLIVE), I am left somewhat disillusioned by the writer’s interpretation of the Pope Francis’ words. While I agree that sexual abuse is a major problem in the Catholic Church and powerful action must be taken, the “inflated expectations” the...
Letter to the editor: Debunking ‘gateway drug’ argument
Letter-writer Susan Jones worries that legalizing marijuana could potentially lead to an increased usage of cocaine, crack or heroin (“Legalized pot a gateway drug,” Feb. 16, TribLIVE). The “gateway drug” argument is an example of assuming that correlation is evidence of causation. Studies do show that the majority of people...
Letter to the editor: Reform the cash bail system
Hundreds of thousands of people in the United States — people who have not been tried or convicted of any crime — are held in jail simply because they cannot afford bail. They may spend days, weeks or months in jail awaiting trial. And in the process, they may lose...
Helaine Olen: Alabama tornadoes another opportunity for Trump to reward supporters and punish opponents
It’s good when a majority of voters in your state back Donald Trump. Just ask the residents of Alabama, who discovered Monday morning that the president of the United States is going to make sure they receive VIP treatment following the devastating tornadoes that swept across a rural part of...
Thomas Botzman: Simplifying student loans
The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 was part of the Great Society campaign of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration. Part of its noble goal was to create opportunities for students who dreamed of earning college degrees and advancing their careers by providing financial aid to students in need. By...
Tom Purcell: Why ‘springing forward’ takes my dad weeks
Nobody dreads daylight saving time more than my father. He has his work cut out for him this coming weekend, when we “spring forward” by setting clocks ahead by an hour before going to bed Saturday night. You see, my mother loves clocks — so much that he has 14...
Editorial: Pittsburgh schools reduced pot penalties puzzling
Pennsylvania has yet to decide on the future of marijuana. Yes, it’s legal for medicinal purposes. Yes, the possibility of recreational use is being explored. There are very real reasons why that should be on the table. Why should alcohol be OK for frivolous consumption but marijuana isn’t? Valid question....
