Letters to the Editor category, Page 141

We have a governor who I believe feels by throwing money at teaching our children, they will become smarter. Or is it because teachers unions give millions of dollars to his party? We spend more per student than any other country in the world. But our students keep falling further...

Letter-writer Robert J. Reiland thinks several Republican senators embarrassed themselves during Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings, and that Sen. Ted Cruz made racist attacks on the nominee (“Republicans’ questioning of Jackson embarrassing.” Asking difficult questions, as Cruz did, is not an attack and does not make one a...

While the editorial “Artificial intelligence is not educational taboo” (March 8, TribLIVE) implied otherwise, I am not, in fact, afraid to talk about artificial intelligence and how this topic might fit into schools. AI is not only about Alexa and Siri; it also is used in facial recognition technology, Deepfakes,...

The next appointee to the U.S. Supreme Court can’t/won’t define what a “woman” is! I can. Whadahekzgoinonhere?? Huh? Joe Marmo Cheswick...

Vladimir Putin has put his nuclear forces on alert. We could do likewise, going from DEFCON 3 to 2 to 1 (defense conditions of readiness prior to all-out nuclear war). To do so would only heighten tensions. The concept of MAD — mutually assured destruction — prevented nuclear war throughout...

I am a Westmoreland County physician who has worked throughout the pandemic and witnessed the damage from covid-19 firsthand. Many patients and families are still struggling with depression, addiction or both. Hopefully, our county commissioners will use Westmoreland County’s American Rescue Plan funds to rescue our communities as we recover...

I read, with disgust, the March 31 George Will opinion piece “Toomey rightly wants to rein in Boeing’s bank.” Sen. Pat Toomey and Will have used only the barest of facts as a matrix upon which they weave a complete myth. I had firsthand experience in obtaining an EX-IM loan...

An open letter to Vladimir Putin: Dear President Putin: When first you became president, there were a few of us Americans who may have thought, privately, “Finally, a Russian leader who knows how to get things done.” Frankly, sir, we were wrong about your judgment when it comes to foreign...

I would love to see a bill proposed by Congress to limit the amount of pages each new proposed bill could contain — no more than five pages, front and back. In addition, before a vote is taken on the bill, each member of Congress must sign a statement that...

Regarding letter-writer Rodger Henderson’s remarks about good buddies Putin and Trump and about the situation in Ukraine (“Peacemakers will restore order,” March 14, TribLIVE). To everyone who is afraid of it, I’d like to assure them that this war will not lead to nuclear war mainly because Putin, while damn-straight...

The names folks who desire to destroy America use to describe those of us who disagree with them are not fit to print, so I’ll be considerate and refer to them as dipwads. Once upon a time, I registered as a Republican because I felt the Republicans were more in...

What will dictators do to hold on to power? Such evilness by all means to hold on to power. Vladimir Putin jails or kills his political opposition. He has changed Russia’s Constitution and rigged the voting system to stay in power. The countless conjured-up reasons to invade Ukraine are just...

The greatest asset of any comedian is to deliver a line with an unsmiling, deadpan expression. I recently witnessed Rachel Levine unabashedly state that she is the first woman appointed as an admiral to the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. How did we get here? In 1972, Congress passed...

Thank you, Westmoreland County Commissioner Doug Chew, for working with the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) to prioritize improving mental health care in Pennsylvania. The economic, physical and emotional suffering related to covid-19 have led to a crisis situation. Westmoreland County lacks adequate mental health care services. The covid-19...

“For God’s sake, this man (Putin) cannot remain in power.” A completely correct and inspiring statement by President Biden, this made me proud to be an American. For God’s sake, let us give Ukraine the military equipment immediately that they are requesting — the fighter jets, the tanks, air defense...

Given recent history, Pennsylvania Republicans should make their official motto “Save Us From Ourselves.” First, 14 Republican lawmakers joined a lawsuit asking the state’s Supreme Court to rule that mail-in-balloting is unconstitutional. Republicans trying to limit access to the ballot wouldn’t be shocking, as voter repression seems to be part...

April is Donate Life Month. This is a perfect time to encourage organ donation. I was introduced to the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) early in my nursing career. I told my family to donate my organs if ever there was an opportunity to do so. I have...

Despite ads on TV, cybercharter schools are not free. Your school district property taxes fund them. That funding needs to change because it continues to drive your taxes up. Pennsylvania has 500 school districts. By law, each district must pay a different tuition per student for attendance at a cybercharter....

With a nod to Meredith Wilson’s “Music Man”: Trouble, oh we’ve got trouble, Right here in Westmoreland County! With a capital “T” That rhymes with “B” And that stands for Books. The book banners are back (with book burners a half-step behind), never really having gone away. They would have...

The article “Jeannette officials continue discussion about use of federal covid relief cash,” March 24, TribLIVE) is Jeannette in a nutshell. Our mayor wants to install crosswalk signs. Seriously? This might also explain why the old Monsour hospital site is still an empty lot. Crosswalk signs. SMH. Dale Parker Jeannette...

Regarding the recent reporting on the challenged books in the Hempfield Area School District (“Hempfield is latest district to face book ban challenge”): This is not an issue of censorship or banning. The media and those few individuals who oppose policy change for resource selection in the school have made...

Regarding the op-ed “Make education a priority in Pa. budget” (March 22, TribLIVE) by Rich Askey, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association: I am writing to encourage public school teachers and PSEA members to challenge the leadership of this organization and its policies. There is clearly a crisis in...

I understand that Congress may be considering passing a bill requiring time to read a spending bill before voting on it. But that does not mean our representatives really understand it. The Senate is considering approving the nomination of a judge who cannot define what a woman is. She may...

The Alzheimer’s Association 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report illustrates the continued burden of Alzheimer’s in our country, and in Pennsylvania. An estimated 6.5 million Americans 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, including 280,000 in Pennsylvania — a number expected to increase to 320,000 by 2025. Across the...

I was pleased to read that Westmoreland County received a state grant to expand the mobile crisis unit for mental health emergencies (“Westmoreland County to expand mobile crisis unit for mental health emergencies,” March 1, TribLIVE). This grant is a much-needed Band-Aid over the giant lack of adequate mental health...