Opinion category, Page 296
Editorial: Clarence Thomas situation shows why Harrisburg needs gift ban
If you want to know why a gift ban is important, look no further than U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. On Thursday, a ProPublica investigation outlined years of travel and generosity from Texas real estate billionaire Harlan Crow to Thomas, who has sat on the country’s highest court since...
Letter to the editor: With Biden, it’s always America last
America last: This phrase becomes more true every day. Seems our government is more worried about everybody except Americans or America. We now have people from over 140 countries plowing our so-called “under control” border, including Chinese and Russians. This, mind you, is a border that the so-called border czar...
Letter to the editor: Funding, not schools, broken
In his op-ed “Now is the time for transformational change in Pa. education” (March 28, TribLIVE), state Rep. Jesse Topper fails to mention that the majority of K-12 funding for public education comes from property taxes — not from state revenues. Pennsylvania ranks 43rd nationally for state share of funding,...
Tom Purcell: Will’s wit soothes a taxing time
Tax returns are due next week, and many Americans are surely stressed out as they scramble to get their financial records in order. I can’t think of a better time to revisit the wit and wisdom of Will Rogers. Rogers was a famous American humorist, actor and social commentator who...
Katelyn Salva and Kylie Lichtenstein: The ADHD medication shortage — what can be done?
There has been an unprecedented increase in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses since the covid-19 pandemic. Prescriptions for Adderall, used to treat ADHD, for adults rose 15.1% during 2020 (over double the 2019 rise of 7.4%). This increased consumer demand for ADHD medications has resulted in a shortage of Adderall. The...
Letter to the editor: Our experts should be able to solve global warming
I don’t know if global warming is real or a theory, but I do know that the U.S.A. has some of the best engineers in the world. I suggest the oil companies hire a top-rated engineering firm to build a small scale model of the earth/atmosphere and prove that CO2...
Letter to the editor: Government helping average citizens is socialist?
The writer of the letter “Taxpayers not responsible for student debt” (March 16) gives us his sage wisdom, surprisingly free of charge. You see, he doesn’t seem to like the idea of the government easing some of the financial burden for those who are struggling. It’s strange though, that he...
Letter to the editor: Turnpike as government’s cash cow
The editorial “Make E-ZPass easier for low-income drivers” (April 3, TribLIVE) brings to light facts that should make our blood boil. It points out that legislators started to force the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in 2007 to start paying the state for the government, mass transit and the Department of Transportation...
Editorial: Public School Employees Retirement System meter keeps running
When school districts send tax bills, they should include a notice of how much they pay to the scandal-plagued Public School Employees Retirement System. Due to PSERS’ history of limited transparency and mismanagement, legislative malpractice and financial practices for the benefit of the finance industry, each of 500 Pennsylvania school...
Letter to the editor: Pick a side, good or evil
E pluribus unum, in my opinion, is officially dead! America, has devolved into a battleground pitting the forces of good against the forces of evil. Due to the rampant corruption of government and the press, I don’t believe the winner will be fairly determined by “we the people.” The good...
Letter to the editor: Opposed to Pa. marijuana expansion
The article “Proposed bill would give Pa. doctors more leeway in prescribing medical marijuana” (March 5, TribLIVE) explains a bill that would loosen the state’s medical marijuana regulations. Opposition to marijuana expansion is needed in the state Senate and House. Legislation co-sponsored by state Sens. Jim Brewster, D-McKeesport, and Mike...
Editorial cartoons for the week of April 10
Editorial cartoons for the week of April 10....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of April 10
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of April 10....
Natalie Frydryck: Young Methodists concerned about disaffiliation, too
The last few years have been a challenging time for the United Methodist Church (UMC). Since 2019, some individual churches have started the process to disaffiliate, many doing so over disagreements about the church’s welcoming stance on members of the LGBT+ community. Dealing with the struggles of disaffiliation is hard...
Letter to the editor: Springtime changes, for the better and worse
Once again, spring, Easter and Passover are upon us. Over the years, things have changed. No longer are the downtown stores closed from noon-3 p.m. on Good Friday. Some stores are even open on Easter Sunday. On the positive side, no longer are 5&10s selling live baby chicks that were...
Letter to the editor: Special needs children need help
My autistic son has been on the waitlist for one year for a mobile therapist to come to our house and work with him. We currently do not have services for him in Allegheny County. After many phone calls, we continue to struggle to get any services, but it is...
Letter to the editor: Our capitalist, socialist society
It is baffling that some people feel they can hurl the word socialist at someone as a slur to insult and demean that person when in fact the U.S. is a mixed economy. It works according to an economic system that features characteristics of both capitalism and socialism. Most advanced...
Editorial: A day of celebration and faith
Today is a day of faith. It is, in fact, about more than one faith. For many, even most, in the United States, today is Easter Sunday. It is the most important holy day to Christians around the globe, celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus. For the Jewish community, it falls...
Letter to the editor: Ban AK-15s, not books
Banning AR-15s instead of banning books makes schools safer. Books don’t kill people, and the “offensive” content used to eliminate certain books is actually censorship. Hempfield Township is in the process of changing its policies on how books can be removed from school library shelves. This is a fascist assault...
Letter to the editor: Free up brain space — don’t sweat the small stuff
Trump, Biden, Ukraine, China, crime, riots, natural disasters, political and scientific hoaxes, voter fraud, inflation, fake news, deep fakes, far left, far right — it’s so much to worry about, and with limited brain space, it’s tough for anyone to take it all in. To avoid a brain explosion, I...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: DeSantis and book banners can’t change history
The recent move by Florida Democrats to ban Gov. Ron DeSantis’ memoir, “The Courage To Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival,” raises issues that are more important than the few chuckles it warrants. DeSantis has promoted laws banning books on race, diversity and gender, limiting teachers’ ability to discuss...
Molly Parzen: Farm Bill a bipartisan opportunity to ensure America’s bounty, sustainability
In our hyper-polarized political environment, examples of bipartisan lawmaking are hard to find, and it’s understandable why many Americans believe policymakers accomplish little for their constituents. However, this year we have an opportunity to pass genuinely bipartisan legislation: the United States Farm Bill. Not only does this legislation represent an...
Mike Huwar and Tom Melcher: Focus on critical issues in county executive race
The next Allegheny County executive will face unprecedented challenges that will affect the future of our region. Allegheny County voters should conduct rigorous and productive job interviews with anybody who applies for the job. To help accomplish that, the business-organized labor alliance Pittsburgh Works Together is launching an initiative intended...
Letter to the editor: Kudos to students volunteers, Habitat for Humanity
I was so encouraged to read the front-page article about college students spending their spring break volunteering (“Pitt-Greensburg students build bonds, outfit Tennessee homes on Habitat for Humanity trip,” March 22, TribLIVE). These students are to be commended for their unselfish giving of their time. Their experience, I’m sure, has...
Sounding off: School shootings and politics, deer hunting, state of Pittsburgh and U.S., climate among week’s topics
Thoughts and prayers not enough to stop shootings Once again there is a school shooting. Once again the people who vote against sane gun laws offer their thoughts and prayers. Well, guess what? That is not enough. When the Founding Fathers gave citizens the right to bear arms they couldn’t...
