Featured Commentary category, Page 92
Stephen Mills: Don’t tell us it’s too late to get justice
Take it from me, the aftershocks of child sexual abuse last a lifetime. I’m 66, and the sexual violence I experienced at age 13 — a near-death experience, really — can still grip my body and mind when I least expect it. I thought I’d be released when my abuser...
Kyle Sammin: Pa. governor race GOP’s race to lose — but they can lose it
As Democrats raise money and work together to support prospective gubernatorial nominee Attorney General Josh Shapiro, the GOP remains at war with itself. Competition is the point of a primary: letting voters choose the best standard-bearer for November. This year, however, Republicans suffer from an excess of choice. Nine candidates...
David Hardy: Pa.’s students need a lifeline
The Pennsylvania House has been abuzz with anticipation of a vote on the Lifeline Scholarship Program, or House Bill 2169 (Reps. Clint Owlett and Martina White). Lifeline Scholarships would help children stuck in the lowest-performing schools in our commonwealth. HB 2169 empowers parents with restricted-use scholarship funding for a school...
Mario Oliverio: What are you running for?
My first thought just as the starter signal sounded last year for the Ohio River Trail Council 10K was not “I hope I set a personal record” or “I’m so glad to be raising money for a good cause” (sorry, ORTC), but rather — “Wait a second, am I really...
Tay Waltenbaugh: All of us must step up for the most vulnerable
Mental health challenges have always been with us, but the covid-19 pandemic has pushed Pennsylvanians, and our state’s mental health safety net, to the breaking point. Without meaningful and sustained support from our state lawmakers, many of our most vulnerable residents will confront unacceptable consequences. As the Tribune-Review’s reporting has...
Peter Morici: Let states decide whether to adopt daylight saving time
Americans are tired of losing sleep. On the second Sunday in March, Americans push their clocks forward, and the disruption to sleep patterns creates fatigue and a lot of irritable personalities. Church attendance is unusually sparse. Some folks miss the exercise altogether or show up late, just in time for...
LZ Granderson: Big Pharma won’t be happy about marijuana cutting into its profits
Before I start talking about pot and why the federal prohibition should end, here are some numbers for you to consider. Seventy-two U.S. senators accepted donations from the pharmaceutical industry ahead of the 2020 election. That number was 302 for the House. Combined, that’s more than two-thirds of Congress. If...
Point: The legislative filibuster is destroying Congress
Close your eyes and let your imagination transport you back to the ninth grade. Do you remember a teacher standing at the front of a classroom explaining the three branches of government? Division of power? Checks and balances? Me, too! But I’m increasingly concerned that many of our elected officials...
Counterpoint: The filibuster is not the problem
President Biden’s agenda has stalled on Capitol Hill, where Democrats have been unable to overcome Republican opposition in the Senate to pass bills such as the Build Back Better Act and voting rights reform. Democrats are increasingly concerned that failure to pass more of their legislative agenda before November’s midterm...
Nathan Benefield: Stagnant Pa. economy requires real business-tax reform
In his final annual budget address, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf proposed a major reduction in the state’s corporate income tax. Wolf’s tax-cut plan may come as a surprise to some, considering his liberal bona fides, and has been lauded by business groups desperate for relief from the second-highest business tax...
Tom Hogan: Cities must respond to dirt-bike crisis
In recent years, big cities have been plagued by roving packs of young men on dirt bikes and ATVs who ignore traffic laws and terrorize the streets. Residents are asking how to fix this problem — but they are asking the wrong question. They need to ask, rather, if controlling...
Bruce Cooper and Harry Hochheiser: For Earth Day, put a price on carbon
Last year, during his Earth Day Summit, President Joe Biden said, “The United States sets out on the road to cut greenhouse gasses in half by the end of this decade. That’s where we’re headed as a nation, and that’s what we can do, if we take action to build...
