Opinion category, Page 231
Letter to the editor: What’s the real state of our economy?
I see many letters in the opinion section decrying the state of our economy as a “disaster.” This seems to be at odds with the actual news reporting section of the paper, which has stories of record low unemployment, record holiday retail sales, record wage increases , record airline travel...
Editorial cartoons for the week of Nov. 13
Editorial cartoons for the week of Nov. 13....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Nov. 13
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of Nov. 13....
Viewpoint 2: A 4-day workweek is a win-win for all
The four-day workweek has gained increasing traction over the past decade because of technological advancements, improved productivity and pandemic shifts in the labor market. The covid-19 pandemic gave us a chance to reimagine the work-life balance, and we should continue on that path by truly considering the benefits of the...
Letter to the editor: Government-run slavery at county jail
At a recent Jail Oversight Board meeting, a motion by Allegheny County Councilwoman Bethany Hallam to pay incarcerated workers for their labor failed after receiving five abstentions. County Controller Corey O’Connor, one of the abstainers, remarked, “County council should pass the budget first, and then we should have the conversation.”...
Letter to the editor: Condemning Hamas
If you live in Iran and are brave enough to speak up, by all means condemn Hamas. But if you live in the U.S., and are brave enough to speak up, you should condemn your government’s supply of blind support and weapons to Israel. Every time I see someone condemn...
Editorial: It’s time to figure out marijuana in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvanians can use marijuana for anxiety or epilepsy. They can use it to ease the side effects of chemotherapy or the symptoms of post-traumatic stress. There are 23 different medical conditions that will qualify someone for a card allowing them to access medical marijuana. There is one reason that is...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Voters want public officials who govern
Our local political fever may have broken last Tuesday in Allegheny County’s general election. In both the county executive and district attorney races, after a string of recent successes by progressive candidates, the voters brought local politics back toward the center. That may be good for the entire region. Democrat...
Viewpoint 1: 40-hour workweek is under scrutiny
Technology is making the 40-hour workweek an outmoded tradition. Historically, the workweek concept was based on the cycle of working from sunup to sundown, stopping either because the necessary work got done or it got too dark to see. The invention of gaslights in the late 19th century, followed by...
Mark Z. Barabak: Overwhelmed? Confused? Here’s what to make of all those presidential polls.
The New York Times recently released polling from a half-dozen political battleground states, and you might have thought Moses himself had descended Mt. Sinai with a commandment: Thus shall be decided the 2024 presidential race. The findings weren’t good for the Democratic incumbent. President Joe Biden trails the serially indicted...
Letter to the editor: Do NFL referees get commissions?
I enjoy watching the Pittsburgh Steelers whether they are winning or losing. Of course, winning is more fun. This season I’ve noticed a disproportionate number of “roughing the passer” calls being made, not only against T.J. Watt, but against other defensive players as well. This begs the question: Do NFL...
Sounding off: Politics and religion, Israel, school choice among week’s topics
Religion and politics shouldn’t mix Why are we relying on writings over centuries old to provide answers and solace to problems? Some quote the Bible, shouting “it has the answers.” To me, the Bible, is a book of fantasy stories written by individuals who at that time believed mostly in...
Letter to the editor: Religion and politics shouldn’t mix
Why are we relying on writings over centuries old to provide answers and solace to problems? Some quote the Bible, shouting “it has the answers.” To me, the Bible, is a book of fantasy stories written by individuals who at that time believed mostly in superstitions. Yet we sit back...
Editorial: Older veterans need more support
Like Pennsylvania’s population overall, the veteran population is aging. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 37.1% of veterans are senior citizens. The largest group at 41.2% is those aged 45 to 64, meaning those approaching or planning for retirement. Only 21% are under age 45. That means more...
S.E. Cupp: On abortion, lessons not learned by Republicans
On Tuesday night, voters in a handful of important states gave us a crucial temperature check on the state of the union leading up to the 2024 presidential election — and it’s not good news for Republicans. In Virginia, the very popular Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin was hoping his party...
Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski: Children teaching us lessons in kindness
When people think of Mister Rogers, they often remember his famous quote about helpers: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” That uplifting anecdote served...
Dan DeBone: Supporting pro-growth tax reform
In 2022, our state Legislature achieved a significant milestone by successfully passing legislation to reduce Pennsylvania’s corporate net income (CNI) tax rate. This reduction is a remarkable achievement, as it lowered our state’s CNI rate from the highest flat rate in the country, 9.99%, to 8.99% as of Jan. 1,...
Alanna Caffas: Honor veterans by giving them access to clinical trials
For more than 95 years, Veteran Administration (VA) Research and Development programs have improved the lives of veterans, and all Americans, through groundbreaking health care discovery and innovation. This work has transformed the medical landscape through critical discoveries including tuberculosis treatment, cardiac pacemakers, nicotine patches, hearing aids, covid-19 vaccinations and...
Letter to the editor: It’s time to start respecting life again
Over the many gratefully embraced years of my life, I have seen a dramatic change in how America perceives the tremendous gift of life, the value of a single life, of all lives. I grew up learning that all lives are precious, that we are all interconnected through a bond,...
Letter to the editor: We need action on gun laws
Lewiston, Uvalde, Squirrel Hill … the list goes on. Some of our Pennsylvania legislators do nothing to help prevent mass shootings. This year there have been more than 400 mass shootings. Sen. Lisa Baker, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has had two pieces of legislation, which were passed in...
Letter to the editor: Jury of peers?
I could cite case law from my days as a law school student, but suffice it to say that a jury of one’s peers is central in criminal justice to determine guilt or innocence. My grandson was called for jury duty recently. What most impressed him was the age of...
Lori Falce: Rick Santorum and the secret sauce of democracy
On Wednesday, after the dust had settled on the 2023 general election and people were analyzing the ups and downs and wins and losses, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania went on Newsmax to discuss his disappointment. Republican Rick Santorum once was a leading voice in the party and had...
Laurels & lances: Election edition
Laurel: To doing your duty. Off-year elections are often sluggish things with little interest or involvement, but not this time. On Tuesday, voters stepped up and did their part. They made choices and cast ballots in ways that had real impact statewide, in both Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, in school...
Letter to the editor: U.S. complicit in crimes against humanity
More than 10,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed and nearly half of those are children. UNICEF warns that Israel’s attack on Gaza is killing or wounding 420 children a day. Israel has wiped out entire families in Gaza. No one is denying that the attack by Hamas was terrible,...
Paul Kengor: Western Pa.’s other football teams
Football is in the bloodstream of Western Pennsylvania. We bleed black and gold for our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. Steelers mania starts early summer with training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe and typically runs into January with a team that makes the playoffs more than just about any other....
