LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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**Past Published Letters to the Editor**
Just Plain Madness ....
The Pentagon is not able to pass an audit of its expenses. It can not account for around one-half of its budgeted $850 billion. There is waste and abuse in failed weapons programs, unnecessary nuclear expansion and exorbitant prices for goods and services by defense contractors. The failure of DOGE to address these problems is a shameful disregard of billions of dollars of taxpayer money.
To illustrate the size of the problem, look at seconds instead of dollars. A million seconds is equal to 11.5 days, a billion seconds is equal to 31.5 years. Now times those years by the billions of unaccounted for funds and you can see the scope of the waste in the Pentagon.
To date DOGE and Elon Musk have only cut $80 million, ear-marked for diversity initiatives and academic research, from the Pentagon budget. There is no demand for financial accountability of missing funds, or evaluation of last century’s warfare weapons to which we continue funneling billions. But there are severe cuts to this century’s national security threats. Our 21st century defense priorities are cybersecurity, climate security and A-l based warfare. Each of these have been decimated by the current administration.
One must ask, is this administration trying to cut bloat, waste and fraud or is it trying to destroy our country?
Gloria Gralewski
The Reason Behind the Madness ....
At first, I was confused about why Musk and Trump targeted Social Security for cuts before the other entitlements. Typically, Republicans want to cut spending so they can reduce taxes. However, Social Security pays for itself with FICA, and because there is a cap, at most, each billionaire pays a little more than $10,000 a year. Hardly worth the effort. Then I realized if they destroy social security and throw millions out of retirement, it will vastly increase the labor pool, increase the number of people looking for jobs, and thus, reduce wages.
This goal may seem to contradict their tough-on-immigration policy, which they state is intended to reduce the labor pool and increase wages. But if their real goal is the tech-bro billionaires' stated desire to change America from a democracy into a techno-feudal state, then there is no contradiction. In this narrative, each city-state and the people who reside in it are owned by a corporation. There is no such thing as wages. There is no migration, or even movement, between city-states for people other than the corporate executives. The first step would be to close down the international borders and deny constitutional rights to one, small group of people, which they are doing now with undocumented workers. The next step would be to deny constitutional rights and travel to a larger group of people, say the LGBTQ.
Michael Garing
Trump and Putin Need to Look Up the Definition Of Treaty ....
For hundreds of years Ukraine has been contested, divided and ruled by a variety of external powers. In the 1900s they had mass suffering and death due to Stalin’s policies and then the German occupation during WWII. After years of struggle, Ukraine gained independence from Russia in 1991.
In 1994 Russia, Ukraine, the U.S., and U.K., signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which transferred those weapons from Ukraine to Russia. The treaty specified that the countries involved will respect Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty in the existing borders. It is not surprising that the thug Putin broke the treaty by illegally annexing Crimea in 2014, followed by its proxy war in the Donbas region and finally the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
What is beyond belief is our current government’s response to the conflict. In a televised meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump and Vance acted more like mob bosses that heads of state. Their arrogant, aggressive display of intimidation, bullying and humiliation was shocking to watch. Trump’s emphasis on attire tells you all you need to know about Trump, all show and no substance. Previously Trump showed his utter contempt for the truth by calling Zelenskyy not Putin the aggressor.
That President Trump dishonors our treaty obligations by halting aid to Ukraine in an apparent extortion attempt shames our country. It was a sad day for America.
Sandy Kramer
Buy/Borrow/Die ....
There are many loopholes in our tax system that allow the extremely rich to legally cheat on their taxes. One such tax avoidance scheme is Buy/Borrow/Die. First the wealthy buy assets that appreciate in value without producing cash. These assets can include things like stock, collectibles and particularly real estate. Next they collect little or no salary for their work. Then because they are wealthy they borrow money against their assets at special ultra-low-interest rates. They live off of their borrowed money which supports their lifestyle and the accumulation of even more assets. This borrowed money is not considered income and therefore is not subject to income tax.The rich hang onto their assets for decades while accumulating tax free wealth.Then when they die, their heirs receive that accumulated wealth, tax free. Many of our ultra rich use this tax avoidance scheme to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. This is why for many years they pay little or no taxes.
A few of our elected representatives tried to correct the abuses of tax cheats by proposing taxation of income over $25 million and a Billionaire Minimum Income Tax. Both attempts failed. All American citizens must pay their fair share and right now the middle class is paying more than their fair share.
Julia Bojalad
What We Must Not Support ....
Adapted from an anonymous source
I do not support:
-Lowering taxes on the 1% and successful large corporations, resulting in an explosion of the national debt and harming the average American.
-Privatizing Medicare, the Post Office and education or cutting Social Security and Medicaid.
-Weakening and demolishing environmental protections and denying climate change which will adversely affect our health and economy.
-Betraying our international allies and siding with tyrants and dictators.
-Freeing criminals and law breakers just because they support your agenda.
-Persecuting, terrorizing and criminalizing others who disagree with you.
-Attacking the press and individuals that speak truth to power.
-Undermining, weakening or destroying Unions in any way.
-Criminalizing abortion or restricting health care for women.
-Destroying our rule of law by weaponizing the Justice Department and firing the Inspector Generals and Judge Advocate Generals who enforce our rules against corruption.
-Promoting cruelty to other human beings because they are different than you.
-Allowing oligarchs to take over our government and economy.
If you feel the same way, come join the resistance. Courage is contagious.
Joanne Garing
It's Not The Price Of Eggs....
The price of eggs continue to rise, gas and groceries continue to be high, yet Trump is not addressing these issues as he promised.
Instead of focusing on lowering costs for healthcare, education, global warming weather events impacting our communities and fixing our broken immigration policy, the Republican controlled Congress has introduce a bill, H.R. 722, that will ban ALL abortions, giving fetuses equal rights under the law while being mum on programs that support and foster a child once born.
Chaos ensues as Trump focuses on defunding facilities/programs and agencies that help people keep the lights on, keep our drinking water clean, aid communities recovering from gut-wrenching floods and wildfires, along with defunding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and many other government programs focused on supporting and protecting our struggling middle class, so he can reduce the tax bill for the wealthy.
But his supporters continue to watch Fox News and the web they weave to justify what he is doing. Trump continues to label migrants as criminals, rapists and murderers imbedding fear and justification for mass deportations instead of focusing on fixing our immigration policy. This is not what will fix America’s problems, only weaken it. Will those who need a job take the place of those deported? May we see Americans doing the farming and high-risk jobs such as roofers or will those businesses fail due to a lack of workers?
Illegal migrants and immigrants pay taxes but they cannot collect the benefits like social security, disability and medicare, and they are consumers of goods and services which fuels our economy. In 2022, unauthorized immigrants contributed $25.7 billion in Social Security taxes. Their presence in our society strengthens not weakens the middle class.
By the time Trump supporters realize what he is doing to the American people that will benefit only the wealthy, it will be too late to turn off the Trump soap opera.
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/news/report-vital-role-immigrant-origin-workers
https://wol.iza.org/articles/do-immigrants-improve-health-of-native-workers/long
( https://bipartisanpolicy.org/explainer/immigration-social-security-solvency/)
Patricia Oliver
2025 Community Meetings and Events
Region 6 Norwin/PT Democrats
Our next meeting will be March 15th, 10am
Penn Area Library
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Irwin Borough Meeting
Council Chamber 1 First Street, Irwin
Agenda Meeting
March 12 , 6pm-7pm
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North Irwin Borough Meeting
March 11, 6pm-7pm
21 Second Street, North Irwin
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Manor Borough
Manor Borough Council Business Meeting
March 12, 6:30pm
Manor Borough Community Room
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Norwin School Board Meeting
Work Session Meeting
March 10, 7pm
Legislative Meeting
February 17
Administration Building
front entrance
McMahon Drive
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For more information & to sign up to speak click on the link below:
https://www.norwinsd.org/apps/pages/index.jspuREC_ID=1141371&type=d&pREC_ID=1405658
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Penn Township Commissioners Meeting
Planning Meeting
March 4 6:30pm
Caucus Meeting
March 12, 7pm
Penn Township Municipal Building
2001 Municipal Court
Harrison City
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Trafford Borough Council Meeting
Wednesday, February 18, 6:30 pm
Manchester Room
414 Brinton Avenue, Trafford
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NHT Commissioners Meeting
Special Meeting
Thurs. March 13, 7pm
Regular Public Meeting
Wed, February 19, 7pm
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Westmoreland County Commissioners
Commissioners Agenda Meeting
Tuesday, March 4, 11am
Public Meeting
Thursday, March 6, 10am
Commissioners' Public Meeting Room
Courthouse Square
Greensburg
Request to comment
https://www.co.westmoreland.pa.us/FormCenter/Westmoreland-
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Ward Does Not Support A Living Wage For PA Workers ....
Senator Kim Ward is being a bit hypocritical in accusing Governor Shapiro of being anti-worker. (Senator Ward tells Shapiro to back sale to Nippon, 1/9/25, TribLive). In fact Ward and her party are pushing for Pennsylvania to become a right-to-work state. We all know what that means; the right-to-work for less pay, for less benefits, and for less job security. You can not be an advocate for Southwest Pa workers and anti-union at the same time. Unions give workers a much needed voice in the work place.
Then there is the issue of minimum wage. The senate, which Ward leads, is blocking an increase in pay for Pennsylvania workers. Each year our lawmaker’s give themselves a raise but have refused for 15 years to give workers an increase. The $7.25 an hour minimum wage is no-where near our cost-of-living, which is more than triple that amount. If you are lucky enough to make the cost-of-living wage, you know that level covers the bare minimum, if that. One could say working for $7.25 an hour is involuntary servitude, which just happens to be against the XIII Amendment.
Let’s ask Senator Ward to stand-up for PA workers and support a much needed increase in minimum wage. This in itself will stimulate our locale economy. And studies have shown that unions raise wages not only of their members but of all workers.
Jackie Hartwick
What Is Needed Now ....
Donald Trump, a convicted felon and adjudicated rapist, is poised to lead the nation, but you and the Democratic leadership have failed to speak out as a unified opposition. Your silence allows Trump to control the narrative, presenting himself as having a mandate — something the election results don’t reflect.
You’ve said that Trump has the potential to be good in the Oval Office. But history has shown the opposite to be true. Trump’s policies are poised to harm everyday Americans, yet you call for compromise (I call it appeasement).
But Republicans negotiate in bad faith and repeatedly renege on agreements. You only need look at the recent bipartisan budget bill as an example of Republican betrayal.
The Democratic Party is the opposition now. They must own that role with vigor and conviction. Trump and Republicans need to be held responsible for the consequences of their policies, with no Democratic fingerprints on the damage.
You and your fellow Senate Democrats must relentlessly challenge every policy, every bill and every cabinet nominee, exposing their flaws and voting “no” on confirmations.
Democrats need to lead — or risk irrelevance in a fight that demands their full commitment. So, will you lead, or will you take a knee?
Michael Pardus
Supporting Workers ....
​Starbuck's employees started their unionization efforts in 2021. The company has been blocking their efforts, sometimes with intimidation and illegal activity such as firing employees who were trying to unionize. (Starbuck workers begin strikes, 12.21/14, Triblive)
The new CEO of Starbucks was brought in this year with a $1.6 million salary, a $10 million signing bonus, $75 million in stock options and annual cash bonus for a jaw dropping total worth up to $113 million.
Compare that with the salary of their workers, who each day do the jobs that allow the company to give the CEO that extravagant package. The average income for a Starbuck's worker varies depending on the source. One source states that here in PA, it is $13.24 an hour or $27,539.20 a year. PA cost of living for one person is $49,040. Starbuck workers are at poverty level while their CEO is making a possible $113 million.
This is a disgrace taking place in a country that has prospered from its labor force. You can help correct this injustice and support these workers and their right to form a union by boycotting Starbucks. This action will make the company listen to their workers and recognize the need to provide a wage that allows them to make a decent living. We all need to be more aware of the widening gap between workers salaries and the jaw dropping packages companies offer their CEO's. Our tax dollars should not be supplementing the income of workers whose companies fail to provide a living wage while giving outrageous rewards to CEO's
Labor Day should be recognized every day by respecting the workforce that enables our country to function. Unions help to do that.
Katie Forsythe
A Living Wage To Support Our Families ....
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State Rep Jesse Topper hit the nail on the head when he said Pennsylvanians need more money..in their pockets. (“The pinch who stole Christmas”, 12/22/24,Trib) But he was tone deaf with his answer. We, the struggling middle class, need a pay increase to deal with the high cost of living. Topper’s solution, a decrease in taxes, will not get us where we need to be. We need an increase in wages.
The minimum wage has been frozen at $7.25 for 15 years. Like his Republican colleagues, Rep Topper has voted against increasing our minimum wage. Yet these same representatives give themselves an automatic pay raise every year, 2020 being an exception. They now earn over six figures. Pennsylvania has the third highest paid legislators in the country, right behind California and New York.
Consider that a living wage in Pennsylvania is around $22 to $24 per hour, but a comfortable wage is reported to be double that amount, it leads to the conclusion that a living wage covers the absolute bare minimum. When you consider that 6 in 10 U.S. jobs pay less than $25 per hour, you can understand why people are angry.
