Opinion category, Page 407
Editorial: Gambling money not reliable in economic down times
In March, Pennsylvania casinos had their best month ever. From slot machines to table games and more, the gambling houses were rolling in green, bringing in $462.7 million. In April, the numbers dipped. Not by a lot. They didn’t fall so much as stumble to $461.6 million. They remain 14%...
Letter to the editor: Cracks in the Democratic dike
If my assumption is correct, and the numbers of primary votes are an indication of commitment, it seems that Republicans have noticeably more interest in the upcoming general election. I also have noticed the signs of some faults developing in the Democratic political dike. I understand the reasoning behind the...
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of May 23
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of May 23....
Editorial cartoons for the week of May 23
Editorial cartoons for the week of May 23....
Mona Charen: Are Democrats up to preventing next coup attempt?
In 1980, because I was an idealistic conservative eager to do my bit for democracy, I volunteered for my local Republican Party as a poll watcher. When polls closed, election officials asked us to gather around as they opened the backs of the machines one by one and tallied the...
Colin McNickle: The high cost of light rail in Pittsburgh
The Port Authority of Allegheny County’s light-rail per vehicle revenue hour costs were near the top nationally while the rail system’s share of total mass-transit trips was near the bottom of respective systems’ nationwide, concludes an analysis of pre-pandemic 2019 transit data by the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. And...
Letter to the editor: The unborn should be treated with dignity
I was saddened to read the letter “We shouldn’t be punishing women” (May 15, TribLIVE) referring to children as “damaged goods.” What kind of a message does this send to our young people? Tragically, more than 63 million unborn children have died since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in 1973....
Letter to the editor: Respect others’ viewpoints
Does letter-writer Lori Kregiel (“Refuse ads that spread misinformation,” May 14, TribLIVE) consider opinions that differ from hers “disinformation”? Shouldn’t a large part and purpose of media in this country be the free exchange of ideas, opinions and all sides of a story or issue? All major topics of our...
Editorial: Preventing ghost towns means being open to change
When we think of ghost towns, we think of those gold rush communities in places such as California and Colorado and Nevada. Remnants of the Old West. The skeletons of thriving communities that were lost when the gold was gone and the people went in search of new opportunities. We...
Letter to the editor: Consequences of ending legal abortion
It is uncommon to think beyond the immediate consequences and side effects of an action … but it shouldn’t be. Consider the action of ending legal abortion in America. The immediate consequence would be increasing births. A side effect would be higher death rates among women because even when risks...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Reject racial hatred with your vote
Where I grew up, Election Day was a holiday, a twice-yearly chance to celebrate American freedom. In neighborhoods with families from all over Europe, voting was a sacred moment, a reminder of a right they never had, a ritual that marked the blessings of the New World. After our grandparents...
Sounding off: Roe and racism
I don’t believe it’s unreasonable to presume that many of the people demonstrating against the Supreme Court draft decision on abortion also participate in protests under the banner of Black Lives Matter. A closer investigation of abortions and racism may be helpful. Blacks and Hispanics combined make up less than...
Viewpoint 2: Cronyism makes baby formula shortage worse
Bad policy makes people vulnerable, and the current baby formula shortage is just the latest example. The immediate cause of the shortage was contamination in a Michigan factory, which might not resume production until June. But the underlying cause is a slew of bad policies that make the market less...
Viewpoint 1: The infant formula crisis and our inequitable food system
No child should ever go hungry in the richest nation in the world. And yet, in recent days, panicked parents and caretakers who rely on infant formula for their loved ones’ health and nutritional needs are contending with the skyrocketing prices of baby formula and a severe shortage in grocery...
Letter to the editor: North Park is a treasure
A shout-out to the great men and women who meticulously groom and tend to the everyday needs of our great county park, North Park. There aren’t many places anywhere around more beautiful. It is a treasure to be able to enjoy such a wonderful place so close to home. Just...
Letter to the editor: A sensible solution to a serious problem
In “Climate catastrophists need to chill” (May 8, TribLIVE), Mona Charen says it’s an exaggeration to call climate change an “extinction-level” problem. I agree — but she is wrong to downplay the problem when she writes “At the more extreme end of possible effects … agriculture would be affected.” Agriculture...
Editorial: Inflation hitting government always hits taxpayers
Inflation is sending prices through the roof, from making breakfast and cleaning your house to buying a car and renting an apartment. All of them are not only up but also continuing to climb. Restaurants are marking more menu items as “market price” because of the rapid fluctuation, elevating a...
Letter to the editor: God bless the Ukrainians
Letter-writer Kathleen Bollinger (“More to the story on Ukraine”) has a point that liberal media is one-sided and that Russia and Ukraine have been fighting since 2014, but that is all. Russians are not bad people, but they endure repression of religion, free speech and the truth. Now we have...
Gary Franks: Supreme Court should leave college admissions alone — for the Good of America
As the world shifts its focus toward mourning the victims of senseless violence directed at racial and religious minorities, we should recognize that the Supreme Court actually has an opportunity to show the world where America really stands on racial diversity and race relations. The Supreme Court has held numerous...
Peter Morici: Biden needs some Republicans for his foreign policy team
Since World War II, U.S. foreign policy has promoted human rights and democracy by maintaining a superior military, offering security commitments to friends in Europe and Asia, and promoting free trade and investment among Western and nonaligned nations. Through the World Trade Organization and regional agreements, the latter policy encouraged...
Darwyyn Deyo and Conor Norris: Pa. should make covid-19 licensing waivers permanent
In response to the emergence of the covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, Gov. Tom Wolf enacted numerous waivers for unnecessary regulations to ensure Pennsylvanians had access to health care. These were extended several times, but they are once again set to expire. Sadly, many Pennsylvanians lacked access to health care...
Leonard Pitts Jr.: Poor white people
Come and let us pity white people. They are the real victims here. That, in essence, is the battle cry that’s powered much of American politics for the last 30 years, the last 15 in particular. It has echoed from the halls of government to the set of Fox “News”...
Letter to the editor: Inflation is good for the state
I don’t hear governors speaking out against inflation, I think because, when items cost more, the more sales tax the state collects. Clem Zahrobsky Delmont...
Letter to the editor: We must learn history to continue journey to equality
I’m still not sure what the bugaboo words “critical race theory” mean that people seem to be so afraid of. But we do need to teach true American history, even if it is painful. Slavery, lynchings, segregation, Jim Crow laws, red-lining, the Tulsa race massacre (and others), the Scottsboro boys...
Lori Falce: Diagramming, commas and politics
You know how in school there are things you learn that seem utterly pointless and with no impact on your real life? Like how most people will never need to know anything about the Battle of Hastings. Or how most adults will agree they never used a quadratic equation after...
