Letters to the Editor category, Page 119
Letter to the editor: Girardi well qualified to be judge
Twenty-one years of experience as a district court clerk and working for an experienced judge has provided me with insight that a judge must be fair, impartial, unbiased and uncompromised by endorsements that may lead to favoritism. There are no negotiations on the bench. The judge is required to make...
Letter to the editor: Jail needs new model of leadership
Based upon two Allegheny County Jail job satisfaction surveys of correctional officers and health care staff, Warden Orlando Harper, who retired in September, and Dr. Ashley Brinkman, ACJ’s health services administrator who resigned earlier this month, both used the position leadership model, which basically is, “I am in charge; you...
Letter to the editor: Peck Yakopec a judge for the people
I am sharing my story because I want people to know what a good judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec is. My daughter had several traffic tickets in high school. She was running with the wrong crowd, and I wanted her to better herself by joining the Army. She couldn’t enlist until...
Letter to the editor: Zellers best pick for judge
Voters for magisterial district judge in District 10-1-04 have a simple decision to make. A vote for Leslie Uncapher Zellers is a vote for fairness, community service and family. Tough on crime, but fair and understanding, she’s experienced courtrooms many ways, most importantly, court-appointed to protect kids. As assistant district...
Letter to the editor: Seek out truth about Israel
On Oct. 7 the world witnessed the most barbaric attack since the Holocaust on the Jewish state of Israel. Unthinkable acts of horror were unleashed on a country simply because it existed. Infants were beheaded and killed in front of their mothers, families were killed in their beds, young women...
Letter to the editor: Biden better than Trump
To answer the letter “Happy with Biden?” (Oct. 12, TribLIVE): Yes, very much, compared to Donald Trump. Those of us who voted for President Biden believe in democracy and the Constitution, two institutions that wannabe dictator Trump attempted to overthrow. The writer can come up with all the Fox News...
Letter to the editor: Government leaders live in alternate universe
If people don’t think our government lives in one of Stephen Hawking’s alternate universes, take a look at the headline “3.2% hike in Social Security benefits fails to keep up with rising costs, Western Pa. seniors say” (Oct. 13, TribLIVE). This just screams that we live in a brainwashed America....
Letter to the editor: Zellers deserves vote for district judge
As a retired chief of police for the city of Lower Burrell, I, along with the members of the Allegheny Valley Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 39 and the Pennsylvania State Police Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 62, ask that you support attorney Leslie Uncapher Zellers for magisterial district judge...
Letter to the editor: Girardi best choice for district judge
We are voting for Michael Girardi for district judge. Criminal activity has greatly increased over the past 20 years, so we need someone who knows, understands and can interpret the law on a day-to-day basis from the onset. The law has changed over the years and continues to do so;...
Letter to the editor: Vote Smail for Superior Court judge
Coming from middle-class roots, Westmoreland County’s Judge Harry F. Smail has a deep-seated faith and sense of personal responsibility, fair-mindedness and achievement through hard work. As an attorney and as a judge, he firmly holds to his strong belief that issues must be decided purely on the basis of the...
Letter to the editor: North Allegheny school police proposal a step in the wrong direction
Superintendent Dr. Brendan Hyland’s proposal to establish a police department and install officers at North Allegheny schools is a step in the wrong direction for NA. Introducing armed officers in schools increases the rates of death, poor outcomes, and fear and anxiety among students. Certainly the safety of our children...
Letter to the editor: College football is a mess
I must be getting old … . After all the hype about the Ohio State/Penn State football game, what we saw on TV was at best high school football. If these are the No. 3 and No. 7 ranked teams, college football is a mess. Penn State High School was...
Letter to the editor: Presidential choices
Joyfully consider these options for president: Some say Donald Trump is crazy and Joe Biden is senile. I wouldn’t vote for anyone who calls his wife “Mother,” like Mike Pence. Sassy Chris Christie may float off the stage if he gets any bigger. Vivek Ramaswamy may be rich, but his...
Letter to the editor: Zellers best candidate as judge
I am writing in support of Leslie Uncapher Zellers for district judge. Our current magistrate is seeking another six-year term even though she can’t serve the whole term as a full-time regular district judge — she faces mandatory retirement when she turns 75. After 29 years, we finally have a...
Letter to the editor: Karaica cares about community
Many people complain about decisions made for their communities, but not many are willing to step up to the plate and run for a position where they could make a difference. I was a member of Springdale Borough Council for many years, and I know there is no way to...
Letter to the editor: Keep Peck Yakopec as judge
I am writing to endorse Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec for reelection as district judge. I have known Peck Yakopec for 30 years. She has been our local judge and an active member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas in Vandergrift. As a judge, Peck Yakopec has always been available...
Letter to the editor: Rockey best pick for Allegheny County executive
The members of the Pennsylvania Laborers’ District Council are proud to stand with the Steamfitters Local 449, our union brothers and sisters from the Boilermakers Local 154, and all of the local law enforcement unions in supporting Joe Rockey for Allegheny County executive. Why are unions lining up behind Rockey?...
Letter to the editor: Innamorato still a socialist?
I am having a problem believing Allegheny County executive candidate Sara Innamorato on her explanation on her “former” affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America. She claims she left in 2018 to run for the Pennsylvania state House. This is my first red flag, because it appears to be a...
Letter to the editor: Peck Yakopec best choice for judge
As a local attorney and retired state representative who served on the House Judiciary Committee, I have known Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec for more than 34 years. I have appeared before many magisterial district judges, and Peck Yakopec is one of the best. She is honest, firm but fair, and...
Letter to the editor: Zellers should be next judge
It has been said that “there is no substitute for experience.” But there is a substitute for experience … and that is the truth. The truth is that our district deserves a full-time judge for a full six-year term. I believe Leslie Uncapher Zellers is the only candidate for district...
Letter to the editor: Karaica best candidate for judge
Thankfully, my decision for magisterial district judge in Cheswick, Frazer, Harmar and Springdale is an easy one. I have known Mitchell Karaica all of his life, as he grew up going to school with my daughters. He has always had the character of being fair and compassionate, with a big...
Letter to the editor: Girardi committed to community, individuals
Michael Girardi’s legal education/experience and performance as a councilman make him an exceptional candidate for district magistrate. However, lost in the campaign is that he is a kind and caring person who is an advocate for the individual. During 42 years on Cheswick Council, I have served with many fine...
Letter to the editor: How about ‘forgiveness’ for our national debt?
The White House should issue an executive order which cancels the nation’s $32,000,000,000,000 debt under the guise of “debt forgiveness.” Problem solved! Len Kabana Delmont...
Letter to the editor: An Allegheny assessment answer
Property taxes are always a bone of contention in Allegheny County. Everyone remembers the last assessment, with its disastrous inequities and bureaucratic snarls. In this year’s race for county executive, one candidate pledges no reassessment, leaving finances with no help for improving government services. The other wants a new assessment,...
Letter to the editor: Westmoreland needs higher wages to grow population
Some recent articles spotlighting trending population declines in Westmoreland County and efforts by county commissioners to make the county more attractive to employers and job seekers, while discussing a number of issues contributing to this decline, did not address the elephant in the room. This is WAGES. Pennsylvania still has...
