Larger text
Smaller text
Laurels and Lances
Daily Photo Galleries
By Tribune-Review
Published: Thursday, May 24, 2012, 5:24 p.m.
Updated: Friday, May 25, 2012
Lance: To Daryl Metcalfe. The Cranberry Republican should have his head examined for introducing a bill that would redirect taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood. Mr. Metcalfe says the move would cut off taxpayer money that now "support(s) abortionists." Never mind that 95 percent of Planned Parenthood's services don't involve abortions. How many women will suffer because of Metcalfe's misguided legislation?
On the "Watch List":
• West Penn Allegheny Health System. Spokeswoman Kelly Sorice criticizes Standard & Poor's Ratings Services for downgrading the struggling system's bond rating as "shortsighted" for not taking into account "potential for the future." But another "p"-word -- "performance" -- is the critical one. And right now that metric remains in intensive care.
• The Port Authority. The contract with its union expires on June 30. Talks are under way. But apparently missing from the negotiations is any mention of state legislation to prevent unionized employees of the mass-transit agency from striking. And until the right to hold the taxpaying public hostage is eliminated, there is no hope of fixing this perennially broken operation.
Lance: To the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development. The DCED has no overall accounting of $10 million given to the Beaver Initiative for Growth over a decade. BIG, as it was known, is one of the scandals that landed former powerful state Rep. Mike Veon in the pokey. We've said it before and we'll say it again -- it's time to eliminate the slush-fund-overseeing DCED.
Laurel: To Bryan Kline. Westmoreland County's Republican clerk of courts intends to collect from at least 374 deadbeat defendants a total of $147,000 in fines, restitution and court costs. Among them -- a Berks County woman, convicted of forgery years ago, whose debt totals $11,000. It's time to bring these scofflaws to justice.
Observations:
• Texas roofer Steven Kyle Hunt, who allegedly stuck 17 Westmoreland County homeowners with roofing-supply bills that he supposedly didn't pay, says an accountant embezzled the money. So, that's his explanation -- more than a year after the work was done and paid for by residents? Here's hoping his roof repairs at least hold up better than his excuse.
• Hempfield's former recreation director Dean Minerva, accused of stealing more than $26,000, since repaid, will serve two years of probation and perform 100 hours of community service under a deal with Westmoreland County prosecutors. So, all's well that ends well -- until the next sticky-fingered government servant tests the legal system's tolerance for abusing the public's trust.
Laurel: To Michael Ginsburg, et al. Westmoreland County's register of wills has taken some of the legwork out of getting married by offering online marriage licence applications. That saves couples time and at least one trip to the courthouse. Kudos to Mr. Ginsburg and others who finally are bringing county government into the 21st century.
Most Popular Stories
- Steelers might be forced to rely on rookies in 2013
- Kovacevic: Do Senators have anything left?
- Rossi: Late-game moves pay off
- Penguins’ Dupuis earns teammates’ respect with consistent play
- Trib poll: Peduto pulling ahead in Pittsburgh mayor’s race
- Penguins notebook: Spezza will return for Senators in Game 3
- Gorman: Pitt hoops could soon have Western Pa. flavor
- Pirates’ bullpen falters in extra-inning loss to Astros
- Gulf Tower ‘turns’ red over Pens goals
- Woman charged in fatal Lawrence County accident that killed cyclist
- Uniontown man killed in shooting
You must be signed in to add comments
To comment, click the Sign in or sign up at the very top of this page.
On your "Lance" to Daryl Metcalfe and cutting tax funds for abortionists (“Laurels and Lances,” May 25): Planned Parenthood says only 5 percent of its business is abortion (partly paid for with our State tax dollars), and you just _believe_ them? It is well-established that Planned Parenthood makes its abortion business look trivial by unbundling its services for purposes of counting. So in a 2007 report, for example, we learn that 10.1 million different medical procedures in the previous fiscal year were administered to only 3 million clients. So there’s a pregnancy test before the abortion, which is almost always followed by a “going home” packet of contraceptives – two services besides the abortion. Add a pelvic exam and a lab test for STDs, and so forth, and pretty soon the number of “services” makes abortion look like a sideline. In terms of absolute numbers of clients, one in three that year visited Planned Parenthood for a pregnancy test, and of those, a little under one in three had a Planned Parenthood abortion. In 2010, this biggest abortion-provider in America killed 329,445 unborn children, and referred only 841 women for the adoption of their babies. Not one cent of our tax dollars should go to Planned (Non-)Parenthood. Can I suggest that you lose your credulity when the subject is abortion?; prove Ross Douthat wrong, when he said in the New York Times, February 14, that “on the abortion issue, the press’s prejudices are often absolute, its biases blatant and its blinders impenetrable.”
Submitted by: felix on Friday, May 25, 2012
Re Lance to Daryl Metcalfe: You miss the point. Planned Parenthood supports , advocates for, and provides abortion, which is the killing of a living, individual, innocent, human being. If 95% of US Steel's services didn't involve murder, would you be satisfied?
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.
