Opinion category, Page 76
Letter to the editor: Red Cross Giving Day March 26
Help can’t wait when disaster strikes. Whether a family needs shelter, food or a sympathetic ear, generous donations to the American Red Cross help ensure they never face a crisis alone. The need for this support is constant. In just the first 50 days of 2025, local Red Cross volunteers...
Editorial: Universities and students struggle with uncertain higher ed landscape
It’s a tough time to be a college. Spring can be an uncertain time for a Pennsylvania institution of higher learning in the best of times. With state lawmakers still haggling over the budget, universities are making their plans for the coming year, but they do so in the dark....
Letter to the editor: Medicaid cuts would have disastrous effects
Among the many recent proposals in Washington is a movement to significantly decrease federal funding for Medicaid, which would be required if the recently proposed budget cuts are enacted. This would be a shortsighted move that would send a cascade of negative effects through our society. Medicaid enrollees are our...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: How do we define American greatness?
Millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump because he promised to make America great again. It is already clear that the definition of American greatness has somehow changed for some Americans. We know how American greatness has looked and sounded in the past. During his inaugural address in 1961, President...
Christopher Nicholas: Is Pittsburgh’s mayoral primary déjà vu all over again?
The Democratic primary battle for Pittsburgh mayor, between incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey and Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor, looks to be yet another Western Pennsylvania-centered test case on the strength of the state’s progressive movement. Gainey, a progressive Democrat, has stumbled throughout his term and is widely seen as an...
Christopher Briem: In defense of the City of Pittsburgh
What is the state of the city of Pittsburgh? The question is debated even more than usual these days, probably because 2025 will see multiple municipal elections across Pennsylvania. And what people believe about Pittsburgh is subject to the same information distortions that color our national politics. It’s not uncommon,...
Sounding off: EPA cuts, Musk, Trump among week’s topics
EPA cuts will damage Americans’ health I read with sadness about mass firings planned for the Environmental Protection Agency. How terrible for the health and safety of every American. When government agencies are gutted and civil servants are fired, the excuse is often that private industry can do it more...
Letter to the editor: Look deeper into Ukraine, Zelenskyy
Regarding the article “Ukrainian supporters rally in Pittsburgh after Trump’s contentious meeting with Zelenskyy” (March 4, TribLive): I do agree the meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was contentious, for reasons overlooked in the article. I suggest in-depth research from various sources on Zelenskyy, as to...
Letter to the editor: Fathers need to step up
The title of the old ballad “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” can be used to describe a nationwide disgrace: Where have all the fathers gone? Millions of so-called fathers have become nothing more than sperm donors. Children grow without having healthy male role models in their lives. This leaves...
Editorial: Will route cuts solve Pittsburgh Regional Transit problems?
Mass transportation is a critical part of life in a metropolitan area. It connects people to jobs, doctors, churches and shopping. It makes it possible for families to stay in touch. It breaks down barriers for those who cannot drive or for those who cannot afford cars. But those are...
Letter to the editor: Irony, hypocrisy in Trump’s speech
State of the Union and other presidential addresses have been more show biz, less serious discourse for decades. Two performances standing out in President Donald Trump’s latest speech to a joint session of Congress were served with hefty dollops of irony and hypocrisy. Of course, it’s great to have Marc...
Letter to the editor: Tackling methane waste
I am writing to express my sincere gratitude to U.S. Rep. Summer Lee for her commitment to addressing the critical issue of methane waste. Lee’s support for policies like the Methane Emission Reduction Program’s Waste Emissions Charge, or Methane Polluter Fee — aimed at minimizing methane gas emissions and reducing...
S.E. Cupp: Donald Trump’s 3rd term ‘jokes’ are serious
Back in 2020, while Donald Trump and Joe Biden were locked in a close race for the White House, some of us who’d covered Trump for years were ringing alarm bells that, if he lost, he would not go quietly. To us, this was more than obvious. In 2016, he’d...
Cal Thomas: Due process for all, or none
President Trump is using an 18th-century law, the Alien Enemies Act, to justify the deportation of hundreds of people he says are members of a vicious Venezuelan gang. That law was last used during World War II by the Roosevelt administration to justify the internment of Japanese Americans. The government...
Dan DeBone: Economic shock wave of Penn State New Kensington closure
Across the country, we are witnessing a troubling trend: the closure of regional college campuses. Some may see these as mere financial restructuring decisions, but I see them for what they truly are: economic earthquakes that shake the very foundation of local economies. The possible closure of Penn State New...
Letter to the editor: Hatred of Trump harming our country
Trump Derangement Syndrome is a real menace to our way of life. It is my opinion that our country is being destroyed from within by career politicians, elected members of Congress, who have become millionaires while collecting civil servant paychecks. These people will fight anyone who gets in their way....
Letter to the editor: Questions for a stable genius
Just a few questions for a stable genius. How does government save money by offering buyouts to the tune of one thousand million dollars to employees relieved of their jobs? Along with the proposed money-for-nothing payout until September for the so-called deferred resignation offer. On another note: When would it...
Letter to the editor: Ackerman best pick for county coroner
It is with great pleasure that I offer my endorsement of John Ackerman for the position of Westmoreland County coroner. My perspective is informed by a 26-year career as a Pennsylvania State Police trooper, during which I directed the Major Case Team for Westmoreland, Somerset, Indiana and Cambria counties. In...
Letter to the editor: Politicians, quit wasting our tax dollars
Congress, Senate, Democrats and Republicans: I’m a proud citizen and taxpayer of these United States. I accuse you of fraud, waste and abuse of my tax dollars. It’s your job to spend it responsibly. But lately it seems you’re not doing your job. I hear a lot of crying about...
Lori Falce: False promises of learning from Social Security mistakes
I am not old enough to retire. That doesn’t mean I am unfamiliar with the Social Security Administration. My father-in-law lived with us for several years after he suffered a heart attack. My husband received disability because of a constellation of health issues. I am a woman and I got...
Letter to the editor: How the wealthy exploit tax loopholes
There are many loopholes in our tax system that allow the extremely rich to legally cheat on their taxes. One such tax avoidance scheme is buy/borrow/die. First, the wealthy buy assets that appreciate in value without producing cash. These assets can include things like stock, collectibles and, particularly, real estate....
Laurels & lances: Partnership & partying
Laurel: To experienced support. Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute is using a secret weapon in helping patients navigate their medical journey: survivors. The Community Cancer Patient Ambassador Program launched in February. It connects cancer survivors with newly diagnosed individuals. It offers support for 14 disease lines, helping those fighting blood,...
Letter to the editor: Power plants and energy costs
Regarding the article “Facing competition from Big Tech, states dangle incentives and loosen laws to attract power plants” (March 9, TribLive): Gov. Josh Shapiro’s push for new power plants to meet growing energy demands glosses over an important detail: the cost of expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. While companies...
Jonah Goldberg: Trump administration has a free-speech problem
I have to wonder: When will Vice President JD Vance condemn his own administration? Last month, Vance, a self-described foreign policy “realist” who scorns the practice of describing countries as “good guys” and “bad guys,” caused quite a stir at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. He invited controversy, however,...
Scott Bricker: Safe, vibrant and thriving — Penn Avenue needs a better design
In his column ”Don’t mess with the Strip” (March 15, TribLive), Joseph Sabino Mistick paints a romantic picture of the Strip District, a neighborhood that has grown and evolved over time, especially in the past decade. He’s right about one thing — the Strip is a treasure. But treasures need...
