Opinion category, Page 82
Tyler Cowen: A $5 million gold card for immigrants makes economic sense
President Donald Trump would like to offer migrants who want to work in the U.S. a “gold card,” akin to a green card, with one significant difference: the price tag. A gold card would cost $5 million, compared to government fees of $235 for a green card. It’s a good...
Letter to the editor: Ashamed of our president
I am an older man, listened to the results of the Truman/Dewey election. I know that everyone makes mistakes. I know that our national debt is too big, and that our government is too big and too expensive. I know that many dictators have come to power through the process...
Letter to the editor: All DEI programs are not the same
The article “Ending diversity push or fueling student anxiety? Trump administration’s anti-DEI stance sparks debate” (Feb. 25, TribLive) quotes Adam Kissel, currently at the Heritage Foundation: “The DEI party in education is over. As commonly practiced, DEI initiatives and offices treat people differently by identity group, stereotype by identity group,...
Letter to the editor: Free tax help is available
Death and taxes, the saying goes. But what if tax season wasn’t just a pain or a punchline and instead was the most stressful time of the year? For people in our region working multiple jobs but still not earning enough to meet their basic needs, filing taxes can be...
Editorial: How can hospitals be made safe from violence?
UPMC Memorial in York County is a hospital. A hospital is a place where life or death struggles take place every day. It is usually a cardiac arrest or a stroke or an anaphylactic allergic reaction. It can be a traumatic injury. It might be a gunshot wound. It is...
Letter to the editor: Audit of our government long overdue
The Democrats’ reaction to the Trump administration’s efforts to rein in waste, fraud and abuse across all federal agencies through DOGE is very strange. They are marching in the streets, singing and chanting like anti-war protesters in the late ’60s. Elon Musk and his cadre of young whiz kid engineers...
Letter to the editor: Elections have consequences
With alarm, we bear witness to President Donald Trump’s sledgehammering cuts to the federal government with agency closings, layoffs and indiscriminate and unlawful firings of civil servants, all occurring while Congress ineptly stands by. Unelected but Trump-appointed Elon Musk enters and closes numerous agencies with dangerous, uncertain firings of nuclear...
Matthew Espenshade: IRA’s unfair drug pricing must be stopped
How many of us know what goes into the development of the medications we take? We take a medicine and hope it will work, that we’ll feel better shortly or we’ll be able to keep certain diseases in check. Very few of us have any concept of the years of...
Cal Thomas: A warning about pride for Trump
“Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” — Henry Kissinger President Trump is on a roll, claiming victory after victory against the “swamp.” Some of his decisions are being challenged in court, but others, like closing the border and deporting migrants with criminal records, are likely to be sustained. Polls show they...
Letter to the editor: Christians did indeed vote for Trump
I disagree with the letter “Christians and Trump” (Feb. 27, TribLive), in which the writer claims that no real Christian voted for President Trump. Many of us who are Bible believers and follow Christ voted for Trump. It was our understanding that our nation was becoming weak and being filled...
Letter to the editor: International aid boosts economic prosperity, security
Not only is global poverty a humanitarian problem, but it also has an impact on national security and economic stability. Foreign aid, which accounts for less than 1% of the federal budget yet has a significant influence, is one way that the United States helps combat extreme poverty around the...
Letter to the editor: Let’s look at who’s paying their ‘fair share’
Democrats and their minions in the legacy media and various cable new outlets have “waged war” against the wealthy, saying that they have not paid “their fair share of taxes.” Most have never stated what “their fair share” should be. President Trump’s proposed $5,000 DOGE rebate essentially defines what a...
Editorial: Never forget the WTC sick — Congress must finally fully fund their health care
We were relieved when House Republicans successfully pushed President Donald Trump to reverse the Elon Musk-imposed 20% cut to the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides medical monitoring and treatment to 137,000 responders and survivors sickened from the toxic plume from 9/11. Never forget, indeed. But having protected the...
Letter to the editor: Musk’s havoc
I’d like to add some additional data to the letter “Speak up to stop Musk’s coup” (Feb. 15, TribLive). Elon Musk is the wealthiest person in the world, worth $442 billion, yet in 2022 and 2024 Tesla paid $0 in federal tax. It’s obscene that any one man should have...
Letter to the editor: Oversight needed for federal firings
On Feb. 13, Trump administration officials fired more than 300 staffers at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the country’s nuclear weapons stockpile. The administration is seeking to rehire these employees. The Department of Energy oversees U.S. national energy policy and energy production, research and development of nuclear power,...
Editorial cartoons for the week of March 3
Editorial cartoons for the week of March 3....
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of March 3
Mallard Fillmore cartoons for the week of March 3....
Letter to the editor: Congress must address high cost of prescription drugs
While Congress could tackle a plethora of issues as it begins its 119th session, it’s my hope that the Pennsylvania congressional delegation works to introduce reforms that address the rising cost of prescription drugs. According to a recent KFF poll, a third of Americans don’t take their medications as prescribed...
Letter to the editor: Lost, stolen gun reporting laws can prevent tragedy
Can you imagine if your car was stolen but you couldn’t report it? Now, imagine a stolen gun, one that could have been prevented from ever getting into the wrong hands. This isn’t a hypothetical scenario for me; it’s a tragic reality that has forever altered my life. My 16-year-old...
Editorial: Medicaid doesn’t just provide care to the poor
Making cuts to one program often has a fallout beyond the intended recipient. For example, whenever a proposal is made to cut all benefits that might go to someone testing positive for drugs, there are voices in favor. It is understandable that many people don’t want to give assistance to...
Letter to the editor: Chainsaw cuts to VA will hurt veterans
The DOGE effort to make the government more efficient is trimming muscle and bone from the Veterans Health Administration. More veterans are now using the VA, while at the same time, VA’s service is improving with higher satisfaction ratings, higher quality care and better outcomes than the private sector. Finally,...
Joseph Sabino Mistick: The power of faith, family and pierogi
Next week, as they have done nearly every week for decades, the women of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in McKeesport will gather around long tables in the church basement to make pierogi. Their fingers will move quickly and precisely, shaping small balls of potato and cheese, a...
Peter Morici: Fixing America’s broken health care system
The assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson triggered a disturbing avalanche of sympathy for his accused killer, often laced with sarcasm about health insurance systems for prior review for many services and claims reimbursement. UHC is a large multistate insurer subject to scrutiny for its generally high denial rates. A...
Sheldon H. Jacobson: Our nation’s debt is far more than the national debt
The national debt has been making the news, placing much of the focus on federal debt. Yet to gain a full appreciation of the nation’s debt, one must step back and take a wider view of the situation. Take for example personal debt. Many are now addressing credit card bills...
Stephanie R. Toliver: No going backward — don’t take down the Department of Education
Growing up in New Castle, Pa., where every public school received extra federal support due to the city’s high poverty levels, I saw the importance of governmental assistance. New Castle Area School District, one of the poorest in Pennsylvania, relied on Title I to fund essential services like tutoring, after-school...
