Opinion category, Page 54
Letter to the editor: Government works to improve our quality of life
The Trib has published several articles illustrating how our government works for us, including efforts to bring broadband to rural Westmoreland, plugging wells to stop methane leaks, upgrading sewer lines, improving bridges, addressing blight, responding to extreme weather disasters, filling abandoned coal mines and removing lead from water pipes. Other...
Letter to the editor: Library funding key for communities
In a time when individualism is at its height, local libraries act as a safe “third space” that offers many free resources and programs for their community. The current administration has been attacking libraries for months, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has been completely defunded in...
Colin McNickle: A misguided proposal to redirect liquor tax revenue
The stated intent of Pennsylvania House Bill 985 is to divert liquor tax revenue to provide grants to municipalities with tax- exempt property comprising 15% or more of total assessed value and with household median income of less than 115% of the state level. But, “While the intent appears to be...
Oliver Bateman: Make the most of Aaron Rodgers’ last run in Pittsburgh
This month, Aaron Rodgers finally signed with the Steelers, ending an exhausting offseason saga that directly impacted their draft. The 41-year-old quarterback’s arrival marks the beginning of what promises to be the weirdest chapter in franchise history. Good. Scouting reports paint a grim picture: diminished arm strength, slower processing speed,...
Letter to the editor: Trump draws a huge crowd — of protesters
The largest protest ever to take place against a United States president occurred June 14, the “No Kings” events which brought anti-Trump activists to cities and towns both small and large from East Coast to West. Despite his claim to the contrary, Donald Trump did not have the largest crowd...
Letter to the editor: Democrats are threat to democracy
It is said that President Donald Trump is a threat to democracy. Let’s look at some facts. The Biden administration refused to enforce immigration laws, letting in millions of people who illegally crossed the border. Even when individuals with criminal backgrounds and/or on terrorist watch lists were captured, some of...
Editorial: Americans could be impacted by Iran bombing
Politics is supposed to stop at the water’s edge. That thought, expressed in 1947 by U.S. Sen. Arthur Vandenberg, a Republican from Michigan, was a call to American leaders to be a wall of solidarity on the international stage. The partisan machinations were like family squabbles to keep behind closed...
Letter to the editor: Paid sick leave is good for workers, communities
The letter “Sick leave expansion is anti- business” (June 18, TribLive) fundamentally misunderstands the expansion of Pittsburgh’s Paid Sick Days Act. Branding this essential worker protection as “anti-business” is a short-sighted perspective that overlooks the well-being of our workforce and community. Saying businesses are “forced to pay employees who don’t work”...
Editorial cartoons for the week of June 23
Editorial cartoons for the week of June 23....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of June 23
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of June 23....
Letter to the editor: Al Oliver’s HOF induction long overdue
The Pittsburgh Pirates finally did something right, and long overdue. Recently, they announced their 2025 Hall of Fame class. At long last, they chose to induct Pirates legend and baseball superstar Al Oliver, a great player and even better person. Oliver was someone who always put the team first, unselfishly...
Letter to the editor: Politics, a low-skill job
The Founding Fathers outlined specific standards in the Constitution regarding age, citizenship status and residency requirements for serving in Congress. They, sadly, did not go any deeper. They did not enumerate qualifications such as education, experience or technical skills, nor did they address leadership, stability of character, the ability to...
Letter to the editor: Transit cuts violate the spirit of Virtue, Liberty and Independence
Disability Rights Pennsylvania (DRP) is deeply concerned about proposed cuts that devastate access for people with disabilities across both urban and rural parts of the commonwealth. In Pittsburgh, 41 bus routes and much of the paratransit service area are on the chopping block. In Philadelphia, SEPTA may eliminate 50 routes...
Editorial: What did the Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel deal really do?
The Nippon Steel-U.S. Steel deal is done. Finally. Really. What was proposed as a sale in December 2023 and talked about frequently as a “deal,” “merger,” “partnership” or “proposal” over the ensuing 18 months has cleared its hurdles and been approved by President Donald Trump. Whatever it is, it involved...
Letter to the editor: Political violence is never OK
I completely agree with Sen. Kim Ward’s comments (“ ‘It’s a scary time in politics,’ state Sen. Kim Ward says following Minnesota shootings,” June 17, TribLive), in which she decried the recent political killings in Minnesota. Neither she nor any other person serving in our governments (whether elected or appointed)...
Letter to the editor: America has always been great
Notwithstanding bloviation from the White House, America has always been great. Correction: It was, until the Project 2025 gang took over, shredding the Constitution, gutting our institutions and instigating a brain drain. Let’s look at some previous examples of our greatness: The Revolution freed this country from the tyranny of...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: The American flag belongs to all of us
Two new American flagpoles were installed at the White House June 18 at a ceremony attended by President Donald Trump and the national media. What should have been an important expression of what our flag represents turned into a reminder that our relationship with the American flag is complicated. Trump...
Nicole Stallings: Sounding the alarm for Pa.’s rural hospitals
Pennsylvania’s rural hospitals are struggling. Declining patient volumes, workforce shortages and chronic underpayment have left many on a lifeline. About half are operating at a loss, according to fiscal year 2023 data from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council. Another 17% are barely breaking even or operating with margins...
J. Byron Fleck: Pitt’s $246 million bet against its students, employees
By July 1, the University of Pittsburgh will have made a choice: fund up to a quarter-billion-dollar commitment to pay its professional football and men’s basketball players — or protect its students, families and employees from financial ruin. The money? $246 million over 10 years, taken directly from student tuition,...
Dwight Boddorf: Reinventing Tarentum, a small town with a big vision
The odds haven’t been in our favor, and for towns like Tarentum, they rarely are. At its peak, Tarentum was home to over 11,000 residents and was built on industry, tight-knit neighborhoods and a strong tax base. Today, we’re a town of just over 4,200. We’ve lost more than half...
Letter to the editor: All hail Trump the king
Evidently, the Democrats, liberals and others who follow their thinking have tired of calling President Trump a Nazi, an oligarch and a fascist. So they came up with a clever new idea. Now Trump is a “king.” Personally, I am not offended by this latest political distraction. Our president has...
Letter to the editor: Trump’s bill will harm veterans
Last weekend, President Trump threw an extravagant military parade on his birthday, and taxpayers are footing the $45 million bill. While it may seem like Trump is honoring the military, I know, as a former Army soldier, what we really need is to end the Republican-backed assault on programs veterans...
Editorial: Pets should have legal protections from being treated like trash
Families don’t always look the same. Sometimes they are small and nuclear. Sometimes they are blended from remarriage. Sometimes they are extended with grandparents or grandchildren. And for many people, families include animals. According to Forbes, 66% of American households include pets. That’s almost 87 million families. Most pets are...
Letter to the editor: Reschenthaler not representing
It’s best for me to think of Rep. Guy Reschenthaler’s weekend newsletters as attempts at humor. Witness his June 9 email. I want him to take me to the Westmoreland County grocery store where eggs are $2.52 so I can purchase there. He claims to be a great supporter of...
S.E. Cupp: Loyalty to Donald Trump overrides basic decency
In 50 years, when we talk about this era of American politics, it will be truly impossible to capture the chaos, exhaustion, darkness and insanity of Donald Trump’s presidencies. There won’t be adequate words to describe how much changed in such a short period of time, thanks to Trump’s utter...
