Editorials category, Page 43
Editorial: The surprising resolution of Pennsylvania’s House leadership vote
The Pennsylvania Legislature is as polarized as a car battery. Almost nothing can happen in the hallowed halls of Harrisburg without boiling down to positive and negative, pro and con and, above all, Democrat and Republican. Until Tuesday. On the same day the U.S. House of Representatives was paralyzed with...
Editorial: Shared grief and the tragedies of McIntire shooting, Hamlin injury
There is a difference between sorrow and grief. Sorrow is the emotional state we feel when confronted by great loss or devastating disappointment. It isn’t depression, but it might lead there. Grief is different. It is a process that one goes through while experiencing the crushing blows of a trauma....
Editorial: The bubble of higher education costs
Education is not just a building block of society. It is more than a public good and a public right. It is also a commodity. Like a new car or a house or a dozen eggs, a quality education above and beyond high school graduation is something many people pay...
Editorial: Address suicide by respecting mental health
It is always hard to lose a loved one. Whether it happens because of disease or accident or criminal act, death is a gut punch. It hits hard and deep. It is aching and empty. When the loss is self-inflicted, it leaves something else behind. Families and friends can struggle...
Editorial: The to-do list for 2023
As the clock runs out on 2022, we say goodbye to a year that has been jam-packed with significant events from the start. The pandemic was still going on. There were booster shots and new variants to address. The midterm elections made Pennsylvania a focal point for politics. The U.S....
Laurels & lances: Results, delays and education
Laurel: To finishing up. The 2022 election is officially complete, as far as the state of Pennsylvania is concerned. The Department of State announced this week that the acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman has completed certification of results. That process was delayed because of recounts and challenges in 27...
Editorial: What do you really care about?
What is an editorial? It isn’t an article that keeps close to the events as they unfold, like with a car crash or a fire. It isn’t an investigation that takes a larger incident and digs into the background, unearthing truths that were perhaps not just unknown but unexpected. It...
Editorial: Did Tom Wolf understand politics?
Gov. Tom Wolf is about to close out his two-term tenure. It’s been quite a ride. Over the years, we have not been shy about laying criticism at the governor’s door. We have castigated him for budget issues. We have harangued him for administrative hiccups and staff pay raises. We...
Editorial: Use blighted properties to fight housing problems
There is seldom just one way to solve a problem. Instead, there can be a menu of options that can take you down different paths. The question is priorities. Do you want your task done quickly, cheaply, efficiently? Do you want it done green, or is supporting local business important?...
Laurels & lances: Naughty & nice
Laurel: To a worthy legacy. When Lower Burrell’s Brian Shaw, a New Kensington police officer, was killed in the line of duty in 2017, it didn’t bring an end to his service to the community. Five years later, a scholarship in Shaw’s name is making a difference in the lives...
Editorial: Franco Harris and how to play the game
Sports heroes don’t have much say in where they end up playing. It comes down to things like what team is highest in the draft and what positions that coach has to fill. By the same token, the cities that play host to those teams don’t have a say in...
Editorial: Westmoreland County Commissioner Doug Chew’s unforced error
In 2019, when running for office, Doug Chew made a loud and proud campaign promise. Send him to the courthouse as a Westmoreland County commissioner, and he would take 60% of his paycheck and donate it to the drug court. The people listened. They gave him the job. Like other...
Editorial: Automatic pay raises are unfair to taxpayers
There’s nothing like starting the new year with a hefty pay hike. Sadly, that’s not something most Pennsylvanians will get to experience. It is, however, a benefit of being an elected official. Much of the attention in recent weeks has been centered on state officials — namely the legislators who...
Editorial: Why appoint a public information officer?
A public information officer seems like a good idea. The idea is a designated person is the spokesperson for a government entity or other agency. The name sounds like someone whose job is providing information, so it can be frustrating when the reality proves to be different. In 2019, the...
Editorial: ‘Boy in the Box’ shows scope of DNA testing
There is an idea in criminal investigation called Locard’s principle. It is the idea that no two things come in contact with each other without leaving something behind. You see it in car crashes when the paint from one fender ends up on another vehicle’s bumper. It is found when...
Editorial: College books required for college classes
Over the past two years, protests at schools have been on the rise. Aside from the push and pull about pandemic protocols, there also have been vocal demands about the content of curriculum and what is on the shelves of the libraries. Pennsylvania, in particular, has been a main battleground...
Laurels & lances: Blight, gas and RSV
Laurel: To a little housekeeping. Westmoreland County has made tackling blight a priority. County commissioners put their stamp of approval on that idea when they carved off $10.4 million of the county’s American Rescue Plan money to dedicate toward mitigation efforts. That got started this week with the demolition of...
Editorial: Voters control the Pa. House, not the parties
Want to know who is in charge of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives? Join the club. The general election in November gave the Keystone State a razor-thin division in the House. After 12 years of undisputed Republican control, it flipped on the strength of a few districts in the greater...
Editorial: Community makes difference when Grinches strike Toys for Tots
It is probably pointless to expect decency or shame from a thief. With that in mind, it is unlikely that whoever is behind the theft of 20 bikes from the Allegheny Valley Marine Corps Toys for Tots chapter feels bad about it. No, they don’t care about the kid whose...
Editorial: Arrest promises justice may finally arrive for Pan Am bombing
Justice can appear in many forms. It can come swiftly. It can be sporadic. It might be measured or thorough or haphazard. It might come hand in hand with rage or sorrow, or it might be businesslike and perfunctory. But what is important is that justice shows up, however it...
Editorial: Pa. should require media literacy instruction in school
Millions of Americans now turn to social media for news, at least sometimes, and it’s clear that much of the “news” they consume is not journalism. Misinformation is endemic to social media platforms, and, in some cases, so is deliberate disinformation and propaganda masquerading as news. The results are profound...
Editorial: What does Sinema’s switch mean for Pennsylvanians?
On Friday, U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona woke up the political world with an announcement. She changed her party affiliation, dropping the Democratic ties that swept her into office in 2018’s wave of newly elected women and opting to become an independent instead, saying it was more in keeping...
Editorial: Say Marc Fogel’s name and bring him home from Russia, Mr. President
What about Marc Fogel? The return of WNBA star Brittney Griner to the United States after being freed from a Russian penal colony is gathering much attention, just like her arrest for possession of a cannabis oil vape cartridge and the 10 months of State Department haggling over her release....
Laurels & lances: Fires, colds and blood
Laurel: To rising from the ashes. St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church in Arnold was decimated by fire Dec. 4, 2021. The 74-year-old building endured more than $4 million in damage. It is the kind of event that could kill a parish. In truth, many a house of worship has been...
Editorial: Financial literacy is key to student debt crisis
The student debt crisis illustrates the fact that two things can be true at the same time. Yes, personal responsibility for financial decisions is critically important. But it is just as true that the cost of a college education has escalated in a way that is unreasonable and untenable. Questions...
