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Opinion category, Page 50

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Editorial: The high cost of running for office
The 2024 election season was expensive. AdImpact, a Virginia-based advertising analytics firm, reported the total cost of political advertising leading to this year’s general election at a staggering $11 billion. Most of that, obviously, went to the presidential races. The top of the ticket crossed $3 billion. That was more...
Letter to the editor: Come together to accomplish much
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” These words are attributed by many to Edmund Burke, a British conservative statesman and philosopher in the...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Not much expertise in Trump’s cabinet picks
“If you see 10 troubles coming down the road, you can be sure that nine will run into the ditch before they reach you.” That was President Calvin Coolidge’s advice in the 1920s to Herbert Hoover, who was then his commerce secretary. While Coolidge’s words are generally good policy in...
Jonathan Levin: Trump is stuck with the Fed’s Powell. Will he make peace?
U.S. bond markets have had a minor meltdown since former President Donald Trump pulled ahead in prediction markets and then won a second term, putting upward pressure on mortgages and other household borrowing costs. If the move continues, it could be a major source of disappointment for voters who trusted...
Carl P. Leubsdorf: Defeated Democrats face an uncertain future
In the wake of their sweeping election defeat, it didn’t take long for Democrats to turn on one another, seeking explanations — or scapegoats. Some faulted defeated presidential nominee Kamala Harris for tactical errors in her hastily constructed but lavishly financed campaign. Others blamed President Joe Biden’s ill-considered insistence on...
Colin McNickle: Right-sizing Pittsburgh Public Schools
Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS), long plagued by extraordinarily high spending per pupil but exceptionally weak academic results, also has been bedeviled by a plunging student census that has led to a gross building overcapacity. Allegheny Institute research assistant Alex Sodini says taking action on the latter could go a long...
Letter to the editor: No recess for 4 years
I feel like I am back in school with the kids who were misbehaving and the teacher was threatening no recess for everyone if it continues. The difference is that there will be no recess for the next four years because of people who only care about their money. The...
Sounding off: Writers weigh in post-election
Better under Trump? Think again. Well, the people have spoken. Apparently people think Donald Trump will lower their cost of living. But think again. Trump plans big tariffs on foreign goods; some estimates are that will cost the average family $4,000 a year. And let’s buckle up for more inflation,...
Letter to the editor: Water-conserving appliances will save Pa. billions of gallons of water
Regarding the article “Where has all the rain gone? Bone-dry October strikes much of U.S” (Oct. 29, TribLive): More than 30 counties are currently under a drought watch following one of the driest Octobers on record. In response, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) encouraged Pennsylvanians to “voluntarily conserve water...
Editorial: Does Allegheny County council need to swallow a tax increase?
Government is more than just elections. It is the hard part — the part that comes between elections. It’s deciding what services people want. It’s prioritizing what they need. It’s finding a way to promote growth while preserving character. It is finding a way to pay for it all. And...
Letter to the editor: Trump and the rise of the working class
The presidential election of 2024 is history. Donald Trump and the Republican Party have had an earth-shaking victory. Yet it’s not about a man or a party; it was about the rise of the working class. We rely on these people for just about everything. They build our houses and...
Tyler Cowen: Trump’s tariffs won’t work, just as McKinley’s didn’t
Donald Trump’s return to the White House means that one of his signature issues will soon return to the center of Washington’s economic policy agenda: tariffs. And while the evidence of their harm continues to grow, which is why economists like me oppose them, economists like me should also admit...
S.E. Cupp: Dems blame everything but themselves for losing
It’s tough sledding for Democrats, as they try to wrap their heads around Donald Trump’s improbable-but-also-foreseeable sweep of all seven swing states and winning the popular vote. This wasn’t supposed to happen, after all. Democrats genuinely believed — as they did in 2016 — that Trump’s many odious qualities would...
Cal Thomas: Trump’s chance to change taxation
If any constitutional amendment can be hated, it would be the 16th Amendment. Passed by Congress in 1909 and ratified by the states in 1913, it allowed Congress to “levy income taxes without apportioning them among the states based on population.” At first the collection of revenue came from the...
Lainey Newman: Trump made sweeping promises to the American people. It’s time to see if he delivers.
Republicans have made their bed — now they have to sleep in it. The party has won a decisive victory this election cycle, taking control of the presidency, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Supreme Court has a conservative supermajority made up of three justices appointed by Trump...
Letter to the editor: Why is ID not required to vote?
Why is it I was required to show a photo ID to purchas a $6 can of spray paint, but it is not necessary to show my ID to cast a vote in Pennsylvania? If anyone can explain this to me, I’m all ears. James Smith Westmoreland City...
Letter to the editor: Better under Trump? Think again.
Well, the people have spoken. Apparently people think Donald Trump will lower their cost of living. But think again. Trump plans big tariffs on foreign goods; some estimates are that will cost the average family $4,000 a year. And let’s buckle up for more inflation, as Trump again lowers taxes...
Lori Falce: The sweet justice of The Onion buying Infowars
Sometimes justice isn’t something that can be delivered by the courts. A guilty verdict, for example, does not bring back a loved one. It doesn’t restore a reputation or rebuild a home. What it does is get as close to justice as the law can do after the fact. In...
Laurels & lances: Trees, water & a grenade
Laurel: To a church donation. Usually, when it comes to giving, it is people tithing to their house of worship which then in turn helps others. But one local parish is developing a habit of contributing to the community in a different way. Guardian Angels Catholic Parish in Springdale will...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s victory shows rejection of Democrats’ ways
Donald Trump’s victory is certainly a tribute to the incredible determination, stamina and hard work of Trump and many of his family members and staffers who never stopped believing and never stopped working to get a record number of Americans out to vote. Their adoption of the early voting systems...
Commentary: 7 crucial things to remember as we look back at the election
At the heart of American democracy is a shared principle that has guided our nation for nearly 250 years: The people decide. Elections don’t just happen in a vacuum every two or four years. They are a collective effort requiring all of us to participate and be engaged citizens —...
Letter to the editor: Thanks to photographers for service to veterans
Kudos to the New Kensington Camera Club for taking photos of veterans for free on Veterans Day at the Lower Burrell VFW. What a remarkable gesture. They even printed them and framed them quickly. One veteran came to our table to proudly show his photo. “Look what they did for...
Letter to the editor: Why are we here? Look around you.
Should we really ponder on how the recent Mt. Pleasant parade indecency came about? Take a good look around you and see all the other unsavory things that have come about. The leader of our great USA called some of us garbage. Vice President Kamala Harris says Donald Trump is...
Letter to the editor: Replacement of lead water pipes must continue
In a landmark move, the federal government just required removal of all lead pipes in drinking water systems within a decade. The City of Pittsburgh already has been working to eliminate this public health threat to our children and families. In fact, it is halfway done with the goal of...
Editorial: Bullying and harassment need to be defined to be stopped
What is bullying? What is harassment? The definitions in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary are simple. Bullying is abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger or more powerful. Harassment is an unpleasant or hostile situation — especially when involving uninvited or unwelcome verbal or physical interaction. But are those enough for...


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