Sounding off: On DeSantis, deer opener, commissioners, plastics, gun lawsuits, senior housing, pollution

DeSantis would be better than Biden

In response to Joseph Sabino Mistick’s commentary “DeSantis is no Reagan” (March 18, TribLIVE), I’d like to make a few comments.

Mistick accuses DeSantis of flying Venezuelans to Martha’s Vineyard to show he’s tough on immigration. Not so. DeSantis did this to put illegal immigration on the national stage to draw President Biden’s and the nation’s attention to the fiasco that is our southern border. This fiasco has been devastating for cities across our country. By the way, wasn’t it something to see how fast those Venezuelans were escorted off of the Vineyard by the people who purport to support them?

Mistick also mentions Reagan’s last speech wherein he clearly supports new immigrants coming into our country. Knowing Reagan’s love for America, and his respect for our Constitution and our nation’s laws, I’m sure Reagan was referring to legal immigration, not the likes of what Biden has created at our southern border.

And in closing, Mistick quotes Reagan, “America is, and always will be, a shining city on a hill.” Over the last two years, our “city” has tarnished tremendously. I suggest that, even if DeSantis can’t measure up to Reagan completely, our “city on a hill” would have a far greater chance to shine under DeSantis than under the policies we’re experiencing today.

God help us to heal and once again prosper, our precious United States of America!

Ed Joscak

Plum

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Saturday opener best for families

I’m a strong supporter of having the Saturday after Thanksgiving as the opener for rifle deer season. It allows generations of my family to hunt together. I can hunt anytime, but my son is unable to get off weekdays to hunt. With a Saturday opener, my grandson doesn’t have to miss school.

Nothing is more enjoyable to this old man then doing activities such as hunting together. The reasons opponents to the Saturday opener give don’t add up. It doesn’t take hours to open camp; maybe 15-20 minutes. They’re not scouting that close to opening day. That should be done a lot earlier in the year. You don’t sight your firearm in at camp. It should be sighted in before going to camp.

Jack Bingaman

Annville

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We need qualified candidates in Westmoreland commissioner race

County commissioners receive a base annual salary above $90,000. They manage a budget of $365 million. That salary is attractive to many unqualified people, aspirational for some and just a nice gig for well qualified retirees.

Patricia Fritz, former Westmoreland County chief deputy sheriff, seems a good example of unqualified. Fritz’s campaign advocates implementation of a competitive bidding process for county contracts and a 5% cut in senior citizen county property taxes. Fritz worked for 23 years as a supervisor for PennDOT. That last is a qualification to drive Uber.

County commissioners already use competitive bidding. A 5% discount is less than $25 a year for most households.

Fritz appears unqualified and cynical, and the 5% discount seems in violation of 18 U.S. Code 597 — expenditures to influence voting.

Qualified candidates should have: administrative and management backgrounds — not mere supervision; education and experience with budgeting, accounting, finance, purchasing, project management, hiring/firing, contract/agreement negotiation and dispute resolution; experience in performance monitoring and reporting using capacity, utilization, efficiency, critical success factors and on-time data; experience with cost/benefit, net present value and lowest cost of ownership calculations; and an understanding of expense vs. investment. These are not the skills of supervisors or career politicians. They are the skills of CEOs, successful entrepreneurs and professional, managerial and educational people — especially those with relevant business-related degrees.

Regardless of party affiliation, I’d like to see the best qualified candidates elected, wouldn’t you? Vote wisely.

Jim Baker

Greensburg

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Our addition to plastic is dangerous

I am grateful that the Tribune-Review has thoroughly covered last month’s train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. From the plight of those most affected, to resources for concerned regional residents, your coverage is appreciated. One angle that demands more attention, however, is the connection between this disaster and our culture’s addiction to plastic.

Single-use plastics often contain PVC made from vinyl chloride, the chemical infamously burned off from Norfolk Southern’s ill-fated train. Putting aside the astounding risks of transporting these chemicals, plastics manufacturing is on course to emit 56 gigatons of carbon by midcentury. What’s more, plastic does not biodegrade. Instead, it breaks into ever-smaller “microplastics” that have been found in 100% of more than 100 Pennsylvania waterways sampled by PennEnvironment.

