Editorials category, Page 37
Editorial: Will minimum wage bill set up a new veto showdown in Allegheny County?
Just 11 months ago, Allegheny County was facing a veto showdown with County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. It’s not something that happens often in a county where one party dominates — although the Democratic-heavy county council is not always on the same page as their fellow party member with the veto...
Editorial: Senate needs to follow House example with rent, property tax rebate bill
On Monday, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed House Bill 1100. It doesn’t sound that important when you list it like that. Most legislation starts out like that, numbered like a tag to pick up dry cleaning. Try to grasp what passes as a title and it gets worse —...
Editorial: Was smokestack demolition blast a failure of planning or communication?
“Control” is the goal with controlled demolition. It’s all about using the physics of the explosion and gravity, the understanding of the architecture and terrain and the art of experience to bring down the house — or skyscraper or ballpark or other structures. But control is not always possible. Just...
Editorial: Enough garbage. It’s time to pass a state bill that gets serious about litter
Pennsylvania’s government and most local governments statewide have laws against littering and dumping, but it only requires a look around to know officials treat the laws as so much litter. Partially because governments rarely enforce those laws, littering and dumping are pervasive. Even when governments enforce the law, it doesn’t...
Editorial: With synagogue shooting trial unfolding, Pennsylvania and federal courts need to reevaluate position on cameras in the courtroom
The courtroom sketch is an attempt to capture a moment with the strokes of charcoal, the lines of a colored pencil and the shade of some oil pastels. It is the intersection of art and a specific kind of journalism. It is a valuable tool that blends information and craft....
Editorial: The proud history of Pittsburgh Pride
Sometimes the word pride is associated with a glowing, crowing satisfaction in something that has been achieved. People take pride in their awards or their bank accounts. People feel pride in their children or their résumés. But that isn’t all that pride is. As with many words, there are other...
Laurels & lances: Speaking up and reaching out
Laurel: To the power of participation. We harp a lot on the responsibility of voting. We urge people to register and to get out and do their duty. There still are a lot of voices that chime back about what good it does. Can one vote really matter? What makes...
Editorial: Increased electric bills are power struggle
Every year on June 1 and Dec. 1, Pennsylvanians face the struggle between power and money. That is when the state Public Utility Commission allows electric companies to make price changes. As it happens just twice a year, it’s definitely more stable than gas prices. And, hey, just because it...
Editorial: Cold cases demand continued questions to find answers
With a missing persons case, sometimes it seems as though the only answer sought is about location. It isn’t. A disappearance is a chain reaction of questions that beg to be answered. “Where?” is only the first. It is also the one that kicks off the dominoes of those that...
Editorial: Approve savings plan for retirement
Bette Davis once declared that “old age ain’t no place for sissies,” and few older people would argue otherwise. The observation also is true regarding finances for retirement, yet millions of Pennsylvanians hurtle toward old age without retirement savings. One of the reasons for that is the lack of employer-provided...
Editorial: We honor the service and sacrifice
For Memorial Day, a classic Trib editorial: On this Memorial Day, be grateful that Americans’ willingness to sacrifice for freedom’s sake, instilled by each generation in the next, remains as strong as ever. Today, Americans honor those most worthy of such gratitude — those who gave their lives in our...
Editorial: Pennsylvania should streamline unclaimed property process
Sto Rox Community Federal Credit Union was holding a share of money for a woman named Genevieve. Genevieve didn’t withdraw it. We don’t know why. She could have moved. She might have forgotten about it. Maybe a parent opened the account for her and she never even knew about it....
Editorial: Harrison should have been more transparent with new chief vote
It is not hard to tell people what’s going on. Seriously. It’s not. Government can make it seem like swimming through neck-deep mud, but transparency is really pretty easy. All they have to do is make the information accessible, not force anyone to read it. Not every state decision is...
Editorial: Independence and the legacy of Pennsylvania hospitals
Hospitals are part of the fabric of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Hospital was founded in 1751 and was the first hospital in America to be founded as a medical facility and not as a workhouse or poorhouse. The state had the first mental health hospital. It boasts the oldest medical school and...
Editorial: Reduce toll of ‘tranq’ overdoses
Gov. Josh Shapiro has a solid track record in the desperate struggle against the raging opioid epidemic. Before the covid-19 pandemic eclipsed opioids as the nation’s most pressing public health emergency, Shapiro played a traditional enforcement role as attorney general. He also had roles in changing prescription and dispensing protocols...
Editorial: Could simple maintenance have prevented the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse?
The Fern Hollow Bridge collapse in January 2022 was not just a calamity for Pittsburgh. It was an alarm bell for every community with an uncoated, weathering, steel bridge like the one that fell into a Frick Park ravine. On Thursday, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a report that...
Editorial: Why did trimming executives take IUP so long?
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is making some staffing cuts. When this happens, people often expect to see the pain start at the bottom. Cut a few new hires. Freeze approval of replacements. Encourage some retirements. Let some openings go through attrition. It’s common in business. It’s very common in education,...
Laurels & lances: Selection and election
Laurel: To reaching a milestone. The slow march to justice for the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting achieved one goal Wednesday when the jury pool was settled. It took four weeks to whittle down hundreds of prospective jurors called for possible service in the death penalty case. The pool stands at 69...
Editorial: Municipal Assistance Program funding is a common good
Pennsylvania is one of four states that differentiate themselves from their 46 American brethren by use of a different word. Like Kentucky, Massachusetts and Virginia, it officially goes by the lofty sounding name of “commonwealth.” In practical use, there is no difference. It is the difference between pancakes and flapjacks...
Editorial: Springdale shouldn’t rezone Cheswick plant for housing
Recycling isn’t just for aluminum cans and water bottles. It is also how old properties find new uses. An old church can become a concert venue or comedy club. A school can become a luxury home with a multimillion dollar price tag or an affordable apartment building for seniors ....
Editorial: Even in a primary election, you have to show up and make your voice count
It’s that time again. Twice a year, we remind you to get up and do your job as a citizen — of America, of Pennsylvania and of the counties and communities that make up the red, white and blue crazy quilt of our region. Some people might yawn and shrug...
Editorial: Arrests of public officials are all too common
Very public investigations and arrests in recent years demonstrate the complexity of law enforcement that involves public officials. On a national level, the most obvious example is the various state and federal cases involving former President Donald Trump. There are also the charges announced recently against U.S. Rep. George Santos,...
Editorial: The discouraging infighting among Democrats in Allegheny County
Allegheny County government is proof that political fights can have nothing to do with party lines. The 15-member county council is overwhelmingly Democratic. Only at-large member Samuel DeMarco and District 2 member Suzanne Filiaggi are Republicans. Every county row officer is a Democrat too, including County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. So...
Laurels & lances: Sprucing up and cleaning up
Laurel: To gussying up. Prom season is upon us, and it’s important to remember, amid the fancy gowns and limo rides, that not every family can afford the cost of what can be a pricey milestone. For some, it can top $1,000. It’s hard to get in under $100 —...
Editorial: Westmoreland DA’s Office needs to watch the clock on criminal cases
Do you remember the Hasbro game Perfection? It’s a bright red frame with a blue board you push down. A dial is turned, starting a timer when the switch is flipped. You get one minute to take the 25 yellow plastic shapes and fit them into their corresponding geometric spaces...
