Sounding off: Crime in Jeannette must be addressed

After the recent shooting homicide on Cuyler Avenue in Jeannette, Mayor Curtis Antoniak stated on camera, “I will say, that once again, this is not Jeannette.” His wife made a similar comment following the shooting homicide outside the main gate at McKee Stadium in September.

There have been five shooting homicides in Jeannette since 2015. There have also been other shootings in Jeannette during this time, in which people have been injured.

Mr. and Mrs. Antoniak, how many more shooting homicides need to be committed before you acknowledge that this is Jeannette? And since prevention of crime is the best antidote, wouldn’t it be prudent for the mayor of our city to comment on camera, at least briefly, on the city’s long-term strategic action plan for eliminating this type of crime? Assuming, of course, that you and the city council have such a plan.

Mayor Antoniak, you have had plenty of time to think about the crime that infests our city and to take action to reduce it. However, repeatedly making statements to the media that “this is not Jeannette” is weak, myopic and uninspiring.

In order to solve our city’s ongoing gun violence problem, you first have to acknowledge it and then own it. Until that occurs, more individuals will die in our city as a result of it.

Allow me to borrow a quote from the late Lee Iacocca: In politics, “you either lead, follow or get out of the way.”

Daniel DiBagno, Jeannette

Pa. doesn’t need recreational pot adding to problems

Just a few thoughts for Gov. Tom Wolf, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Attorney General Josh Shapiro: income tax, sales tax, the lottery, casinos — now you want more revenue from recreational marijuana. According to your estimate, it would bring in an additional $586 million. I assume that will be used to help cover the cost of current ills such as smoking, vaping, drunk-driving accidents and related deaths. Add to that the additional problems that would be created by marijuana. Don’t we already have enough dilemmas?

Possibly our three high-ranking state officials should take a course in common sense. Personally, I don’t know of anyone who is in favor of recreational marijuana. We undoubtedly hang out with different crowds.

Someone once said, “Right is right even if no one is; wrong is wrong even if everyone is.” Hopefully we have people in our state Legislature who would stop adding another ill to society’s downward spiral.

Rich Schall, Latrobe

Impeachment déjà vu

The Starr investigation, 20 some years ago, into President William Jefferson Clinton’s shady, possible criminal dealings in Whitewater land management brought about an endless barrage of details, some sordid. In the end, an exhausted and exasperated American public learned the House of Representatives filed charges of perjury regarding an extramarital tryst and obstruction of justice, information the average person didn’t give two hoots about.

These “serious” charges found in the House of Representatives were not shared by the Senate following a trial and in the court of public opinion. Now Rep. Adam Schiff is beginning to follow through on the Republican playbook from 20 years ago regarding our current president: Russian collusion to inappropriate “quid pro quo” with the Ukrainian president. If I hear quid pro quo one more time, the TV will be turned to Nat Geo Wild or anything else but a quid pro quo channel.

Schiff and other House members will give us a prolonged browbeating with “serious” charges only professional Washingtonians care about. In the end, some superfluous charges, like those against Clinton, will be filed by the Democratic House of Representatives, then following a Senate trial they will dismiss the charges.

Like the Republicans of 20 years ago, the current Democratic House will be voted out, this time because they greatly annoyed us to the point of exhaustion with quid pro quo. Ignorance of history allows stupidity to repeat itself.

What about President Clinton? Well, he is not only an honorable former president but a statesman as well. So much for impeachment.

The Rev. James Holland, West Deer

Stand up for volunteer firefighters

I just read the article “Delmont firefighters say criticism from council hurts fundraising, recruitment.” First, take out the word Delmont and insert the name of just about any other Westmoreland County VFD — these witch hunts have been going on and getting worse.

Yes, this department had, allegedly, some dishonesty/theft occur, but it has addressed that. What drives me crazy is the first thing just about every politician runs to when funding comes up is, “We pay for the firemen’s workers’ compensation insurance.” What they do not report is that boroughs and municipalities are required by state law to provide this valuable insurance. Many politicians would vote to eliminate coverage in a heartbeat. These attacks on these brave men and women will stop only when the taxpayers say “Enough — take your foot off of their neck and support them, financially and in action.”

Additionally, I’m not a big believer in siren use either, but you can bet those who complain about it will be darn glad when that fire truck shows up when they need it, regardless of how those firefighters were alerted.

Regarding training, these little fiefdoms better be ready to get out the checkbook if they are going to start down that path. People have no clue what a bargain VFDs are. Want proof? Look at the police (vital) or road department budgets and look at the fire protection budget; you’ll see how a town “values” its fire department.

Al Markijohn, Penn Township, Westmoreland County

The writer was a volunteer firefighter for more than 20 years.

Facts are clear on climate change

Regarding the letter “Stick with evidence on climate change,” I wish writer Allen Clark had done so. As many as 99% of climate scientists are in agreement that human-caused warming is occurring (easily Googled), and if that isn’t enough for you, just look at the incontrovertible facts. Temperatures are increasing, water levels are rising, ice is melting, fires and storms are more frequent and severe.

Mr. Clark, are you a climatologist? What makes you qualified to challenge the overwhelming consensus of those who are? Or Trump, or the talking heads on Fox “News,” all of whom are ignorant on the complex science of climatology but heavily invested in the politics of keeping the energy companies’ profits high? Trump’s inauguration committee took $7 million from energy companies (also easily Googled).

Where’s the money to be made in promulgating phony theories of climate change? But the energy companies continue to make fortunes by denying it and doing their best to sow confusion by paying a few “experts,” as the tobacco companies did to cling to their dwindling profits when the science could no longer be denied.

You seem to ridicule Greta Thunberg. You ask where she got her information. It sounds like she listened to the real experts, not the fake news of Trump and Fox News.

Think like a gambler for a moment. What do we stand to lose by denying climate change? Everything. What do we stand to gain, even if you are right, by acting on the scientists’ recommendations? A cleaner, sustainable world. I know where I’d put my money.

Al Duerig, Salem

None of Democratic candidates should be president

After listening and talking to others about the Democratic people running for president, I came to the conclusion that most of them are idiots. And we thought we couldn’t get any worse.

Let’s take Bernie Sanders, for instance. He has three homes and lots of money (everyone would like to have that much). Do you think he would mortgage those three homes and take all his money and invest it in a business to create jobs for the people he wants to give everything free to? Do you think he could manage it? I don’t think so. I think he would fail because he has no idea of the what, how and why on how to manage it.

You can’t promise things; you need to make them happen. Have these people running produced anything worthwhile, either when they were in office or before? Tell us what you’re going to do to improve the country for us instead of blaming someone else.

These people shouldn’t be running for president, let alone be president. Oh wait — maybe they’re all Russian spies or something and we just don’t know it yet.

Cliff Long, Unity

Trump’s new low

So sad to see the sickening commercials that Donald Trump is airing to counter his inevitable impeachment by the House of Representatives. He repeats the debunked conspiracy theory of the Biden family’s alleged misdoings in the Ukraine. By doing so, I believe he is actually admitting to one of the articles of impeachment, that he sought the aid of a foreign nation in his 2020 campaign.

The premise that this is being done to overturn the results of the election is ridiculous. It is being done because Trump, in my opinion, has no respect for his office or the Constitution he swore to defend. The current smearing of lifetime civil servants and decorated lifetime military personel may a new low for him. Do patriotism, honor and duty to country mean nothing to this man whose short time as a public servant has been marked by self-enrichment, nepotism, cronyism and possibly corruption?

Joe Lucas, South Side