Sounding off: What about essential workers?

The recent revelation that the Allegheny County executive’s inner circle was giving themselves large wage increases is disturbing to say the least (”Large raises for Allegheny County’s top staffers raise timing questions”). Currently, 80% of all county workers, represented by AFSCME Local 2622, make less than the county median wage. This is unacceptable.

Allegheny County workers go to work every day because they are dedicated, loyal public servants who are committed to keeping our most vulnerable neighbors safe. During the pandemic, the work of ensuring the safety of children, youth and families could not end — this vital, essential work had to continue. Local 2622-represented workers went to work every day. When restaurants were reopening, our members were out there inspecting them to ensure residents’ safety. When our communities needed public health services, our members were there. Allegheny County workers have a deep commitment to providing vital, essential services.

We have been negotiating in good faith with the county. Yet the county continued to argue that there were no additional funds for wage increases for these essential workers. When county leaders want to find funds for self-serving purposes, they can find it.

The county executive must honor these professional workers with professional pay.

John D. Galuska, Greentree

The writer is director of AFSCME District Council 84.

Vote Democrat if you value freedom

Calling all moderate Republican, libertarian and independent women: Vote Democrat this fall if you value your freedoms, if you value political moderation. Our only choice, even if you’ve always voted mainly Republican (like me for the last 35 years), to purge the party of candidates who are extremist, literally bordering on fascism, is to vote for moderate Democrats.

The reversal of Roe v. Wade, essentially forcing a minority’s religious beliefs (the heck with Thomas Jefferson’s separation of church and state, right?) on women with no thought to their bodies, their minds, their lives, is beyond reprehensible. The rapist who got you pregnant may have more rights than you do. Justice Clarence Thomas is now questioning the right to contraceptives. Scary.

To all of the so-called “pro-lifers” out there — there are over 420,000 children languishing in foster care who would love to be adopted. Many of the poor, single women forced to give birth will need lots of financial assistance and education so that we can lift that child out of the cycle of illiterate poverty — who’s stepping up to provide this support? Many of these children go hungry; how to feed everyone? If the mother dies during birth, whose hands have blood on them? Gun violence is rife in our schools and neighborhoods; how to stop the deaths of young innocents?

The reality is that these so-called conservatives (who once believed in individual freedoms) really don’t care once the child is born. Please vote to correct this imbalance!

Karla Thomas, Hempfield

How about some ‘Thou Shall Not Murder’ signs?

Media reports of mass shootings always generate a liberal knee-jerk reaction to thoughtlessly ban guns, but hypocritical politicians never include their own bodyguards in the gun bans. Wouldn’t it be far more rational to call for more law-abiding citizens to be trained to carry firearms for self-protection?

Why the surge in gun violence in our society now after always having the right to bear arms? What social change occurred that could attribute to the surge in murder rates?

In January 1970, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to ban the Ten Commandments posted in all public schools and government buildings. According to FBI statistics, the murder rate in the USA rose from 5.1/100,000 in 1965 to 10.2/100,000 by 1980. Perhaps a doubling of the the murder rate since banning the Ten Commandments is merely a statistical coincidence. However, what do we have to lose by at least posting signs stating “Thou Shall Not Murder” alongside the signs of “no guns” or “no smoking” that currently occupy the walls of our schools and government buildings?

If “no smoking” signs are intended to influence people to refrain from smoking, perhaps “Thou Shall Not Murder” signs may likewise influence people not to murder.

Dr. Joel I. Last, Greensburg

We need relief from soaring fuel prices

Pennsylvania rarely ranks in the top 10 of states for much of anything positive. Where Pennsylvania does rank higher than most states is our second highest gas tax in the nation (second only to California), a dubious distinction.

In 2021, Pennsylvania was handed close to $30 million in covid money from the Fed. More recently, Pennsylvania was given $13.2 billion from the infrastructure bonanza bill. Our governor is currently pleading with legislators to spend, spend, spend! While inflation driven by high fuel costs is crushing Pennsylvanians who can least afford it.

Why have we not heard a peep from legislators about a gas tax cut? Gas tax holiday? Anything? Why is the media (TV or print) not highlighting this deafening silence? Do your jobs, reporters!

Paul Vescio, Butler

Supreme Court is consistent

In the fourth paragraph of the editorial “Does the Supreme Court believe in states’ rights or not?,” you assert that “The rulings all but contradicted each other … .” In the next paragraph you go on to point out that “guns are specifically spelled out in the Bill of Rights.” You also point out that abortion is not mentioned in the Constitution, along with your sarcastic comment that women are not mentioned in the Constitution, either.

Contrary to your conclusion, I find the court’s rulings to be consistent. Both rulings rely upon a literal interpretation of the document. To me, if you wish women to have a constitutional right to abortion, then initiate and pass an amendment to the Constitution that does so (just as the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote). It is a specious argument to suggest that what was written in 1787 is flawed because it did not mention women.

Our Constitution was a giant leap forward as it impacted the world. When written, the worldwide norms of society were dramatically less inclusive than now. We remain the freest and most inclusive country on the planet.

John Irvin, Lower Burrell

Do Giant Eagle, Dick’s think babies are worthless?

I find it appalling that Giant Eagle and Dick’s Sporting Goods are proud of the fact that they will pay transportation costs for a woman to go somewhere to kill her baby. It is beyond belief that these two corporations, among many others, seem to think babies are worthless.

Larry Kuszaj, Penn Township, Westmoreland County

We need a Marshall Plan for our planet

Since the 1970s, Big Oil has known of the dangers of burning fossil fuels. They, like the tobacco industry before them, lied to the American public. Oil companies, with the Cato Institute, the American Petroleum Institute and the Koch family, spent money and influence to convince Congress and the public that man-made climate change is a hoax. For decades, they stopped progress on conversion to green energy just so they could continue making money, disregarding the danger to our health and that of the planet.

Unfortunately, rather than listening to the scientists who were sounding an alarm about climate change, too many of us choose to listen to Big Oil’s propaganda. Precious decades were lost. Now, here we are in the midst of record droughts, flooding, mudslides, oceans rising, water shortages, Arctic warming, soil erosion, farmers unable to grow their crops and extreme weather all around. And Big Oil is still lying to us.

A better choice is available. We can choose to listen to science and to believe our own eyes. We can choose to mobilize to ensure a livable planet for our children. Ask our federal and state government to aggressively move toward green energy. Let’s have discussions on how we change our culture: how and where we live, travel, shop or eat to develop and promote a sustainable, livable planet. Let’s ask Washington for a Marshall Plan for our planet.

Patricia Oliver, North Huntingdon