Sounding off: Politicians, guns, abortions among week's topics

‘Promise season’

Sometimes it’s duck season. Other times it’s rabbit season. Recently, we have begun the first of two periods of “promise season.” This season pops up twice a year around March and April, then later in September and October.

This is the time of the year when it’s legal for candidates to go out and try to bag voters. There are no limits and few rules as to how these poor defenseless voters can be hunted and captured.

Successful “vote hunters” use an unlimited arsenal of tricks, lies, misinformation and “promises” to “bag” their prey. Most of the year they are invisible. Rarely seen by their prey. Only coming out every two or four years that coincide with election cycles, these relentless hunters begin with TV, radio and newspaper ads seeking to lull the hunted into a false sense of security and giving them the sense that their dreams and wishes will be granted, in return for their vote.

Vote hunters know their prey is quite easily fooled and are only concerned whether hunters are Ds or Rs. These hunters know most will do as they’re told by the ads mentioned above.

Recent promises floated out (again) are: allowing independents to enter the game, reducing taxes (ha-ha), cutting wasteful spending (lol), reducing violent crime and drug addiction, ending homelessness etc.

But not to worry, this season, like all the previous ones, will be over quickly and then things will go back to normal where nothing will change.

Tim Kaczmarek

Natrona Heights

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Reschenthaler’s devotion to Trump

He’s at it again: Guy Reschenthaler, our U.S. House of Representatives representative. Instead of looking after his constituents, Reschenthaler’s currying favor with his boss, Donald J. Trump. Reschenthaler has proposed House Bill 7845 to rename Dulles International Airport as Trump International Airport. Of course it has no chance of passing since if the House passes it, the Senate won’t and even if the Senate did, President Biden wouldn’t sign it.

So what’s Reschenthaler up to? In my opinion, he simply came up with a way to show he’s a Trump sycophant so Trump supports him and he can get reelected. I guess the joke’s on us — his constituents!

Kenneth Powell

New Kensington

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Better ways to spend Pa. money than student teacher stipends

So Pennsylvania is spending $10 million to pay college students for their student teaching assignments. Will the governor next propose paying college students to attend their college classes?

I was a student teacher while in college. Student teaching is a learning experience just like time in a classroom.

Don’t we have more pressing needs in Pennsylvania for $10 million? How about a mental health outreach for the homeless, addressing the drug-infested streets of Philadelphia, repairing roads and bridges? Looking at it, though, from a politician’s view, this handout will likely result in future votes for Josh Shapiro.

Russell Dejulio

Mt. Lebanon

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So it’s the gun’s fault again?

Regarding the article “Pa. Supreme Court hears debate on gun-industry immunity in lawsuit over Mt. Pleasant boy’s death” (April 9, TribLive): So now it really is the gun’s fault for going off? Once more it’s an object’s fault for an individual’s actions.

A gun cannot fire on its own. It needs a human to pull the trigger. That the person who pulled that trigger didn’t know or understand, or ignored, basic gun safety rules is obviously not important. As a gun owner, I know that you always need to check the chamber to ensure there is not a bullet in it. And the No. 1 rule is always treat every gun as if it were loaded. Just ask Alec Baldwin.

Rhonda Berlin

Penn Township, Westmoreland County

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Fetterman should rethink support of Netanyahu

In the last five months more than 30,000 humans have died violently in Gaza as a result of the military action ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. Sen. John Fetterman has stated: “We have an opportunity to stand with Israel in this situation, and this is what I have decided to do.” This is consistent with the statement appearing on his website: “I unequivocally support … aid to Israel. The United States has a moral obligation to be in lockstep with our ally as they confront this threat.”

The senator is mistaken; we are under no “moral obligation” to “unequivocally support” and remain “in lockstep” with a set of policies whose results are so wantonly cruel.

“Standing with Israel” means supporting the nation and the people of Israel. It does not mean uncritically endorsing every policy Netanyahu may be pursuing. The result of his response to the indefensibly brutal attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 has been the death of over 30,000 and placing more than a half a million in imminent danger of starvation. This violates any moral proportionality of response to the deaths of 1,200 Israelis at the hands of Hamas and the taking of more than 240 hostages.

President Biden spoke with Netanyahu and, according to the AP, “Biden’s message marks a sharp change in his administration’s steadfast support for Israel’s war efforts, with the U.S. leader for the first time threatening to rethink his backing.” The time has come for Fetterman to rethink his “unequivocal” support for Netanyahu.

George H. Leiner

Greensburg

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What about the war on the unborn?

I hear the abortion supporters call Republican efforts to outlaw abortion a “war on women.” There are no fatalities in this war, yet I don’t hear anyone call the over 600,000 babies that are killed in the womb every year a “war on the unborn.” Wonder why?

Bill Radvansky

New Kensington

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Shapiro’s energy proposals threaten affordable, reliable energy in Pa.

In his op-ed “My commonsense plan for a new era of energy leadership in Pa.” (April 2, TribLive), Gov. Josh Shapiro claims, “Doing nothing is not an option.” However, his energy proposals are solutions in search of a problem that will do nothing but harm Pennsylvania’s energy industry and raise energy costs.

Shapiro’s Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction (PACER) is a carbon copy of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Like RGGI, PACER will impose a carbon tax, forcing energy producers to raise their rates. Carbon tax revenues will partially fund consumer rebates to mitigate rising energy costs. PACER robs Peter to pay Paul’s utility bill.

PACER also punishes an industry that has already reduced its carbon footprint. The Independent Fiscal Office recently released data demonstrating that Pennsylvania has reduced emissions while expanding power generation.

Shapiro’s Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) would cut current grid reliability in half. Contrary to Shapiro’s claim, PRESS will make our grid less reliable and more vulnerable to blackouts.

Pennsylvania is already doing something and doing it well. Our energy sector meets Shapiro’s policy criteria of creating jobs, addressing climate change and ensuring reliable energy.

PACER and PRESS are unrealistic and unnecessary proposals that will raise utility costs, destroy jobs, and threaten Pennsylvania’s role as a national leader in energy production.

André Béliveau

Harrisburg

The writer is senior manager of energy policy for the Commonwealth Foundation.