Opinion category, Page 59
Editorial: Why do some bills get attention in Harrisburg?
Is there nothing that can happen in Harrisburg without division? On Tuesday, we wrote about two bills wending their way through the Legislature. In the Senate, Republicans passed a bill banning transgender athletes in K-12 or collegiate sports within the state. In the House, Democrats passed a bill supporting legalization...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: Pittsburgh picks a mayor
Let’s take a look at what the May 20 race for mayor of Pittsburgh is not about. Some people and groups are seeking to use this election to fight their own battles instead of looking out for what’s best for the people of Pittsburgh. This election is not about Donald...
Colin McNickle: Calculating those NFL Draft economic benefits
“All that glitters is not gold,” goes the aphorism made most famous by William Shakespeare in his “The Merchant of Venice.” And a researcher at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy says we should keep that phrase in mind when it comes to the claimed economic impact Pittsburgh can expect...
Chad Kultgen: What I’ve learned from doing a podcast with my MAGA parents
My family used to be very close. We took vacations together. We never missed a birthday or a Christmas, even though it meant traveling from different states. And we talked on the phone often. But something happened during President Obama’s second term that changed our family drastically. I don’t think...
Letter to the editor: A reminder that goodness is out there
The other day I left the Hempfield Giant Eagle and was in the lane to turn onto Route 30. A pickup truck pulled up next to me and told me my tailgate was up! As I was wondering where I could go as there was no room to pull off,...
Letter to the editor: Is Gulf of Mexico renaming high on anyone’s priority list?
If one wishes to understand why reasonable people hold Congress in such low regard, look to the foolish and absurd passage in the U.S. House of Representatives of a bill to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, a litmus test as to the extent to which...
Editorial: Rite Aid closing leaves hole in marketplace
If you have been in a Rite Aid in recent months, the news of store closings was probably not a surprise. Many shelves are barely stocked. Outside of the pharmacy, the stores often have a ghost-town appearance. So when the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month and began...
Letter to the editor: Fracking’s destruction
Contrary to industry cheerleading, gas is not a better energy option than other fossil fuels. Fracking destroys agricultural and forest land, pollutes air and water and poses serious risks to public health, e.g., seven times the risk of lymphoma and a 20% increase in hospitalizations for children with asthma. Increasingly,...
Editorial cartoons for the week of May 12
Editorial cartoons for the week of May 12....
S.E. Cupp: Dems still hiding from Biden cover-up
“He totally (expletive)ed us.” It’s rare to hear a political party operative speak this way about one of his own. It’s almost unheard of to hear a well-known campaign adviser like David Plouffe speak this way on the record about the former president of the United States, Joe Biden. Especially...
Rep. Dan Frankel: Don’t let corporate cannabis hijack legalization in Pa.
Last week, something unusual happened in Harrisburg. A Senate Republican committee chair brought up the cannabis legalization bill I introduced with Rep. Rick Krajewski — just to vote it down. It was all theater. No legalization bill will become law without a negotiation with HB 1200, the House-passed legislation. So...
Letter to the editor: Photo of Trump as pope sacrilegious, offensive
Seeing the picture was a gut punch. Several days after the death of Pope Francis, while the Catholic Church was in mourning and preparing to elect a new pope, Donald Trump posted an AI-generated picture of himself dressed in papal garments, wearing a cross and holding up his second finger....
Letter to the editor: AP hit job on Fetterman
The Associated Press article “Sen. John Fetterman raises alarms with outburst at meeting with union officials” (May 7, TribLive) was probably just another smear attempt directed at the Democratic senator. In my opinion, the article is an example of poor journalism. To base the article on two anonymous sources who...
Lori Falce: The endangerment of the rule of law
You cannot have order without having law. Well, theoretically you could. If everyone just instinctively did the right thing, that would be great. No laws needed! But once you involve people, human nature, emotions and all of the quirky little things that complicate our lives, suddenly laws become pretty important....
Laurels & lances: Advocacy & asphalt
Laurel: To taking steps. Bill Russell and Jim Rieker are among the roughly 500,000 people who have survived bladder cancer. The numbers for doing so are good. The five-year survival rate for bladder cancer is about 77%. For cases identified when the disease is still contained only to the bladder,...
Letter to the editor: Reschenthaler not representing
Working people in Southwestern Pennsylvania are struggling — and it appears our congressman doesn’t see it. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler wants us to believe the economy is booming, prices are decreasing and jobs are everywhere. But, in his own district, people are working harder than ever before and falling behind. He...
Allison Mathis: Cyber charter reform is unfinished business
Cyber charter schools were created in 2002, and the law creating them had remained largely unchanged in the 22 years of its existence until Act 55 of 2024. Act 55 implemented several critical reforms related to accountability, transparency and ethics that advocates have been asking to see for years. Act...
Mark Z. Barabak: Is there a middle ground on immigration? This Republican thinks so.
Bob Worsley has solid conservative credentials. He’s anti abortion. A fiscal hawk and lifelong member of the Mormon Church. As an Arizona state senator, he won high marks from the National Rifle Association. These days, however, Worsley is an oddity, an exception, a Republican pushing back against the animating impulses...
Gary Pezzano: Stop gambling with the care Pa.’s older population deserves
As Pennsylvania’s baby boomer generation continues to age, the commonwealth’s system is failing to meet the growing demand for nursing home care, the LIFE program and other critical aging services. In fact, at a time when we should be expanding services, nursing homes are removing beds and scaling back services...
Letter to the editor: Rantings about Trump
The letter “Letters from left not based in reality” (May 10, TribLive) provides convincing examples of how “anti-Trump” letters often “read like wild, disassociative ramblings” not based on reality. I believe those emotional rantings derive not from an evaluation of President Trump’s policies, programs or performance but rather deep personal...
Letter to the editor: What Trump considers a tough time
President Trump admits it is necessary for Americans to go through a tough time prior to his promised dawn of prosperity. For him, born to affluence, a tough time means cringing when you see your portfolio shrink today, but knowing it will bounce back soon. But he knows nothing of...
Editorial: Will investing in airports pay off for Southwestern Pennsylvania?
Southwestern Pennsylvania has some extensive work being done on airports. The larger is the Terminal Modernization Program at Pittsburgh International Airport. Originally proposed in 2017, it had a projected price tag of $1.1 billion. Construction began in 2021. Costs are now about $1.7 billion. In a tour Tuesday, airport officials...
Letter to the editor: Penguins, Steelers, Pirates and the pope
Has incompetence reached epidemic proportions? Is there a reason Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas couldn’t trade a quality coach like Mike Sullivan for compensation? Our Penguins need help and seven teams need a coach. How many highly drafted players will Steelers owner Art Rooney II let go for...
Jonah Goldberg: The inescapable answer to America’s problems? Fix Congress
Pretty much on a daily basis now, I find myself muttering or shouting, “If only Congress wasn’t broken,” or something to that effect. I’m happy to acknowledge that our problems have many causes. Still, here’s my answer to the question “What is one thing you would do to solve —...
Joan Mills and William Reeves Ferran: Allegheny County power outages make case for solar and storage in public housing
When the Blawnox Apartments, home to over 80 senior citizens, abruptly went dark early last week amidst the torrential rain and fierce winds pummeling Allegheny County, building maintenance wasted no time in attempting to fire up the old diesel generator. When it finally sputtered to life — hours after the...
