Letters to the Editor category, Page 140

The medical community at large is at risk of forgetting a painful lesson. In 1996, Purdue Pharma brought Oxycontin to the marketplace. Sales were bolstered by misleading claims of safety and lack of addiction potential. Those claims were facilitated by U.S. congressmen whose inability to protect the American people led...

I realize the people of East Palestine, Ohio, and Beaver County are upset with Norfolk Southern at this time, but there are several things you have to keep in mind in evaluating the recent train accident. Railroads are 16 times safer than trucks in hauling hazardous materials, and accidents of...

Regarding the letter “How is Biden responsible for people who don’t want to work?” (Feb. 27, TribLIVE): It wasn’t all that long ago, back in 2019, that unemployment was low, jobs were plentiful and people were working, and gas prices were somewhat reasonable. Then covid hit, and the country went...

We must continue to support Ukraine It’s been a year since Russia unleashed its horrific violence against Ukraine. Yet it has not succeeded in subduing that nation due to American military aid and the fighting resolve of Ukraine’s people. Although the war is financially costly for America, Putin’s unprovoked attack...

I have lived in the Hempfield Area School District for 35 years and have been reading with great interest the newspaper articles pertaining to plans for the upcoming high school renovation project. A prior article had an estimate of $97 to $110 million; the latest article (“Hempfield high school renovation...

If you open a Bible and read Proverbs 25:4-5, you will see that it is very pertinent to not all but many of today’s elected officials in Washington and local governments. It pertains to “removing the dross from silver” and “removing the wicked from the king’s presence.” In our democracy...

The letter “You still have the right to say what you want” (Feb. 18, TribLIVE) doesn’t say a word about consequences. For example, everyone knows you can’t shout “Fire!” in a crowded theater. You can’t threaten to harm or kill anyone, either. Gadflies like Rudy Giuliani and Sydney Powell have...

Sen. Kim Ward proved bureaucrats aren’t in charge of our government as long as public officials remain engaged (“ ‘We’re back’: Bushy Run’s 2023 battle reenactment will be held,” March 1, TribLIVE). Bureaucrats in Harrisburg were set on shutting down the Bushy Run reenactments for mostly political reasons. These are the...

Ukraine, Ukraine, Ukraine … that’s what I hear about on the radio, see on the TV and read about in the newspaper. What about problems in the USA, like the total devastation of areas in Florida, massive border problems and the hundreds of thousands of homeless throughout our country ?...

Well, isn’t President Biden just the cozy one. He lets his friends in China fly a surveillance balloon over the U.S. for a week before acting, all the while saying it’s no big deal. Now Ford Motor Co. is making a deal with China to make EV batteries in Michigan....

It’s been a year since Russia unleashed its horrific violence against Ukraine. Yet it has not succeeded in subduing that nation due to American military aid and the fighting resolve of Ukraine’s people. Although the war is financially costly for America, Putin’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, like Japan’s attack on...

Kudos to the Highlands School District for the change in curriculum by adding the Career and Workforce Readiness Program (“Highlands administrators say focus on Workforce Readiness sets up all students for success,” March 2, TribLIVE). It’s about time that our educational system focuses on the development of job skills that...

Look out everyone, the sky is falling! Or so the writer of the letter “Our country is crumbling from within” (March 2, TribLIVE) would have us believe. It seems that a dance routine at the recent Grammy Awards has him all in a tiff, and he needs to warn us...

Regarding the letter “Social Security mess” (March 6, TribLIVE): First of all, Social Security was intended to be a supplement to a worker’s pension and savings. Since then, corporations have all but eliminated defined pensions. Now, citizens, without government pensions, struggle to make ends meet. The letter-writer is happy to...

We have a crisis of substance abuse, crime and gun violence, and Pittsburgh has to be committed to fighting these dangers in our communities. To be successful in this battle, everyone must help, especially our political leaders. As residents, we all need to help find solutions, too. We need real...

For many, the passage of the fiscal year 2023 federal omnibus spending package was lost in the holiday shuffle. But its passage is particularly momentous for the Braddock Carnegie Library Association (BCLA), which received significant federal dollars as a result of Community Project Funding (CPF). Thanks to Congressman Mike Doyle,...

It was refreshing to read an honest news article, the Tampa Bay Times’ “Florida bill would end diversity programs, ban majors, shift power at universities” (Feb. 24, TribLIVE). The article provided facts without the biased hyperbole that is often used by national media outlets like the Associated Press. As usual,...

This week, Pittsburgh City Council will vote on replacing diesel garbage trucks with clean, compressed natural gas fueled engines (“Pittsburgh officials divided on investing in natural gas garbage trucks,” March 2, TribLIVE). The resolution should pass unanimously, as CNG (compressed natural gas) already is contributing to cleaning Pittsburgh’s air. Natural...

The writer of the letter “No comparison between Trump, Reagan” (Feb. 24, TribLIVE) states “Trump was far from a great president. In my eyes, he was the worst thing to ever happen to this country.” I would ask the writer to be more specific. I can. Putin never invaded anywhere...

When someone chooses to step out of the shadows of depression and ask for help, it is a profound demonstration of strength. When someone like Sen. John Fetterman shares this information publicly, it shows countless others who are working on their mental wellness they are not alone. According to the...

The writer of the letter “Let’s cut Congress’ expenses instead” (Feb. 23, TribLIVE) states President Biden used “his usual scare tactics: ‘Do we cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans’ programs?’ ” Biden has always stood for protecting these programs. Check his record, and you will see. The source of this...

Let’s talk elephant in the room: Sen. John Fetterman. I would guess that Fetterman’s mental disorder/clinical depression has been known to his wife, handlers and Democrats close to him for a long time. Those who pushed him should be ashamed, including the media. People suffering from this disorder have difficulty...

Regarding the article “DA: Police justified in killing man who ambushed Brackenridge Chief Justin McIntire” (Feb. 24, TribLIVE): When District Attorney Steven Zappala said “there’s too much violence in the community and they are directing it toward the police,” his words were the truth for the dangers a police officer...

As a former social worker and public interest lawyer, I worked on issues related to access to medical care by the disenfranchised. In the 1970s, I co-wrote a 100-page report about inhumane conditions at Kane Hospital. It resulted in two Senate Committee on Aging hearings. I helped form a citizens...

There are several misconceptions about Social Security. It was never meant to be the sole income of retired workers. It was intended as a supplement to workers’ savings. In most cases, Social Security benefits come not from what the worker paid into the system. Everything they paid in Social Security...