Letters to the Editor category, Page 147
Letter to the editor: Destroying Social Security, Medicare no way to help budget deficit
Some Republicans have lied repeatedly about the state of Social Security and Medicare. I would really like to know how doing away with these programs will help reduce the budget deficit. These programs are paid for by American employees and employers. If they go away, does Congress expect workers to...
Letter to the editor: Don’t let Ziccarelli’s crash be forgotten
We must not let the car crash by District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli get swept under the rug. In these times when citizens are hard pressed to buy groceries and medication, let alone keep up their homes with rising utility bills, the way she has responded to this incident is appalling....
Letter to the editor: Access to promising Alzheimer’s drug hampered
On Jan. 6, the Food and Drug Administration approved a second drug (Leqembi) to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Based on results from very strong clinical trials, leading Alzheimer’s researchers agree this treatment slows progression of the disease and contributes to a better quality of life. Currently in Pennsylvania,...
Letter to the editor: Fetterman should bow out
My heart goes out to Sen. John Fetterman and his family. I applaud the support pouring in from both sides of the aisle. Like Fetterman, I suffer from chronic cardiomyopathy, necessitating an ICD-pacemaker when I was 33. A heart attack in my 50s left me depressed and needing medication and...
Letter to the editor: Looking out for Pa.’s seniors
To be a senior citizen in Pennsylvania is an honor and a privilege. There are all sorts of programs whose financial rewards go directly to benefit our seniors. Unfortunately, there have arisen some programs that are eating away at those benefits in a big-time fashion. In his op-ed “So-called ‘skill...
Letter to the editor: Let’s fix, not privatize, education system
The Trib’s recent articles criticizing public education speak to the ill-conceived effort in Pennsylvania to privatize education. Under the guise of vouchers or parental choice, the extreme right’s elite class of billionaires wants to corporatize one of the foundations of our middle class. They want more of our taxpayer dollars...
Letter to the editor: Advice for our justice system
I just came upon some “advice,” in Exodus 23, that would be helpful for our justice system to follow: Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness. Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit,...
Sounding off: Division, Ziccarelli, guns, Bushy Run, medical marijuana among week’s topics
‘Tale of Two Americas’ “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … .” So begins Charles Dickens’ novel, “A Tale of Two Cities.” As I write, I’m saddened knowing a former president is near death. Acknowledged by friend and foe as being kind and decent,...
Letter to the editor: Commissioners must do better on ARPA funds
Voice of Westmoreland has asked for transparency and a comprehensive plan from the Westmoreland County commissioners for use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds since 2021. In a recent visit to Virginia, I reviewed the ARPA plan for the City of Richmond (see rva.gov/arp). The Virginia plan calls for...
Letter to the editor: ‘Tale of Two Americas’
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … .” So begins Charles Dickens’ novel “A Tale of Two Cities.” As I write, I’m saddened knowing a former president is near death. Acknowledged by friend and foe as being kind and decent, he became a role...
Letter to the editor: After Tyre Nichols, now is time to push for justice, change
Enough is enough. It should have been, when it first happened, one time. But here we are again. Another innocent Black man, Tyre Nichols, brutally and viciously beaten to death, seemingly just because the police officers wanted to. “Just talking” has to end now. Black people have not gotten their...
Letter to the editor: Weeding out the ‘crazy’ gun owners
“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” All gun owners should know and protect this amendment. Please note the term “well regulated.” Unfortunately, a lot of people forget the regulation...
Letter to the editor: No comparison between Trump, Reagan
The letter “Trump, like Reagan, was a great president” (Jan. 23, TribLIVE) made me laugh. I wasn’t a fan of Ronald Reagan’s presidency, mainly because I felt he hurt working men and women, as well as the labor unions, when he fired the air traffic controllers in 1981. But there...
Letter to the editor: Bushy Run and government’s hypocritical stand on violence
So the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has come up with a new “no force on force” policy for demonstrations at historical reenactments of famous battles. This forces the Bushy Run Historical Society to cancel its annual reenactment of the Battle of Bushy Run, its sole source of revenue to...
Letter to the editor: Campaign, other signs are litter
I concur with the editorial “PennDOT should enforce right-of-way sign rules” (Jan. 21, TribLIVE). But the responsibility is not PennDOT alone, rather for municipalities to also keep their right-of-ways clear of litter and illegal signage that become an eyesore and a hazardous distraction for motorists. I take exception to the...
Letter to the editor: Let’s cut Congress’ expenses instead
Just saw a news clip of President Joe Biden talking about raising the debt ceiling. He was asking where cuts to the new budget would come from if we don’t raise it. He went on using his usual scare tactics: “Do we cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans’ programs?” I...
Letter to the editor: Ziccarelli should use her own vehicle
My compliments to Rich Cholodofsky for his well-written article “Westmoreland DA crash racks up nearly $33,000 in SUV repairs” (Feb. 16, TribLIVE). This is what investigative journalism should be — unbiased reportage, allowing readers to form their own opinions. With that said, why is county District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli “claiming...
Letter to the editor: Science or not, medical marijuana can help
Regarding the letter “Anxiety and medical marijuana” (Feb. 13, TribLIVE): Much like this paper’s cartoons Marmaduke and The Lockhorns, this made me laugh. I found myself questioning the motives of the letter-writer, a psychiatrist. I have never sought a medical marijuana card, and I have no reason to think he...
Letter to the editor: Biden won’t be intimidated
On Feb. 7, I was fortunate to witness one of the most impressive State of the Union addresses I have ever experienced. If any Republican fascists are reading this, keep in mind that, even though you may be a lot younger than our president, your wild-eyed craziness will never intimidate...
Letter to the editor: What’s the plan for blight in Westmoreland?
Westmoreland County has $10.4 million available to remove blighted homes and businesses (“Addressing blight requires planning and action,” Feb. 7, TribLIVE). I wonder if the county or cities of Greensburg and Jeannette have an overall plan/strategy to replace these buildings and homes with other businesses or housing. It won’t just...
Letter to the editor: Condescending attitude toward communities of color
In her letter “We must address our gun violence problem” (Feb. 8, TribLIVE), Edgewood Council member Bhavini Patel stated, “We must recognize the historical disinvestment in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. We must respond with investments to support after-school programs, job training, educational opportunities, homeownership programs and more.” During...
Letter to the editor: Ted Kopas deserves vote as next Westmoreland County commissioner
I want to encourage the citizens of Westmoreland County to vote for Ted Kopas to be our next county commissioner. He absolutely will get the vote from my family and myself because he is the most deserving candidate. I say that for these reasons: • He served our county as...
Letter to the editor: Pa. needs cleaner energy
In his commentary “In Pa., will Shapiro unlock decades of affordable energy?” (Jan. 24, TribLIVE), Gordon Tomb of the Commonwealth Foundation presents a biased picture, ignores basic physics and, for good measure, contradicts himself. Tomb doesn’t seem interested in energy production unless that production comes from burning fossil fuels. He...
Letter to the editor: Pipelines safer than rail cars
After the train derailment in Ohio, now is the time for the conservatives to push for more pipelines, as transporting dangerous materials by pipelines seems safer than by rail cars. Clem Zahrobsky Delmont...
Letter to the editor: Shell must do better for Monaca community
In the article “Activists: Shell cracker plant not living up to ‘good neighbor’ promises” (Feb. 2, TribLIVE), spokesperson Curtis Thomas claims Shell alerts the community about flaring events. This flaring, seen miles away, is apparently just a part of the plant operating, but Thomas’ statement is inaccurate. Shell Monaca has...
