Opinion category, Page 511
Letter to the editor: Biden’s actions hampered US Steel
In his column “Broken promises in the Mon Valley” (May 8, TribLIVE), Joseph Sabino Mistick says U.S. Steel should “stop stringing us along” with “hemming and hawing and double-speak that is used for corporate bad news.” He says nobody should have been surprised when the plug was pulled on its...
Letter to the editor: Beware of air quality near industry
The American Lung Association recently released its 2021 State of the Air report. Allegheny County once again received failing grades in every category, giving it some of the worst air quality in the nation. This means more people will likely suffer health problems or die early. Some surrounding counties, Westmoreland...
Letter to the editor: Questions for Hempfield on solar permit
Sunrise Energy LLC in 2019 contracted with the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County to purchase renewable energy produced at a 12-acre industrial solar farm in Hunker, now owned by SolRiver LLC of Denver, Colo. Hempfield Township seemed mostly concerned with stormwater runoff, and thus issued a special use permit for...
Editorial: Go beyond voter support for fire departments and EMS
On Tuesday, a ballot question asked Pennsylvanians to take a side on the Municipal Fire and EMS Services Loan Measure. That very formal-sounding title boils down to a simple idea. Should municipal fire departments and ambulance companies be able to borrow from the state’s loan fund to support capital upgrades?...
Letter to the editor: Rebuilding our nation’s soul
I was impressed by Leonard Pitts Jr.’s column “Small wonder the church is shrinking” (April 6, TribLIVE). He stated that for the first time since Gallup has been tracking religious membership in America since 1937, it has dropped below half. In 1937, 73% of us belonged to a house of...
Letter to the editor: DC deserves statehood
More than 200 years ago, our ancestors fought a revolution over taxation without representation; they fought a revolution for the right to create a democracy, and as a result, the United States of America was born. But to this day, the residents of Washington, D.C., our nation’s capital, are denied...
Editorial cartoons for the week of May 24
Editorial cartoons for the week of May 24....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of May 24
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of May 24....
S.E. Cupp: Cuomo throws the book at New York
New Yorkers have yet another reason to feel betrayed by their governor, Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo is set to receive a galling amount of money — $5.1 million — for a book he wrote touting his leadership during the global pandemic. “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic” was published...
Letter to the editor: Pittsburgh’s mayor should put city’s best interests first
Pittsburgh will soon have a new mayor. It doesn’t matter if he is a Democrat or Republican, Black, white, blue or green. The question to be asked is, is he the right person to lead this city in the right direction? Is he honest and trustworthy, and does he prioritize...
Letter to the editor: How about we all make our own mask decisions?
I was both saddened and amused by the front-page story in the May 18 print edition with the headline “On? Off? Mandate on masks confuses.” Let me propose a novel idea. How about letting people decide for themselves whether or not they want to wear a mask? It is called...
Letter to the editor: All in Pennsylvania are deserving of an honest living
Thought experiment for Gene Barr, president of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, who, according to the article “Is extra $300 in federal unemployment assistance stopping people from applying for jobs?” thinks we should take “that extra $300 (per week of unemployment benefit) and offer it to jobless workers...
Letter to the editor: Kelly and Reschenthaler’s loyalty
Regarding Reps. Mike Kelly and Guy Reschenthaler, the cancellation of Liz Cheney and their support for Sean Parnell (“Parnell is the leader Pa. needs in Senate”): Two weeks before Election Day, I stood in line at the Butler County courthouse because my mail ballot was delayed, and I did not...
Editorial: The Pitcairn election shows the political need for wisdom and youth
Government is often seen as an old folks’ game. The math shows why. The average age of a U.S. governor is 64.5 — old enough to be planning a retirement party. For a member of Congress, it swings between 58 for the House of Representatives and 63 for the Senate....
Letter to the editor: Denying science on masks
In no small part due to the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in the U.S., the spread of covid-19 has been significantly decreased across Pennsylvania. Nationally as of May 10, more than 115 million Americans are fully vaccinated, yet there are less than 1,000 cases of hospitalizations...
Letter to the editor: Respecting all sides in covid experience
Let’s commend the Trump administration for orchestrating rollout of multiple covid-19 vaccines in a time frame that was considered impossible by experts, and the Biden administration for grabbing the baton and seeing that a large portion of the country gets vaccinated in quick order. Let’s respect the concerns of those...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Pittsburgh moves forward with Ed Gainey
Last Tuesday, when Bill Peduto became the first incumbent Pittsburgh mayor since 1933 to be booted from office, it was a story both as old as politics and also new again. He never warmed to the essentials of city government, and he missed by a mile the changes in the...
Cynthia Fisher: Hospital price disclosures reinforce importance of price transparency
The Biden administration has begun enforcing the hospital price transparency rule that took effect at the beginning of the year. Recent research published in Health Affairs finds that only about one-third of large hospitals are complying with the order. The rule requires hospitals to post their real prices, including their...
Sounding off: Lincoln’s Lyceum Address is enlightening
I’d like to encourage everyone who reads this to please look up on Google or YouTube the 1838 Lyceum Address by Abraham Lincoln. It was written 23 years before the Civil War. Similar to today, tensions were high, and there was much unease. Lincoln warned the nation of immense harm...
Alexandra Wilkes: Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about how mental health impacts our overall wellness. It’s a time to shine a spotlight on available resources, educate the public, and advocate for policies that focus on the needs of people with mental illness and their families. Most...
Letter to the editor: Another tax increase in Latrobe
So the Greater Latrobe School Board wants a tax increase (“Greater Latrobe to consider tentative 1-mill tax hike, $57.7M budget,” May 12, TribLIVE). Try to live within your budget, like all the senior citizens in the school district have to do. Enough is enough. Unfortunately, we can’t just pass on...
Letter to the editor: Biden is taking us backward
I believe Joe Biden is intent on taking this country back to a time when Democrats’ policies destroyed the family unit. During a 2019 campaign event, Biden referred to himself as the “savior around the world.” He touted a plan to force American taxpayers to fund abortion through Planned Parenthood....
Editorial: A clear rejection of solitary confinement in Allegheny County Jail
Tuesday’s election was heavy on ballot questions. The ones that tended to gain the most attention were the two at the top — statewide proposals to fence in the emergency powers of the governor; those amendments passed by a close 53% to 47%. Another amendment that would protect people from...
Letter to the editor: Dollar stores and the Green New Deal
Our plethora of dollar stores have improved everyone’s life so much I can’t withhold gratitude. I have purchased skin care products that reduced acne. Serious medical problems too personal to go into have been treated successfully with dollar store frankincense and myrrh. Poison ivy. ’Roids. Bicycle injuries. All treated with...
John Stossel: Labor shortage caused by government
America has a record 8.1 million job openings. The media call it a “labor shortage.” But it’s not a labor shortage; it’s an incentive shortage. “No one wants to work,” says a sign on a restaurant drive-thru speaker in Albuquerque, N.M. “Please be patient with the staff that did show...
