Sounding off: On Tomlin, on Trump, on taxes

Tomlin should resign

Dear Mike Tomlin,

Happy Holidays to you and your family. I have a problem only you can resolve. Please stop using the phrase “the standard is the standard.” I don’t think you know the standard.

As a Christian man, you surely realize it is blasphemy. You are not Chuck Noll, who set the standard.

Noll was a teacher; you are not.

Noll was an evaluator; you are not.

Noll was a disciplinarian; you are an enabler.

Noll was a draft genius; you are not.

Noll was a tactician; you mismanage on and off the field, as evidenced by your major coaching blunders in six of the last seven games.

Your immediate resignation might inspire the team to a long overdue playoff victory. Miracles do happen, but I’m not holding my breath. Sorry, Mike.

I guess Art Rooney doesn’t have the guts to fire you but would pony up for a gold watch as you get on with your “life’s work.” It may help with your clock management issues.

Happy New Year, Mike.

Rob DiSanti

O’Hara

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Westmoreland sheriff spreading hatred

Sheriff James Albert’s letter “Keeping Westmoreland County safe” (Dec. 10, TribLive), regarding “society becoming more dangerous” and women purchasing guns for protection, in which he repeatedly mentions “illegal aliens,” is fearmongering under the auspices of law enforcement. Most women who are victims of violence are abused by known partners, not random “illegal aliens” they happen across. What a crock. In my opinion, he is ramping up fear and animosity in advance of terrifying police state vigilantism.

Push back. Say something. Disagree. Let it be known that we are not OK with this hatred and discrimination against our fellow human beings.

Sandy Lowe

Sheridan, Wyo.

The writer is a Western Pennsylvania native.

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Hope for a better tomorrow with Trump

Although I am cautiously hopeful for our country during this holiday season, it’s hard to fully embrace an optimistic outlook when I consider the possibly irreversible damage done during our current presidential administration.

A bungled, shameful Afghanistan pullout. A Chinese spy balloon permitted to fly the entire breadth of our country, possibly collecting critical intelligence. Inflation that has raised the cost of living by nearly 25%. Biological males playing in female sports and using female locker rooms. An obviously cognitively compromised president being shielded by his party and the leftist media until his mental decline could no longer be denied. Demeaning and denigrating police, while denying increases in violent crime. And, perhaps, the most destructive presidential policy ever: executive orders permitting more illegal immigrants into the country than any previous administration, ever.

Result: Government resources overwhelmed. Billions of tax dollars handed to migrants. Millions of unvetted migrants, many with criminal backgrounds, allowed into the country. At least 300,000 missing migrant children. Record fentanyl deaths. Criminal gangs, like the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua, now terrorizing U.S. citizens inside our country.

Though I hope and pray that we can stop this madness, I know that nearly half the country voted to keep riding the cuckoo train. Many Democrats will continue to try and stop any meaningful course reversal that might bring back a semblance of sanity. The fight for America’s future never ends.

For now, I’m going to continue celebrating Christmas, believing that hope for a better tomorrow is here at last.

Richard Byers

Mt. Pleasant

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Let Trump’s destruction play out

Democrats need to stay out of Donald Trump’s way this time and let him do what he does well, which is destroy the country, so his low-info voters feel it in the only place they seem to have any nerve endings left, i.e., their pocketbooks.

These folks, mired as they are in social media disinformation, are unreachable in any other way. It’s obvious that talking about democracy and rule of law issues doesn’t interest them in the slightest.

Also, FYI MAGAs, Nikolai Patrushev, part of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and former secretary of security, told the Russian newspaper Kommersant “to achieve success in the elections, Donald Trump relied on certain forces to which he has corresponding obligations. And as a responsible person, he is obliged to fulfill them.” Let that sink in. You probably voted a traitor to the highest office in the land, But, hey at least the prices of eggs will go down.

Or will it? Trump is already walking back one of his most important campaign promises, bringing down grocery prices, saying that “it will be hard to bring down grocery prices” and “it’s hard to bring down prices once they’re up.” OK.

One final note: How can anyone, even a MAGA, trust a habitual liar like Trump? Well, you wanted it, now you can eat it.

Jeffrey T. Hice

Penn Township, Westmoreland County

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Voters want more choices

I agree with the writer of the letter “Ranked choice voting gives all voters a say” (Dec. 13, TribLive) that something has to change. Ranked choice voting looks attractive, provided the politicians don’t “game” it. However, it seems that most of us just want more choices. Third parties exist, and maybe some day one of them will rise to the top and win an election.

In the meantime, perhaps we could allow more than one Republican and more than one Democrat on the ballot. Maybe five or six of each. The voter could rank maybe 10 or 12 candidates. Using the ranked choice voting algorithm, a winner would be automatically selected without any runoffs.

And while we’re at it, why are the Republican and Democratic candidates allowed to choose their own running mates? Couldn’t the ranked choice voting system automatically award the vice president position to whoever wins second place?

Richard L. Marvin

Greensburg

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Allegheny County tax hike outrageous

It’s as predictable as the sunrise.

Allegheny County has enacted another outrageous tax increase of 36%, after striking down a more outrageous increase of nearly 50%. This follows the same old pattern of county government: floating out a huge number, then slightly reducing it to try and appear as if it’s a “win” for taxpayers.

Well, it is not. In these exceedingly difficult economic times, who exactly can expect a 36% raise? These absolutely heartless elected officials think it’s perfectly OK to further squeeze financially strapped families who truly cannot add one more box onto an already sunken ship.

Speak up, taxpayers, and vote these scoundrels out ASAP and vote in representatives who will actually work responsibly for us all.

Mike Salera

Upper St. Clair

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The horror of NFL Christmas games

After reading Paul Kengor’s column “The NFL disses Christmas” you would think a Christmas NFL game is the worst thing to happen since someone walked on the grass at Grove City College! He proffers that Christmas NFL games on Sundays are OK, even though it causes him to fret about the Ten Commandments and even takes a second to bemoan the death of “blue laws.” But a Wednesday game, that is an assault on Christians.

He mentions Christmas is a national holiday (even though Thanksgiving is also a national holiday, and again, Sunday Christmas games are OK). Then he reveals his true colors: He writes that “a pastor who emailed me noted that the NFL honors and celebrates Pride Month” and “launched a ‘Football is Gay’ promotional campaign.” Oh, humanity!

Noticeably absent is any mention of the NBA playing on Christmas. I think it’s probably because the NBA has a lot of minority players, and they don’t really exist to the nonsecular cult of GCC, unless they are born again and can hand over the $34,000 per year to attend an institution that seeks to narrow a person’s worldview instead of expand it. Just stay off the grass!

Mike Doran

Greensburg