Letters to the Editor category, Page 49
Letter to the editor: Saddened by removal of Bucco Bricks
My grandfather bought a Bucco Brick when PNC Park opened. His father was born in the early years of the franchise and was a lifelong fan. He would often make the trek from Westernport, Md., after his shift at the paper mill to root on the Bucs. He passed on...
Letter to the editor: Oil prices vs. gas prices
Why aren’t gasoline prices following the downward trend in oil prices? West Texas crude oil lost $12 per barrel March 31 through April 8. Falling from $71 to $59. On April 9 it was trending lower. Gasoline prices locally have stayed mostly between $3.59 and $3.69 per gallon with some...
Letter to the editor: How about some concessions in the Pirates lineup?
Did anyone see and listen to Bob Nutting’s pre-home opener interview with broadcaster Greg Brown? I sure hope Brown was wearing boots and carrying a shovel. I haven’t heard that many falsehoods and bull cookies since an Alejandro Mayorkas news conference. Let’s face it: The Pirates are never going anywhere...
Letter to the editor: Don’t cut services to veterans, America’s heroes
I have a message for the Trump/Musk administration: Hands off veterans’ benefits! DOGE is planning drastic cuts to the Veterans Affairs Department which include: • Narrowing the list of qualifying medical conditions. • Replacing VA hospitals/clinics with privatized outpatient centers. • Eliminating 80,000 positions at the VA. • Terminating telehealth...
Letter to the editor: Voice of America not best use of taxpayer money
Can you hear me now or is anyone really listening? The writer of the letter “We have silenced ourselves” (April 11, TribLive) grieves the purge of Voice of America from the U.S. taxpayers’ checkbook. I guess baseball, hot dogs with Coke and Chevrolets will make the huddled masses see the...
Letter to the editor: Mystery of Chinese companies
Did you know that tens of millions of Americans have been investing in Chinese companies involved in advanced military weapon production, surveillance technologies and egregious human rights abuses? Unwittingly, I’m sure. For the past 25 years, approximately 5,000 Chinese companies have entered the U.S. capital markets without being properly vetted....
Letter to the editor: Destroying Social Security
Initially, I was perplexed about why Elon Musk and President Trump seemed to be targeting Social Security before other entitlements. Typically, Republicans advocate for cutting spending to reduce taxes. However, Social Security pays for itself with FICA, and because there is a cap, at most, each billionaire pays a little...
Letter to the editor: A closer look at Trump’s tariffs
I encourage everyone to look at President Trump’s tariff tax chart and compare his tariffs to the tariffs we are paying to other countries. Trump’s new rates are still a lot lower than the tariffs most countries are charging us. It’s about time somebody is looking out for the American...
Letter to the editor: Protecting everyone from measles
Thank you to Ian Karbal for shining a light on the concerning rise in measles cases in Pennsylvania (“Measles cases up in Pa. and some counties lag behind school vaccination targets,” April 7, TribLive). In this context, vulnerable populations include babies too young to be vaccinated, cancer patients in the...
Letter to the editor: Rural Roads Safety Week
The Westmoreland County Farm Bureau is recognizing Rural Roads Safety Week April 13-19 by encouraging county motorists to travel safely on roadways this spring and throughout the year. As the new season gets underway, tractors, farm trucks, wagons and other large equipment are once again traveling on Pennsylvania roadways. To...
Letter to the editor: Freeport’s ‘Les Miserables’ magnificent
Standing ovations! Thunderous applause! Sold-out performances! The audience moved to tears! All indications of a magnificent performance! Congratulations to the students, teachers and staff of Freeport Area High School on an extraordinary performance of “Les Misérables.” The vocals were clear, strong and compelling. Young people gave Broadway-worthy performances, bringing life...
Letter to the editor: Explaining insurance coverage for an ’emergency’
In the health insurance section of the Q&A advertisement on page A6 of the March 25 edition, there is a question about the definition of an emergency for HMO plan coverage for emergency room treatment. I don’t believe the answer provides a full explanation. I learned a more detailed explanation...
