Opinion category, Page 474
Letter to the editor: Rats a nuisance in Springdale
Rats and more rats are running around Springdale. I understand that everyone needs a home, but rats are a nuisance. It can become a dangerous situation for pet owners because of the hantavirus. Many residents were told that the abandoned house and vehicle near Ridge Avenue were not treated before...
Letter to the editor: Vaccination should be required for all
To prevent further spread of the coronavirus, we should require everyone to get fully vaccinated (including a possible third dose), unless exempted by a sincerely held religious belief or medical condition. We should write to our legislators and executives at all levels of government. Alvin Blake Mt. Lebanon...
Letter to the editor: Medicare negotiation critical
I am writing to urge support from the American people and lawmakers for the national-level bill House Resolution 3, which would allow Medicare to negotiate for lower prices. Five years ago, I went from a relatively healthy 30-year-old to very sick and unable to work in just a few months....
Lori Falce: How does a Mountain Dew cost more than $1.3 million?
There is an impression that the law is supposed to be fair. People who think that it actually works out that way don’t spend a lot of time comparing the way people are charged or sentenced. When it comes time to pay the price for bad behavior, it seems like...
Letter to the editor: Support small business, support community
Although the economy has shifted toward recovery, the rising number of covid-19 cases has generated a gnawing sense of concern among small businesses, which have been forever altered by the pandemic. Adapting has become the name of the game. Since I founded my business in 2013, it has been adopted...
Cara Ciminillo: Congress must extend Child Tax Credit to support child care gains
Since the Child Tax Credit was significantly expanded as part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, working families in Pittsburgh and across Southwestern Pennsylvania started receiving up to $300 per child per month starting July 15. While the tax credit expansion came as a way to tackle the economic fallout...
Laurels & lances: Drugs, tests and promises
Laurel: To addressing addiction. On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department announced a new campaign to address drug use and recovery in Westmoreland and eastern Allegheny counties. The program is a $75,000 effort to connect people who need help with services already being provided in the community, as well as information...
Rep. Eric Nelson: Creating an election system for 2021, not patching one from 1937
What was America like in 1937? Slower-paced, to be sure. Less than half of us owned cars. Boarding a plane and traveling from New York to Los Angeles in a few hours was basically unheard of. Communication was slower too. There were no computers and no internet. On the rare...
Ciora Thomas: How Toomey can help protect, empower next generation
The other day, I stood on the steps by the river at Pittsburgh’s Point State Park getting my photograph taken, along with several other colleagues, to add to my nonprofit organization’s website. I founded SisTers PGH in 2013 for fellow TGNC (trans and gender-nonconforming) folks after years of struggling with...
Letter to the editor: Price on carbon best for tackling climate costs
Bloomberg News recently broke a story about various means under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee to help fund the reconciliation bill. One method stands out: a carbon tax with some of the money provided as a dividend to lower-income residents. This could not only fund some infrastructure, but directly...
Letter to the editor: Biden is a disgrace
Has no one the courage as an American to say what needs to be said? I can say authoritatively as a Vietnam veteran that what is going on in Afghanistan is atrocious. It is immoral, humiliating and damn dangerous for those left behind. Would you want to be in their...
Editorial: Supply-chain shortages only made worse with panic
With a pandemic, there are certain things you expect to be problematic. Crowded emergency rooms are not surprising. Doctors telling you to keep your distance and wash your hands? That’s pretty on brand for them. Even the stock market rising and falling with the latest vaccine release or other developments...
Letter to the editor: GOP should focus on important issues, not jeopardize voters
As I read the article “Pa. Senate GOP moves to collect private voter information in controversial review of 2020 election,” I could not believe that the Republican Party continues to try to spend our money and jeopardize all voters by collecting Republican, Democratic and independent voters’ personal data. All for...
Don Walko: We can create jobs without sacrificing environment
Both of my grandfathers were coal miners in Westmoreland County, and my mother and father worked in factories in South Greensburg. They were like most Appalachians: They were hard workers who took care of their families and loved their communities. Until I was in first grade, my family lived across...
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler: Gaming is good for Pa. economy
Covid-19 devastated Pennsylvania, shutting our state down for months. Our economy felt the impact, contracting by $32 billion. The road to recovery has not been easy, but thankfully, the Keystone State is back on the rebound. Part of this is due to obvious factors, like stores reopening and people returning...
Goldberg: Biden’s foreign policy: Too leftist or too Trumpist?
It’s one of the strange ironies of American politics. Few things are as politically polarizing as foreign policy, and yet it’s on foreign policy where the differences between the parties are often narrowest. Indeed, viewed from abroad, our allies and adversaries often think that the biggest problem with any new...
Letter to the editor: ‘Horton Hears a Hoax (‘Cause He Only Watches Fox)’
I won’t wear a mask That’s too much to ask Won’t cover a sneeze Cuz, “muh liberties!” Common courtesy is a liberal plot No matter the death count, I won’t get the shot No, I won’t get the vax That’s too much to ask Don’t tread on me with “please”...
Letter to the editor: Dems’ double standard on Biden
Where are the Democrats now? They were eager to protect us from President Trump at the slightest perceived infraction. Why isn’t Rep. Eric Swalwell (you know, the guy with an affinity for Chinese spies) calling for impeachment? Why isn’t Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi calling for implementation of the...
Editorial: The other TikTok challenge is teaching kids right from wrong
Social media’s latest must-have app is creating problems in local schools. TikTok is the app. Today’s incarnation is an example of a mainstay of the video-sharing app — collaboration. It was formed by the merger of Chinese company ByteDance’s product, started in 2016, with Musical.ly, another Chinese app started in...
Letter to the editor: Transparency needed for Allegheny County assessment process
The Allegheny County real estate website provides information to all property owners regarding their assessments. It is also used by taxing bodies to jack up taxes on unsuspecting recent homebuyers. For many years, appeals board hearing officers have given much weight to website sales comparables prepared by an outside firm....
Pat Buchanan: Are U.S., China stumbling toward ‘islands war’?
In a diplomatic coup, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a deal last week with the U.K. and U.S. to have those Anglo-American allies help build a nuclear-powered submarine fleet for Australia. A $66 billion French deal to provide Canberra with diesel electric-powered submarines, among the largest defense contracts Paris had...
Letter to the editor: Amtrak an unwise investment
Regarding the article “Amtrak chief promotes 2nd Pittsburgh-Harrisburg service” (Sept. 10, TribLIVE): Pittsburgh to Harrisburg via Amtrak — 5 hours, 20 minutes. Pittsburgh to Harrisburg via Greyhound bus — 4 hours. Pittsburgh to Harrisburg via your vehicle — 3 hours. You pick! A second daily Amtrak train will not solve...
Letter to the editor: Can it get worse than Biden?
I would have written this letter sooner, but I had to get permission from the Taliban. Heaven help us. President Biden cannot! He is delusional at best. He lies so often that he seems to actually believe himself. Even worse is that the secretary of defense and the chairman of...
Editorial: Sewage troubles for Harmar residents show need for collective action
There are certain tasks government has to be depended upon to handle. The people can’t pave the roads. They can’t lock up criminals. They can’t just grant people the ability to work as a doctor or get divorced or drive a car. And they can’t build sewage systems. In Harmar,...
Letter to the editor: Doubling global tax will devastate economy
I have seen and heard firsthand about the struggles that many of Pennsylvania’s workers, contractors and businesses faced during the pandemic. To spur our recovery, lawmakers must foster an environment that encourages economic growth and development. Unfortunately, some federal officials do not agree with that sentiment and are instead championing...
