Opinion category, Page 14
Editorial: Voters chose confidence in election machines
The voters of Westmoreland County were clear when they showed up at the polls. They picked a side. They made a choice. They went with the voting machines. In September, the county’s Republican commissioners approved a $40,000 plan to add optional paper ballots for the November election, citing a 2024...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s actions show who he is
President Trump likes to say he is a law-and-order president. It justifies his militarizing our streets, sending federal law enforcement to cities that don’t want or need those troops, and spending about $28 billion annually on ICE agents who act like thugs and terrorize our fellow citizens and human beings....
Letter to the editor: No pay for Congress during shutdown
The resolution introduced Oct. 29 by Sen. Lindsay Graham should be brought before committee and voted on immediately. The resolution proposes “an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring Members of Congress to forfeit their compensation during Government shutdowns.” This is a critical piece of legislation because it...
S.E. Cupp: Zohran Mamdani’s rise from nowhere to City Hall
One of the wildest and most dramatic New York City mayoral elections in modern history finished with the flare of a presidential race and with the national attention to match. “Hear me, President Trump, when I say this: to get to any of us, you will have to get through...
Rep. Greg Vitali: Don’t trade away climate regulations
Canceling regulations to enter Pennsylvania in the Regional Green House Gas Initiative (RGGI) is now under consideration in commonwealth budget negotiations. Participation in RGGI is the most important thing Pennsylvania can do right now to combat climate change. Gov. Josh Shipiro and Pennsylvania House Democratic leaders should refuse to support...
Letter to the editor: Republicans and Democratics?
Since we refer to supporters of the Republican Party as “Republicans,” shouldn’t we style Democratic supporters “Democratics”? Alternatively, call them Republics and Democrats. Pick one style or the other. I don’t care which style you choose, but be consistent. This is America! Let’s get our ducks in a row. Some...
Letter to the editor: Families need utility relief
With the federal government shutdown threatening SNAP benefits, delayed LIHEAP opening and inflation on the rise, families are facing compounded hardship challenging both food security and access to essential utilities. There’s an often overlooked option available that can help residents stretch their budgets even further: saving money on utility bills....
Letter to the editor: A beautiful day to Race for Grace
The 17th annual Race For Grace was a beautiful day to gather with 1,825 registrants, 322 volunteers and several hundred spectators to commemorate the life and love of Grace Elizabeth Ekis. It was a beautiful day to celebrate an amazing milestone of collectively raising $2.1 million in 17 races, with...
Lori Falce: Charity begins at home. It cannot end there
Charity begins at home. It’s a familiar saying many people erroneously believe comes from the Bible instead of from 17th-century British writer Sir Thomas Browne. But what does Browne’s famous proverb mean? Like beauty, the phrase may be in the eye of the beholder. For some, it’s an encouragement to...
Paul Kengor: ‘President Fetterman’? The commendably independent Pa. senator
David Catron is a seasoned, astute political analyst. He has an impressive if not uncanny record picking the most unlikely presidential winners, including Donald Trump in 2016. Thus, Catron had my full attention with his recent column, “Is John Fetterman Running for President?” “Decidedly to the displeasure of his Senate...
Laurels & lances: Preparing & polling
Laurel: To giving shelter. People across the region are bracing for temperatures that continue to fall — and for the first snow of the season. While no one looks forward to the shift from wearing sweaters to paying heating bills, some have no home to heat. That’s a dangerous place...
David Williams: Pennsylvania lawmakers should reject ill-advised online gaming tax increase
Pennsylvania recently surpassed stalwarts like Nevada and New Jersey to become the national leader in online gaming. But now, Keystone State lawmakers are proposing a tax increase that could reverse that growth and drive the industry underground into the black market. With tax rates of 36% for sports betting and...
Letter to the editor: Don’t pay, or reelect, legislators involved in shutdown
Kudos to the writer of the letter ”Shutdown would end if legislators’ pay stopped” (Nov. 2, TribLive), which eloquently stated a solution to the shutdown. Also, remember these congressional members when elections roll around, and boot them out. Monica Yuhas Smock...
Letter to the editor: Immigration the right way
I recently completed nine weeks of hospitality service at the Texas/Mexico border. I learned this. Immigration “the right way”: Open our hearts. Pray for the suffering. Do what we can! In the early 1900s, immigration was a paperless system. Buy a ticket and get on a boat. At Ellis Island,...
Editorial: High turnout shows Pennsylvania voters are engaged
It isn’t really a surprise when people don’t turn out for an election the year after a president is selected. Especially in Pennsylvania. As a perennial swing state, Pennsylvania is lobbied hard during a presidential year. The ads are everywhere — on TV, on the radio, online and in mailboxes,...
Letter to the editor: FDA must reform to help adults quit cigarettes
Ryan Spak’s op-ed “FDA must do better for smokers trying to quit” (Sept. 16, TribLive) is a compelling and urgent call for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to rethink its approach to helping smokers leave cigarettes behind for good. As someone deeply concerned about public health, I wholeheartedly applaud...
Jonah Goldberg: Can socialism ever be more than just a fad in America?
Here we go again. Socialism is making a comeback, according to friend and foe alike. A new NBC poll now suggests that a majority of registered voters don’t like capitalism. A Gallup poll in September also found that support for capitalism was slipping. A Data for Progress poll around the...
Christine Flowers: The problem with unwanted ballrooms
“He did WHAT to the East Wing?” If someone called me up at work and said “I knocked down half of your house and will be installing a pool in your backyard as well as a gazebo at no charge to you,” I would be apoplectic. The idea a stranger...
Letter to the editor: North Huntingdon residents deserve transparency
As a resident of North Huntingdon Township, I am alarmed by the lack of transparency surrounding the July 7, 2024, crash on Clay Pike Road that left Kathleen Morcheid with a traumatic brain injury. The driver, Nolan Patrick Mullen, who was going 90 mph on Clay Pike, was charged but...
Letter to the editor: Springdale rightly pushing back against data center
I was pleased to read your article “Data center delay” (Oct. 28). Luckily, the residents of Springdale are coming together to question this proposed development. In southwest Pennsylvania we are all too familiar with the hazards of industries that exploit our resources and then leave us and the environment polluted,...
Letter to the editor: Shutdown is Democrats’ fault
I can accurately be described as a voracious reader; that said, I can honestly say I’ve never been as amazed as I am now at the blatantly false items I’ve been reading lately on these opinion pages. Of course I realize and respect everyone’s right to their opinions, but at...
Editorial: The common cents of planning ahead on eliminating the penny
Sometimes a decision is as easy as a coin toss. The stakes are low. The outcome is variable. Heads, you win. Tails, you lose. No big deal either way. Others may seem easy up front, but a little digging shows the process needs more care. Take, for instance, the penny....
Letter to the editor: Trump disgraceful
Here we are in the middle of a government shutdown, and President Trump has torn down the East Wing of the White House at a cost of $300 million to build his golden ballroom. Shameful. Those in Congress sit quietly and let him have his way. They should be doing...
Letter to the editor: Term limits the old-fashioned way
It’s pretty clear by now that the group of folks in office in Harrisburg and Washington, D.C., have no intention of ever doing what they were sent there to do: To represent their district/state, keep the government open and properly administered. Instead they blindly follow the dictates of their party,...
Kellie Walenciak: How to stay informed without being consumed
My father had a simple ritual. At 6 a.m., he would read the New York Post and Daily News cover to cover. At 6 p.m., he tuned into the evening news — an hour of straightforward reporting, not commentary. He formed his own opinions, and then he moved on. The...