PA Senate Bill 1186 would raise the minimum wage to $20 an hour but is being blocked by Republicans including Jesse Topper and our own Kim Ward.
I can not understand why our Republican representatives feel they deserve a raise but their constituents do not.
Sandy Kramer
Indifference and Complacency ....
Written by a German Pastor, Martin Niemiller, in the mid-1900s, this poem below, cautions us that through silence, indifferent and inaction we are complicit in our government’s actions. In these coming years, let’s not make the same mistakes. Let’s stand up for our neighbors, community members, colleagues and co-workers, regardless of race, religion or party affiliation. Let’s not malign our fellow citizens, just because they are different from us.
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.
Mary Ann Lauffer
Two Peas In A Pod ....
President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk are two peas in a pod. Both think they hit a home run but in fact they were born on 3rd base. Both came from extremely wealthy families and connived and plotted their way to become billionaires. Both are obsessed with money and will not let anything or anyone get in their way of accumulating more. Both continue to be the consummate con man. Both failed in their endeavors but failed upwards with other people around them paying the price. Both schemed to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. Not paying taxes does not “make them smart”, it makes them cheaters.
Because of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, Musk paid no taxes in 2018 and saw his wealth explode. Musk then paid Trump back by his gargantuan funding of Trump’s re-election campaign. Trump is now proposing to reward Musk with a top government job which will make Musk eligible for a special tax benefit worth tens of billions of dollars. Musk will be required to divest his corporate holdings and be able to indefinitely defer all capital gain taxes.
To you and me this sounds like a corrupt good old boys system. To Musk and Trump it is business as usual. Trump is right, it is a rigged system. Rigged for people like Trump and Musk.
Joanne Garing
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Profit Over Our Health ....
A few months ago a friend contracted COVID. Soon after, her medical insurance company issued a statement stating they had paid the drug company $1453.55 for the Paxlovid treatment. The high cost of the antiviral was a little concerning and led to research into the situation. Here are the findings.
NIH received billions of dollars to fund the research and development of treatments for COVID. Those dollars came from taxes paid by you the American taxpayer.
The drug company’s production cost is $13.38. The cost to you the consumer in $1390 to $1455, a 100 times mark-up. The drug company’s vaccine production cost is $1.18. The cost to you the consumer is $120 to $130, again a hundred times mark-up.
How did the drug industry use those massive profits? The large drug companies CEOs compensation is in the tens of millions of dollars yearly. The drug industry further enriches the CEOs and shareholders by spending billions on stock buybacks. The industry spends more on stock buybacks than on research and development. The industry also spends billions of dollars in advertising and billions of dollars on lobbying. The pharmaceuticals use their excess profits from price gouging us, to legally bribe our lawmakers to working for them instead of we their constituents. It is time for us to demand a change.
Gloria Gralewski
Tax Cut Damage ....
In a 03/27/2023 article the Center for American Progress states that “Tax cuts are primarily responsible for the increasing debt….House Republican leaders have used the size of the debt to call for spending cuts, but it does not address the true cause of the rising debt….Tax cuts enacted over in the past 25 years slashed taxes disproportionally for the wealthy and profitable corporations, severely reducing federal revenues….Without these tax cuts, debt as a percentage of the economy would be declining permanently.”
We do not have a spending problem, we have a revenue problem. A revenue problem caused by the wealthy and profitable corporations not paying their fair share of taxes. The Republicans not only fail to acknowledge, that due to the tax cuts, we have a revenue problem and not a spending problem, they are doubling down on tax cuts for the wealthy, (GOP election sweep eases president-elect’s tax plans, 11/16/24, Trib). They will starve the treasury and explode the debt by trillions. Then they can use the debt to accomplish their true goal of reducing government programs that help the middle class.
Contact your Representative—1-202-224-3121--- tell them no more tax cuts for the extremely wealthy. Change the tax system so that everyone pays their fair share of taxes with no cheating or scheming possible.
Julia Bojalad
Forgetting The Middle Class ....
Ex-President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts were a disaster for most of the country. It tossed a few pennies to the average citizen, but the top 1% received almost all the proceeds. It is the single largest tax cut for the wealthy in U.S. history. Many of them received a 40% discount on their taxes. Elon Musk, the second-richest person in the world, paid no federal income tax in 2018 because of the cuts. All this should not surprise us, for the top 1% is Trump’s actual base.
These tax cuts did not pay for themselves as promised. Trickle-down did not work in the last century and did not work in this century. What it did was add trillions to the deficit and create an economic environment that was primed for inflation. These tax cuts also exacerbated our wealth inequality. The U.S. has the highest income and wealth inequality among the G-7 nations, and our wealth inequality is even greater than Russia’s.
Do not let Congress extend these crippling tax cuts to the vulture capitalists. And certainly, do not let them make additional cuts for the 1% and corporations, as some are promising. Call your Representative at 202-224-3121. Call them over and over until they get the message.
Michael Garing
Coming Together For the Greater Good....
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” These words are attributed by many to Edmund Burke, a British conservative statesman and philosopher in the 1700s. Burke cautioned against complacency and inaction. He warned of the dangers of thinking nothing can be done. Of thinking the problems are too great, what can one person do.
Even though we do not have great power, we have each other. When we come together, it is amazing what the American people can accomplish.
We can join forces to advance the causes we know the majority of us want; fair wages, everyone paying their fair share of taxes, affordable housing and health care, expanding not restricting our freedoms such as reproductive choice and worker’s rights, a sane border policy, securing our economic safety net, eliminating big money’s corruption of our government, gun safety laws, and attention to climate change. Let’s join forces and demand a government of, by and for the people.
Joanne Garing
Demand A Fair and Just Wage and Tax Schedule....
Paul Kengor’s article on Trump’s tax cuts, 10/25/24, did not give us the whole picture. He states that the bottom 50% of income earners in America pay only 2.3% of federal income tax. But he fails to mention that nearly 50% of full-time workers do not make a living wage. Think of that, in one of the richest nations in the world, 50% of its workers struggle to pay their bills. The bottom 50% has only 3% of the wealth distribution. Compare that to the top 10%. This group has 67% of the wealth distribution, only 10% has more than one half of all wealth. The top 1% has 30% of all wealth. The top 1% has ten times the wealth of the whole bottom 50% of workers. A rough calculation shows that an average person in the top 1% has 500 times the wealth as an average person in the bottom 50%.
Then look at taxes. The wealthiest 400 billionaire families paid on average a federal tax rate of just 8.2%. The 25 richest Americans pay a true tax rate of only 3.4%. Meanwhile the average American has a 13% tax rate. Some years, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Michael Bloomberg paid no federal income tax at all.
America has the greatest poverty rate of any developed nation. Regardless of your race, religion or political affiliation, we should all come together to demand a fair and just wage and tax schedule.
Sandy Kramer
The Railroad Safety Act....
In February 2023, a Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, close to the Pennsylvania border. It caused significant damage to the environment and the local community. The impacts of this crash are likely to be far-reaching and felt for years to come.
Those in Congress from Ohio and Pennsylvania, Democrats and Republicans, introduced the railroad safety act. It is popular with residence in both states for no one wants a derailment destroying their home and community. Even though we citizens supported the bill, even though both Republican and Democratic lawmakers from the two states supported the bill, it went no where. Almost two years later, Congress has remained deadlocked on advancing train safety measures.
The railroad industry invested $25.2 million in 2023 to lobby the government against enacting safety improvements. This is another example of a corporation putting profits over people.
In 2022, total lobbying expenditures, from all industries to the federal government, reached $4.1 billion. This is a staggering amount to influence voting against we the people and for corporations. Wouldn’t it be nice if we would outlaw lobbyist giving money, gifts, or any renumeration to anyone in government?
Jackie Hartwick
Standing Together...
They called FDR a traitor; the President who overcame the Great Depression caused by bottomless greed and saved the world from fascism’s hatred of someone, anyone that can be blamed for perceived wrong doing. The radical few called FDR a traitor, a traitor to his class, for the President’s sin of using government to help the average American. And help he did. The New Deal’s Social Security, FDIC, support of unions, heavier taxes on the wealthy and large corporations, price support for farmers, and new controls over banks and public utilities laid the groundwork for economic recovery and expansion of the American middle class.
Now, almost 100 years later, fascism is raising its ugly head again, sowing fear and hatred of the “other” while our middle class is shrinking due to the excessive greed of a few.
FDR told us we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Together we beat the chaos of fascism and economic depression by having each others back. We can do it again. We can stand together and fight for economic justice for all and basic civil rights for all.
Joanne Garing
Keeping The Facts Straight...
The Trib has recently published articles by George Will and Cal Thomas that raised alarms about our $34 to 35 trillion national debt that is supposedly caused by our government’s reckless spending. But the Center for American Progress states “if not for the Bush and Trump tax cuts revenues would be on track to keep pace with spending indefinitely, and the debt ratio (debt as a percentage of the economy) would be declining. Fighting the Great Recession and COVID pushed the level of debt higher, these costs were temporary and did not change the trajectory of the debt ratio. The Bush-Trump tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy did that.” The U.S. does not have a high-spending problem, it has a low tax, for corporations and the wealthy, problem that severely reduces federal revenues. These tax cuts for the wealthy have cost us trillions of dollars and made our tax code significantly more regressive.
Case in point, between 2018 and 2022, Tesla made $4.4 billion in profits but paid no federal income taxes. Elon Musk, the single largest beneficiary of the Trump tax cuts, saw his fortune grow more than 1,200%.
When you vote in November, vote for lawmakers who will pledge to make our tax code more balanced with everyone paying their fair share.
Louis D Brandeis said, “We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can’t have both.”
Julia Bojalad
Keeping The Facts Straight...
I would like to respond to "an open letter to Kamala Harris" that appeared on the Sunday October 6 opinion page.
The writer refers to a "war on fossil fuels." The U.S. is producing more oil and natural gas than ever before. Under the three most recent presidencies both Democratic and Republican, oil and gas production was higher at the end of each administration's term than the beginning.
Prices were NOT allowed to increase. Price increases are an economic function of too much stimulus due to the pandemic which was mishandled by Trump along with disrupted supply chains.
In regard to controlling the country's borders, Trump caused the failure of one of the most comprehensive border bills ever. The bill co-authored by one of the most conservative Republican senators had bi-partisan support. Trump ordered his party to kill the bill to give him an issue to run on. Instead of helping to manage the border, enough Republicans did Trump's bidding so he would have a campaign issue.
No one is mandating electric vehicles. The market determines what people will drive. We are at the start of the infrastructure buildout for electric vehicles. Remember, Elon Musk is one of Trump's most ardent supporters and what does he produce -- electric vehicles.
When alleging that national debt has been allowed to skyrocket, look at the numbers. Trump approved 8.4 trillion of new ten-year borrowing. The Biden administration approved 4.3 trillion new ten-year borrowing. Now who exploded the debt bomb?
As to referring to Harris' running mate Tim Walz as a radical, making educational trips and teaching English in China does not make someone a communist.
In regard to the idea of weakening America and inviting World War III, Trump would weaken America by pulling out of one of the greatest and most effective military alliances of our times -- NATO. Time and time again, Trump has done the bidding of Vladimir Putin, and exchanged love letters with Kim Jong Un, the brutal dictator of North Korea. He has disparaged the brave members of our military and dishonored those who gave their lives for our freedom, calling them "suckers" and "losers."
Finally, the Biden-Harris administration has yielded 775,000 manufacturing jobs, while Trump lost 200,000 manufacturing jobs. Also, under Biden-Harris in more than 885 trading days, the S&P 500 gained 45% vs. Trump 40% over the same number of trading days.
Numbers don't lie and facts are stubborn things.
John Thompson
Protecting Health Care
Chances are we all know or love someone who suffers from a chronic health condition. Losing insurance coverage for asthma, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and more would have devastating health and financial consequences. Remember the 1980s and '90s when insurance companies could deny coverage for chronic conditions? Many faced financial ruin while being unable to get the care they needed. We can't go back to that.
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The Affordable Care Act (ACA) not only provides affordable health care for millions, it protects all of us from being denied health insurance for preexisting conditions, no matter what type of health insurance you have. During his first presidency, Donald Trump unsuccessfully tried to abolish the ACA. If elected, he plans to repeal the ACA and, I believe, he will slash Medicaid coverage for millions. Not only will this impact people's health, but, will imperil our economy.
Kamala Harris vows to strengthen the ACA, protect preexisting condition coverage and lower prescription costs. Go to protectourcoverage.org to compare the Trump and Harris health plans.
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This is a consequential election. Don't let trump eliminate coverage for preexisting health conditions. A vote for Harris is a vote to protect your health care coverage and quality of life.
Diana Steck
What Is At Stake ...
January 6 is a day we will not forget. A violent mob stormed our nation's Capital with the intent of insurrection. Law enforcement officers were beaten and injured with five losing their lives. The mob did this at the direction of the man in the Oval Office; Donal Trump. He is a cowardly bully whose immature ego could not accept that he lost the election. Based on his business background, you would think he would be accustomed to loosing. Trump has had multiple business failures, bankruptcies, and court case failures. His foundation and university were put out of business due to fraud. The Republican Party should have known that everything Trump touches is destroyed or damaged.
