Opinion category, Page 436
Derrick Smith: Pa. is hurting. Where is Sen. Toomey?
I voted for Sen. Pat Toomey back in 2010 because he seemed like he wanted to look out for working people like me. He didn’t seem afraid of going against his party and working across the aisle to help working Americans. It’s the same reason that I proudly voted for...
John Wasik: Bad news — you’re in debt. Worse news — you’re in phony debt.
The email from “Norton Protection” said I owed $999.99, which was “charged successfully and it will appear on your bank statement in 24 to 48 hours.” Although I have an account with a leading cybersecurity company, I’ve never paid that much for its products. To “cancel” the charge, I was...
Letter to the editor: Look to help life on earth, not find it in space
Instead of looking through a telescope for life somewhere else, look through the body to find a cure for arthritis and cancer. Bobby Rowe Arnold...
Letter to the editor: MINDS Act will prioritize mental health
Mental health awareness has been on the rise in recent years, especially with the added pressures covid-19 has supplied. We’ve come a long way as a society creating a space for those suffering from mental health issues, of any capacity, and creating a supportive and resourceful community. However, there is...
Letter to the editor: Celebrate farmers by taking climate action
The recent Pennsylvania Farm Show celebrated Pennsylvania farmers with a 1-ton butter sculpture. Unfortunately, climate change is poised to impact our state’s dairy and agriculture industry. Average annual temperatures in Pennsylvania have risen roughly 0.5 F (0.3 C) over the last century. Climate change causes an increase in the number...
Editorial: Just draw the redistricting maps already
Pennsylvania is less than four months away from the 2022 primary. The ballots will include one U.S. Senate seat. Right now, that is the only legislative position that isn’t in dispute about who it will represent because it represents every Pennsylvanian. But when it comes to the rest — the...
Letter to the editor: Commissioners must help most vulnerable
Many Westmoreland County families have suffered job loss, reduced hours, covid infection and loss of loved ones over the past two years. The America Rescue Plan (ARP) allocates over $1 million to help relieve countywide covid- related traumas. County Commissioners Sean Kertes, Gina Cerilli Thrasher and Doug Chew have a moral...
Letter to the editor: Making Pittsburgh more accessible
Regarding the article “Pittsburgh looks to make city more accessible for people with disabilities”: As a full-time wheelchair user and student at the University of Pittsburgh, I unfortunately have experienced many accessibility issues in Pittsburgh. Reexamining policies and programs in place for those with disabilities would be extremely beneficial. In...
Leonard Pitts Jr.: GOP has zero interest in bipartisanship
It took Barack Obama four years to figure it out. The 44th president was into his second term before some psychic switch seemed to click and he finally realized what had long been obvious to everyone else. Namely, that the Republican Party had zero interest in bipartisanship and, for that...
Jonah Goldberg: Joe Biden could learn a lot from Bill Clinton
“You and my husband think so similarly when it comes to politics,” Hillary Clinton once told Joe Biden. “You guys were almost separated at birth.” It’s interesting to think about how Biden’s first year as president would have gone differently if this were in fact true. The easiest way to...
Nathan Benefield: Pa.’s out-of-control spending is driving away residents
Gov. Tom Wolf recently declared 2022 a “magical year” for the Pennsylvania budget, citing the possibility of a surplus. However, Pennsylvania’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) predicts this “magic” will not last long. The IFO’s latest Five Year Budget Outlook projects that the state will return to a deficit by fiscal...
Cal Thomas: McConnell deconstructs Biden
The art of deconstructing an argument by refutation and holding a person accountable for previous statements that the person now contradicts was once an honored tradition. It has now mostly gone the way of other traditions in favor of sound bite statements formulated in political party meetings and used to...
Letter to the editor: Indoctrination in schools
Regarding the article “Norwin school board member wants to bar CNN news show for students” (Jan. 12, TribLIVE): Schools are for teaching, not for indoctrinating. Cheri Blum Canonsburg...
Letter to the editor: Dealing with public health emergencies
We are faced with allowing the executive branch full powers to deal with public health emergencies. Before you decide if you agree with that, consider two things. First, covid-19 is not the flu. It has already killed nearly 1 million Americans. Perhaps half of those hospitalized suffer serious, long-term health...
Letter to the editor: Trump should be ashamed
In every ward, precinct and voting district throughout the United States, there is a judge of elections who certifies the votes after both Democrats and Republicans count the votes. Likewise, at the county and state levels, both parties count the votes with poll watchers overseeing the process. It’s very difficult...
Editorial: Is gambling growth a good thing for Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a lot of industries working inside its borders. Manufacturing, agriculture, recreation, health care, banking, education. The diverse landscape and workforce make for fertile ground to plant a business. One industry is showing the kind of year-over-year growth that would make internet billionaires green with envy. Despite the shutdowns...
Letter to the editor: Vote to stop the madness gripping America
America has just undergone the worst year in many decades. We’ve suffered sky-high inflation, a terribly botched covid response, uncontrolled immigration, the Afghanistan debacle, supply chain bottlenecks and restrictions on American freedoms. And make no mistake — we’re all affected and we’re all frustrated. With the support of both Houses...
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland needs health department
The covid pandemic has underscored the need for a local health department in Westmoreland County. In this public health vacuum, county commissioners Sean Kertes, Gina Cerilli Thrasher and Doug Chew have failed to make a coordinated and concerted effort to use American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to promote covid testing,...
Tom Purcell: Beating inflation is laughable
In these inflationary times, it’s not easy to laugh as you watch the value of your hard-earned savings being destroyed. But I chuckled out loud when I read some of the tips offered by Bloomberg News to beat inflation, which is at its highest point in more than 40 years....
Michael Torres: Pa.’s redistricting marked by hyper-partisanship
In December, a Democratic activist group led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder filed a lawsuit over congressional redistricting in Pennsylvania, where the state House has voted on a proposed map. The National Redistricting Action Fund argues that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican-majority Legislature are at an...
Christopher Borick: A Pa. Republican Wave — if the party can ride it
Momentum is a valuable asset in many of life’s endeavors. In sports, business and entertainment, success can foster optimism and excitement, often creating opportunities for additional achievements. Momentum doubtless applies to politics, too — especially for the Republican Party in this midterm year. In Pennsylvania, the GOP clearly has the...
Letter to the editor: Nursing home industry should be scrutinized
Five-star pricing to be left alone and helpless with sex offenders. I felt disgrace and disgust when I read the article “Hidden danger: Registered sex offenders often go undetected in care homes” (Dec. 30, TribLIVE). The audacity of not telling families that you are harboring sex offenders. The words “every...
Letter to the editor: Salvation Army grateful for support
The Salvation Army Western Pennsylvania Division is grateful for the support, compassion, volunteerism and financial assistance that our neighbors provided to those most in need this holiday season, as $2.2 million was raised during the 2021 Red Kettle Campaign: Hope Marches On. Because of your generosity and kindness, we can...
Letter to the editor: Corman’s hiring of Conway doesn’t bode well
With an ear-to-ear smile, Jake Corman announced via Twitter that none other than Kellyanne Conway, perhaps Donald Trump’s favorite apologist for the “big lie,” would be joining his campaign team in his pursuit of his party’s nomination for governor. Yet Conway’s smiling facade hides a startling history of twisted explanations...
Editorial: Food deserts demand change in thinking
New Kensington is not a desert. Not in the classic definition, at least. Nowhere in Southwestern Pennsylvania really is. In an area crisscrossed with rivers and streams, scarcity of water is seldom a problem. But food deserts are a different story. A food desert is an urban area where it...
