Our leaders used to deserve respect

There was once a time when public officials earned and deserved respect. A time when those with policy differences were political opponents, not enemies. A time when public service was honored.

Divorce was once considered to be a negative for candidates seeking the presidency. Today’s White House occupant is a serial adulterer, sexual assaulter and accused rapist.

I remember when U.S. Supreme Court justices were viewed as members of an august body. Today the word “disgust” is more appropriate considering that some who serve lied during confirmation hearings in order to secure lifetime appointments. They sit ethically challenged, shamelessly.

For decades, U.S. senators, Democrats and Republicans, were held in high esteem, some referred to as lions in recognition of their leadership and principles. Today, political campaigns name them as liars.

U.S. House members were once lauded for their comity and willingness to place national interests ahead of party affiliation. Today, we witness a clown car, unloading U.S. representatives, center stage in the public arena, bent on performing unfunny comedy.

Opponents to enemies … divorcee to sexual assaulter … august to disgust … lions to lairs … comity to comedy. The change is more than words.

Glenn R. Plummer

Unity

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Trump’s to-do list moving at warp speed

President Trump brought civics lessons back into style. Only it’s not book-learnin’, but doing the actual experiments. Isn’t (political) science wonderful? Fourteenth Amendment and birthright-citizens resurrected from the 1860s. Greenland – is that even in the northern hemisphere?

After just a few days of him being president, I haven’t seen an article with the words “Trump” and “felon” in the same sentence. Was there a squirrel that ran through the newsrooms to distract the old-news-media folks? Or was it the flurry of new paperwork that the Tangerine Tornado has generated that’s doing the distracting? Yeah, must be the squirrel.

Trump had several hundred items on his to-do list. Most of the media and liberals couldn’t keep up.

No mentions of our previous president (Joseph “the Banana slug” Biden) compared to Donald “the Flash” Trump. What a difference in presidential styles now . Even the liberals are astonished at the difference.

NASA and the FAA have scrubbed references to DEI from their websites. Government offices have been ordered to rid their departments of DEI hires, and not to hide them under a different job title.

Here’s hoping he can get 50% of his menu completed.

Don Carrera

Penn Township, Westmoreland County

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GOP no longer seems to stand for law and order

The Republican Party has long branded itself the party of law and order. As I drove around local neighborhoods this fall, I saw scores of “Back the Blue” lawn signs at the same homes sporting “Trump 2025” signs. I wonder how many of those homeowners support Trump’s pardon of all of the convicted felons who viciously beat and repeatedly tased police officers on Jan. 6, 2021.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, more than 140 police officers were assaulted, more than 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police and more than 60 from the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police force. Officer Brian Sicknick died of his injuries the next day. Property damage exceeded $2.8 million.

Following his release, “QAnon Shaman” Jacob Chansley tweeted, “I got a pardon baby! Thank you President Trump! Now I am gonna buy some motha ——in guns! I love this country! God Bless America.” Anyone who still believes the GOP stands for law and order and supports law enforcement has some serious self-examination to do.

Dana Kellerman

Fox Chapel

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Steelers need to turn page on Tomlin

Dear Art Rooney,

It’s me again, I would like to welcome you to the 21st century. Your modus operandi is antiquated and paralyzed with fear and has lost its way. It’s time to give the Mike Tomlin era a Viking funeral. Or have you forsaken winning for profit?

Your coach has mastered the “collapse” and little else. A new sundial won’t solve the clock-management problems. New puppet strings will not enhance your unimaginative offense or your overpaid defense. The nonsensical jibber- jabber isn’t resonating and the players are ill prepared to start the games, as evidenced by zero first-quarter touchdowns all year.

We can’t develop our draft picks, let alone a quarterback, and rely on retreads. No talent evaluation and players set up for failure, but the culture remains an unmitigated disaster. The standard is nonexistent. The winds of change are howling!

Time to move on and turn the page on this sad, embarrassing chapter. There is no trophy for non-losing seasons. Hire a coach, not a “pope.” It’s the NFL, not lifetime job security. Accountability is essential, from the owner on down.

Pittsburgh has been good to the Rooneys. We want quid pro quo. I await the white smoke emitting from Steelers headquarters announcing a long overdue successor. You may not change, but we will. Better things to do on a Sunday.

Rob DiSanti

O’Hara

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Ward should stand up for Pa. workers

I think Sen. Kim Ward is being a bit hypocritical in accusing Gov. Josh Shapiro of being anti-worker (“Sen. Ward tells Shapiro to back sale to Nippon or watch jobs head to Ohio,” Jan. 9). In fact Ward and her party are pushing for Pennsylvania to become a right-to-work state. We all know what that means; the right-to-work for less pay, for less benefits and for less job security. You can not be an advocate for Southwest Pennsylvania workers and anti-­union at the same time. Unions give workers a much-needed voice in the work place.

Then there is the issue of minimum wage. The Senate, which Ward leads, is blocking an increase in pay for Pennsylvania workers. Each year our lawmakers give themselves a raise but have refused for 15 years to give workers an increase. The $7.25 an hour minimum wage is nowhere near our cost of living, which is more than triple that amount. If you are lucky enough to make the cost-of-living wage, you know that level covers the bare minimum, if that. One could say working for $7.25 an hour is involuntary servitude, which just happens to be against the 13th Amendment.

Let’s ask Ward to stand up for Pennsylvania workers and support a much needed increase in minimum wage. This in itself will stimulate our local economy. And studies have shown that unions raise wages not only of their members but of all workers.

Jackie Hartwick

North Versailles

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Oligarchy? It’s not a new development.

The writer of the letter “We now have an oligarchy” (Jan. 24, TribLive) states “political advisers, allies and billionaire oligarchs have suddenly gained influence within the U.S. government.” Suddenly? The left has been controlled by George Soros, John Morgan, Reed Hoffman, etc. for years.

Rick Rohac

Greensburg

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We must keep working to remove lead from our water

Can anyone explain why Republican leaders in Congress are proposing resolution H.J.18 to repeal the Lead Out of Water Rule that would protect communities from toxic lead water pipes? Or why President Trump ordered a stop to federal funding to states for replacement of lead service lines?

I remember our national outrage and concern for the children who faced health issues and decreased learning ability from drinking water contaminated by lead in pipes in Flint, Mich.

Put in your ZIP code in at House.gov to learn who your representative in D.C. is so you can share your concern about this threat to children who live in the many communities that still have aging water lines.

Vickie Oles

Ligonier

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