Then, there is the sheer incompetency of his term of office. Trump’s inept and inadequate response to covid resulted in 400,000 Americans dying by the time he left office. Because of his lies and delusions, we witnessed the worst public health crisis in over 100 years. This crisis led to an economic disaster. Due to Trump’s impotence, millions of jobs were lost and many businesses closed. Our 14.7% unemployment rate was the highest level since the Great Depression.
Based on his bungling of our government agencies, his insane foreign relations decisions, his isolation, and his propensity to incite hatred and violence, you now understand why he was judged the worst American president ever.
Kellie Simon
The Very Real Downside Of Vouchers ...
We are fortunate, we can look to other states for the results of their school voucher system. Take Ohio; it had the 5th highest system of public education in the nation. After they went to profit charter schools and vouchers, they dropped in standing to the mid 20s. People in Ohio ended up paying billions of dollars for poorer outcomes.
In Arizona, school vouchers were suppose to save taxpayers money. Instead they blew a massive hole in their budget. Arizona has spent so much money paying private schoolers’ tuition that it’s now facing hundreds of millions in budget cuts to critical state programs.
Even Republicans in Georgia oppose vouchers. They realize that vouchers drain funds from rural counties and redistributes to a few wealthier counties.
North Carolina is diverting $4 billion in taxpayer money over the coming years to pay for wealthy people to send their kids to unregulated and unaccountable private schools.
In Florida they call it welfare for wealthy families to send their kids to private schools.
What ever state you look at, you find the same thing. Vouchers do not help poor failing school districts. They exacerbate the problem by taking the already meager funds from those districts and giving it to private and religious schools. And why are we using taxpayer dollars for religious schools to indoctrinate their students into one particular faith?
Gloria Gralewski
Remembering What Really Happened During Covid ...
In his column “Is it 1968 all over again, and will the results be the same?” (Aug. 24, TribLive), Gary Franks accuses the Harris-Walz team of lies, half-truths and distortions, which is exactly what he himself did.
Ex-President Trump’s handling of covid was a monumental disaster. He gutted the Centers for Disease Control and left it handicapped to deal with the virus. He overruled public health guidance from infectious disease experts and silenced officials. He politicized wearing masks, getting tested and vaccinated, causing chaos, confusion and division.
He repeatedly lied about the gravity of the situation. His failure to take the coronavirus seriously, and his inadequate response, led to a public health crises. By June 25, 2020, the U.S., with just 4% of the global population, had 25% of global virus cases and the second-highest death rate per capita in advanced economies. A Columbia University report conservatively estimated that between 130,000 and 210,000 deaths were attributable to the failures of the U.S. government.
This public health crisis led to an economic crisis. While other countries such as Germany had a .8% increase in unemployment, we had a 14.7% unemployment rate.
The health of the American people and the economy did not recover until President Biden’s corrective actions became effective. Biden was able to get enough people vaccinated and enough people back to work to allow for a healthy, and indeed a robust, recovery. Thank you, President Biden.
Chris Baldonieri
It's A Group Effort ...
The following are remarks made by Elizabeth Warren in 2011. "There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own. Nobody. ... You moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for; you hired workers the rest of us paid to educate; you were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn't have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory, and hire someone to protect against this, because of the work the rest of us did. Now look, you built a factory and it turned into something terrific, or a great idea. God bless. Keep a big hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is, you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along."
There is a social contract when you live in a civilized society. We need to care about one another and have each other's back, because we depend and rely on each other. No matter your race or religion, we are all in this together.
Jackie Hartwick
The Root Cause Of Price Gouging ...
It became popular to champion free markets and demonize government regulations. That attitude led to years of non-enforcement of our anti-trust laws. Predictably business mergers proliferated. Big corporations got bigger and many became monopolies. As monopolies, they engaged in price-gouging and union busting, completion was stifled and the quality of goods and services decreased. Corporate profit margins skyrocketed to a 70 year-high. Corporate profits drove 53% of inflation in 2023. In 2022, Kraft Heinz profits increased 448% and Cal-Maine, our largest egg company, increased profits 718%.
Consumers are taking a financial hit with rising prices while companies are increasing their profits and using those increased profits to enrich themselves and their shareholders with stock buybacks. Big corporations have forgotten about their employees and consumers in big business’s single minded pursuit of profits.
The Biden Administration is aggressively enforcing our anti-trust regulations to curtail the excesses of monopolies. Finally we have a president who is a champion of the American consumer, interested in helping the struggling middle class. Unlike his predecessor, Biden is not interested in giving huge destruction tax cuts to big corporations.
The Price Gouging Prevention Act, the Big Oil Windfall Profits Tax Act, and the Food and Agribusiness Merger Moratorium and Antitrust Review Act are all bills in Congress that would help curb corporate price gouging. Tell your lawmakers they must support President Biden’s efforts to reign in corporate greed.
Sandy Kramer
The 2024 Election ...
As President Biden said during the Democratic Convention, "Folks we just have to remember who we are. WE ARE the United States of America and there is nothing we can't do when we do it TOGETHER".
Whether we are Independents, Republicans, or Democrats, together we can fight for things the majority of Americans want. Things like: everyone paying their fair share of taxes, an increase in the minimum wage, access to women's reproductive rights, and stricter gun safety laws. In a democracy, we can stand up and fight for the changes we want. Let's do it!
Kellie Simon
We the People ...
Our Declaration of Independence states that “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.” We the governed do not agree with this Supreme Court’s rulings. They are taking away our rights and freedoms and the laws and regulations that protect us. The Supreme Court has been packed with extreme radical ideologies who are not ruling for we the people but for their corporate benefactors.
The Supreme Court is on an unprecedented power grab, assuming for itself functions that previously were the domain of the executive and legislative branch. In striking down Chevron, it has taken away the power of federal agencies to interpret the laws they administer. This is an impossible task for our courts because justices are not subject matter experts. In Citizens United, Shelby County v Holder, and in overturning Roe v Wade the Supreme Court was legislating from the bench. We have Justices who think they wear crowns instead of robes.
I feel the single most important correction to this illegitimate, corrupt Court is to add three or four seats to the bench. This would not be packing the court, but a restoration to an already packed court. Write to your lawmakers urging them to support the Judiciary Act of 2023. Expand the Supreme Court by adding three seats.
Michael Garing
Accountability ...
The 14th amendment to the Constitution states: “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President——-or as a member of any State legislature——shall have engaged in insurrection.” It has been over 4 years since January 6. Lawmakers such as Jim Jordan, Matt Goetz, and Pennsylvania’s own Scott Perry engaged in insurrection and are still walking the halls of power and not the halls of prison. All persons involved with the planning and implementation of January 6th should be charged and brought to justice ASAP. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Inaction on the part of the Justice Department only enables those law-breakers. It has embolden them to further interfere in our elections They have detailed plans in place to cause chaos in this year’s election. There are election deniers in charge of certifying the results in several states including Pennsylvania. They plan to refuse to certify the results if their preferred candidate does not win. They plan to through out our votes.
Tell Attorney General Merrick B Garland he must with all deliberate speed hold those in power who are responsible for January 6 accountable. His contact information is: U.S. Dept of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Ave,NW, Washington, D.C. 20530-0001——phone, 202-353-1555——- email, www.justice.gov.
Joanne Garing
Fighting For The Middle Class ...
The majority of Americans do not approve of the actions of this Supreme Court, which has been bought and paid for by the Federalist Society. For decades the Federalist Society has groomed, indoctrinated, and bribed lawyers and law schools with their millionaires’ and billionaires’ money. They see our government working not for its citizens but for corporations.
The radical wealthy were alarmed at the power given to the people by FDR’s progressive policies, unions and an educated work force. In the mid 20th century each new generation of Americans did better than their parents and we had the largest middle class the world had ever seen.
The wealthy few could not abide loosing power to the great unwashed masses. They knew they could not legislate actions unpopular with the people, so they planned a decades long march to take over our judicial system. As we know, with this Supreme Court, the wealthy and the big corporations have been wildly successful.
But, here comes President Biden with his plan to correct this extreme, money corrupted Supreme Court. Biden’s plan calls for term limits, a binding code of conduct and enforcement of the rule of law, even for presidents. Write to your representatives in Congress, let them know you expect them to support President Biden’s plan to hold the Supreme Court accountable to the American people. Contact information: www.gov/senators/contact or www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative.
Gloria Gralewski
A Thriving Economy ...
Fidelity sends a periodic newsletter to its investors. It’s June 17,2024, issue dealt with the gap between the reality and the perception of the U.S. economy. The data shows the economy is healthy and growing but Americans are very pessimistic. Our gross domestic product has grown over the last 2 quarters. Stocks are doing well. Inflation is dropping and wages have generally been rising faster than inflation.
The newsletter mentioned the phenomenon known as “negativity bias” in which media viewers appear mere engaged with negative news. Because of this factor some sources play up the negative to increase viewership. If your news source is reporting a poor economy, Fidelity recommends changing your source. Misinformation might cause you to make bad financial decisions, which will negatively affect your financial outcome.
That being said, there are sectors of the economy, like food and fuel, where monopolies are overcharging the consumer. Oil companies like ExxonMobile are making record profits by overcharging we consumers. Food manufacturing companies like Nestle, ConAgra and Kraft Heinz, have increased their profits by increasing their prices. Food companies have increased their prices 3 to 4 times the inflation rate. Over all corporate profits rose 5 times faster than inflation from 2020 to 2022. Contact your Senator, ask them to support bill S.3803, The Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2024.
Julia Bojalad
A Biased Supreme Court ...
The Roberts Court is not conducting its rulings in a non-partisan manner and its hurting all our citizens.
These rulings have gutted gun safety rights, voting rights, reproductive rights, and our right to clean air and water. It reduced our ability to fight fraud and to address climate change. The rulings have supported gerrymandering and forced arbitration which rips off consumers. Its tore a hole in the wall separating church and state.
As well, the vagueness of the rulings has contributed to a chaos-of-interpretation in our lower courts.
In fact, their rulings are attacking our laws, our regulations that protect us, and our liberties of living in a democracy. And, this more recent ruling of unqualified immunity for a president takes us down a dangerous road from a democracy to a dictatorship.
Its time for the Supreme Court members to stop leading with their personal biases.
I suggest we each contact our Supreme Court members and respectively remind them they work for all the citizens of the USA and partisan rulings are not contributing to a more united citizenship. Their contact information for them can be found at www.supremecourt.gov.
Mary Ann Lauffer
Two Very Different People...
I almost choked when I read George Will’s June 30th article “Debate displays representative government.” He states that President Biden and Donald Trump are two peas in a pod. I am afraid Will is showing his age by his muddled thinking. Biden is empathetic, caring and kind towards his follow man. Trump is a pathological liar, a narcissus, a fraud and a thief. Biden decreased the yearly deficit, Trump increased the deficit. Trump caused unnecessary death and suffering by his mis-management of COVID. Biden’s swift actions brought the country out of the public health emergency. Biden was successful in passing legislation helping the middle class. Trump increased our inequality with his tax cuts for the rich, which also ballooned the deficit. Trump hollowed-out federal agencies that help the American people. Biden is still in the process of correcting Trump’s damage. A few examples: the restaffing of the IRS, to ensure that large corporate, large partnership and high-income individual filers pay the taxes they owe. There is an estimated $160 billion gap between what the top 1% of earners likely owe in taxes and what they pay; the National Labor Relations Board is now restoring and supporting workers’ rights; and the Interior Department is now protecting our land and resources and not decimating them.
Rather than two peas in a pod, it is like Trump and Biden are from different planets.Diana Gray
What Trump Would Bring To The Table...
During Trump’s first term of office he did not have the organization nor the people to execute his unlawful and unconstitutional plans. This time around, Trump loyalist and the Heritage Foundation have corrected those past deficiencies. Here is their Project 2025 playbook.
We would quickly devolve into a police state. They have vowed: to use the U.S. military against U.S. citizens; to criminalize abortion and prosecute anyone providing abortion pills by mail; and to target and jail critics in the media.
They would corrupt our government and undermine the rule of law: by demanding loyalty to Trump and not the constitution; by firing any federal employee, any civil servant, who questions the party line and replacing them with party lackeys; by demanding that the Justice Department prosecute Trump’s perceived enemies; by rewarding friends and loyalists and terrorizing and punishing critics and people with a different opinion.
They would completely dismantle our Capitalistic economic system by giving further tax cuts to big corporation and big money. The already inequality of our wealth and income would be exacerbated and would completely collapse our middle class.
They would end our bedrock principle that separate church from state. We would not be able to follow our beliefs but must conform to the dictates of the state. And we can say good-by to our constitutional guaranteed five freedoms: speech, religion, press, assemble and the right to petition the government.
Gloria Gralewski
We All Want The Same Thing...
Most Americans, no matter their religion, race or political party, want the same things from our government:
-98% support changing the way our political campaigns are funded. We want a reduction in big money’s influence.
-85% believe in access to abortion. We want reproductive freedom.
