Opinion category, Page 494
Letter to the editor: Ensuring character, integrity in positions of power
Since his first days in office, Trump trashed the Constitution by ignoring the emoluments clause. He made millions by using his own properties. His early denial of the severity of the covid virus probably cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of Americans. He was impeached over extorting the president...
Jonah Goldberg: Biden administration has made Facebook a pandemic scapegoat
Let’s say you’re Joe Biden. For entirely valid and legitimate reasons, you staked much of your presidency on getting the country vaccinated. You had a very good start, but then things started to stall right as a new, more contagious delta variant of the coronavirus was spreading. This is a...
Letter to the editor: Eliminating Pittsburgh’s traffic nightmares
I submit an open letter to the “powers that be” — the makers, the shakers, the deep-pocketed crowd and whomever. Will you “sled dogs” start pulling in one direction and help alleviate some of Pittsburgh’s traffic nightmares? We need the rail line that runs into Pittsburgh on the east side...
Letter to the editor: Beware of mail-in ballots
Democrats want us to believe that the record voter turnout in the 2020 election was caused by mail ballots that made it much easier to vote, thus allowing many more people to vote than ever before. But is mail voting so easy? What is easier to do if you are...
Letter to the editor: American Jobs Plan can deliver for U.S.
The people of the coalfields and other communities of Southeastern Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, the heart of Appalachia, need a transformational investment. Our entire nation needs a major investment in infrastructure. Both can happen if Congress acts. President Biden has proposed the American Jobs Plan. The plan...
Editorial: Funding pensions on credit is crazy
Some people say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. Does that count if you do the same thing someone else did and expect it to turn out differently? The Westmoreland County Commissioners are giving that a try with $125...
Leonard Pitts Jr.: Where vaccines are concerned, ignorance is death
We live in ignorant times. By now, surely this is obvious beyond argument to anyone who’s been paying attention. From the Capitol insurrectionist who thought he was storming the White House to Sen. Tim Scott’s claim that “woke supremacy is as bad as white supremacy” to whatever thing Tucker Carlson...
Pat Buchanan: Why can’t Biden stop this invasion?
Article IV of the Constitution addresses the obligations of the federal government to the state governments that were being asked to surrender aspects of their sovereignty to form our new Union. “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,” reads Article IV,...
Kathy Buechel: Pittsburgh comes together philanthropically to help community
History repeated itself during the pandemic in many ways. Students of philanthropy braced themselves for the usual dips in giving that occur during recessions, but donations actually rose in 2020. Surprising patterns of donor responsiveness are also evident in Pittsburgh’s own philanthropic history. According to data released by Giving USA...
Letter to the editor: Biden disaster gets worse every day
Kudos to letter-writer Ray Schratz (”Biden’s policies are destroying the country.”) Under Biden, we are seeing the results of what can only be described as a national disaster getting worse every day. This administration seems bent on destroying everything the former president did that was positive for this country. It...
Editorial: Today’s labor shortage, however unexpected, has multiple causes
Help wanted. Help needed. Positions available. Apply within. The signs are everywhere. Whether you are talking about your local grocery store or the gas station, your favorite restaurant or that summer-fun attraction, everyone seems to be looking for someone to do the work that keeps the doors open to keep...
Letter to the editor: Politics involved in all media
Regarding James Kvitkovich’s letter “Trib is fair and balanced” (July 2, TribLIVE): Yes, the Trib is fair and balanced, but the Associated Press is not. I suspect the Trib doesn’t have much of a choice for national and world news? In my letter “Are you a political fool?” (June 5,...
Letter to the editor: Radar and reasonable speed limits
Regarding the use of radar by local police departments (“Senate OKs local police using radar for speed enforcement,” June 23, TribLIVE): Before this practice is allowed, speed limits need to be set at the 85th percentile of prevailing speeds as outlined in the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices and...
Tom Purcell: Haggling over cars another tradition killed by covid
Car buyers are getting crushed by the rapid increase in the cost of new and used cars, but my dad’s old-school negotiating techniques might offer some relief. Thanks to the rippling effects of the pandemic and the lockdowns, it’s harder to find a new car to buy in the first...
Mike Misic: Skill games are valuable to Pa. communities
Too many times important decisions are made that impact everyday people without getting their input. Skill games is a great example. I hear chatter about them from big out-of-state gaming corporations and powerful gaming lobbyists that tell me they know nothing about them. Last month the state Senate held three...
Letter to the editor: How will new airplanes be powered?
Regarding the article “United orders 270 jets to replace old ones, plan for growth” (June 29, TribLIVE): This is great news. However, the article did not mention how these new airplanes will be powered. Will they be powered by solar panels, windmills mounted on wings or some other kind of...
Letter to the editor: Don’t want Reschenthaler’s nonsense
I recently received an unsolicited email from Rep. Guy Reschenthaler accusing Democrats (I am registered as nonpartisan) of having far-left policies that hurt working people. This mail included the usual right-wing nonsense. But what stood out to me was his claim “Republicans Back the Blue.” It didn’t shock me that...
Letter to the editor: Conservatives want only impartial hearings of evidence
Regarding your editorial “Don’t fall for a phony ‘forensic audit’ of 2020 election” (June 24, TribLIVE): The two major papers in the former USSR were Izvestia (The News) and Pravda (The Truth). Noncommunist readers concluded that in news there was no truth and in truth there was no news. Conservatives...
Editorial: Suicide prevention that starts close to home
Suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States. In 2019, 47,511 people lost their lives to whatever combination of pain or trauma or mental anguish made ending everything seem like the only solution. But as awful as that number is, there is another that might be worse....
Letter to the editor: Teaching critical race theory an issue for local districts, not NEA
I’ve been my association’s local union president for 18 years and a social studies teacher for 25 years. Many of my members (myself included) are angry and disappointed that the National Education Association would make a public statement supporting critical race theory. Did the NEA survey its membership to gauge...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of July 19
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of July 19....
Editorial cartoons for the week of July 19
Editorial cartoons for the week of July 19....
Veronique de Rugy: The return of the tax gap hype
Every policy wonk will tell you that after you live in Washington long enough, you start seeing the same issues reemerge on a regular basis. Common ones are praise for the magical ability of government spending to help pay for itself during recessions and hand-wringing over the myth of middle-class...
Gov. Roy Cooper: Building a stronger, healthier future for Appalachian region
With a low cost and high quality of living, it’s no surprise that more than 1.7 million North Carolinians call Appalachia home. The 29 North Carolina counties that are a part of it offer great opportunities to families living in the region — welcoming communities, a strong small business environment,...
Letter to the editor: Keep covid numbers in public’s view
Thank you for continuing to post covid-19 numbers. They are an important part of public health measures during an epidemic. As the numbers were rising, they alerted me to the need to continue to do what we were learning helped: masks, isolating then social distancing, hand-washing, testing and, eventually, getting...
