Opinion category, Page 548
Letter to the editor: Vaccination distribution nightmare
My covid-19 vaccine experience was horrendous. It wasn’t the shot itself that caused me distress, but the events that led up to my vaccination. As a health care student, I was sent numerous resources for how to sign up to receive a vaccination. It felt too good to be true...
Editorial: What part of ‘permanent’ don’t state election rulemakers understand?
You know what “permanent” means, right? According to definition experts at Merriam- Webster, it means “in a way that continues without changing or ending; in a way that is not brief or temporary.” In other words, if you take a step that you call permanent, it’s something you expect to continue...
Ryan O’Connor: Abuse survivors deserve their day in court
I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Between the ages of 4 and 11, I was molested and sexually abused by two different men at two different times of my childhood. The second man was a Catholic priest from my parish, Our Mother of Sorrows in Johnstown. His name...
Letter to the editor: Gov. Wolf’s only plan is asking for more money
The article “Pa.’s lagging vaccine rollout takes center stage in Harrisburg” stated “Pennsylvania is ranked tied for 39th among the 50 states in terms of the percentage of people who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.” I wonder if our wonderful governor put as much effort into...
Nathan Benefield: Pa. budget should care for kids, communities
Pennsylvania confronts overwhelming challenges: a structural deficit; an educational system in free fall; mass business closures and widespread unemployment; and barriers to health care. No doubt, Pennsylvanians expect Harrisburg to deliver education lifelines to families, regulatory and tax relief for business owners, and improved access to care for patients. In...
Jonah Goldberg: Impeachment trials aren’t about proving criminal behavior
After three presidential impeachments, I’ve seen enough to conclude that one of the worst things about them is the lawyers. Even among some of my favorite legal commentators the problem is the same. They say something like: “Of course impeachment trials aren’t criminal proceedings. Impeachment is a political process.” And...
Letter to the editor: Pittsburgh, Paris and pollution
Pittsburgh, not Paris. It’s a metaphor (“Ted Cruz brings back Paris vs. Pittsburgh in criticism of Biden; Peduto scoffs,” Jan. 20, TribLIVE). People of reasonable intelligence and those who use the English language in their profession should know the difference and not use the literal translation to make a political...
Letter to the Editor: Pity those trying to schedule a covid-19 vaccination
I’m 79 years old but worked in IT for 40 years and consider myself pretty computer savvy. But the extreme difficulty I’ve had trying to schedule a covid-19 vaccination makes me feel pity for the people who have little or no computer experience. What a frustrating process this is for...
Letter to the editor: Marketing and selling out America
When I was in a cable TV series from 2014-15, our viewership was 1.5 million, which was higher than “The O’Reilly Factor.” Our competing show had 1.1 million viewers. I figured we would be picked up for a third season. Wrong. They had the under-49 viewers who spend more money...
Editorial: Pennsylvania’s vaccine game needs work
The covid-19 vaccines are the pathway to getting Pennsylvania back to what the state was in February 2020. Whether the Pfizer or Moderna or forthcoming Johnson & Johnson shot, vaccines are the way to go from a population left wide open to the coronavirus pandemic and a population prepared to...
Letter to the editor: Continue to be an engaged voter
With the 2020 election behind us, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that 2021, 2022 and 2023 also are election years for state, county and municipal offices, along with Congress in 2022. We learned in 2020 that the decisions and actions of governors, state legislatures and judiciaries, county...
Pat Buchanan: Of rioters, protesters and patriots
To Parliament, in the London of George III, the Boston Massacre of 1770 and the Tea Party of 1773 were not seen in the same light as they were by the Sons of Liberty in the Massachusetts colony. To Parliament, this was mob violence, and the shooting and killing at...
Letter to the editor: Reopening Pittsburgh’s schools safely
I have to admire the restraint of Pittsburgh Public Schools board member Kevin Carter’s comments about the recent proposed City Council resolution regarding our “educational emergency” while we try to reopen Pittsburgh’s schools safely during a global pandemic (“Pittsburgh City Council accused of ‘grandstanding’ as it seeks involvement in school...