-75% support stricter gun laws. We know that sensible gun safety measures save lives.
-72% are concerned about climate change and want to see bold corrective action.
-69% support Medicare-for-All. Free market Capitalism’s supply and demand does not work when it comes to our health.
-66% support higher taxes on those making $400,000 a year. Our income and wealth inequality must be addressed, and
-62% favor raising the minimum wage. Too many Americans are working for near poverty wages.
We have voiced our support in these areas for some time but too many of our lawmakers are not listening to us, rather they are working for their big money donors.Take our own State Senator, Kim Ward, she has voted against reproductive rights, gun safety laws, and regulations that would reduce pollution. This is not what the majority of us want.
Thomas Jefferson said “governments are republican only in proportion as they embody the will of their people and execute it”. We should choose lawmakers that vote the will of their people.
Sandy Kramer
It's a Felony Not a Misdemeanor...
There are several misstatements in your June 9, 2024, article “Trump verdicts make NYC Venezuela-on-the-Hudson”. The author tries to downplay the seriousness of the charges against Trump by stating they were “paperwork errors” when in fact they were deliberate criminal actions; he states that “the statute of limitations had run out” when in fact it had been extended due to COVID; Trump was charged with a crime he committed to cover-up his previous crimes. This by definition is a felony and not a misdemeanor. The author deliberately distorted the facts concerning the jurisdiction, the previous prosecutor’s actions and the judges instructions to the jurors.
The article compared Trump’s case to Harvey Wenstein’s conviction. Weinstein was convicted but got off on a technicality. If Judge Merchan’s instructions to the jurors were inappropriate then Trump like Weinstein will have his guilty verdict overturned on appeal. This does not mean he was innocent.
It is sad that Spakovsky, a former Justice Department lawyer, is willing to erode the people’s faith in the American legal system, in the rule of law. He delegitimize the verdict strictly for political reasons, in order to salvage the reputation of a convicted criminal, because they share political ideologies, and Trump happens to be their best chance to retake the White House.
Joanne Garing
Trump's Manifesto...
The TIME magazine cover story of May 27, 2024 included an interview of Donald Trump and his closest advisors, in which Trump's second term agenda was laid out. The following are excerpts of that article:
-- He would let red states monitor women's pregnancies and prosecute those who violate abortion bans.
-- He would, at his personal discretion, withhold funds appropriated by Congress.
-- He would be willing to fire a US Attorney who doesn't carry out his order to prosecute someone.
-- He would seek retribution against his enemies.
-- He would extend his 2017 tax cuts which favor big corporations and the wealthy few (which would increase the deficit by $5 trillion in ten years).
-- He would gut the US civil service, deploy the National Guard to American cities as he sees fit, close the pandemic-preparedness office, and staff his Administration with acolytes who back his false assertion that the 2020 election was stolen.
But the most frightening part of the article dealt with Trump's cruelty; his justification of violence when it suits his personal agenda; his attacks and calls for harming people who disagree with him; his disregard for human life; his love of murderous dictators like Putin and MBS and his desire to emulate them. Trump is one scary individual.
Diana Gray
Raise The Wage Act Of 2023...
Since 1938 U.S. labor law has carved out a rule for some people with disabilities, saying they can be paid less than minimum wage. Its purpose was to encourage employers to hire the disabled. But like so many good intentions, it has had unintended consequences. In this case it is the exploitation of disabled persons. The carve out was meant to help people with severe disabilities find meaningful work, but it has left many trapped in jobs with slave wages, some earning as little as one dollar or even pennies per hour. This waiver program for workers with disabilities is sometimes horribly misused.
Because of the potential for abuse, some in Congress are calling for a change. A minimum wage of $5 an hour for people with disabilities was proposed in the Raise The Wage Act of 2023. This Act also calls for an increase in the standard federal minimum wage and an increase in wages for tipped employees and for teenagers.
This bill is languishing in the Senate Committee on Health, Education and Labor. Govtrack us gives it a 2% chance of being enacted.
How should we feel about lawmakers who give themselves a raise but not us? Should we vote them out?
Sandy Kramer
Price Gouging By Big Corporations...
We sometimes hear that inflation is driving the high cost of food. But, looking at the data, we see a different story. Over four years, from 2019 to 2022, inflation increased 15.7%, or roughly 4% a year. However, grocery prices during that same time have increased 30% or almost double the inflation rate.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have raised their price 59% over the past four years. General Mills hiked its prices five times in 2021 and 2022 and earnings increased 51%. Tyson Foods nearly doubled its profits in the first quarter of 2022 due to price increases. Cal-Maine the largest egg producer in the U.S. increased profits by 718%. Kraft Heinz increased profits 448% in 2022. At the end of 2023 Americans were paying at least 30% more for beef, pork and poultry products than they did in 2020.
These large corporations, many with near monopoly control in their sector, are raising prices simply because they can and to increase their profit. They are price gouging we consumers. We need to insist that Congress address the corporate greed that is making it difficult for us to feed our families. Raise your voice, tell your lawmakers to support the Price Gouging Prevention Act of 2004, S. 3803.
Julia Bojolad
How Did This Happen ....?
What ever happened to the law and order party? They refuse to support the police with common sense gun safety regulations which could save their lives. They refused to impeach former President Trump over his criminal extortion scheme of Ukraine’s President. They did not impeach Trump when he refused to admit election defeat. We all heard his repeated claims, without any evidence, of election fraud. We saw his orchestration of violence and chaos on 1/6. He cheered on the death and bodily harm that the mob did to the police. He reveled in the desecration of a symbol of our government, the Capital. He and his followers cooked up a phony electors scheme, desperately trying to hold onto power. And after all this, the party chose Trump a third time to be their candidate for President.
The MAGA violent mob and certain party members continue to harass, threaten, and intimidate those that do not blindly follow their leader or those who try to hold Trump to account for his criminal and anti-constitutional behavior. Nikki Haley, Federal judge Tanya Chutkan, Judge Arthur Engoron, Brad Raffensperger, Jack Smith, Liz Cheney, Mitt Romney and others have been the targets of death threats, homes swatted, doxxing, and menacing phone calls, some have had to hire security guards.
This sounds like a party that condones violence, intimidation, and breaking the law and not one that abides by the rule of law. How did this happen?
Sandy Kramer
Our Supreme Court ....
Once again, the Supreme Court is meddling in our elections. Not too long ago a Republican Court ordered the state of Florida to stop counting the people’s votes for president while their Republican candidate happened to be in the lead. Even though recounts are a very common occurrence. They included in their opinion the warning that their decision should not be considered precedent, and not be applied to any other future case.
Now the Supreme Court is again placing its thumb on the scale. By agreeing to hear the absurd claim of total presidential immunity from the law, but postponing arguments for twelve weeks after the appeal, the Court is delaying justice for Trump’s horrendous actions. They also refused Jack Smith’s request to preemptively hear the case in December of last year. Justice delayed is justice denied.
At the time of writing this, we still haven’t heard their ruling. It’s been five months since they first had an opportunity to hear the case. Compare this to the case to keep Trump off the Colorado ballot, it took less than two months from the time of Trump’s appeal to declare a ruling. They can move fast when motivated.
Supreme Court Justices are given lifetime appointments, in part, to keep them from making partisan rulings. It doesn’t seem to be working.
Michael Garing
Why We Are Losing Small Independent Pharmacies and Paying More For Drugs ....
Thank you for publishing the articles on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which explain how they are pushing small independent pharmacies out of business.
The PBMs claim to lower prescription drug costs for patients, but in fact they are responsible for inflating the price of prescription drugs.
PBMs are shady middlemen engaged in a legalized bribery scheme. They are hired by insurance companies to handle all things medication, drug prices, co-pays and rebates.
It is with the rebates where legalized bribery comes into play. The drug manufacturers’ rebates should be passed along to you the customer, but instead go to the insurance companies’ PBMs.
A drug manufacturer uses a rebate as a kickback to an insurance company, so that an insurance company will place that manufacturer’s drugs on the insurance company’s formulary. A drug manufacturer then recoups the kickback cost by raising the drug price.
This becomes a vicious cycle with drug manufacturers increasing the prices of drugs to create bigger rebates to get their products favorably placed on formularies.
What happened with the rising cost of insulin and EpiPens illustrates this kickback problem.
Kickbacks have been illegal since the 1990s, but an exception was made for PBMs. It is time for the PBMs to be held to the same standard as other industries under federal anti-kickback laws.
https://twitter.com/MorePerfectUS/status/1757799538788835735
Pam Thompson
Presidential Survey....
The 2024 Presidential survey was published this past February. The ranking system is based on opinions of historians and political scientists, which focus on presidential achievements, leadership qualities, failures and faults. The following are the top ten presidents. Number one is Lincoln, followed by F.D. Roosevelt, Washington, T. Roosevelt, Jefferson, Truman, Obama, Eisenhower, L.B. Johnson and Kennedy. The survey rated President Biden as the 14th best president and President Trump at 45th is the rock bottom last, making him the worst president in our history.
Biden signed several key pieces of legislation, aggressively handled the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recovery. But his most important achievements may be that he rescued the presidency from Trump.
Ex-President Trump was voted the most polarizing president ever. He weakened the presidential office. Trump foreign policy was a failure and undermined America’s position in the world. Trump’s callus, inept and inadequate response to COVID-19 explains why over 400,000 Americans died while he was in office. The flawed response caused millions of jobs and businesses to disappear. His biggest damage was to American democracy, with his efforts to demonize his opponents, and the media, to violate established norms, promote lies, question the authority of the courts, and his incitement and instigation of unlawful and violent activity on 1/6.
Who will you vote for, number 14 or 45?
Joanne Garing
Sensible Legislation....
It is difficult to understand how women and mothers can be against safeguarding our families. Two of our legislators, who happen to be women, President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, and Senate Judiciary Chair Lisa Baker are both obstructing sensible gun safety legislation.
Protecting its citizens is the first responsibility of government. Yet it seems that Ward and Baker would rather cater to the extreme position that favor gun rights at any cost, over sensible gun safety laws which would support our right to live safely in our communities.
These two lawmakers are ignoring the wishes of a vast majority of citizens in our local communities. Our police support gun safety policies. How can they support the police but not support policies that augment safety?
I urge fellow citizens to vote for lawmakers who will fight for our safety by supporting sensible gun safety regulate.
Dr Mary Ann Lauffer
Stock Buybacks....
Our economic inequality is being fueled by two disastrous decisions. One is the 1982 SEC ruling to lessen Wall Street rules and regulations including one on stock buybacks. Between 2015 and 2017 more than half of the total profits earned by Pepsi Co, Kraft Heinz, Archer Daniels Midland and Tyson Foods were spent on stock buybacks. Fifty four percent of profits from the S&P 500 companies went towards stock buy backs. From 2008 to 2018, American restaurant chains, including Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Domino’s Pizza, spent $5,000,000,000,000 on stock buy backs.
The second disastrous decision was the 2017 massive corporate tax cut. With their added profits, corporations have been gouging on stock buy backs. Ten major drug companies including Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Merck, in one year, spent $75,000,000,000 on stock buybacks. In 2023, Chevron Corporation spent $14,700,000,000 and Exxon Mobil spent $17,800,000,000 on stock buybacks. Four large conglomerates, with a monopoly of 85% of the market, Tyson, JBS, Marfrig, and Seaboard increased their gross profits by 120% since before the pandemic, and spent $4,000,000,000 in stock buybacks.
Instead of reducing prices to help the struggling consumer, corporations enriched management and stockholders with stock buy backs at the expense of the average American. Some of the excess profits, instead of going to the already wealthy, could have increased the salaries of the workers who make the profits possible in the first place.
Joanne Garing
Watch What They Do....
A TV newscaster’s frequent line is “watch what they do, not what they say”. Let’s look at what they do. One hundred percent of House Republicans voted against the Inflation Reduction Act. This Act reduces the deficit, decreases energy costs and carbon emissions, ensured mega corporations with profits over $1,000,000,000 pay their fair share and reduces drug cost. Not only did 100% of House Republicans vote against this bill that is a boon to our economy, they voted 31 times to repeal parts that help the middle class.
The corporate lobbying industry went into overdrive. They sided with the Republicans against ensuring that companies with over $1,000,000,000 in profits pay their fair share of taxes (15%). They did not want to increase IRS funding. They did not want a crackdown on large corporations and wealthy individuals that are not paying their fair share. The pharmaceutical industry spent hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying against the Act. Together large companies and lobby groups spent $2,300,000,000 fighting this bill. While this lobbying effort and Republican obstructing tactics weakened parts of the Act, it remains intact, helping the middle class and helping the environment. Send those lawmakers to Washington who will work with the President to fight for the middle class not those fighting for the donor class.
Gloria Gralewski
State Republicans Want To Send Your Tax Dollars To Texas
State Senate Republicans Ward, Pittman, Stefano and others passed Senate Resolution 251 calling on Governor Shapiro to deploy the PA National Guard to the Texas Border.
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The text of the Resolution and Ward’s March 23rd E-Newsletter incorrectly assert that undocumented migrants are the source of fentanyl entering into the U.S.
