Opinion category, Page 268
Dennis Roddy: Voucher backtrack another calibrated move by Shapiro
Cynicism abounds in government. It’s where cynics go to win big. So the indignant surprise that Gov. Josh Shapiro went back on his word to Senate Republicans over scholarship vouchers for kids in failing schools is both understandable and meaningless. The passion of public policy is wasted on the mathematics...
Letter to the editor: Game commission should be investigated
After this big hunting license blunder (“Pa. hunters experience long lines virtually, in person on 1st day of Game Commission license sales,” June 26, TribLIVE), I think the time has come for the Pennsylvania attorney general to start looking into the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s good ol’ boys club. We hunters...
Sounding off: Affirmative action, Tree of Life, women’s sports among week’s topics
Why stop at affirmative action ruling? Yes, the Supreme Court and its painfully and reliably conservative ruling bloc were, perhaps, correct to rule that America’s institutes of higher learning had no right to give any sort of break to those whose lives and schoolings beforehand may have offered few or...
Letter to the editor: An argument against raising minimum wage
Minimum wage increases cause unemployment (decreases in total hours or total employment) or decrease workplace quality (which is difficult to measure), therefore harming workers. Consequently, Pennsylvania should not increase the minimum wage. Here’s a lesson in Econ 101: From the starting point of human action (applying means according to ideas...
Editorial: EMS services need reimbursement lifeline
There are few things we depend on more than the idea that when we call for help in an emergency, help will come. We call for police. We call for the fire department. We call for medical assistance. For 63 years, Jeannette EMS ambulances showed up for heart attacks and...
Letter to the editor: Why stop at affirmative action ruling?
Yes, the Supreme Court and its painfully and reliably conservative ruling bloc were, perhaps, correct to rule that America’s institutes of higher learning had no right to give any sort of break to those whose lives and schoolings beforehand may have offered few or no breaks. Overcoming long odds and...
Gary Franks: Supreme Court complicates goal of color-blind society
The biggest losers in the Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action decision are not Black people. When you are already in last place economically, you cannot go any lower. Ironically, good white people in America are the big losers. I am not attempting to mirror the court’s twisted logic — they...
Randy Highlands: Decision to close Jeannette EMS a difficult one
The decision to close Jeannette EMS was one that did not come lightly (“Jeannette EMS shuts down after 63 years,” July 3, TribLIVE). I have devoted over 44 years of my life to this service and community in various capacities within the service. The EMS industry as a whole is...
Dr. Andrew Smolar: Republican leadership, power and courage
So much has been said about Donald Trump that fans and foes are tired of him. What hasn’t been described are the motivations of Republican leadership — the congresspeople who fawn over him despite private reservations, and state Republicans who continue their support. Representatives of the Republican Party have remained...
François Dubet: French riots follow decades-old pattern of rage, with no resolution in sight
Although they never fail to take us aback, French riots have followed the same distinct pattern ever since protests broke out in the Eastern suburbs of Lyon in 1981, an episode known as the “summer of Minguettes”: a young person is killed or seriously injured by the police, triggering an...
Letter to the editor: No mercy for Bowers
Abraham Jacob Bonowitz is sadly misguided in his calls for clemency to be extended toward convicted mass murderer Robert Bowers (“Pittsburgh synagogue shooter should not be executed,” June 25, TribLIVE). Bowers, who took the lives of 18 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, has forfeited any claim...
Letter to the editor: Love all, harm none
Why is there something rather than nothing? Could numerous universes exist like grains of sand in an endless desert, or exist within every single atom? Our universe is 15.1 billion years old, and the earth is 4.65 billion years old. On a 24-hour time scale, we have been here less...
Lori Falce: Focus on beating opponents sets up bitter grudges, bigger battles
The crowing came quickly after a routine political back-and-forth turned into an unexpected upset with long implications. On Wednesday, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers took a pen to the state’s budget, meant to govern spending over a two-year period. He signed the plan into law — but not without a little...
Laurels & lances: Summer plans
Laurel: To a happy birthday. America celebrated its 247th year Tuesday, but there is a real milestone being marked closer to home: 2023 is Westmoreland County’s 250th birthday. It’s a celebration with a special name: Semiquincentennial. There’s a tongue-twister for you. The event is prompting celebrations all over the county,...
Letter to the editor: Let’s protect women’s sports
Fifty years ago, Title IX defined sports as education. That opened the door for a broad menu of choices for girls and women from elementary school to college to experience the joy of winning and the emptiness of defeat. Many learned how to compete and they learned they could win!...
Cal Thomas: The catastrophe du jour
King Charles III has launched a catastrophe countdown clock. It will tick until 2030, a year in which he predicts “serious consequences” if the world doesn’t effectively address “climate change.” Honestly, if you can’t trust the king, whom can you trust? It’s always good to be reminded of predictions like...
Paul Kengor: My July Fourth abroad
VERONA, Italy — For the first time ever, I missed July 4. I was an American abroad, in Italy. I spent the day in Verona and Venice. I missed the fireworks. At one point late in the evening, longing for my Independence Day celebration, we heard distant music that sounded...
Peter Morici: Biden and McCarthy’s debt-ceiling deal puts U.S. on course for fiscal trainwreck
The agreement that President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached recently to suspend the U.S. debt ceiling until 2025 avoided immediate turmoil in financial markets but does little to avert the crisis that may be brewing due to huge federal deficits. The deal cuts the 2024 deficit by...
John A. Sparks: In Sackett and Tyler, court bolsters property rights
In its last three terms, the Supreme Court has received a great deal of public attention — both positive and negative — due to its decisions on human sexuality (Bostock, Zarda) and abortion (Dobbs). This term, going relatively unnoticed, were two now-decided cases — Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency and...
Letter to the editor: Heroes vs. idols
Idols and heroes: Synonymous? Not quite. Idols: Sports figures, movie stars, rock bands. Heroes: U.S. military, law enforcement, health care providers, first reponders. These heroes give us solace and safety. Regis Farrell Greensburg...
Letter to the editor: Respect voters when replacing Thrasher
When the 11 Common Pleas judges gather to choose a replacement to fill Gina Cerilli Thrasher’s soon-to-be-vacant seat, I hope they remember how much they respected the will of those who voted them into office. In the recent Democratic primary election, Ted Kopas won by a wide margin, 10,400 votes....
Editorial: Is leaving Pa. the way to find lower taxes and cost of living?
A Commonwealth Foundation poll shows a lot of Pennsylvanians are considering relocation. Tell us something we didn’t know. Pennsylvania has been aware of its changing demographics for years. Decades, actually. Pennsylvania lost one of its seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, bringing the number of...
Letter to the editor: Won’t support NFHS over HSSN
It is such a shame that the WPIAL has dumped the TribLIVE High School Sports Network (HSSN) for a streaming service with a less-than-5-star reputation. I certainly hope the WPIAL got a boatload of money, as they really cheapened their reputation with many local sports fans by doing this. HSSN...
Letter to the editor: Urge action on air quality
I recently returned to Pittsburgh after being away for two weeks and was shocked that I couldn’t even go outside because of the foul air from the Canadian wildfires. Even inside, I had a headache and sore throat. As a teacher, I see firsthand how many students suffer with terrible,...
Jonah Goldberg: Why blocking Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan is healthy for politics
Last week, the Supreme Court scuttled the Biden administration’s attempt to forgive more than $400 billion in student loan debt. As a matter of policy, broad-based student debt cancellation remains a terrible idea for a host of reasons. While targeting relatively small debts held by lower income community college graduates...
