Opinion category, Page 787
The cost of a kid’s medication
The first time I went to the pharmacy with my new insurance, I held my breath and stiffened. I looked away and braced myself the same way I do when I get blood work or a flu shot. It was going to hurt. “That will be $35.” What? Oh, no....
Laurels & lances: A baby, a DUI, deaths and support
Laurel: To Miles Everett Bartko. It isn’t every kid who gets this much attention, especially at just a couple of days old. But kudos to young Miles for his keen sense of timing. He wasn’t just the first baby born in Westmoreland County this year. He was the first birth...
Letter to the editor: Headline inaccurate, offensive
I am writing about the above-the-fold “Mattis waves white flag” headline on Page One Dec. 21. It is both inaccurate as to the Secretary of Defense’s actions, and offensive to anyone who served in the armed forces. Remind your copy desk that it’s better to be accurate than clever. Sally...
Letter to the editor: Let’s go back to paper over plastic
Everyone talks about how much plastic is in our oceans, landfills, etc., and now even the recyclers don’t want it. To help this situation, I propose that all stores and supermarkets revert back to using paper bags instead of putting one or two items in a little worthless plastic bag....
Letter to the editor: Pa. has sunshine, too!
A recent cartoon questioned whether Pennsylvania has enough sunshine for Gov. Tom Wolf’s 10 percent solar goal. Germany was the No. 1 solar nation for years, and we get more sun than they do. If you look at a graph of the price of solar in the last 15 years,...
Letter to the editor: Before casino opens, look to prevent theft
Well, this is certainly great news for the area. The new casino will be open this year. The politicians are anxious to spend that new revenue. But, there is only so much money available for recreation, and the gambling money will have to come from somewhere. You may have noticed...
George Will: In Illinois, a sign of intelligent life in the Democratic Party
WASHINGTON If Republicans have a lick of sense, they are alarmed by a recent sign of intelligent life in the other party. The sign is the election by Democrats in the House of Representatives of Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In November, she...
Peter Morici: Better ways to appoint Supreme Court justices
How about this new year’s resolution for Congress: find a better way to appoint Supreme Court justices. The spectacle of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings — character assignation largely motivated by his fairly conservative approach to the Constitution — illustrates that Congress has made the process toxic. And, it has...
Editorial: More nickels, dimes for Pennsylvania Turnpike
Keep a couple extra coins in the cup holder of your car. The Pennsylvania Turnpike is hungry. On Sunday, the toll will go up again, meaning that ride to the office, or that trip in a truck for work, or just that weekend jaunt to Grandma’s house — all of...
Letter to the editor: Rational gun discussion would be ‘real start’
The editorial “Pa. officials make moves on guns” (Dec. 14, TribLIVE) lauds the “real start to a conversation,” referring to Mayor Bill Peduto’s press conference to propose a City of Pittsburgh ordinance banning assault weapons. The Trib’s characterization of the city’s proposal as a “real start” is interesting. These discussions...
Letter to the editor: Befitting memorial to Hulton Bridge
I recently had the opportunity to read the article on the Hulton Bridge art project (“Riverview High School art project gets state funding boost,” Nov. 13, TribLIVE). Bravo to the people and organizations responsible for making this cultural venture happen. Alkthough I will miss that majestic rattletrap structure that spanned...
Letter to the editor: Catholic Church not above the law
The Catholic Church has a lot of nerve airing a radio commercial urging Catholics to come back to their religion by coming to confession. Are you kidding? Once again, ignore the perverted priests and focus on what laypeople have done wrong. It sickens me that the Catholic Church continues to...
Mitt Romney: How a president shapes the public character
The Trump presidency made a deep descent in December. The departures of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, the appointment of senior persons of lesser experience, the abandonment of allies who fight beside us, and the president’s thoughtless claim that America has long been...
Pat Buchanan: 2020 year of the Democrats? Maybe not
If Democrats are optimistic as 2019 begins, it is understandable. Their victory on Nov. 6, adding 40 seats and taking control of the House of Representatives, was impressive. And, with the party’s total vote far exceeding the GOP total, in places it became a rout. In the six New England...
F. Vincent Vernuccio: Pa. leads way to protect worker freedom
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME restored First Amendment rights to millions of public employees across the country. The decision allows them to now choose whether they want to pay a union or not, without fear of losing their jobs. Unfortunately for these employees, the...
Editorial: Dioceses’ answers hard to believe
When Greensburg Bishop Edward Malesic and an assortment of aides, including two monsignors and a lawyer, came to the Tribune-Review in November, there was surprise that anyone would think the various Pennsylvania dioceses had been coordinating their responses to Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s grand jury report on child sex abuse...
Letter to the editor: TEACH grants should be paid back
Regarding the article ”Feds to reconsider TEACH grant ‘bait-and-switch’ issue for educators” (Dec. 15, TribLIVE): First off, I want to say I have the utmost respect for teachers. But, their school loans are no different than the ones my son had to repay — and repay he did, by himself....
Letter to the editor: Marijuana dispensary’s parking issues
Regarding the front-page story “Greensburg medical marijuana dispensary set to open” (Dec. 16, TribLIVE): Where will the 1,000 customers from Westmoreland County who will be stopping by to get their illegal (according to the federal government) drugs park? There is one small parking area. Guess where they are going to...
Letter to the editor: Paleolithic views on NPs & MDs
Letter-writer Dr. Lawrence John’s Paleolithic view of nurse practitioners shocks the conscience (“Nurse practitioners & doctors,” Dec. 24, TribLIVE). I know nurse practitioner Cathy Grant, and she has a clear understanding of the boundaries between NPs and physicians (“Please, let nurse practitioners serve patients,” Dec. 8, TribLIVE). The NPs I...