Fentanyl is smuggled into the country by U.S. citizens legally crossing the border, and not by asylum seekers. Customs and Border Patrol report that just 0.02% of people arrested for crossing the border possessed any fentanyl whatsoever. Nearly 90% of illicit fentanyl is seized at official border crossings. In FY2023, 19,466 pounds of fentanyl were seized at ports of entry and 2,390 pounds were seized between ports. Of that, 157 pounds of fentanyl were seized at Texas points of entry and 53 pounds between ports representing only 0.5% of all fentanyl seized at the southern border.
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Senators Ward, Pittman, and Martin criticized Governor Shapiro’s budget as being “reckless” and “undisciplined.” But Senate Republicans are more than happy to send your tax dollars to Texas with no tangible benefit to Pennsylvanians.
Spending our tax dollars here on drug prevention, recovery and mental health programs has a significant positive effect in combating the fentanyl and opioid crisis. Sending our National Guard and tax dollars to Texas will not.
Contact Senators Ward, Pittman and Stefano and tell them no tax dollars for Texas.
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Susan Pardus
Those WHO KNOW TRUMP.....
On January 21, 2024, the New York Times published an article "What 17 of Trump's Best People Said About Him".
These best people served in some of the highest-level positions in the Trump Administration. A few excerpts: William Barr, Attorney General, "He is a consummate narcissist, and he constantly engages in reckless conduct that puts his political followers at risk...He will always put his own interest and gratifying his own ego ahead of everything else, including the country's interest." John Bolton, National Security Advisor, "By the time I left the White House I was convinced he was not fit to be President." Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "We don't take an oath to a King...or a dictator. And we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator." Mark Esper, Secretary of Defense, "Trump is a threat to democracy." John Kelly, Chief of Staff, "Trump is a person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution and the rule of law."
We need to carefully consider these comments made by people who knew Trump best.
Diana Gray
Summer Lee Delivers to Western PA.....
Summer Lee works tirelessly to champion for Western Pennsylvania. She promotes economic justice, union jobs and environmental justice, and co-sponsored 20-plus bills strengthening voting rights, safeguarding democracy and fighting for reproductive health.
She passed through committee $10.7 million in funding for food assistance, addressing antisemitism, affordable housing, rebuilding infrastructure and more. This month she delivered a check funding a North Irwin bridge replacement needed for 10 years.
Summer Lee delivers for her constituents. Willing to fight for our needs, her local office staff works to solve constituents’ problems. She is our voice in Washington. Lee supports police by supporting mental health and crisis intervention assistance to enhance police work.
Sadly, Moderate PAC, funded by Republican mega donor Jeffrey Yass, is running ads using Republican money supporting her opponent Bhavini Patel. No Democratic candidate should be funded by Donald Trump-supporting Republican donors. Contrary to misinformational political ads, Lee was not in Congress during the Infrastructure and Inflation Reduction Acts votes, as wrongly reported in Patel’s ads.
Lee supports President Biden and will continue to work to protect our freedoms. Look beyond the negative TV ads — Lee has a proven record of working for her constituents. Vote for Summer Lee on April 23.
Diana Steck
It's About What They Do.....
Much has been said about Joe Biden‘s age, even though Trump constantly gets things mixed up and can’t remember dates and names.
I do not write for sympathy, because none is needed. True, seniors forget some dates, forget some names. But so what? That’s true of a lot of us: old and young.
The issue is: what they do, not if they forget a date or name.
Honest Joe is a perfect example: for a guy who is attacked for being old, he has done a hell of job for us. Look at the record.
Joe fights to protect the right to vote, not overturn it. Joe has brought new jobs and manufacturing, investments that actually help middle Americans: better cell service and Internet, health care insurance, lower drug costs, and better roads and bridges.
Today, coming out of the Pandemic, the economy is stronger than ever with the stock market at new highs and more jobs than any time before, anytime!
For a guy who forgets some dates, wow, what a record, especially for middle class America.
Meanwhile, what have Trump and your Republican congressional representatives have done for middle America: nothing to invest in our country; no new manufacturing jobs; no new infrastructure; no lower drug costs. nothing to bring working families anything of value.
Both Joe and Trump forget some dates and names, but only Joe has ever done anything for you.
If just this once, vote Democratic.
Chris Baldonieri
The founding Fathers Were Not Christian Nationalists
Republican leader Marjory Taylor Greene recently stated that "Our Founding Fathers would've been considered Christian Nationalists!”
While many of the Founding Fathers were religious, they did not intend to create a Christian nation. The U.S. Constitution makes no mention of Christianity or any specific religion. The First Amendment prohibits establishment of religion by government.
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James Madison, Father of the Constitution, said “Religion and government will both exist in greater purity the less they are mixed together.”
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John Adams spoke with great clarity saying "The government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.”
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Separation of church and state reflected concerns by the Founders based on centuries of religious wars in Europe.
Madison wrote “The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries.”
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The Founding Fathers created the Constitution based on the rule of law, not Christian nationalism. Jefferson wrote “Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law.”
Christian Nationalism must be rejected. It is a threat to our rights and the democratic republic of the Founding Fathers.
Michael Pardus
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The U.S. Needs To Stand Up To Protect Innocent Gaza Citizens
On October 7, 2023 Hamas fired over 5,000 rockets into Israel causing 1,200 deaths and destruction to the Jewish home land.
We are moved to tears as we continue to witness daily human suffering of 29,692 deaths and 69,879 injuries of men, women and yes, children in Gaza. No individual should live under constant fear or threat from any aggressor.
The Palestinians are not Hamas. They did not initiate the assault that started this war. Israel can not justify their relentless daily attacks on the innocent Palestinian people while communities and lives are destroyed in the name of eliminating Hamas.
Our country, rightly so, has given Israel aid and support since the inception of the Jewish state in 1947 in the amount of over $150 billion US dollars. We do so in solidarity of shared values and support of a democracy. This war should not give Netanyahu the right to inflict war crimes on the Palestinian people in the name of extinguishing an enemy of the State.
Our country needs to address the ongoing suffering this war is causing. The United Nations is trying to do that. The U.S. needs to get on board, facilitate a permanent ceasefire so that humanitarian aid can be administered to those suffering before there is total genocide of innocent people.
Katie Forsythe
A Living Wage
Income and wealth inequality is at its highest point since the Great Depression and we all know how that turned out. Adjusted for inflation, the average worker in America made roughly $43 a week less in 2023 than they made 50 years ago, all the while becoming dramatically more productive. In 1978 CEOs at major American corporations realized some 30 times more compensation than the nation’s private-sector workers. By 2022, that gap went from 30 times to nearly 400 times what workers made. This inequality is killing our middle class and our country.
Since our do-nothing Congress will not do its job, we must look to President Biden. His Administration has already required the payment of prevailing local wages to construction workers on all federal projects. Let’s ask him to go a step further with an Executive Order that denies federal contracts to any company that pay CEOs outrageous compensation packages, that outsource jobs overseas, and that deny workers good benefits and a prevailing wage. He must stop this rigged economy that is serving the super rich at the expense of workers. Too many of us are struggling to pay the bills and are living pay check to pay check. Please write President Biden requesting this Executive Order for our economy’s viability.
Julia Bojolad
Give Biden A Congress That He Can Work With!
Corporate controlled Media had been banging the drums of economic doom for months; inflation or stagflation is just around the corner. However, recently the good news cannot be contained. Unemployment has been under 4% for 24 months. Jobs have been added for 37 months straight (a figure not seen since 1960). Wages are up, the job market is fantastic, economic growth is proceeding at a healthy pace. Household median wealth grew by 37% from 2019-22, the largest three-year increase on record. Even Fox News reported that in the month of January, 367 thousand non-farm jobs were created, and unemployment was at 3.7%. Fox stated the U.S. economy is as good as it gets.
Despite all this good news the American middle-class is still struggling. Food and gas prices are too high, and housing costs have become unaffordable for many. As we know, corporate greed is a big contributor to the price hikes. We must elect lawmakers who will work with President Biden rather than obstruct his efforts. Price gouging must be outlawed, and Wall Street’s regulations need to be reinstated. Give President Biden a congress that will work for the middle class and not just the donor class. This one can barely manage to keep the Federal Government open, let alone pass bills.
Michael Garing
The Middle Class Was Conned...
It appears that the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a massive con game. Eighty percent of the gain from tax cuts flow to the top 10% of wage earners and only 20 % flow to the bottom 90%. Because of tax cuts, 34% of large profitable corporations like Amazon, ExxonMobile, Coca-Cola and Microsoft pay little or nothing in federal income tax, as do 25 of the richest Americans like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.
To add insult to injury, the tax benefits to the middle class will expire in December, 2025, leading to a tax increase. Benefits for small business and self-employed will also sunset. However, the reduction in the corporate tax rate and most of their added deductions will not expire.
The corporate tax rate was cut from the top rate of 35% to a permanent flat 21% tax rate. No matter the amount of profit, corporations still pay only 21% minus the newly added deductions. This was a massive windfall to large corporations and the extremely wealthy few. It has cost our government and the middle class trillions of dollars.
The 2017 tax cuts did not pay for itself, did not trickle-down, nor boost growth, nor increase wages or jobs for the middle class.
The 2024 election will be very influential over U.S. tax policy for years to come. Will you vote for lawmakers who want to extend the corporate tax give-away or for lawmakers who want to reign it in?
Joanne Garing
Republicans Turn Their Backs To The Constitution...
State Republicans have given up on the U.S. Constitution. State Senate Resolution 234, authored by Republicans Kim Ward, Scott Martin, Joe Pittman and Ryan Aument, “voices support for the Texas Governor Greg Abbott.”1,2
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered Texas to allow federal immigration agents access to the state’s border with Mexico, 3 where Texas officials have deployed miles of concertina wire. Abbott however continues to deny border access by his refusal to remove the barrier.
Abbott's action is a blatant disregard of federal authority that we have not seen since desegregation cases of the 1950's and 1960's. Yet State Republicans voice support.
Abbott wrote the US has “broken the compact between the Unted States and the States.”4 South Carolina’s Articles of Succession used similar language.5 And State Republicans voice support.
Abbott states that the Texas Constitution is “supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary.”4 Abbott shamelessly voices contempt for the Constitutional authority of the federal government.6 Still, state Republicans voice support.
Republicans find democratic principles enshrined in the Constitution to be inconvenient. That they are somehow optional. Republicans are wrong and it is dangerous.
Your vote matters. Reject anti-democratic Republicans.
Michael Pardus
Biden's Many Accomplishments...
It is encouraging to open the newspaper and see the large amount of economic development in our area. We have the airport modernization project, the upgrade of our waterways, improvement in our sewer systems. There are funds for the demolition of dilapidated structures, revitalizing of roads and bridges, improvement in public transportation and thankfully, the cleaning up of orphaned oil and gas wells. The billions spent to improve our infrastructure also improves our health and safety.
There is the investment in our rural areas by facilitating cooperatives to help our small to mid-size farms. Internet access is expanding in their areas.
New Kensington has its Advanced Manufacturing Park and Pittsburgh is designated a Workforce Hub. Billions of dollars will promote the training and manufacturing for robotics, clean energy, and semiconductor plants to make microchips.
All of the above is the result of President Biden’s economic plan. It is called the Biden Boom. Finally we have a President who is working for the middle class and not the donor class. He is not planning on a trillion dollar give-away to large corporations and the wealthy few like his predecessor did.
I am thankful for an empathetic, competent, emotionally and morally sound President.
Gloria Gralewski
Words From Those Who Know Him...
The following are opinions about Ex-President Donald Trump by those who worked with him in Washington.
“He puts himself before country. His actions are all about him and not about the country.”
Mark Esper, Secretary of Defense
“The depths of his dishonesty is just astounding to me….He is the most flawed person I have ever met in my life.”
John Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security and White House Chief of Staff
“He is more dangerous than anyone could ever imagine.”
James Mattis, Secretary of Defense
“President Trump and other officials have repeatedly compromised our principles in pursuit of partisan advantage and personal gain.”
HR McMaster, National Security Advisor
“Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States…President Trump demanded that I choose between him and the Constitution.”
Mike Pence, Vice President
Sandy Kramer
Public Funds For Public Schools...
Last year the Commonwealth Court ruled that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional. It is estimated that at least $5.4 billion is needed to correct this situation. Harrisburg is currently struggling to come up with solutions to this problem.
One wonders why, when we desperately need funds for public education, our lawmakers are giving tax-payer money to private schools. Last month our General Assembly increased by 40%, the tax credit to private and religious schools, to nearly one half a billion dollars. This on top of the $1.6 billion in tax payer dollars going to charter schools and $1 billion going to cyber charter schools, 1/2 of which went to advertisement. These funds come from our property tax.
Why are we stealing money from public schools to subsidize private and religious schools? Why are we reducing our tax pool by giving deductions to individuals and businesses that give tuition and donations to private schools?
Tell Harrisburg to stop giving away our hard earned tax dollars to private and religious schools. Public funds for public schools.
There are big money donors who want to privatize our educational system. Tell your lawmakers we do not want to continue to subsidize private entities. Public funds for public services.
Chris Baldonieri
Economic Justice...
