Opinion category, Page 81
Letter to the editor: DOGE for Dummies
Remember all the “for Dummies” books that were so popular in the ’90s and 2000s? I would like to propose a “DOGE for Dummies/Democrats” to help caterwauling lefties understand why Elon Musk’s new department is necessary. Consider the following analogy: Let’s say you move into a neighborhood with a homeowners...
S.E. Cupp: Trump was awful, but Elissa Slotkin hit a homer
It was as predictable as a rom-com — just as surely as you knew they’d end up together, we knew how President Trump’s first speech to Congress was going to go. It was full of Trumpisms — partisan jabs, personal attacks, absurd exaggerations, outright lies and lots of self-flattery. It...
Dr. Susan Kressly: Why pediatricians are worried
Early in my career as a pediatrician, it would not be unusual to get a phone call in the middle of the night from the worried parent of a child with a high fever. I got out of bed, met the family in the emergency room and sat with them...
Letter to the editor: A personal look back on eight years of Biden, Trump
After reading the letter “A rundown of the last 8 years” (Feb. 5, TribLive) while Presidents Trump and Biden were in office, I decided to check out my last eight years. While Trump was in office, my insurance company canceled my $15,000 life insurance policy, resulting in a future loss...
Letter to the editor: The obvious about Trump-Zelenskyy meeting
I turned on the news early Friday afternoon to witness exploding talking heads as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was driven from the White House. Surprisingly, none mentioned the obvious: Zelenskyy’s childlike petulance to advance the cause of peace by: • Formalizing the minerals agreement, already been signed by his legislature,...
Annie Abbott: Multilingualism not a threat. It belongs in our country.
When Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde spoke to President Donald Trump and the congregation on the day after his inauguration, she asked him “to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.” For many of those people, that fear is pronounced miedo, and speaking Spanish (or any...
Letter to the editor: Looking at Trump’s ‘smart’ moves so far
Just over a month into his second term, let’s just see how President Trump is making America great again. The especially smart moves so far include cutting the: • FAA air traffic controllers just before the start of the air travel season. • IRS just as tax filing season gets...
Letter to the editor: Medicaid cuts would devastate many
The recent House budget resolution almost certainly requires action from the committee that oversees Medicaid. This level of savings can only be achieved through devastating changes to the Medicaid program. There is no other way. I urge the public to contact their elected officials, particularly senators, to oppose the budget...
Laurels & lances: Lent, rent, money spent
Laurel: To the start of the season. Lent is upon us. Ash Wednesday was this week, and now Fridays in the coming weeks — and the practice for many Christians of abstaining from eating meat — are a chance for churches, fire companies and other nonprofits to fundraise with fish...
Letter to the editor: New vehicles in Hempfield a smart move
Regarding the article “Hempfield supervisors spend $222K on vehicles after debate” (Feb. 27, TribLive): I applaud Chairman Douglas Weimer and Supervisors William Bretz and Jay Anderson for voting to invest in the local economy. Purchasing new vehicles is an investment in the improvement of township services, not simply replacing equipment....
Jason W. Park: Battle Royale in Pittsburgh — the case of United States Steel
U.S. Steel has been in the news quite a bit within the last couple of years. It is enough to confuse the savviest of strategists. To make sense of it all, I list the two sides, their belligerents and their identities: Free trade — trade conducted freely with no tariffs,...
Andrew J. Lewis: Political hit job on cyber charter schools
Forget better schools. Apparently, Pennsylvania students need fewer schools, even if that means hurting the kids who need the most help. That’s effectively the message that two of our state’s leaders have sent in the past few weeks. First, Gov. Josh Shapiro demanded cutting funding for cyber charter schools by...
Letter to the editor: This Christian thanks God for Trump
The writer of the letter “Christians and Trump” (Feb. 27, TribLive) pontificates how only God can judge, then in the next paragraph proceeds to do exactly that by pronouncing judgment on any so-called Christian who voted for Donald Trump. The hypocrisy of the left never ceases to amaze. He further...
Letter to the editor: Pittsburgh should be responsible for sidewalks
Regarding the article “Fixes not fines: Pittsburgh wants to aid, not punish, poor homeowners with crumbling sidewalks” (Feb. 25, TribLive): I commend the city for supporting low-income residents in maintaining safe sidewalks. Expanding the 2023 pilot program is a step in the right direction. However, Pittsburgh should take full responsibility...
Editorial: Trump administration decisions have real impacts on real people
When incidents occur, it is human nature to do two things. We might empathize, recognizing the hardship others are enduring. We say “I understand,” or, “That could have been me.” The other reaction is to distance. We watch from behind a mental pane of glass. We don’t have to understand....
Letter to the editor: Hate doesn’t make us great
“Hate does not make America great.” I spotted this bumper sticker among dozens of others during the presidential campaign last year, and, as a Christian, it stuck with me. Hate seems to be overwhelming me in the first month of Donald Trump’s second term. If many of the right majority...
Jonah Goldberg: Here’s the key to understanding Donald Trump’s approach to the Ukraine war
I don’t say this often, but let’s give Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt. During Trump’s instantly infamous Oval Office meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week, the Ukrainian president was determined to make one point above all: that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not to be trusted. Again and...
Cal Thomas: Ukraine ministers speaking truth
While President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy were duking it out in the Oval Office in a rhetorical version of the Ultimate Fighting Club that Trump loves, six Ukrainian Christian ministers from different denominations were coincidentally (or prophetically?) down the street telling guests at...
Letter to the editor: Ashamed of Trump
I am a veteran, proud to have served. I’ve taken an oath to protect this country. This is America, a beacon of freedom, truth and justice, revered throughout the world. Many have sacrificed to achieve this. With my own eyes, I saw our leader belittle and embarrass one of our...
Letter to the editor: What is RFK doing about oil and gas?
In response to the Associated Press story “Trump officials want to ban junk food from SNAP. Past efforts show it’s not easy” (Feb. 19, TribLive) about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: What is he doing about oil and gas? His efforts aimed at Big Ag and Big Pharma seem like ways...
Letter to the editor: Banks have sordid role in credit card debt
I found myself doing mental gymnastics to follow the logic of the writer of the Las Vegas Review- Journal editorial “Credit card bill will hurt those it’s supposed to help” (Feb. 24, TribLive). After several readings, it appears to me that the writer’s logic is this: Banks’ earnings on their credit...
Editorial: Politics interferes with Pittsburgh police chief picks
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police is, once again, without a leader. This time, it is losing even an acting leader. “Serving as your acting chief for the last four months has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” acting Chief Christopher Ragland told Mayor Ed Gainey at a...
Letter to the editor: History in our backyards
When most of us want to learn history, we visit historical attractions like Gettysburg or Philadelphia. However, we either take for granted or are unaware of the historical events that took place in our own backyard. I live just a few blocks away from the burial sight of Arthur St....
Letter to the editor: Why turnpike tolls must sometimes be raised
Regarding the letter “Why does the turnpike keep raising tolls?” (Feb. 22, TribLive): Raising tolls is one of the most challenging votes our commissioners make annually, as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission recognizes the demands higher costs place on the 550,000 drivers who rely on our roadway daily. Context provides insight...
Colin McNickle: Tracking Pittsburgh’s stubborn office vacancy rate
There might be a glimmer of hope in Pittsburgh’s still-rising central business district (CBD) office vacancy rates. But an economist at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy cautions that there remain numerous caveats. Of course, the pandemic ushered in a new age of office work, more from home than in...