Dr. Paul Carson: Pittsburgh Public Schools leaders failing our kids
As a parent of two remotely schooled Pittsburgh Public Schools students, I am extremely concerned about my children’s education and mental health during the pandemic. For almost a year now, I’ve watched my children stare at screens for eight hours a day and complain that they think they are learning...
Jonah Goldberg: Biden unwisely following party-line lead of 2 predecessors
As an American, I wish President Joe Biden every success in defeating the pandemic and getting the economy moving again. But when it comes to the dysfunction of our political system and the polarized climate generally, it’s becoming clear he’s part of the problem, not the solution. I don’t think...
Letter to the editor: Pay your taxes with your stimulus check
As of the writing of this opinion, Gov. Tom Wolf is proposing to raise taxes on a family of four earning more than $84,000 per year. Conversely, President Biden wants to give a huge stimulus check to families of four earning more than $84,000 per year. Wonderful! Now a family...
Editorial: If legislators get power over ’emergency powers,’ no time for petty politics
It is an understatement to say Gov. Tom Wolf’s coronavirus pandemic response has not been universally popular. While some point to the administration’s restrictions on gatherings, early shutdowns of businesses and schools, mask mandates and other measures as important steps to limit the spread of covid-19, there are plenty of...
Leonard Pitts Jr.: Henry Darby’s effort not a feel-good story
This is not a feel-good story. Of course, it’s easy to see why it has been positioned as one. Certainly, it contains all the elements: vulnerable people, heart-rending need, someone going above and beyond. But this is not a feel-good story. Not to mock or cast aspersions on the noble...
Letter to the editor: Gov. Wolf’s grand spending plan
It is disappointing that Gov. Tom Wolf would propose a massive tax increase which, despite a proposed increase in the exemption for lower-income families, would hit countless middle-class families through a boost of almost 50% in the state’s levy on income, taking it from 3.07 to 4.49%. The governor knows...
Tom Purcell: Simpler taxes long promised, never delivered
I love winter. I love snow. I love making a roaring fire in my fireplace on a chilly day. But I hate one thing about this time of year: taxes. February is rough for the self-employed. It’s rough because my 1099 forms — official records of how much my clients...
Gov. Tom Wolf: Meeting the needs of Pa. citizens
I want to lower taxes for working families in Pennsylvania. I know in the days since my budget address you’ve probably heard a whole lot from other people about my plan — what they like, what they hate, what they wish I had said instead. This year, because of the...
Baruch Stein: GameStop affair shows need for better regulation
Despite discussions about “common people outmaneuvering Wall Street,” the GameStop affair harmed many of those who think they beat Wall Street and illustrates the need for better regulation. Keith Gill, the man behind the affair, is himself a professional financial adviser who used the GameStop rally to turn an investment...
Letter to the editor: Billboard restrictions protect communities
Regarding the article “Unity to update comprehensive plan, considers easing billboard restriction” (Jan. 28, TribLIVE): I would like to advise the Unity Township supervisors that easing billboard restrictions would actually be detrimental to business interests. Billboards are ugly and a major source of blight along our highways. Billboards lower nearby...
Letter to the editor: Citizens paying for filthy politics in Harrisburg
So, Frank Dermody loses the election, retires on a taxpayer-funded retirement of $110,000 a year and is handed a cushy job on the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (“Frank Dermody lost state House election but lands $145,000/year gambling board job,” Jan. 29, TribLIVE). According to the article, Dermody was responsible for...
Letter to the editor: Dermody an outstanding, ethical public servant
Regarding the article “Frank Dermody lost state House election but lands $145,000/year gambling board job” (Jan. 28, TribLIVE): I’m glad Dermody was appointed to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Dermody brings an incomparable level of expertise on the subject matter of the commission. This being a two-year appointment means his...
