Opinion category, Page 313
Letter to the editor: Why not cancel WWI, WWII observances too?
So our (un)elected betters at the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) have declared that we can’t have those pesky white (and Black) reenactors pretend to be Indians for the Battle of Bushy Run event. Even though a large contingent of our voting citizens attended the battle reenactment annually. Not...
Editorial: Food banks need more support in face of SNAP benefit changes
Since 2020, the number of people depending on SNAP benefits — the government program previously called food stamps — has grown. In 2019, the number of Pennsylvanians was 1.6 million. Today, it is 1.8 million. The amount of money spent on the program in Pennsylvania has grown from $2.4 billion...
Letter to the editor: Volunteers key to fighting Alzheimer’s
Recently, I was one of thousands of volunteers from across the country to join the Alzheimer’s Association for its annual Community Leadership Summit in San Diego. It was energizing to meet other volunteers and learn the various reasons and motivations that bring us together to actively support the mission of...
Tom Purcell: The mistruths of politics
There are no small number of accusations lately that — shocking as it may be — some of our politicians are lying to us. Some Republicans shouted the “L” word during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, when he said Republicans want to end Social Security and Medicare....
Rep. Russ Diamond: Pa. Republicans need a 3-point game
I loved basketball when I was a kid. I spent my free time shooting hoops in my parents’ driveway. I played on my elementary, junior high, freshman and junior varsity teams in school. I got cut from the varsity team in my junior year because despite my love of the...
Jason Park: A 3-part strategy to reduce mass shootings
According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been more than 60 mass shootings so far in 2023 — almost two a day. As a formerly untreated mentally ill person who angrily erupted into violence earlier in my life, I know the importance of keeping guns out of the wrong...
Letter to the editor: The facts on who pays income tax
The writer of the letter “High earners get tax breaks” (Jan. 31, TribLIVE) claims it is “simply not true” that 50% of wage earners pay no federal income tax at all. The writer then supports his claim by citing facts and figures, all of which pertain to Social Security withholding,...
Letter to the editor: Would anyone really ‘cross that bridge’?
Regarding the article “A year after Fern Hollow Bridge collapse, are Western Pa.’s bridges in better shape?” (Jan. 28, TribLIVE): Would anyone in their right mind cross a bridge with a sign posted and flashing the words “CAUTION — BRIDGE RATED IN POOR CONDITION”? I would like to think that...
Letter to the editor: Today’s ‘change’ is not for the better
I remember when, years ago, people thought of “change” as being for the greater good, the betterment of society as a whole. Well, times have “changed” since then, and, unfortunately, not for what I perceive as the betterment of our society. I am a retired scientist. Those of us in...
Editorial: Slamming shut the Medicaid and CHIP continuous enrollment door
The people who can least afford it are about to experience the blatant cruelty of a disappearing helping hand. The coronavirus pandemic prompted the Families First Coronavirus Act. In addition to things such as paid covid sick leave and testing, it also addressed additional SNAP benefits and continuous enrollment in...
Letter to the editor: Second Amendment, weapons and abortion
I believe Democrats must include in their support of the Second Amendment the right to possessing assault weapons and must concede to limiting abortions to a last-resort option. Republicans must not support total bans on abortions, nor prohibit access to birth control. Republicans must also acknowledge that not everyone should...
Letter to the editor: Anxiety and medical marijuana
Regarding the article “How anxiety came to dominate the big business of medical marijuana cards in Pa.” (Feb. 2, TribLIVE): I greatly appreciate the Trib’s recognition and concern regarding this issue. There are many conditions that allow one to qualify for a medical marijuana card in Pennsylvania, but only a...
Editorial cartoons for the week of Feb. 13
Editorial cartoons for the week of Feb. 13....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Feb. 13
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Feb. 13....
Letter to the editor: Giant Eagle making it harder to be savvy shopper
It is becoming harder and harder for us to be informed consumers and savvy shoppers. Giant Eagle/Market District has announced that, beginning March 2, we no longer will be receiving its weekly ad flyer in the mail. They have told us to use our smartphone to scan their QR code...
Letter to the editor: $3.6 million too much for homeless shelter
An open letter to Westmoreland County Commissioners Doug Chew, Sean Kertes and Gina Cerilli Thrasher: Last week you approved a $3.6 million plan for construction of a new homeless shelter with 12 beds. Is this right? $300,000 a bed? Even a third of that cost is outrageous. Then it needs...
Editorial: Pittsburgh’s bridge report needs to create urgent timeline
When Pittsburgh makes a bridge a priority, exactly what does that mean? In December, Mayor Ed Gainey released a comprehensive bridge report that assessed the spans that cross the city’s rivers, roads and valleys. The $1.5 million report was commissioned after the collapse of the poorly rated Fern Hollow Bridge...
Letter to the editor: Trump, Biden make for poor presidential choices
Both the Democratic and Republican parties are presently in a quandary regarding the 2024 president election. The Democrats are saddled with an 80-year-old President Biden, who I believe is mentally and physically feeble. In addition, Kamala Harris has bombed as vice president. No would-be challenger could defeat Biden in the...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Biden steps forward into the fight
I don’t have the wildest idea what the ultimate impact of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech will be. I don’t know if the public will be more persuaded that things are going OK or if they will think that we are on the wrong path. I can’t...
Chris Talgo: This Valentine’s Day, show some love for America
Although the last few years have been difficult for most Americans, there still is much to love about the country President Abraham Lincoln called “the last best hope of Earth” and President Ronald Reagan labeled “the shining city on a hill.” So, with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, here...
Patrice Onwuka: ‘Only in America,’ not ‘Once Upon a Time’
I love America because only in America can a poor “guy off the boat” speaking with a thick Croatian accent rise to become one of the most successful businessmen and recognizable TV personalities today, “Shark Tank’s” Robert Herjavec. Only in America can an aspiring female screenwriter from communist Russia (Ayn...
Letter to the editor: Take care of us first
How many borders of other countries does the United States defend? I’m sure none of us really know. We have defended the border of South Korea from North Korea forever, and at what cost? We have already spent $113 billion defending Ukraine’s border with Russia. What about our borders? Don’t...
Sounding off: On gun violence, Bushy Run, Ukraine, pope’s call on homosexuality, Trump
We must address our gun violence problem Our region has a gun violence problem that threatens to undo all progress we’ve made on equity and economic development. Public safety is a just expectation from every person. Our day-to-day existence is shaken to its core without the feeling of safety. Tragically,...
Letter to the editor: We need someone like Trump to speak the truth
A recent letter-writer described an independent as “a liberal embarrassed by his or her party’s policies” (“Trump, like Reagan, was a great president,” Jan. 23, TribLIVE). I have been an independent for years, but I am not a liberal! I changed because, to my shock, there are a few good...
Editorial: Government and media need to serve the people
The relationship between government and journalism frequently focuses on the adversarial. This is because there is a three-legged stool of public information. The government has the information, the people need the information, and journalists are the conduit for the exchange of that information. The adversarial nature comes about because, sometimes,...
