Opinion category, Page 555
Letter to the editor: Biden knows how to help
I want to thank Deb Erdley for the article about Dolly and John Regoli’s heartfelt experience with Joe Biden (“New Kensington family recalls Biden sharing their grief, comforting a mother who lost son to brain cancer,” Jan. 20, TribLIVE). They are my wife’s aunt and uncle. The suffering that family...
Letter to the editor: Are we no longer free?
Finally the Supreme Court has upheld the First Amendment and declared it unlawful to close houses of worship (“High court blocks N.Y. coronavirus limits on houses of worship,” Nov. 26, TribLIVE). If that is unlawful, why are governors allowed to close small businesses and punish American working-class citizens, rob us...
Editorial: It isn’t Pittsburgh vs. Paris
Pittsburgh is not the opposite of Paris. Since Donald Trump announced a withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017 with the statement “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” the two cities have become a kind of political shorthand for the balance between the economy...
Letter to the editor: Lawmakers in ‘party of Trump’ must go
Guy Reschenthaler, Kim Ward, Jake Corman, Mike Kelly, John Joyce, Glenn Thompson, Eric Nelson, Daryl Metcalfe: Burn these names in your brain, memorize them — these are the lawmakers from Pennsylvania you do not want to forget. They do not belong to the Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt...
Letter to the editor: Technology fueling our divisions
America is more divided than it has been since the Civil War. Throughout 2020 there were numerous battles between Americans over racial injustices, political beliefs and honestly just opinions/views on the world. It gives the illusion that our country is falling apart. I believe this is happening because people are...
Letter to the editor: Capitalism with a heart close to socialism
While I agree with the proposals laid out by by former Republican congressman Peter Smith in his op-ed “Community capitalism would strengthen markets and people” (Dec. 14, TribLIVE), I would call them examples of “capitalism with a heart.” Not much different than socialism. Many socialists would agree with his ideas....
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Bad timing means more covid deaths
It wasn’t until Joseph “Dada” Sabino was mustering out of the Navy after World War II that he learned from a young medical officer that he had a bad mitral heart valve. The war in the Pacific had given him plenty to deal with, but this surprise would have him...
Sounding off: We need honesty, accountability
I have waited patiently to hear from Rep. Guy Reschenthaler about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. At 12:17 p.m., while the nearby “Stop the Steal” rally was underway, Reschenthaler’s Facebook post proclaimed “Donald Trump is the BEST president since Lincoln.” Less than an hour later, the siege...
Editorial: For local governments large and small, distress is universal
The coronavirus pandemic has been a lot of things to a lot of people. It has been a medical emergency. It has been a financial boondoggle. It has been a planning nightmare, an educational upheaval and an employment catastrophe. But it’s also been something else. A great equalizer. On Tuesday,...
Letter to the editor: Kindness shows true meaning of Christmas
In this world where there is so much bickering and hatred, there are still people who believe in kindness and giving. So, to the woman in front of me in the checkout line at the Eastgate Giant Eagle in Greensburg Dec. 23, I say thank you from the bottom of...
Letter to the editor: Justice not served in 45th District
Regarding the article “Jim Brewster looks forward after tight, tense Pa. Senate race” (Jan. 17, TribLIVE): As a constituent of this district, I’m deeply troubled by the actions of the Democrat-controlled Allegheny County Elections Division and state Supreme Court Justice David Wecht, a Democrat from Allegheny County. Secretary of State...
Letter to the editor: Thankful for library, conveniences it provides
I would like to thank the Community Library of Allegheny Valley for allowing people to borrow using the app called “hoopla.” Anyone with a library card can use the app to read books, listen to audio books and music and watch movies and TV shows. It was a huge benefit...
Letter to the editor: Maybe Trump supporters don’t know the facts
Demographic studies categorically reveal that a large segment of President Trump’s supporters have a high school education at best, don’t read newspapers or news magazines, and don’t watch the evening news or news programs. Their lone contact with Trump supporters occurs when he is spewing lies about election fraud at...
John Stossel: Government’s ‘help’ is not great for minorities
Joe Biden says he’ll “advance racial equity” by making “bold investments” in “affordable housing,” aiding “businesses owned by Black and brown people,” establishing an “equity commission,” etc. Gosh, that’ll do it. Economist Thomas Sowell says, “I haven’t been able to find a single country in the world where policies advocated...
Mona Charen: Republicans must confess complicity in the big lie
If you missed the retraction from the right-wing online magazine The American Thinker, it’s one for the ages. Noting that they had received a warning from lawyers for Dominion Voting Systems, the editors admitted that they had published pieces that “relied on discredited sources who have peddled debunked theories …...
Colin McNickle: Port Authority challenges increase
Concrete steps must be taken to reduce the Port Authority’s costs but also to find a better dedicated funding stream for the mass-transit agency, concludes an analysis by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. “Whatever the Legislature comes up with, the egregiously high costs at the Port Authority of Allegheny...
Earl Fowlkes: To save lives, clinical trials need diversity
I’ve spent my career fighting for vulnerable patients, especially people of color. So I was ecstatic to hear about a new initiative from dozens of biotech companies. These firms pledged to enroll more people of color in “clinical trials” — years-long tests that show whether experimental drugs are safe and...
Letter to the editor: Hypocrisy on Capitol riots
The recent news has been all about the riots and break-ins at the Capitol Jan. 6. I feel bad that people died because of major problems in this country between the two political parties. But there is a lot of hypocrisy going around. Democrats are in favor of bills that...
Letter to the editor: Let’s put an end to the Trump bashing
Will we not be happy or get satisfaction until we nail Donald Trump to the cross or burn him at the stake? We preach as per Joe Biden that we should practice civility, unity, equality and fairness, so can we just once and for all let this go? If you...
Lori Falce: Purple is the color of the year
Every year, Pantone — a 70-year-old company in New Jersey that has built its business on the matching and mixing of colors — pulls out its crystal ball and makes a prediction for the coming 12 months. The company looks at the trends, analyzes the horizon and announces the Color...
Letter to the editor: Condemning Reschenthaler
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler often uses the term “condemning” when referring to liberal Democrats. Now I am condemning Reschenthaler for his refusal to accept the results of the November presidential election and serving as an enabler for former President Trump to deny his loss. Reschenthaler and seven of his fellow Republican...
Letter to the editor: Biden could ‘promote life’ as president
Richard Patton’s premise in his letter “As president, Biden must support Roe v. Wade” is a laughable rationalization. He said that “practicing Catholic” Joe Biden will have presidential power to halt federal capital punishment but is powerless to address abortion and “undo Roe v. Wade.” A “practicing Catholic” president who...
Paul Kengor: Freedom to be ripped off by sports gambling
My previous column focused on the mass public rip-off scheme known as the state lottery, particularly the audacity of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania every Christmas bearing false gifts of lottery tickets. Every holiday season, Harrisburg officials assume the role of anti-Santa, duping gullible citizens with dubious promises of riches they’ll...
Laurels & lances: Eating, excellence, elections
Laurel: To a tasteful event. Restaurants have had a rough year. Those that have survived the last 11 months have done so with tenacity and hard work that has to be commended. And that makes this year’s Greensburg Restaurant Week probably the most important ever. Nineteen different eateries are participating...
Signe Espinoza: Reflecting on 48 years of Roe v. Wade
There is no doubt Roe v. Wade is a landmark Supreme Court case, due to its historical and legal significance, but I find it difficult to celebrate its anniversary, even as someone who has accessed abortion and who fights to protect and expand access to safe, legal abortion every day....
