Sounding off: Addressing speed on highways

Whenever there is a crash and/or traffic fatalities, the blame is always put on anything and everything other than “driving too fast for conditions” or increased speed limits. People will blame the weather, the road or a mistake a driver made, but speed is one sacred demon you don’t dare touch, even though crashes and fatalities went up immediately and significantly on highways when speed limits were increased.

The bean counters cleverly dump these ugly numbers into the “total/statewide statistics” (which declined some) to dupe the public into thinking speed doesn’t matter. Our lawmakers keep increasing speed limits (to appease big business/big money/big trucking) so they can say “speed wasn’t a factor” in crashes. They’d like to get rid of speed limits completely so they can say “speed wasn’t a factor” in any crashes.

Lawmakers cater to big money/big businesses, places where their election money comes from. That money doesn’t come from the people/places who want crash prevention.

Technology could stop speeding, driving too fast for conditions, and texting and phone use while driving. But big money/big business and our lawmakers won’t allow it. They call it an intrusion on our freedoms.

Go online and search “intelligent speed adaptation.” This would be a far better system than cameras or any kind of speed enforcement. The heavy-foot zealots would blow a fuse if it were introduced. Their time, profits and schedules are more important than the lives that get in their way.

Herman Lenz, Sumner, Iowa

The Bloomberg factor

If you haven’t seen a political ad promoting mega-billionaire Michael Bloomberg yet, just hold on — you will. Bloomberg suddenly prefers to be called “Mike,” I guess to appeal to the working class. Reminds us oldsters of the 1970s comedy character Raymond J. Johnson Jr., best known for Miller Lite beer commercials, whose catchphrase was, “You can call me Ray, you can call me Jay, you can even call me R.J.J. … but don’t call me Johnson.”

Bloomberg proclaims he will spend $131 million to highlight his ideas so he can be the Democratic presidential candidate. For us non-billionaires who try to make ends meet on monthly checks, that seems like an enormous amount of money, and it is. For “Mike,” it represents less than 0.25% of his estimated wealth! Imagine telling your church or favorite charity that you are “all in” for that percent of your $50,000 annual earnings. That would be about $125. Not so impressive, is it?

So you can call him “Mike,” maybe Mikey, perhaps even Mikey-Mike, anti-gun advocate, radical environmentalist, social equality (socialist) candidate — but don’t call him super-capitalist Michael Bloomberg.

Makes me thirsty for a Miller Lite.

Ed Klein, Shanksville

Jesus wouldn’t have a shot for president

I was thinking that if Jesus Christ returned and wanted to run for president, he could never get the Democratic nomination, with his anti-abortion stance and his constant harping on acknowledging and depending on (shudder) God.

And if he ran as a Republican, he would lose, about 10 seconds after their polls closed, Leftifornia, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Delaware, D.C., Vermont, Oregon and Washington, and most probably New Jersey, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota and Virginia.

And if he actually managed to pull off the win the left, buttressed by the mainstream media, would be marching the next day ska-REEMING, “Impeach 46! Impeach 46!!” And Planned Abortionhood would hold rallies all over the country, spearheaded by Hollywood “celebrities” bringing the crowd to tears of joy and solidarity as they recount the wonders of their own abortions.

Don’t run, Big Guy. First-century Palestine was not all that welcoming to you, and 2020 America ain’t much better.

James F. Cataldi, Moon

Michael Vick should not be honored

Thank you, Kristin Buccigrossi, for your commentary “NFL, how could you honor Michael Vick?” I couldn’t agree with you more. In the NFL, it seems the more you do wrong, the more publicity you get.

I believe 99.9 % of NFL players are good people who care about their families, the communities they live in and the images they project. Why aren’t those players being honored? No, the NFL, as you have shown, decides to honor a convicted felon and animal abuser. I get it — you did your time and you said you’re sorry. Good, now go away so we can honor real men who never killed a dog or were convicted of racketeering.

Baseball is also guilty of the same type of behavior. Alex Rodriguez flat-out lied to the public when he said he never took steroids — then was suspended for their use. He came back to sit on the bench to collect on his contract until the Yankees let him go. Somehow this year he was a part of the World Series broadcast team. How did that happen? Was no other Yankee more deserving?

The NFL and baseball are making a joke of the ideals they supposedly say they uphold. The images they project to their patrons, the ones who actually pay those salaries, are a sham. Forget ’em.

Mike McHenry, Sunnyvale, Calif.

The writer is a Castle Shannon native.

Gun owner Jack Wilson is a hero

Many remarkable things happened in the last 10 years involving many good people, with the election of President Trump at the top. But I think 2019 ended on a high note due to one man who deserves special recognition.

That would be Jack Wilson, the Christian gun owner who killed the madman in a Texas church with a single shot to the head on Dec. 29. His heroic action summarized what I think we all have been defending for a long time — the right to keep and bear arms, and protect our Christian heritage.

Wilson destroyed an evil force and the false notion that we don’t have the God-given right to protect ourselves whether in our homes, public places or even our places of worship.

The insane cries from the bleeding hearts and media that guns shouldn’t be in houses of worship have been silenced by a courageous and focused Christian who saved the lives of fellow worshippers. I believe God placed him there for that moment and that his instant response to evil enforced our beliefs and exposed the mindless editorials and smears from the left.

I wonder how many of the Jews attacked in a rabbi’s home in New York a day earlier by a scumbag with a machete wish they would have had a gun to stop that vile situation?

God bless Jack Wilson, and may God bless all of us to do likewise as we strive to protect America from the satanic forces trying to destroy our way of life as we enter 2020.

Don Thomson, North Huntingdon

Hostage to turnpike rate hike

If you drive the Pennsylvania Turnpike, then you are being held hostage with the new rate increases.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission says rates are going up 6%. Think again! The rates were conveniently adjusted so the tolls will be rounded up to the nearest dime after the 6% hike is factored in. This is a 7.1% increase for customers whose payments are electronically debited from their E-ZPass accounts, and for cash-paying customers, it is an 8.7% increase.

In addition to that, now we’ve been told that the increases won’t end until 2044. Can you say Johnstown flood tax?

And don’t forget the commission has raised prices to help cover state-mandated payments to that corrupt organization called PennDOT.

Steven “Hoppy” Ignatz, West Mifflin

Information needed on Westmoreland County’s finances

Regarding the article “March 17 special election set to fill Justin Walsh’s former state House seat”: If this great county cannot afford a measly $200,000 for the referenced special election, then the county’s finances are in a far more precarious condition than we Trib readers might be led to believe.

Perhaps it was best that there was a “changing of the guard” at the last election. I am no fan of the party formerly known as Republican (it’s the Trump Party now), but the Democrats did not seem to be grappling with the situation except to borrow money. “Sad,” as Trump would say — the Dems just can’t seem to handle money well.

I would very much appreciate some in-depth background reporting as to how the county got where it is — I think we Trib readers are owed that!

James Kvitkovich, Hempfield