David Callahan, Robert Brundrett and Charlie Burd: Celebrating Appalachia’s green transformation
Our fellow Americans may not consider the so-called “Rust Belt” to be the epicenter of our nation’s green economy. But the discovery of our region’s abundant and clean natural gas resources over the last 15 years has transformed Appalachia into a technology hub and innovation-driven economy at the forefront of...
Ashley Priore: Pitt chancellor Gallagher leaves lasting impression
Every weekday morning around 7 a.m., as I waited for my bus to get to school, I would see a man on a walk down Fifth Avenue heading toward the Cathedral of Learning in Oakland. We shared our daily hellos (and maybe a joke or two about the weather). I...
Greg Fulton: Anthony Bourdain, another casualty of depression
With CNN airing its new “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” this month, the public’s fascination with the late chef, writer and travel storyteller, who died in 2018, continues. Part of the interest may be due to Bourdain committing suicide and the difficulty for many to understand why someone at...
Students: Mayor Gainey, please focus on environmental justice
Dear Mayor Gainey: We are high school students concerned about climate change and the environment. Through our firsthand experiences and the stories that we have heard, we believe that it is essential to share our voice for the future of Pittsburgh and the world. We urge you to fulfill and...
Andrew Shubin: Statute of limitations reform will enable justice to be served
Thank you, Gov. Tom Wolf, for pressing the Pennsylvania Legislature to immediately enact civil child sexual abuse statute of limitations reform so that thousands of middle-aged and older survivors can bring predators and their institutional enablers to justice. For far too long, perpetrators and the religious institutions, schools, summer camps,...
Henry Bial: Best Easter pageant ever? Half a century of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’
In the days leading up to Easter Sunday, Christians around the world participate in retellings of the story of the last days of Jesus’ life, from his entry into Jerusalem to the Last Supper and to his trial, crucifixion and resurrection. They may walk the Stations of the Cross, a...
Reps. Mike Puskaric and Frank Burns: Energy freedom in Pa. would help support our European allies
As the Ukrainian people fiercely defend their nation and fight for their freedom, Pennsylvanians are eager to do what they can to weaken Russia and help Ukraine’s freedom fight. To be sure, Pennsylvania has already taken important steps to help Ukraine in this fight — pulling Russian-made products from the...
Harriet Ellenberger: What’s a woman?
I can honestly say I was not particularly surprised by the question Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., posed to Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson at her confirmation hearing: “Can you provide a definition of the word ‘woman’?” I am not perplexed because it is obvious to me certain members of...
William Haupt III: Biden hides border moves behind Russia-Ukraine crisis
“The best way to conceal the truth is to hide it behind something of less significance.” – Confucius In 2008 during the Great Recession, Barack Obama hammered an $800 billion stimulus bill though Congress. Those who actually read it found it was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It had little...
Christopher Redding, Allison Gilmour, Elizabeth Bettini and Tuan Nguyen: Why most teachers won’t leave the profession
Every spring, school and district leaders ask teachers about their plans to return to teaching in the fall. They need to know how many teachers to begin recruiting for the next school year. These career conversations are currently taking place under the unprecedented circumstances brought on by the covid-19 pandemic....
Eric Pauley: Mismanaged cloud services put user data at risk
Organizations’ failure to properly manage the servers they lease from cloud service providers can allow attackers to receive private data, research my colleagues and I conducted has shown. Cloud computing allows businesses to lease servers the same way they lease office space. It’s easier for companies to build and maintain...
Rebecca Oyler: Truck drivers are vital and deserve respect
A couple of years ago, it was toilet paper. But now, it’s more sporadic — maybe you’ve had to buy a different brand of coffee or forgo your favorite candy. But as supply chain disruptions continue, imagine what it would be like with no options on the shelves: no fresh...
David Thornburgh: High stakes in Pa.’s primary races
Pennsylvania, where deep-blue and deep-red politics collide, is in the midst of an unprecedented primary election season. The May primary is the first one in the commonwealth’s 235-year history in which voters — except registered independents — will have the chance to vote for candidates in open gubernatorial and U.S....
