Letters to the Editor category, Page 220

I believe letter-writer Kenneth Nath (“Electric car owners’ fair share,” Dec. 13, TribLIVE) has his math wrong. The state needs tax money to pay for road upkeep and maintenance. The gas tax of $0.587 a gallon is based on an average gasoline car. The average miles per gallon is between...

In science, there is something called “Occam’s razor,” a proposition which supposes that the simplest explanation for a phenomenon is usually the correct one. So I ask: Which is more believable, that President Trump has told one more lie after 20,000 already documented, or that there is a massive conspiracy...

I got a message from Congress the other day. Funny that it was a coded message and needed a bit of decoding skill to translate. Here’s what my message said: “We are excited to inform you that at nearly midnight on the last day of our 2020 session, we were...

When I was 19, I was drafted into the Army. I didn’t run to Canada to get out of it. I felt when your country calls to serve, it’s not only your obligation but an honor. For us to live in a free and safe country, someone has to sacrifice....

Some people feel that President Trump divided our country. I say he woke up our country. Knowing the truth, exposing so much corruption, and calling out all the fake news was definitely an awakening for all Americans. And those who disliked it the most were the very ones he was...

Regarding the letter “RGGI hikes energy costs” (Nov 20, TribLIVE): Do you believe gas- and coal- burning utilities when they say fighting greenhouse gas pollution will raise your electric bill? Long before we ever heard of greenhouse gases, utilities were raising our bills because, they said, the cost of coal and...

Headlines in the Dec. 13 Trib included “Calls flood ambulance services” and “Hospitals plead for public’s help.” Excela Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Carol Fox describes staff holding the phone for a dying covid patient to hear a hymn sung by a pastor, and others holding the hands of patients...

Peter Smith’s op-ed “Community capitalism would strengthen markets and people” (Dec. 14, TribLIVE) is another example of the redefinition of terms so frequently used in contemporary political discussions. First, this country long ago recognized the shortcomings and harms of pure capitalism with passage of the Sherman and Clayton anti-trust legislation....

Regarding the article “Westmoreland department heads earn raises for pandemic- related work” (Dec. 17, TribLIVE): The county solicitor received an $11,000 per year raise, and has seen her salary increase 70% since 2015. She is considered a part-time employee. A 70% raise over five years — that is quite an...

Rearding Susan Nease’s letter “Biden deserves same chance Trump got” (Dec. 6, TribLIVE) responding to my letter “Give Biden a chance” (Nov. 29, TribLIVE): First, I am a registered Democrat. Second, I voted for Donald Trump in 2016, hoping an outsider would shake things up. Which he did. I was...

Climate change is one of the greatest threats we face as a nation. Stronger storms and more frequent flooding are already happening in Pennsylvania, and severe weather is expected to get worse. Taking steps to address the climate crisis isn’t just a good idea, it’s what people want. A recent...

Seven Republican U.S. congressmen from Pennsylvania — Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (District 14), John Joyce (13), Fred Keller (12), Mike Kelly (16), Dan Meuser (9), Scott Perry (10) and Glenn Thompson (15) — signed on to the lawsuit filed Dec. 7 in the Supreme Court by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton....

I am writing to all families who have loved ones residing in nursing facilities in Pennsylvania. If your loved one is terminally ill or emotionally struggling, you have the right to in-person visits. On Sept. 17, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released memorandum QSO-20-39-NH to provide new...

The year 2021 is just around the corner. The new year brings with it many opportunities for people to be involved with local government. The Monroeville council seats in Wards 1, 3, 5 and 7 will be open, and there will be four seats open on the Gateway School Board....

My dad never talked much about his role as a U.S. Army medic in World War II. One day, while sitting in the living room, he just opened up to me. He recalled how he was rushed to “the front” in an open Jeep in freezing temperatures and only wearing...

Our lives have changed dramatically this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. One thing that hasn’t changed is the prevalence of food insecurity in so many homes. As covid-19 continues to cause shutdowns of so many aspects of our lives, rest assured that Project SEED remains committed to providing a...

For the last nine months, the pandemic has been raging across our country and across the world. Over the past few weeks, things only have gotten worse — with more infections, more hospitalizations, more deaths, more politicization and now another closure. I agree that we need to mitigate this virus,...

It has been my custom in the days leading up to Christmas to take time and listen to a full recording of Handel’s “Messiah,” something I did this week. The opening took me back to the year when a friend and I ventured to Pittsburgh to join members of the...

I cannot express how excited my 6-year-old granddaughter was to receive not only a letter from Santa but a certificate reading that she made the “Nice List” this year. Seeing how thrilled she was on our iPad — “Grammy, Grammy, I got a letter from Santa!” — holding up her...

Scripture tells us that the Christ child was “laid in a manger” because there was no room for him elsewhere. He was turned away. Today, the Christ child continues to be turned away. He is turned away when there is no room in our hearts for our LGBTQ neighbors. He...

Regarding the article “County considers pulling $30K grant from North Huntingdon for defying state public health mandates” : The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act ensures the right of the public “to be present at all meetings of agencies” and further, that it is “vital to the enhancement and proper functioning of the...

I am writing to all families who have loved ones residing in nursing facilities in Pennsylvania. If your loved one is terminally ill or emotionally struggling, you have the right to in-person visits. On Sept. 17, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released memorandum QSO-20-39-NH to provide new...

Kudos to letter-writer Joe Kujawski (“Electric car fees? Fair is fair,” Dec. 4, TribLIVE). I couldn’t have stated the facts better myself. Note to the complainers: Please reference my letter “Comparing motorcycles, bicycles” (April 9, 2018, TribLIVE): Bicycle riders pay no user fees. Period. John M. Figler Tarentum...

Sadly, I believe the Trib has joined the ranks of most mainstream media and has abandoned the basic tenets of journalism. You obviously don’t believe your readers are intelligent enough to take the information you print and make independent judgments. I suppose you’ve succumbed to schools and colleges that no...

To UPMC Senior Vice President Leslie Davis and other UPMC executives: As a UPMC nurse, I am angry, disappointed, betrayed — yet not entirely surprised. UPMC leadership has been less visible this year and less in touch than ever with what occurs at the bedside. “Davis said the system has...