Letters to the Editor category, Page 2
Letter to the editor: Overtime vs. new hires
As a retired county employee of 38-plus years, the article on county overtime (“Westmoreland County overtime costs top $7.2 million in 2025,” March 6, TribLive) and related editorial (“Punching the overtime clock adds up,” (March 10, TribLive) certainly caught my attention. Both were good reads, but what they did not...
Letter to the editor: Act of war or peace?
We need to stop looking at the military action in Iran as an act of war. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939 it was an act of war. If other European countries would have defended Poland and counterattacked Germany, it may have been defeated, and World War II would not...
Letter to the editor: Integrity, professionalism in Sheriff’s Office
In 2020 I inherited a Sheriff’s Office in disarray, with the previous sheriff facing criminal charges. Westmoreland County paid over a half-million dollars to settle lawsuits due to his actions. We can proudly state there are no lawsuits against my department. Nothing paid out when each deputy performs their duties...
Letter to the editor: We need new Testaments
I predict Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu will fail the final judgement test of Revelations 20 as they seek the Old Testament dictates to utterly destroy men, women and children to obtain “promised” land and riches. They fail the same test in Matthew 25. They and their evangelical leaders urging...
Letter to the editor: Don’t eat meat today
As spring returns with its promise of renewal, March 20 marks MeatOut 2026 — a chance to “turn over a new leaf” by trying plant-based eating for just one day. Since 1985, MeatOut has encouraged thousands to discover healthier, more compassionate choices by taking the meat out of their diets...
Letter to the editor: Trump is out of touch
No, Mr. Trump. When oil prices go up, you and your cronies make a lot of money. We the People of the United States pay more for gas, heating oil, plastics and anything else related to oil. Prices will go up for everything because of transportation and production costs. You...
Letter to the editor: The way things are needs to change
Centuries ago, China said the only way a great country like the USA could be defeated was from within. Look around. To me, this statement is coming to fruition. Political fighting is going on everywhere you look. Radical groups are organized and fighting our country, from legalizing drugs to sexual...
Letter to the editor: Trump right to act in Iran
Even though I’ve been a constant critic of President Trump, I support his attack on Iran. For decades, Iran has been the “cancer” of the Middle East. They’ve been the funder and catalyst for terrorist groups such as Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in...
Letter to the editor: Affordability and accountability
The buzzword for this year’s elections is affordability. The word choice is directly connected to pocketbooks. I suggest those seeking office shouldn’t forget another important word: accountability. These two can be easily linked. Those who made the decisions leading to affordability or remained silent at the time should be held...
Letter to the editor: AI is the beast
George Washington said, “The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they pass unobserved.” In the Bible’s Book of Revelation, there is a beast and a beast system prophesied. Much speculation is afforded the meaning...
Letter to the editor: Nonprofits need to step up to help Pittsburgh
There are several nonprofits that have not stepped up to donate to the city of Pittsburgh emergency vehicles (“UPMC gives $10M to Pittsburgh for ambulances, freeing up money for snowplows,” Jan. 29, TribLive). Examples would be new protective gear and tools for the fire department. The Public Works department, I...
Letter to the editor: Questionable church values
I am wondering why protesters would storm the Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn. I’m sure most of us would agree that a place of worship is not the time or place to hold a protest. There is a statement on this church’s website that says: “We are a community...
Letter to the editor: Albert right to cooperate with ICE
Regarding the article “Westmoreland commissioner calls sheriff’s partnership with ICE invalid” (Feb. 12, TribLive): Five minutes of personal checking clearly identifies there is no question Sheriff James Albert is fully within his purview to set his department’s policies and sign a letter of agreement with ICE. As an elected official...
Letter to the editor: Administration not protecting all citizens
Regarding the letter “Do Democrats care more about illegal immigrants?” (March 10, TribLive): Why didn’t the Democrats stand when the president declaimed “the first obligation of the American government is to protect American citizens”? Because his government has killed and unlawfully arrested and detained them. John W. Connelly Sharpsburg...
Letter to the editor: Take responsibility for Pittsburgh’s trash
According to the article “Pittsburghers asked to pick up litter ahead of NFL Draft” (March 6, TribLive): “As Pittsburgh prepares to host the NFL Draft, Pennsylvania officials are asking residents to lend a hand in cleaning up litter in and around the city. Despite ongoing cleanup efforts by PennDOT, Secretary...
Letter to the editor: Pa. needs a gift ban
Pennsylvania lawmakers receive the third-highest salaries in the nation, but still legally take what amounts to bribes from wealthy special interests. Citizens are clearly unhappy with this situation (“Senate needs to give Pennsylvanians a gift ban,” Nov. 6, 2022, TribLive, and “Why won’t lawmakers consider a gift ban?” Nov. 20,...
Letter to the editor: Fetterman must resign
Sen. John Fetterman was elected to Congress because when campaigning he promised to support issues like raising the minimum wage, helping make unions strong, reforming the criminal justice system, and promoting LGBTQ+ and abortion rights. But now, instead of fighting for those crucial matters, he is spending his time advocating...
Letter to the editor: Renewable energy is the answer
Robert T. Smith’s commentary “Our planet’s doom is not so imminent” (March 5, TribLive) celebrates the recission of the Endangerment Finding and asserts that climate change is not an emergency. Smith rails against EPA regulations and those who want to “dictate … man’s activities through the control of carbon.” An...
Letter to the editor: Let freedom ring
Pennsylvania’s newest license plate has the slogan “Let Freedom Ring,” with the Liberty Bell in the middle. Think about what it means. Martin Luther King Jr. used this phrase in his “I Have a Dream” speech during the Civil Rights Movement in 1963. Sixty-three years later, we are still fighting...
Letter to the editor: Supporting Arnold Palmer airport
The recent announcement that Spirit Airlines will end year-round flights from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to Orlando has caused concern in our community. Orlando has long been the airport’s most popular nonstop destination, and its loss, combined with Spirit’s financial restructuring, creates uncertainty about Palmer’s commercial future. Even with these...
Letter to the editor: Democrats suffering from TDS
Trump Derangement Syndrome is alive and well in the Democratic Party. Look at the socialist Democrats as they go about their business. I could see by the State of the Union that they don’t care about Americans. In my opinion, they are putting illegal immigrants first. Public trust erodes when...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s lies continue
During President Trump’s first term in office, he told, by some accounts, 30,573 lies, an average of 21 per day. I believe Trump’s unprecedented lying has continued in his second term: He still claims that foreign countries will pay for the U.S. government’s tariffs. He lies; we, the consumers, bear...
Letter to the editor: Never enough cyber savings
The article “Western Pa. school districts tally expected savings from cyber charter tuition reform” (March 3, TribLive) reveals an important truth: For many school districts, it will never be enough. Despite receiving record levels of state funding, including hundreds of millions in new dollars, school district leaders say the latest...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s wars
President Trump wasn’t kidding when he named the Department of Defense the Department of War. He has now attacked two sovereign nations, neither of which posed any direct threat to the United States. Our military intelligence is so advanced we were able to surgically remove Venezuela’s president and kill Iran’s...
Letter to the editor: Trump is tanking our country
On March 2, in what should have been a somber, respectful speech about our veterans at the Medal of Honor ceremony, President Trump had the audacity to start bragging about choosing gold drapes and building the “most beautiful ballroom in the world.” Really? Are you kidding me? People are dying,...