I could not agree more with the Trib article of 12/31/23, “Gilded age for college football”. Coaches are making 10 times what they made in the 1980’s, adjusted for inflation and around 540 times what teaching graduate assistants make and over 400 times what adjunct professors make. This extreme income inequality carries over into our whole economy. Over the last forty years, CEO compensation skyrocketed 1,209.2%, while worker compensation only grew 15.3%.
Our runaway inequality is increasing the gap between the haves and have-nots, creating an economy rigged to serve the super rich at the expense of workers. The time is long overdue for Congress to address the rampant greed, inequality, and destructiveness that is being caused by our current policies. We need an economy that serves humanity rather than exploits it. Tell your lawmakers, all workers need a living wage, and all citizens must pay their fair share of taxes. We citizens deserve economic justice.
Julia Bojalad
Impending Sale of U.S. Steel...
Now that U.S. Steel is in the news with its impending sale, let’s take a look at the reasons why it is a poster child for what ails American corporations.
First, is the corrupting influence of lobbies. Because of the steel industry’s decades long lobbying, the companies have received billions of dollars, our tax dollars, in state, local and federal subsidies and bailouts. This lobbying reached its zenith during the Trump years with the imposed duties on imports. The American people end up paying a price for these subsidies.
Factor in their exemptions from environmental regulations. The Mon Valley residents continue to this day to pay the price of the industry’s pollution.
Then there is the staggering wage inequality. U.S. Steel’s CEO compensation is almost $19,000,000. That is 345 times the pay of the average Pennsylvania steel mill worker’s $55,000. This obscene wage inequality is incompatible with democracy. This is what causes revolutions and autocracies.
Finally there is the destructive results of stock buybacks. Instead of using cash to lower prices for the consumer, invest in the company, clean-up their pollution, or increase wages, U.S. Steel spent $1.2 billion in the last two years on stock buybacks which benefit Wall Street, shareholders and upper management.
We the middle class need better regulations to protect us from the excessive greed of our captains of industry.
Joanne Garing
Bidenomics...
After forty destructive years of supply-side Reaganomics, the vulture capitalism that HW Bush called voodoo economics, where big donors are enriched and budget deficits are increase, finally we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks to the American people, no matter what religion, race, ethnicity, or political party, we are taking our country back. Communities are saying no to corporations that pollute our environment. People are successfully unionizing for better wages and condition.
Some say this new activism is due to a President that is working for the middle class and not the donor class. One who believes in building from the bottom up and not in trickle-down. They call it Bidenomics, a monumental shift in our economic policy. A belief that a thriving middle class is the cause of economic growth, not the consequence.
However, the opposition is chipping away at the recent progress with an assault on our labor, voting and reproductive freedoms. We must elect officials that will work with the President to move our country forward and not be obstructionist. We need to expand our cost reduction of drugs and health care and not hinder that progress. We need to empower our workers not abuse them. We need policies that promote everyone paying their fair share of taxes and not allowing loop holes like carried interest that favor the wealthy few. Vote for lawmakers who share Bidenomic values.
Gloria Gralewski
Courageous Women...
Former Acting Attorney General, Sally Yates, who opposed Trump's Muslim ban, was among the first to get fired because she stood up for the rule of law. She refused to be cowered by the most powerful man in our country, the President. With integrity and courage, she put the country before her own well-being. But she was not alone.
Thereafter came Fiona Hill and Maria Yavanovitch, dedicated foreign affairs specialists with the fortitude to speak truth to power. For their efforts they were forced out of office. However, it was they who alerted us to the duplicity and extortion scheme perpetrated by the Chief Executive.
Liz Cheney had the strength to take on her whole political party at extreme cost to her career and life's work. She refused to be manipulated by power or money to accept betrayal of our democracy by those in power.
Others that should be mentioned are Cassidy Hutchinson, a truth teller, Ruby Freeman and Shane Moss, brave Georgia election workers and Teresa Shook, organizer of the Women's March.
It continues to date with Fani Willis and Letitia James, who join a long list of women lawyers who exhibited the moral fiber to stand for the rule of law against the most powerful forces in our government.
In the month of December, let us give thanks and praise to these courageous women who are fighting for the soul of our country and the tens of thousands of extraordinary women who are bound and determined to save democracy from the forces of evil.
Ken Baldonieri
Support the PRO Act...
With membership steadily decreasing, the past several decades have been dark ones for the union movement. Now, because of a combination of forces, including COVID, CEO greed, income inequality, and a positive political environment, workers are finding their voices once again.
Recently there have been big wins for organized labor. The UAW won a stunning contract victory over the Big 3 auto makers. That achievement followed the groundbreaking contract with UPS. The Screen Actors and Writers Guild also had big labor wins. These successes have encouraged nurses, food service workers, adjuncts and graduate students and farm workers to organize for better pay, benefits, and working conditions.
However there are powerful forces battling labor. Tesla fired workers in retaliation for union activity. Starbucks and Trader Joe’s employees voted for a union, but years later still have had no contract talks. Add to these companies Amazon, Apple, and Chipotle, all have been involves in unfair labor practices. They have shut down stores, fired employees, coerced and intimidated workers, and targeted union supporters.
That is why we must support the Pro Act. It has passed the House, but Republican Senators are obstructing the passage of this bill that would help labor against union-busting CEOs. Also, we should support our fellow Americans by shopping at businesses that are unionized. Businesses that offer fair wages and safe working conditions for the American worker.
Sandy Kremer
Jobs That Improve Our Communities...
The Trib. article, "People-based economic development", Nov. 20, 2023, hit the nail on the head. We should focus on the well-being of our communities rather than the false promise of new jobs from big business. Let's not court big corporations like Amazon, with a poor track record of environmental and worker concern, who vacuum up the wealth of an area and funnel it to their out of state headquarters. Then, when the wealth is all gone and they have a more lucrative offer elsewhere, they pack up and leave us to clean up their mess.
Instead let's focus on developing good paying jobs that go to local people with companies invested in improving our communities and who keep the profits locally. One such idea is to help our local electric utility convert from a centralized grid with increasingly expensive and unreliable power plants, to a decentralized one by putting its power source in customers' homes with television-size storage batteries. The electric company employees will be the first to be retained in green jobs. These are good paying jobs of the future in an industry that improves the environment and the community's quality of life, instead of low wage work that becomes obsolete in ten years.
We should ask our local officials to improve our environment, our quality of life, and our economy by going green.
Michael Garing
Gun Violence...
When Russia attacked and killed Ukrainians we acted by sending weapons and supplies. When Hamas attacked and killed Israelis we acted by sending weapons and supplies. When our own domestic terrorist or criminally insane kill Americans we act by sending thoughts and prayers. Why are we unable to act as forcefully at home as we do abroad?
We know we have a gun violence problem. This year, as of October 29, the U.S. has endured 565 mass shooting in only 298 days, almost 2 every day, and more than 35,000 Americans were killed by gun violence resulting in 118 gun deaths daily. More than one half of these deaths were suicides. Firearms are the leading cause of death in children, the majority of which occur in their homes. We know what reduces gun violence. It is not rocket science. We must have strong gun safety measures. The majority of Americans support gun safety laws. Your right to a gun does not trump my right to life. If your lawmaker votes for guns over life, VOTE THEM OUT.
We also need to address our inadequate mental health care. Poor mental health leads to an increase in violence, homelessness, substance abuse, inappropriate incarceration and suicide. We need more awareness, resources and facilities devoted to improving our mental health.
Julia Bojalad
Project 2025...
You may not have heard of Project 2025. It is the Heritage Foundation's vision for our future. Heritage along with the Federalist Society are radical-right, ultraconservative groups, who want to restructure our government. If you like how the Federalist Society has groomed lawyers since their college years with gifts and promises of lucrative positions, and installed them on our Supreme Court to dismantle our freedoms, one at a time, then you will love the Heritage Foundation's plan for a Republican presidential win in 2024. The Foundation has billionaire plutocrats like the Koch, Mercer, and DeVos families pouring money into their anti-democratic agenda.
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It is all about dismantling our public services so that the ultra wealthy do not need to pay their fair share in taxes. That is why they are attacking our public schools, the postal service, social security, and our social safety net. The plutocrats are adamantly against any government service that aims to help the middle class.
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They are planning an assault in 2025 on day one of the administration, to fire our civil service workers and replace them with ultra-conservative warriors who pledge loyalty to the the president. He will have complete power over the federal departments and agencies, and can negate their ability to ensure our safety, health and freedom from fraud, abuse and harm. The president can take power away from congress by halting congressionally mandated funding. Dictatorship here we come, that is their vision.
Joanne Garing
Right-Wing Media Lies...
Ray Epps was a true believer. He believed the lies former President Trump, Fox News and right-wing media repeatedly told him about the 2020 election being stolen. So on January 6 he stormed the Capital. But then the conspiracy machine turned on him. They said Ray was an FBI plant and Ray was the one promoting violence. Then Epps received the same treatment from the far-right extremist that so many before him have experienced. Journalist, lawmakers, government officials, election workers, and public health officials, all have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, stalkers and death threats. This barrage of hate forced Ray to sell his home, cost him his livelihood, safety, and forced him to live in hiding in an RV. It completely ruined his life.
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We have the power to stop this hate, fear and terrorizing. Our government must insist that anyone disseminating information, any news outlet, must tell the truth. They must perform due diligence to make certain what they are reporting is factual and they must report corrections when necessary. There must be a clear distinction between facts and opinions. Systemic disinformation and alternative facts must have consequences commiserate with the destruction caused by the lies. Telling lies is not free speech, it is promoting terror, distrust and chaos.
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"When a society ceases to value intellectual and public life---and are unsure who to believe they lose the ability to think and act critically and to resist authoritarianism." Heather Gautney, Current Affairs
Gloria Gralewski
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Income Inequality and GM
Your articles on the workers strike at GM and Stellantis were eye opening. The CEO's compensation of $21 to $29 million yearly is indeed staggering. Using an average of $25 million, the CEO's earn $12,000 per hour or $96,000 a day, which is more than the yearly median household income. The CEO's earn more in one day than the average American household earns in one year. Contrasting the CEOs $12,000 per hour to the auto workers median salary of $38 per hour, one finds a ratio of over 300 to 1. That is excessive.
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To add insult to injury consider how GM used their profits. It handed $25,000,000,000 to Wall Street bankers and wealthy shareholders in the form of stock buybacks and dividends. Instead of rewarding the employees for concessions made during the lean years, management chose stock buybacks. Instead of lowering prices for the struggling consumer it chose stock buybacks. Stock buybacks were considered market manipulation and therefore illegal until Reagon-era market deregulations. Maybe they should again be illegal.
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Gm recently closed plants in Michigan and Ohio, laying off thousands of workers and shipping jobs overseas. Instead of solidarity with the American workers and consumers GM is thinking only of making more profits to give to Wall Street.
Sandy Kramer
Impeachment...
"The impeachment to end them all", a Tribune Review article of October 1st, is an illustration of the deterioration of journalism. It contains one alternative fact after another. False statements regarding Ukraine, the Mueller Report, Trump's two impeachments, and Biden's role in Burisma continue to lead the public to believe the lies.
Publishing one unfounded assumption after another is no way to improve our society.
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Your article states that impeachments should be rare, but frequency should have nothing to do with the decision. Impeachment is our tool to keep criminals out of public office and should happen as often as necessary. It mentions political revenge, but revenge has no place in good government. Evening the score is for children.
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Trump was impeached for attempting to extort the President of Ukraine, which is a crime. His second impeachment was bi-partisan and necessary to prevent any future president from inciting an insurrection to prevent the peaceful transfer of power; one of the hallmarks of democracy! Trump took an oath of office to uphold the peaceful transfer of power and his refusal rises to "high crimes & misdemeanors". He was impeached for what he DID, not for what he SAID.
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As for partisan accusations, John McCain, a Republican, gave the FBI information on the Trump campaign's contact with Moscow and the Australian government informed the FBI of Russians meddling in our 2016 election. A Republican initiated the Steele Report, but that alone did not open the FBI investigation. Far from finding no collusion, the Mueller Report indicted 34 individuals on collusion, including those closest to Trump. It was really too bad that Bill Barr got to whitewash the report to say there was no collusion. He was obviously not telling the whole truth.
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There are so many inaccuracies in your article. I feel the Trib should publish a retraction.
Chris Baldonieri
Big Money...
It feels like Big Money has targeted Pennsylvania to become a corporate friendly and working middle class unfriendly place. Look at what happened at New Stanton. Our local government gave subsidies to Amazon which has spent millions trying to destroy unions and is known for its abuse of workers and destruction of the environment.
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Look at what is happening to our public schools. Millions of dollars are flowing into the state to try to convince our lawmakers to privatize public education. They have come up with one scheme after another. From scholarships and vouchers, which give taxpayer money to individual parents to pay for private or religious schools, to expanding charter schools which takes desperately needed funds away from our school districts to benefit private corporations.
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Look at what happened in 2016 when our lawmakers made it easier to privatize our water and sewer services. Those systems that privatized have significantly increased the cost to consumers.
