Letters to the Editor category, Page 56
Letter to the editor: International aid boosts economic prosperity, security
Not only is global poverty a humanitarian problem, but it also has an impact on national security and economic stability. Foreign aid, which accounts for less than 1% of the federal budget yet has a significant influence, is one way that the United States helps combat extreme poverty around the...
Letter to the editor: Let’s look at who’s paying their ‘fair share’
Democrats and their minions in the legacy media and various cable new outlets have “waged war” against the wealthy, saying that they have not paid “their fair share of taxes.” Most have never stated what “their fair share” should be. President Trump’s proposed $5,000 DOGE rebate essentially defines what a...
Letter to the editor: Musk’s havoc
I’d like to add some additional data to the letter “Speak up to stop Musk’s coup” (Feb. 15, TribLive). Elon Musk is the wealthiest person in the world, worth $442 billion, yet in 2022 and 2024 Tesla paid $0 in federal tax. It’s obscene that any one man should have...
Letter to the editor: Oversight needed for federal firings
On Feb. 13, Trump administration officials fired more than 300 staffers at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile. The administration is seeking to rehire these employees. The Department of Energy oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, research and development of nuclear power,...
Letter to the editor: Congress must address high cost of prescription drugs
While Congress could tackle a plethora of issues as it begins its 119th session, it’s my hope that the Pennsylvania congressional delegation works to introduce reforms that address the rising cost of prescription drugs. According to a recent KFF poll, a third of Americans don’t take their medications as prescribed...
Letter to the editor: Lost, stolen gun reporting laws can prevent tragedy
Can you imagine if your car was stolen but you couldn’t report it? Now, imagine a stolen gun, one that could have been prevented from ever getting into the wrong hands. This isn’t a hypothetical scenario for me; it’s a tragic reality that has forever altered my life. My 16-year-old...
Letter to the editor: Chainsaw cuts to VA will hurt veterans
The DOGE effort to make the government more efficient is trimming muscle and bone from the Veterans Health Administration. More veterans are now using the VA, while at the same time, VA’s service is improving with higher satisfaction ratings, higher quality care and better outcomes than the private sector. Finally,...
Letter to the editor: It’s about time government tightens its belt
Isn’t it crazy that people are so upset about federal employees losing their jobs because of downsizing? The government has needed to be downsized for quite some time, and we finally have a president exercising his powers to do just that. Every business at some time will go through an...
Sounding off: Government waste, Trump, gift ban, taxes among week’s topics
It’s about time government tightens its belt Isn’t it crazy that people are so upset about federal employees losing their jobs because of downsizing? The government has needed to be downsized for quite some time, and we finally have a president exercising his powers to do just that. Every business...
Letter to the editor: Per capita taxes no longer relevant
Has anyone taken the time to question the per capita (head) tax that we have to pay every year? Per capita is Latin meaning “for each head.” This tax’s initial purpose was on the heads of southern slaves. This tax is also a direct tax on adults 18 and older...
Letter to the editor: Trump not focusing on important issues
The price of eggs continues to rise and gas and grocery prices continue to be high, yet President Trump is not addressing these issues as he promised. Instead of focusing on lowering costs for health care and education and fixing our broken immigration policy, a member of the Republican- controlled Congress...
Letter to the editor: Older people want paper tax receipts
There you go again, government — you cut off the ability for us to get a paper receipt after we pay our house taxes. The elderly don’t have a way to print out a receipt, and many cannot use a computer. I need a receipt for my company’s accounting department....
Letter to the editor: Progressivism nothing new in Pittsburgh
I attended the District 5 community meeting for Greenfield hosted by Pittsburgh City Council Member Barbara Warwick. In his column “Progressivism killing the party, the city” (Feb. 22, TribLive), Joseph Sabino Mistick sets up two false dichotomies: incompetent progressives versus competent moderate traditionalists and “new” progressive residents versus deep-rooted residents...
Letter to the editor: Pa. legislators need to pass gift ban
As a union member in Pennsylvania, I understand if I failed to meet my employer’s expectations I would be fired. Our state legislators, however, face no such accountability when it comes to accepting gifts from lobbyists. Pennsylvania is one of only three states without a gift ban, allowing unlimited perks,...
Letter to the editor: With layoffs, why is Starbucks expanding?
I heard that Starbucks is laying off 1,100 employees. Here is a question for the CEO of Starbucks: Why are you laying off people when you just built and opened a new Starbucks in Lower Burrell and are building a new store in Leechburg? What, are you nuts? If you...
Letter to the editor: Christians and Trump
“Away from me! I never knew you.” — Jesus. One thing we learned from this election is that America is certainly not a Christian nation. Christians know Jesus and hear his voice. They obey. Christians welcome the stranger, feed the poor, heal the sick, are meek, turn the other cheek,...
Letter to the editor: Zoning in Hempfield
Regarding the article “Rural property owners concerned that housing developments will alter Hempfield lifestyle” (Feb. 15, TribLive): Westmoreland County, and in particular Hempfield Township, are growing faster than their infrastructure can keep up with. The Republican-led local politicians appear to not want to represent the people. I have been to...
Letter to the editor: Proud of Penn State and Thon
This past weekend I attended Thon, the 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon at Penn State that raises money for pediatric cancer. My grandson, a Highlands High School graduate, is a senior there and has worked for Thon throughout his college years. It is hard to describe Thon and its impact...
Letter to the editor: We don’t need a ‘businessman’ as president
The writer of the letter “Trump is a businessman, not a politician” (Feb. 18, TribLive) must have failed Civics and American History when she was in school. First, let’s establish the purpose of a business. A business is created to provide goods or a service with the intent to make...
Letter to the editor: Settlement is only path for Ukraine
In his column “No substitute for victory” (Feb. 21, TribLive), Cal Thomas quotes Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s famous 1951 farewell address to Congress in which he states that “there is no substitute for victory.” Thomas uses that quote to support his advocacy for continued support of Ukraine to achieve victory over...
Letter to the editor: McCormick’s silence
On his own website, Sen. Dave McCormick says, “Dave and Dina are proud to support organizations that work with veterans and their families.” Yet he has remained silent on the dismissal of 1,000 Veterans Affairs workers, some of whom work the Veterans Crisis Line. His silence shows me that McCormick...
Letter to the editor: The sky is not falling
Many people and some media outlets are running around saying the sky is falling. They are in a tizzy because DOGE and Elon Musk are examining records and making “illegal” cuts. One reason given is that DOGE and Musk haven’t been elected. There are 2.3 million civilian government workers looking...
Letter to the editor: Correcting Trump’s false statements on Ukraine, Zelenskyy
There you go again, President Trump — your nose is getting longer and longer. The American people are not stupid. We see what you are doing changing the narrative. Let’s get this straight: Ukraine did not start the conflict with Russia. Russia invaded Ukraine. Many thousands of Ukrainians have been...
Letter to the editor: This government shake-up is necessary
I can’t remember a government shake-up like this one in all of my 70 years. Although many are having tantrums and making apocalyptic warnings, it is way overdue. Thomas Jefferson rightly said that “the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and...
Letter to the editor: Speak up before they come for you
In the 1920s and ’30s, Martin Niemöller, a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany, sympathized with many Nazi ideas and supported radical right-wing political movements. However, after Adolf Hitler came to power, Niemöller became an outspoken critic of Hitler’s interference in the Protestant Church. He ultimately spent the last eight years...
