Opinion category, Page 433
Howard Manuel: Support newly settled Afghans
There is no easy way to relive it; the American spirit was tested throughout our time in Afghanistan. We can have many a long discussion about what and when, or about our withdrawal strategy in 2021. But in this new year, our efforts are best exerted looking at the lingering...
Colin McNickle: Are Pittsburgh’s pension changes prudent?
The City of Pittsburgh has revised its employee pension program. But whether the moves were prudent remains an open question, concludes an analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. It was in December that outgoing Mayor Bill Peduto signed ordinances that eliminated a pension reduction for some city employees,...
Letter to the editor: Time to dump Trump
It’s well past time for the GOP to shed Donald Trump and his insanity. Principled conservative values are lost amid the bluster and hate he raises. Trump was nearly the death of us all. Come on, Republicans: Show some spine and dump the Donald. Dan Skantar North Fayette...
Letter to the editor: What happened to property tax reduction from gambling profits?
Regarding the article “Pennsylvania casinos shatter record, generate $4.7 billion in revenues in 2021” (Jan. 21, TribLIVE): The Pennsylvania Lottery brought in record revenues last year, too — $1.3 billion. I remember when Pennsylvania homeowners were promised a huge reduction in their property taxes if we voted in favor of...
Editorial: Journalism Competition and Preservation Act serves communities by keeping news accessible
Local news is necessary news. All news serves a purpose. National news helps us identify what is happening in our country and how it affects us and how we affect it. State news narrows that focus to the decisions being made in our capital and by our lawmakers and in...
Letter to the editor: Still blaming Trump?
Regarding Edward A. Svitek’s letter “Trump has done enough damage” (Jan. 19, TribLIVE): I would be ashamed to ever admit that I’m a Democrat now, or ever. Hateful people (Democrats) will continue to blame President Trump forever, even though we currently have an unqualified president and vice president who are...
Letter to the editor: Won’t vote for Corman
When the Central Pennsylvania Republican State Committee Caucus gives him only seven votes out of more than 100 cast in a straw poll for governor, what does Jake Corman, the current president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate, do? He suggests impeachment of the Philadelphia district attorney. As he has...
John Stossel: Runaway inflation difficult to stop
Inflation is the worst in 40 years. The price of cars is up 37%. Gas is up 49%. During the last few years, as politicians spent ever more money, experts told us not to worry. Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, said inflation would be “transitory.” Treasury Secretary Janet...
Letter to the editor: Voting Democrat an addiction
I believe that voting Democrat can be an addiction. Democrats continue to vote Democrat for decades while their cities disintegrate into cesspools of drugs, slums, crime, disease and suffocating taxes. For some of them, when they finally can’t stand it any longer, they move — and vote Democrat in their...
Jonah Goldberg: Ukraine’s president may be our only hope
One can only sympathize with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Vladimir Putin has a dagger aimed at the heart of Ukraine. For months he has mobilized troops along the Ukrainian border. The recent deployment of troops to Ukraine’s almost undefended border with Belarus raises the possibility of a blitzkrieg strike against...
Kevin Vallier: Why we can’t split the difference on culture
The United States is an outlier among established democracies in two respects: We face both falling social trust and rising polarization. I have argued that the two dynamics connect in a doom loop. Trust in others and institutions falls, leading to greater polarization, which drives trust down even more. That...
Colleen Hroncich: Education choice can prevent fights over covid policies
“One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to education.” This is a phrase that education-choice advocates have voiced for years to explain why families need options. But it’s never been truer than today while dealing with covid-19. Before Christmas break, many Pennsylvania school districts had considered moving to remote...
Letter to the editor: Voice of Westmoreland on board? Problem with pledge?
Spare me. The Voice of Westmoreland seems to have a seat on the editorial board of the Trib. And Kris Weinschenker (“Other forms of indoctrination in schools,” Jan. 27, TribLIVE) seems to have a problem with Americans saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Regis Kruth Shaler...
Letter to the editor: Words give wrong impression of Dr. Oz event
I love how just a few words can give the wrong impression if one doesn’t read further! To quote the article “Dr. Mehmet Oz stumps in Westmoreland County in quest for U.S. Senate” (Jan. 26, TribLIVE): “The meet-and-greet event held in a small room … where few attendees wore face...
Letter to the editor: Biden administration is weakening the military
The Biden administration is weakening our military readiness with their idiotic woke policies. The military is not the place for social experimentation. The teaching that America is inherently racist is detrimental to a cohesive fighting force. The military needs to be colorblind in recruitment, training and promotion of troops. The...
Letter to the editor: Dealing with Jan. 6 traitors
In the unlikely event that Americans are naïve enough to reelect Donald Trump, he has made it clear that he may pardon the violent criminals and domestic terrorists who murdered law enforcement and attempted to undo a free and fair election. This wouldn’t be the first time in America’s history...
Editorial: Funding emergency equipment is vital responsibility
The siren of an ambulance, a fire truck or police car can herald a pricey proposition. For most people, that would seem to be about the hospital bill or the insurance deductible or that speeding ticket. But first responders know just how much it costs to keep the specialized equipment...
Letter to the editor: Memories of Forbes Avenue bridge
Many things in my life have concerned the recently collapsed Forbes Avenue bridge. I used to cross that bridge to go to church. I crossed it in a streetcar and in a bus. I walked across it coming home from high school. I walked out to the middle of it...
Letter to the editor: Nursing homes in crisis
While we applaud the proposed investment in hospital front-line health care workers announced recently by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, nursing homes continue to be ground zero for the pandemic. Our members’ staff, residents and their families continue to reel under the pressure of the pandemic and its impact on our...
Leonard Pitts Jr.: Some of us still have some growing up to do
“I know you are, but what am I?” Remember that kid from fifth grade? That little riposte constituted his entire arsenal of comebacks. Slam him with the most devastating putdown the schoolyard had ever seen, and he’d always hit you with that same trite retort, a lame bit of rhetorical...
Cal Thomas: Crime and a widow’s eloquence
Trust in government has been declining since the administration of President Lyndon Johnson. According to Pew Research, only 36% of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents and 9% of Republicans and those leaning Republican now trust government. Who can blame them given the failure of government to perform on many levels? One...
Reps. Joanna McClinton, Matt Bradford and Jordan Harris: Coming together for a brighter future for Pa.
It’s an unprecedented budget year for Pennsylvania, and for once the news is positive. Separate of the nearly $3 billion in unspent federal stimulus dollars left over from last fiscal year, state revenues are now coming in $1.5 billion over estimate (and climbing). This budget snapshot shows us that when...
Robert Smith: Frick Park’s glamour shot
We have all seen the celebrity glamour shots at awards shows. The well-designed backdrop, adoring peer group crowd, high-end clothing and jewelry, and sudden strike-the-pose camera snapshots. We also regularly see the politician glamour shot. The biggie-sized check, adoring crowd typically full of political cronies, poser snapshots or filmed snippets...
Letter to the editor: Defending foundational freedoms of our nation
Take a bow, Mr. John Gregory Parks (“Vaxxed and unvaxxed divisions,” Jan. 27, TribLIVE). Your brilliantly worded assessment of the current state of covid hits the nail squarely on the head. Thank you for standing up and saying what we the unvaccinated think and live every day. In my not...
Letter to the editor: Strive for truth and trust
We all know that truth is in short supply these days. To be true is to be consistent with fact or reality. To have trust, you must have the truth. How many of us have absolute trust in our politicians, judges, police, clergy, corporations and other institutions? When you wonder...