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If your lawmaker is promoting a privatizing scheme for our essential public services will you continue to vote for him? What if they are promoting an anti-union, right-to-work (for less) plan? Do you support lawmakers that promote tax breaks and subsidies for companies who disregard our health and environment (fracking), abuse and underpay its workers and weasel out of paying their fair share of taxes? Don't let the rights of corporations and the super-rich overshadow those of We The People.
Joanne Garing
Dark Money
I had a hard time believing what I was reading in the Commonwealth Foundation's Trib article of 7/18, "Students Or Special Interest". The money that they accused the teacher unions of spending is chump change to the Foundation and their uber-wealthy contributors. Just recently they raised $10 million to defeat any legislator that doesn't vote for their voucher scheme. The Commonwealth Foundation wants to divert hundreds of millions of state money, your tax dollars, into vouchers for provate schools. It's a giveaway to their wealthy donors and the owners of those schools.
The Foundation is a 501(C) (4) dark money group that can receive unlimited money from corporations and the individuals such as billionaires Jeffrey Yass, Koch Enterprise, and the DeVos family. They are promoting a radical year-round, multi-million dollar pressure operation in Pennsylvania to promote their privatizing schemes. Talk about special interest! That is what the Commonwealth Foundation is all about. Promoting the special interest of its donors.
Education and unions are a big part of what made our country's great middle class. Tell Governor Shapiro and our lawmakers to support our public schools, unions and teachers.
Gloria Gralewski
Global Warming Sends Insurance Companies Packing
Global warming, primarily caused by burning fossil fuels, is becoming more difficult to deny. Record breaking temperatures, increased wildfires, coastal regions hard hit by hurricanes are becoming the norm. The insurance companies are pulling out of states like California and Florida due to the high cost of covering the destruction and the diminishing profits now lending to losses caused by climate and weather. If the insurance companies do not make sufficient profit, they get to walk away from the market. So much for the free market solving our economic situations. The for-profit insurance companies get to ignore the problem and leave it up to government (our tax dollars) to clean up the mess. And what a mess it is. The National Flood Insurance Program insures approximately 5 million policies and paid out in 2022 alone 3.9 billion dollars.
In the early 1900s there were less than 25 worldwide natural disasters yearly. Now the yearly count is more than 400. Climate fueled disasters cost the U.S. $165 billion in just 2022. Between 1980 and 2022 the U.S. has sustained 341 weather and climate disasters with a cumulative cost of over $2.475 trillion. Texas leads in the U.S. with $380 billion spent on weather events. Florida is second with $370 billion and Louisiana is third with $290 billion spent.
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So, snowbirds, forget about heading south anywhere from California to Florida. If you insist on going, you might consider living in a trailer. That way when extreme weather hits, you can move your home to a safer location to avoid losing everything.
Patricia Oliver
Cyber Schools
There are three bills dealing with public school funding that the Pennsylvania Senate must address. Contact Senator Kim Ward to let her know you support HB 1422, the Cyber Charter Reform Bill. In 2021-22 these schools pulled $1 billion away from our public school districts. Almost one half of that amount went for marketing and advertisement, such as sponsoring professional sports teams. That is how they are spending your tax dollars, your property tax. Forbes states that PA has long been a wild west for cyber charter schools with overfunding, poor graduation rates and poor oversight. The Senate must ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely for the stated purpose and not to make CEOs richer.
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Also, the General Assembly must release the money in Level Up funding to use for Pennsylvania's most underfunded school districts. If the Senators really want to help students in poor preforming schools, this is one way to do so.
In addition, the House must vote NO on the PASS Scholarship (Lifeline Scholarship Vouchers). We taxpayers cannot be expected to additionally fund private and religious schools. The Commonwealth Foundation has raised millions to defeat any legislator that doesn't vote for their voucher scheme. We must remain vigilant against "Big Money" that wants to use vouchers and school choice as a way to privatize education. Privatizing essential services always increases the cost and decreases the service.
And by the way, the $100 million dollars for Private School Vouchers could be used to bring the poor performing public schools up to standards.
Chris Baldonieri
Can Amazon Be A Good Neighbor?
When I read your Amazon article of 8/17 I had mixed feelings. New jobs for the area are always welcomed. On the other hand Amazon comes with baggage. Its anti-union stance is legendary. The workers in New York voted for a union over a year ago and Amazon is stalling and battling with legal actions. In 2022 Amazon spent $14.2 million in a nationwide campaign to destroy union organizing.
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Then there is their troubling history of worker abuse. Amazon has been fined multiple times for failing to provide a safe workplace. Their employees have a much higher rate of injury than other comparable work places.
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The Guardian reports that the communities around Amazon warehouses pay the price in pollution, noise and destruction of infrastructure.
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The biggest negative is financial. Forbes reports that the return on investment for Amazon subsidies is dismal. By their calculations, $1 million in subsidies created 23 jobs, or government spends over $43,000 for a single job. It would cost taxpayers less to just pay those workers a salary and not subsidies to a man and his company who are worth billions while paying little or no taxes.
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Amazon had been looking for a warehouse in southwest Pennsylvania for years. I am guessing that they might have moved to our area without subsidies and with a living wage for all employees. Our local government must do better for its citizens.
Sandy Kramer
Inflation and Stock Buybacks ......
According to U.S. Representative Katie Porter fully 54% of our current inflation is actually the result of corporate price-gouging of the American consumer. This corporate greed started in 1982 when the Reagan administration made stock buybacks legal, then Republican administrations allowed an unprecedented amount of corporate mergers resulting in virtual monopolies, and the last piece was the Trump corporate tax cuts allowing companies to keep a greater share of profits. This lack of competition enabled companies to raise prices and blame supply chain issues. Then companies like Chevron, ExonMobile, Shell, Pepsi Co., Coca-Cola, Kimberly-Clark, Kraft-Heinz, Tyson Foods, Nestle, Colgate-Palmolive and McDonalds used stock buybacks to funnel the profits to shareholders.
CEOs appear uninterested in lowering prices for the consumer, raising wages of their workers, or investing in their own corporation's future. Their primary concern is to make more money for themselves and their shareholders.
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There have been 27 anti-price gouging and anti-profiteering bills introduced in Congress since 2021. Corporations have lobbied hard against these bills, spending $820 million in one year. Corporate money and Republican obstruction have blocked these anti-price gouging bills from moving forward. However, these bills are wildly popular with the consumer (80%) who continue to feel the aqueeze on their pocketbooks.
Mike Garing
Lets Make America Prosperous Again ......
With FDR's progressive policies, strong unions, and investment in public education in the mid to late 1900's, the United States had the first world-class middle class. The 1950's, 60's, and 70's, were the Golden Age of middle-class America. People could buy homes for the first time and their children could go to college. Then came the 1980's with Reaganomics, trickle-down theory, and the concept that greed is good and government is the problem. These ideas resulted in the shrinking of the middle-class from 62% to 42% of the population. Today with the massive inequality, we have the ultra-wealthy attacking the very programs that created our once thriving middle class and the prosperity that came with it. Big Money continues to assault unions with right to work laws (which means right to work for less) while CEO's are outrageously compensated and industries are recording unheard of profits while benefiting from corporate welfare. They continue to oppose a living wage for all working Americans and this greed is putting an extra strain on an already struggling middle class. Big Money continues to assault progressive policies by stating that they want to shrink government and debt, when, in fact, our debt is caused by tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. Public education has suffered with the push to privatize education. The goal is more money and opportunity for the few at the expense of the many.
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Power, money, and accountability can be challenged by numbers and voters. If the American people would come together, for the greater good, we could reclaim our middle class and all the prosperity that comes with it. We could demand an end to the financialization of the economy and its obscene income and wealth inequality.
Katie Forsythe
Letter of the Week
Book Banning ......
The article, "Revisions to Hempfield Area book policies advance" (Trib, 7/11), states that the School District is banning pictures of female breasts. How perverse. I believe this book banning thing has gone too far. Are we going back to the Spanish Inquisition with banning books and burning women at the stake?
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Book banning is the most widespread form of censorship in the U.S.. It is promoted by Moms For Liberty, a successor to the John Birch Society, which was a conspiracy-obsessed political fringe group, which also tried book banning. Moms for Liberty is funded by far-right political groups and has been labeled an extremist organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
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Books help children develop empathy for others. They expand one's knowledge and understanding of our very complex and diverse world. Choosing age appropriate books should be left to the professionals. We need to show teachers our trust and respect their expertise. Having individual parents choose books leads to chaos and confusion. In this age of the internet, with all sort of information at our children's finger tips, banning books seems like an exercise in futility.
Sandy Kramer
Pennsylvanians Deserve A Living Wage ......
I disagree with Trib article of 7/2 on minimum wage. The author begins by stating, "The Law of Unintended Consequences" implying that unknown bad things will happen. But we know the consequences of raising the minimum wage from the myriad of recent examples. It will raise millions of low-paid workers out of poverty and at the same time stimulate the economy which adds jobs. Low paid workers tend to spend their pay. They do not bank it like the rich.
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The author states Pennsylvania does not need an increase in minimum wage because our cost of living is low. But in 2019 the reported living wage for a family of four in Pittsburgh was $36.69$ an hour. (livingwage.mit.edu) The median income in Pittsburgh in 2020 was $14.00 an hour according to Google. If both parents work at the median wage, they still make less than a living wage.
The official minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25 an hour, which has not increased since 2009. Meanwhile, the General Assembly in only 2 years has increased their wage by 14% to a salary of over six figures. I imagine they believe their salaries should keep up with inflation even if they have only been on the job for a year or two.​
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Gloria Gralewski
Trump's Treachery ......
I recently read an article ( Thom Hartmann's "How Much Damage Has the Trump-Putin Collusion Inflicted of America?"---The Progressive Populist---7/1-15/2023) that included the following--In 1977 Donald Trump married Ivana, who was raised as a good Czech communist, whose father was an informer for the spy outfit StB. for the Soviet Union, Trump became a person of interest. When Trump and Ivana visited Moscow in 1987, they were recruited or seduced by the KGB, who determined Trump was vulnerable to flattery and not much of a deep thinker. Then after multiple bankruptcies, U.S. banks would no longer loan Trump money, Russian money revived Trump's fortunes. Puzzling, during the 2016 presidential campaign Trump surrounded himself with people who do business with and are sympathetic to Russia. Paul Manafort stands out because he propped-up Putin's man in Ukraine before assisting Trump. There were 140 contacts and 38 known meetings between Russia and the Trump campaign. Then there was the damming Mueller Report, 34 individuals including those closest to Trump were indicted. Multiple times Trump fired or intimidated people in the Justice Department and attempted to prevent disclosure of information. Mueller stated that Trump could be indicted after leaving the presidency. There are credible assertions from American intelligence that when Trump was elected, members of Putin's inner circle were celebrating their victory. Troubling are the number of secret phone calls and meetings between Putin and Trump during his Presidency. The CIA admits to losing dozens of informants who were either captured, killed, or compromised. There are many books and articles detailing Trump's treachery.
Joanne Garing
Glacier V Teamsters ......
Supreme Court Justices are given lifetime appointments so that they will be immune to political influence. But the Federalist Society has created a quid pro quo system in which they receive lavish gifts from wealthy benefactors. This legalized bribery has resulted in the Court trashing our norms, customs, precedence, and the constitution to reach conclusions favored by their patrons.
The Judges' corruption is evident in their Glacier v Teamsters decision (6/15 Trib). At issue was not compensation for damages. The issue was venue. The strike is protected by the NLRA and as such must be adjudicated by the NLRB and not the state or federal courts. As is evident in many of these Court's recent decisions, the notions of jurisdiction, standing, or precedence are thrown out the window to reach a judgement favored by Big Money. Because of this ruling, unions will be hesitant to go on strike for fear of being bankrupt by a mountain of frivolous lawsuits.
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The author of this article also rails against the union's campaign contributions; however, fossil fuel and real estate industries, securities and investments, and healthcare and pharmaceuticals pour billions into political campaigns. This money is courtesy of profits derived from over-charging you, the consumer. You are paying for their actions, whether or not you agree with their positions.
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Congress needs to create some sort of body with oversight of the Supreme Court. They shouldn't be above the law simply because there is no other higher court.
Michael Garing
We Need To Join The Regional Gas Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) ......
I strongly disagree with Representative Eric Nelson's position on Regional Gas Greenhouse Initiative (RGGI) and the use of fossil fuels. Contrary to his article, (Trib, 5/31), the data on Pennsylvania joining RGGI shows a win for our economy, our health, and our environment. RGGI, a successful pioneering market-based program to cut climate altering carbon pollution from power plants, has, since its inception, decreased carbon emissions by more than 50%, raised nearly $6 billion to invest into local communities, and added 48,000 job-years in participating states.
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Pennsylvania ranked fourth nationally in greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. Our region accounts for nearly half of that pollution. According to the latest research between the Kleinman Center For Energy Policy at University of Pennsylvania and Resources for the Future, an independent non-profit research institution, found that if Pennsylvania were to adopt the RGGI the state could potentially reduce its electricity sector emissions to 84% below 2020 levels in 2030, generate additional revenue, and see minimal to no impact on electricity rates. For Pennsylvanians who can no longer deny the effects of climate change, it means reduced pollutants linked to asthma attacks and other respiratory diseases, developmental delays and cancer to name a few.
