Opinion category, Page 47
Editorial: Let freedom ring
The greatest thing America has ever done is to stand up to tyranny and declare itself to be free. Before our nation was a nation, we sowed the seeds of what we would become. Before we had a representational democratic republic, people acting in our collective interest sat in collaboration....
Lauren Holubec: Pa. needs to invest in youth workforce development
Pennsylvania is evolving, and our workforce development system needs to adapt to this change. For years, there have been flashing red lights on Pennsylvania’s demographic dashboard. Our population is aging, and retiring workers are not being replaced by new workers quickly enough. It’s leaving employers understaffed. Beyond that, there is...
Paul Kengor: Our nation’s founding, an American miracle
I recently had the privilege of being featured in the new film “The American Miracle.” The film is a docudrama, a mix of interviews with experts on the American founding and reenactments. The experts include the likes of Joseph Ellis and Robert George. The actors range from Richard Dreyfuss, Pat...
Letter to the editor: ICE agents’ actions a disgrace
The recent actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations agents ordered to the streets of America has been a national disgrace. The role of our federal agents is to protect us, not to terrorize us at our work, our retail stores, our restaurants or our schools …...
Letter to the editor: America needs unity, not protest
With the Fourth of July approaching, I wanted to reflect on the recent “No Kings” protest. Within our country, thousands of people protested President Trump and his policies, implying he is a tyrannical king. This is flawed. America has not been ruled by a king since July 2, 1776. An...
Letter to the editor: Closed primaries work just fine
Some argue “open primaries,” where independents can choose to vote in one of the two major parties’ primary election, will ensure more moderate candidates being chosen. But the opposite is more likely. This is just an invitation to sabotage an opposing party’s primary. One common justification for open primaries is...
Editorial: Public defender did not help client by going to Orphans’ Court
Isreal Moseby, 19, has multiple issues to face in court. There are charges of stabbing a woman in the neck and dragging her around her home in 2023. There are charges related to the June 4 death of Samantha Howells, 53, in Crafton Heights. As terrible as those crimes are,...
Mary Jo Simmen-Gray: The real story behind the Marcellus impact fee windfall
On June 24, Rep. Leslie Rossi, R-Westmoreland, announced that more than $1.3 million in impact fee revenue from Marcellus shale gas drilling will be distributed to Westmoreland County and municipalities in the 59th District, including Latrobe, Derry, Ligonier and Mt. Pleasant. She framed the announcement as a win: “These funds...
Jim Nowalk: America’s new crime wave is digital — federal solution required
Imagine a criminal speeding down an interstate highway, crossing from Ohio into Pennsylvania and then into New Jersey, stealing from homes in each town and vanishing before police can react. Now imagine if that same criminal didn’t need to travel at all — because with a few keystrokes and a...
Letter to the editor: Metered parking deters shoppers, diners
When are Greensburg and Latrobe going to do away with metered parking? It’s 25 cents for 15 minutes to park. I would love to shop in downtown Greensburg and Latrobe more often, but when I go I feel the need to run in, get what I need and run back...
Letter to the editor: Border Patrol agents doing their job
The southern border is essentially closed for the first time that I can recall. This was accomplished by executive orders, and freeing up our Border Patrol agents to do the job they were hired to do. During the Biden/Harris administration, we were told repeatedly by the Democrats that we needed...
Editorial: Does video sell Pennsylvania as state for business or just roast NYC?
Pennsylvania is trying to whisper sweet nothing in the ears of New York businesses. New York State Rep. Zohran Mamdani, a progressive Democrat, presumptively won his party’s nomination for mayor of New York City in the June 24 primary. He defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a host of others,...
Letter to the editor: Air pollution and dementia
As a neurologist, I am concerned about the increasing prevalence of dementia. Current estimates of dementia risk are 11-23% for Americans. The number of new dementia cases is expected to double by 2060. Some risk factors for dementia (e.g., genetics) are nonmodifiable. However, one important modifiable risk factor is exposure...
Athan Koutsiouroumbas: Draining the swamp, Pennsylvania-style
It’s rare these days to find a proposal out of Washington that checks every box: common sense, bipartisan and pro-worker. That is exactly what Pennsylvania U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman have delivered with their bill to relocate the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management...
Ryan Unger: We need more teachers in Pa.
I have Thanksgiving dinner every year with only teachers. My mother, father, sister, brother-in-law, aunt, cousin and grandmother, along with all my great-aunts, have served as educators. While I’m the odd one out professionally, I value their work and service and the path they took to get there. My mother...
Letter to the editor: Speaking out for Palestinians
The article “No kings protesters oppose Trump administrations’ policies” (June 15, TribLive) neglected to mention the large Palestine contingent that was present, including speaker Jacob Blumenstein representing Jewish Voice for Peace. After listening to Blumenstein’s plea to connect the fight against fascism, white supremacy and antisemitism in the U.S. with...
Editorial: Unionizing Uber and Lyft drivers may speed up their robotic replacement
Last week, Tesla unveiled a small fleet of robotaxis in Austin, Texas, marking the first time the EV powerhouse’s driverless vehicles transported paying passengers. For now, Elon Musk’s company is charging a flat fee under $5 for rides. We can’t imagine this price tag will stick around forever, but it...
Letter to the editor: Don’t let ‘catch and kill’ be our norm
“Catch and Kill Bill” is not the title of a new movie sequel. It’s a phrase I made up to illustrate a few bad practices in our society today. “Catch and kill” is a real practice known to our media world and is becoming more common in our nontransparent or...
Editorial cartoons for the week of June 30
Editorial cartoons for the week of June 30....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of June 30
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of June 30....
Letter to the editor: Paper checks ending Sept. 30
As a local tax professional, I want to alert the public — especially senior citizens — about an important change on the horizon. There hasn’t been much publicized about this, but the federal government has announced it will no longer accept or issue paper checks after Sept. 30. This affects...
Letter to the editor: The railroad is a great place to work
The article “Interest in skilled trades surges nearly 14%” (June 18, TribLive) confirms what those of us in the railroad industry are experiencing firsthand. The demand for skilled trade workers — welders, mechanics, electricians, equipment operators, engineers and conductors — for jobs within freight railroads, as well as contractors and...
Editorial: Public participation shouldn’t just happen when convenient for government
We talk a lot about transparency. The free flow of information is important. We want government to be accountable to the people for their actions, their spending and their process. When government does things without telling people what’s happening is when things go wrong. We have critiqued municipalities, school districts,...
Letter to the editor: Time to raise minimum wage in Pa.
It is beyond time to raise the wage in Pennsylvania and move to a livable wage for all workers. It is unacceptable for Pennsylvania to have the lowest minimum wage in the country, lower than every single bordering state, which makes it harder to retain and recruit workers in our...
Letter to the editor: Pay attention to the here and now
I will use my monthly opportunity here today to write a brief retort (noun or verb, look it up) to the letter “Democrats are threat to democracy” (June 23, TribLive). As I read his blather, all I can see in my mind is that his “group” — and I won’t...