From the dangers of transporting its component chemicals, to spewing carbon via its manufacture, to polluting our communities as litter, to harming our health as microplastic particles, single-use plastics are a threat from cradle to grave. Pittsburgh’s upcoming bag ban is a critical step that will beautify our neighborhoods, protect our health and limit the likelihood of derailment catastrophes. Nearby municipal leaders should follow suit.

Dan Brown

Bloomfield

The writer is Western Pennsylvania field organizer for PennEnvironment.

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Sue over guns? Why not killer cars and food, too?

President Biden wants to let people who have had loved ones killed by guns be able to sue gun manufacturers and gun dealers because they should have known that the guns will kill people, rather than the buyer who is using them being responsible.

What about those killed by cars and trucks? Will they be able to sue those manufacturers and dealers? They should know they might kill people if not used correctly. Most kids can’t wait to get their driver’s licenses when they become of age.

What about food that goes bad? It had to go bad some place. Do we sue the grocery stores and distributors, the truckers or anyone who handles it, and even back to the farmers who grew it? We all need to eat; we’re not going to change that.

Where does it all end? Why can’t we blame the people for their actions?

Biden sounds like a typical Democrat to me: Blame someone else for their mistakes.

May I make a suggestion? Execute those who kill other people. Maybe then there will be no repeat offenders, and other people would think twice before doing it.

Oops: Then the state will save money; less need for lawyers and prisons. No job creation there!

Cliff Long

Unity

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Jeannette seniors deserve better

After reading the article “Federal grant to pay for security upgrades in Westmoreland public housing” (March 24, TribLIVE), I wanted to give my perspective as a city council member.

Yes, Jeannette is the only municipality that rejected payment for extra police patrols. These patrols would be overtime for our officers who are already stretched thin, and the city would take a hit if any injuries occurred if an officer would have to be placed on leave. In addition, as overtime, the patrols would happen before or after a shift and become predictable to not have an impact on the persistent unlawful activity happening in the facility operated by the Westmoreland County Housing Authority.

The 95-unit Jeannette Manor, over 50 years old, is functionally obsolete, at the end of its economic life cycle and a perpetual burden on our first responders. While the housing authority bills the complex as senior housing, unfortunately it is no longer offered solely to aging residents with limited resources to allow them to live safely among family, friends and community.

If the housing authority was truly concerned about Jeannette, they would entertain a plan to level the facility and work with city officials to build a modern home for our community’s senior population to feel safe. We deserve better.

Chad Krawtz

Jeannette

The writer is a Jeannette Council member.

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Stronger pollution standards needed to protect our health

As an allergist-immunologist, I listen to and look at the lungs of patients every day, including people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung diseases. While I can prescribe medications and recommend lifestyle changes to improve their symptoms, sometimes the air outside can make their symptoms worse.

This is why I am asking Pittsburgh residents to join me in urging the Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particle pollution.

Air pollution, and specifically particle pollution, can have major health impacts. Particle pollution refers to a mix of tiny solid and liquid particles in the air and comes from many sources, including factories, power plants, and diesel- and gasoline-powered motor vehicles and equipment.

Particle pollution can be deadly. Exposure can cause worsened asthma and COPD, heart attacks, strokes, heart disease, and congestive heart failure, and lung cancer; increase risk of low birth weight or infant mortality and impaired lung function in children; and even shorten your life.

The EPA is currently taking comments on its proposal to update its particle pollution standards. While an update to the particle pollution standards is greatly needed, unfortunately, the proposal is inadequate to protect public health from this deadly pollutant. I encourage all Pittsburgh residents and members of the medical community to join me by signing the petition at Lung.org/stronger-standards.

Dr. Deborah Gentile

Johnstown

The writer is on the American Lung Association Local Leadership Board and is medical director of Community Partners in Asthma Care.