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Editorials category, Page 43

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Editorial: In the wake of the Texas school shooting, is there any hope left?
The children of Uvalde, Texas, are no different than the children of Greensburg or New Kensington or Pittsburgh. The parents of Uvalde are no different than the parents of Latrobe or Sewickley or Tarentum. The kids of Robb Elementary were looking forward to school ending on Thursday and the start...
Editorial: State-related schools should be more answerable to Right-to-Know Law
It should go without saying that an agency that is state-related should be subject to the same demands as other state organizations. Except it isn’t. Plenty of groups or institutions that live off their official-sounding titles when it comes time to ask for money try to distance themselves from those...
Editorial: Let’s cut the politics and speed up vote counting
Six days and counting. Still counting. That’s the story of the Pennsylvania race to the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, the decision between Dave McCormick and Dr. Mehmet Oz — the leading two candidates on a crowded slate of GOP candidates. The votes were cast by 8 p.m. May 17....
Editorial: Gambling money not reliable in economic down times
In March, Pennsylvania casinos had their best month ever. From slot machines to table games and more, the gambling houses were rolling in green, bringing in $462.7 million. In April, the numbers dipped. Not by a lot. They didn’t fall so much as stumble to $461.6 million. They remain 14%...
Editorial: Preventing ghost towns means being open to change
When we think of ghost towns, we think of those gold rush communities in places such as California and Colorado and Nevada. Remnants of the Old West. The skeletons of thriving communities that were lost when the gold was gone and the people went in search of new opportunities. We...
Editorial: Inflation hitting government always hits taxpayers
Inflation is sending prices through the roof, from making breakfast and cleaning your house to buying a car and renting an apartment. All of them are not only up but also continuing to climb. Restaurants are marking more menu items as “market price” because of the rapid fluctuation, elevating a...
Laurels & lances: Primary election edition
Laurel: To the voters. The discrepancy in voter turnout for a primary versus a general election is often decried. So is the differences in the lines at the polls in a presidential year as opposed to the other three years in the cycle. Heck, we pointed out just that in...
Editorial: Understanding intimate partner violence is team effort
Hate crimes are different from other crimes because they have an impact more broad than on just the intended victim. They are a form of terrorism that is hard to address with other anti-criminal actions. That is why the U.S. Department of Justice addresses them. But while hate-motivated attacks are...
Editorial: Confidentiality agreements are counter to transparency
In a lot of ways, a government agency and a corporation are similar. They are arranged in hierarchies. They have people making decisions on behalf of the organization. They can be legally bound to do certain jobs. They both live and die by mountains of paperwork and legal agreements. But...
Editorial: Every Pennsylvania vote matters
Elections often are talked about in terms of what makes them consequential. An election is supposedly important because of a presidential year or the midterms when congressional seats are on the line. It ostensibly matters because it decides the governor or the attorney general or the state legislators. That message...
Editorial: Avoiding bidding process isn’t an emergency
There is a difference between an obstacle and an emergency. An obstacle is something in the way. It is a pothole. A detour sign. A hurdle in the path of a race. An emergency is an all-hands-on-deck situation. A house on fire. A train derailment. A flood. Notice the difference...
Editorial: The high cost of electricity — or electric deregulation?
If you think you are feeling faint at the gas pump, it’s about to get worse at the mailbox. Just wait until you see the June electric bill. This week, the Public Utility Commission revealed that electric suppliers are set to raise prices by 6% to 45% as of June...
Editorial: Pennsylvania should require meth house disclosure
Methamphetamines can kill. The illegal drugs themselves can be lethal, but it doesn’t stop there. The labs are dangerous when they are operating. They give off gases. They can explode. They are a tinderbox that has to be handled like a time bomb, but people manufacturing illicit drugs aren’t notoriously...
Laurels & lances: Soliciting and vending
Laurel: To a worthy consideration. Murrysville is taking a look at putting a “do not knock” registry in place that could cut down on the number of solicitors showing up at residents’ homes. Door-to-door salesmen might seem like an antiquated custom that went out with someone lugging encyclopedias from house...
Editorial: End Westmoreland County courthouse drama
Another day, another incident that proves Westmoreland County government has political problems that transcend party. This one starts with Donald Trump and Mehmet Oz and ends with Westmoreland officials accusing each other of lies and deception. Just your typical Tuesday. Sheriff James Albert, who was a Democrat until switching parties...
Editorial: Fern Hollow Bridge project merits public input
There are times when action has to come before input. In an emergency, there have to be priorities, and deciding those is never the time for a committee. When you are putting out a fire, you can’t poll the locals on whether the building should be saved. You extinguish the...
Editorial: Are rankings fair to schools?
It’s long past time that we evaluate schools honestly. Assessments of schools by magazines like U.S. News and World Report or websites like GreatSchools.org or Pittsburgh’s own Niche.com are often used to decide where to send a kid or where to buy a house. They evaluate schools based on a...
Editorial: Independent voters need to be engaged in primary process
In an increasingly partisan Pennsylvania, the way for one party or the other to win isn’t about the people who register Republican or Democrat. It’s about engaging the independents who haven’t declared a side. There are about 1.3 million registered independent voters in Pennsylvania. They make up about 15% of...
Editorial: In celebration of mothers
Orson Welles famously said that we are born alone and we die alone. He was only half right. Few people are truly born alone. That first birthday sets up a relationship that defines our lives. When we are born — whether it is in a hospital or a home or...
Editorial: Can algorithms help or hurt child protective services?
An algorithm is a process that uses math or computers to work through a problem to find a solution. They have become more and more a part of our lives as computers run everything around us. Algorithms are behind traffic lights, facial recognition on phones and ads that pop up...
Laurels & lances: Plans and promises
Laurel: To a vision to move forward. Since October 2018, the corner of Wilkins and Shady avenues in Squirrel Hill has been more than just an intersection. The building has been more than a gathering place. It has been a crime scene, a battleground and a memorial to the 11...
Editorial: Is the Real ID deadline real this time?
You have to have a Real ID. You need to get one by May 3, 2023. No kidding this time. On Monday, PennDOT laid down the law about the federally required super-identification. “Although a year seems like a long time to get ready, the deadline will be upon us before...
Editorial: The decision that matters on Roe v. Wade
Every Pennsylvania voter will have his or her say if a leaked document from the U.S. Supreme Court, indeed, alters the landscape of abortion in this country. The document is a draft opinion from Justice Samuel Alito, a George W. Bush appointee now in his 16th year and known as...
Editorial: Does bail work the way it should?
What is bail? You might think you know even if you have no experience with the criminal justice system because you have watched television and read mystery novels. You have heard the word. You’ve used the expression “bailed out.” But bail is not quite what “Law & Order” would have...
Editorial: Bullying is more than a school problem
Bullying is an idea that conjures images of elementary school playgrounds and high school cafeterias. We think of mean girls. Jocks ganging up on nerds. The fat kid. The new kid. The weird kid. But is that fair? Are kids being tagged as the perpetrators when the problem is much...


Editor's Picks

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Jimmy Stewart’s P-51 Mustang stops in hometown for museum anniversary
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