Letter to the editor: China, not Russia, our biggest threat
Sun Tzu, a Chinese military general and strategist, wrote the famous war strategy book “The Art of War.” This book is taught in U.S. military academies. Sun Tzu taught that “all war is based on deception and the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” One...
Letter to the editor: Libraries vital to communities
The word library is a bit of a misnomer. It conjures visions of older women sitting behind desks, checking out books and stamping dates on cards. Libraries are actually vibrant places. In an average day as a volunteer at the Scottdale Public Library, I might encounter: • An older adult...
Letter to the editor: Speak up about air pollution
Regarding the article “Damage reported at U.S. Steel facility in Braddock, followed by an increase in air pollution” (Feb. 25, TribLive): Merely two days after a hole opened up in a heavy industrial factory, we saw a violation of normal pollutant levels in areas surrounding the factory. Immediately, officials came...
Letter to the editor: Wian right pick for register of wills
Much has been said about Sen. Kim Ward and Gov. Josh Shapiro regarding the appointment of Jon Wian as Westmoreland County’s register of wills. However, the real political maneuvering began with court-appointed conservator Jim Antoniono, whose handling of the office laid the groundwork for a partisan conflict. Antoniono had every...
Letter to the editor: We have silenced ourselves
On March 14, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the parent organization for Voice of America, was defunded. (Typically, late on a Friday night!) The next day, the Voice of America shut down. No longer is it broadcasting in 48 languages. What Stalin, Khrushchev, Putin, Ayatollah Khomeini, three leaders of...
Letter to the editor: Ackerman clearly best pick for county coroner
There are not many times people put their names on a ballot with the kind of experience Westmoreland County coroner candidate John Ackerman has: 25 years as a police officer; 50 years as a fire department member; 18 years as a deputy coroner, investigating more than 9,000 deaths; endorsements from...
Letter to the editor: Reschenthaler doesn’t represent us
I am a small business owner for over 30 years, a past business consultant and resident of Westmoreland County since 1976. As an independent voter, I expect the people I vote for to put country above party as well as represent our district with common sense and the ability to...
Letter to the editor: Senior quarterbacks not what Steelers need
When we last spoke, “Steelers serving up skunk” (March 7, TribLive) was the topic, but the solution offered today is DOSE (Department of Steelers Efficiency). With apologies to Elon Musk, I nominate the Honorable Mark Madden and Tim Benz to continue to weed out the waste, fraud and abuse permeating...
Letter to the editor: Automated enforcement of traffic violations no joke
I am glad the editorial “Local cops use radar in Pa.! April Fool’s!” (April 1, TribLive) ran on April Fool’s Day. Sadly, it was no joke. It promoted the use of automated enforcement cameras for traffic violations. There will soon be a state legislative bill to ban all forms of...
Letter to the editor: Transgender patients have right to care they need
Under pressure from the Trump administration, UPMC last month canceled the gender-affirming surgery of a transgender adult (“Officials, activists rally for transgender rights, call on UPMC to provide gender-affirming care to minors,” April 3, TribLive). As medical students, we find this decision abhorrent. In our classes, we learn about evidence-based...
Letter to the editor: Trump not delivering on his promises
I voted for Kamala Harris for many reasons, one being that her predictions about a Trump presidency were spot on. Rather than focusing on lightening the economic loads, he would focus on petty retribution on those who challenged his video-evidenced misdeeds or beat him in an election. Doing what’s good,...
Letter to the editor: Democrat zombies
Fans of the “Walking Dead” TV series will recall that the zombies generally wandered around aimlessly in hordes until something, often a noise, would propel the group to move in the direction of the noise and continue in said direction until another noise would send them stumbling in a new...
Letter to the editor: It’s OK to disagree, but not to hate
So much talk about hate. Are we confusing disagreeing with hate? I am a Christian. I don’t hate anybody but I do disagree with many. The Bible says to hate the sin but love the sinner. I cannot agree with or vote for anyone who supports abortion. That does not...