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Pennsylvania Constitution states: "The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment." The use of fossil fuel is incompatible with that right.
The majority of people in PA approve of being a part of RGGI.
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Americans for Prosperity, an organization that actively opposes clean energy and carbon legislation, funded by the fossil fuel barons, the Koch brothers, gives Rep. Nelson a 96% approval rating. Enough said.
Patricia Oliver
Thank You Joe ......
It is encouraging to pick up the Trib these days and see the reporting of the increase in economic activity in our region. From the removing of dangerous and dilapidated buildings, to the capping of abandoned oil and gas wells, to the rebuilding of our roads, bridges, dams and airports using Made in America materials and being built by American workers, President Biden''s initiatives are delivering for middle America. Finally, we have a President who is aggressively championing programs for Main Street and not Wall Street. From the development of New Kensington's manufacturing and Carnegie Mellon's establishment of an artificial intelligence institute, to production of ultium cells and Pittsburgh's designation as a Workforce Hub, our area's research and development is humming. Thank you Joe.
These projects are just some of the 277 Pennsylvania-specific plans in the works, including investing in clean water, removing lead pipes, increasing access to high-speed internet service and clean public transportation, upgrading our power grid, cleaning pollution with the increase in the Superfund, and bolstering our resilience to extreme weather.
But, we can do better. Vote for reasonable lawmakers who will cooperate with President Biden to advance the people's agenda and not simply be an agent for obstruction. There is more work to be done on tackling economic inequality, affordable health care, gun violence, the climate crisis, and corruption.
Christine Baldonieri
Banks and Regulations
When it comes to banks, "Regulation foes took aim at bank rules in 2018" (March 22, Trib), it appears we are in a vicious cycle. Due to mismanagement banks fail, the taxpaying middle class bails them out, Congress enacts regulations, over time the regulations get watered down, banks fail and the cycle repeats itself over and over.
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It is time for a change. Instead of calling the rules "regulations" call them "laws". When bad actors break the law, they can be criminally charged.
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Better yet, let's have a public state bank. North Dakota has successfully had a state-owned bank since 1919. Instead of engaging in risky behavior to increase profits for shareholders, that money could be invested into the community to meet the public needs. Money from Pennsylvania for Pennsylvania. Billions each year are paid in high interest rates by local governments to private banks which give local governments lower credit scores than private corporations, even though private corporations are more likely to default. A public bank is a way to finance state and local investment that doesn't go through Wall Street and doesn't leave the community and turn into a windfall for shareholders. It is about community development. It is about accountability to the public and not stockholders.
Sandy Kramer
The Danger Of Passivity And Indifference ......
Martin Niemoller, a Lutheran pastor in Nazi Germany, penned these words: "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out-because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out-because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out-because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak for me."
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It would be prudent to remember these words, especially today when people are fearful and alienated. Some are trying to bring down our democracy. Some are trying to divide us based on race, religion, or political affiliation. They are demonizing marginalized groups, banning books, promoting vigilantism, taking away our voting rights, our bodily autonomy, and our economic security.
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Martin's words remind us of the danger of passivity and indifference in the face of wrong doing. Our action or inaction will determine the future of our country. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"- Edmund Burke.
Katie Forsythe
Holding The Middle Class Hostage ......
The Republican temper tantrum is over, but not before they held the country hostage in the debt ceiling crisis, with their warped financial views. They love to stamp their feet and beat their chest when the government is using its resources to help 90% of us. They scream, too much debt, we can not take care of our citizens, we do not have the money.
But let the topic change to cutting taxes for the wealthy and the debt is no longer a concern. The Republicans are down with cutting taxes for big corporations and the super-wealthy. Just look at the trifecta tax cuts of Presidents Reagan, Bush, Trump. They have reduced our federal revenues by trillions of dollars and are primarily responsible for the increase in our national debt. The Republicans seem to be more concerned about working for their donor class than the middle class.
They are apparently unconcerned with our economic inequality. The Republicans continue to block President Biden's efforts to rescind the economically devastating Trump tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. They obstruct efforts to increase the minimum wage, something we know will stimulate the economy. They blocked efforts to give the IRS the resources to go after wealthy tax cheats. Over a third of our most profitable corporations have payed nothing in federal income tax as have Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, George Soros, Michael Bloomberg and Carl Icahn, etc..
We must insist on wage and tax reform.
Sandy Kramer
Elected Officials Should Be Held To The Same Standards ......
If the average person lies on an employment application, they can get fired. If they lie under oath, about their taxes, to the police, or on a mortgage application, it is a criminal offense; they can be fined and face jail time. Why do we hold our elected officials to a lesser standard? President Lyndon Johnson lied and over 58,000 American soldiers died in the Vietnam war. President Bush lied, and 4,000 to 5,000 American soldiers died in the Iraq war with many more wounded or suffering from PTSD. In both Vietnam and Iraq untold civilian lives were lost. Former President Trump lied about Covid. It is estimated that 40% of the over one million U.S. deaths could have been prevented if Trump had been honest.
Unlike the average person, none of these Presidents have been held accountable for their lies. These deceptions had enormous consequences, far greater than fudging a mortgage application. There should be consequences commensurate to the damage of their lies. If lies cause pain and suffering or death to others, there should be accountability. Political dishonesty has become so pervasive; it has reached epic proportions and is tearing our country apart. People do not know what or who to believe. They have become angry and are lashing out at one another.
We must insist that our government and public servants act honestly and with integrity. They must be accountable for willful duplicity that causes harm. If it is a crime for us to lie to the government, then the same should be true when the government lies to us.
Michael Garing
No FBI Criminality ......
The Trib's head-line "Counsel blasts Russia probe", 5/16/23, conveys Durham's opinion. A more informative head-line could have read "No FBI criminality", which states a fact and not a point of view.
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John Durham's investigation brought criminal charges against 3 people. Two cases were thrown out of court. The third person pleaded guilty to altering an e-mail concerning Carter Page who was already exonerated by the Mueller report. No FBI criminality was found. Compare Durham's result with those of Mueller, which included: 34 people and 3 companies indicted, convicted or pleaded guilty; Roger Stone, Trump's confidant, criminally guilty on 7 counts; Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign chairman, who previously worked for Putin's puppet in Ukraine, guilty on 8 counts; Michael Flynn, Trump's former National Security Advisor, pleaded guilty; Rick Gates, former Trump campaign aide, pleaded guilty; Michael Cohen, former Trump personal lawyer, pleaded guilty; George Papadopoulos, former Trump campaign advisor, pleaded guilty; etc. At the judiciary Committee Meeting, when asked if Trump could be charged with obstruction of justice after he left office, Mueller answered yes.
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There may have been mis-steps in the FBI's investigation but the facts remain unchanged. Former President Trump said the FBI scammed the American Public, but it seems Trump is the only one doing the scamming.
Joanne Garing
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Backing the Blue ......
A recent feature article regarding law enforcement line of duty deaths was truly disheartening and speaks to our culture of gun violence. Eight local officers who lost their lives while serving our communities were highlighted. Five of those eight officers were fatally shot while responding to domestic disputes. At least some of those deaths may have been preventable.
We talk big of "Backing the Blue", but to do so, we must support sensible gun safety laws. We need background checks to truly keep guns out of the hands of abusers. There must be restrictions on gun purchases and ownership. We need consistent application of laws regarding abusers. Law enforcement cannot continue to be out-armed and ambushed by those who have no business owning guns.
Except for years when Covid deaths outpaced gun deaths, in recent years, including 2022, the leading cause of death of our police officers has been due to guns, homicides first, but also suicides. To support our police, we must support adequate gun safety laws. The majority of Americans want stronger gun safety laws. If we truly want to Back the Blue, we must demand action from our lawmakers.
Lisa Messineo
Child Labor In America ......
It was depressing to read "States chip away at child labor laws, 4/23 Trib." This past century we fought hard for laws to protect workers against unfair labor practices and to protect our children against exploitation. Stories of our youth in sweat shops, mills and mines are still vivid. We thought that was all behind us. But now, the U.S. Department of Labor reports a 69% increase in the number of children employed illegally since 2018. Unfortunately the penalties for breaking child labor laws are minimal, a slap on the wrist. It is written off as the cost of doing business.
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The captains of industry consider even that too much. They have gotten some lawmakers to do their bidding in rolling back child labor protections. To read their justifications "valuable work experiences", "supplement their families incomes" is nauseating. They are abusing our most vulnerable so they can make more money, period. It is interesting, some lawmakers profess to being pro-life, wanting to outlaw abortion. Yet, these same lawmakers, when children are being killed by guns, they vote against gun safety laws. When the children are being exploited by unscrupulous businessmen, they vote to facilitate that abuse.
Gloria Gralewski
Moving Forward To Save Our Planet ......
I believe the Trib is doing a disservice to its readers when it publishes articles promoting the natural gas industry. We know all too well the devastation the industry causes to our health and environment. Yes, natural gas produces about half the carbon dioxide emissions than coal power when burned but the primary component of natural gas is methane, a potent greenhouse gas emitted throughout the development supply chain. To promote fossil fuel use when the window to save a livable planet is narrowing is shortsighted. Already we are seeing the "limits of adaptation" with rising sea levels, desertification, extreme heat, and for many, a lack of food and safe drinking water. The planet's temperature is increasing quickly and dangerously and creating an existential crisis. We need to be a leader in this effort because we are one of the biggest polluters. A massive mobilization, similar to that of WW11, is needed. Back then our country converted our industrial might to a wartime footing to combat fascism. Now we must mobilize that might to fight the climate crisis. The conversion to green energy must greatly accelerate. Generating electricity and transportation vehicles must rely on clean energy. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle should be the rallying cry. It is essential that America gains the cooperation of countries around the globe, especially the other major offenders such as China and India. We know how to do this. We worked with many countries including China on the Human Genome Project. This collaboration must work if we are to battle the climate crisis. Let's get this done.
Patricia Oliver
Meaning Of Socialism ......
It is baffling that some people feel they can hurl the word socialist at someone as a slur to insult and demean that person. In reality, we are all socialists as well as capitalists. The U.S. has a mixed economy. It works according to an economic system that features characteristics of both capitalism and socialism. Most advanced countries are a mixed economic system that protects some private property and allows a level of economic freedom in the use of capital, but also allows for governments to intervene in economic activities in order to achieve social aims and for the public good. At its core socialism is when a society does things for the common good.
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Capitalism and socialism can work well together. They prevent one another from becoming too extreme, too radical. Extreme socialism leads to concentration of power which leads to tyranny. Extreme capitalism leads to concentration of wealth which leads to tyranny.
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Taking up a collection in church to help a family whose house burned down is socialism. North Dakota's publicly-owned bank is socialism. Municipally owned sports stadiums, our military, postal service, police and fire departments, public schools and parks, public infrastructure, Social Security and Medicare, all are socialistic. We are all beneficiaries of a capitalist, socialist society.
Joanne Garing
It Can Happen Here ......
The Norfolk Southern train derailment at the border of Pennsylvania and Ohio brought national/world attention to a disaster that could happen in any community located along the railroad's path. In Westmoreland County that means Greensburg, Latrobe, West Newton, and Irwin could have exchanged places with East Palestine. The findings of the investigation will go on for years, but the catastrophic effects of this event on the people and the communities is evident.
We all adhere to regulations to make our lives safer; getting your vehicle inspected, obeying traffic signals, and adapting to changes in construction zones. Why is the public held accountable to regulations while corporations are allowed to sidestep them spending millions to lobbying to have regulations removed that protect citizens, communities, and personal property. Corporate greed and profits far outweigh concern for the result of their actions. The welfare of people and the community is secondary to the bottom line: how much money can we make.
The previous president, in 2017, allowed deregulations to take place. The people and communities of East Palestine and surrounding areas are suffering the consequences of a decision: profit over human safety.
Lobbyists serve the interest of their employer, not individuals when it comes to regulations that protect public safety. Lobbyists should have NO seat at the table debating what the government does to protect its citizens and communities. The government and elected officials need to put their priority on the people and do a better job of protecting their constituents instead of their wallet.
Katie Forsythe
Train Derailment In East Palestine ......
The disastrous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, has put a spotlight on the railroad industry. Their average profit margin since 2001 has steadily increased from 15% to 50% in 2019. The national average profit margin for U.S. industries is 9% but for railroads it is five times the average. This outrageous profit is adding to the high cost of goods that is hurting the already battered middle class.
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The CEOs of 5 major rail companies averaged more than $16 million in compensation, more than 162 times the median salary of railroad workers. In addition to unfair wages is unfair "precision scheduling", being on-call 90-95% of the time, which makes any quality of life impossible. Add to that, longer trains and fewer workers and the result is 3 train derailments every day. This brings into question the competency of the CEOs.
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So we have outrageous profits and executive compensation, on top of the staggering amount the industry spends on stock buybacks, dividends and lobbyist, and you begin to understand why the price of goods and services is crushing the middle class.
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Tell our government we demand a reversal of our massive economic inequality. They need to pass the Price Gouging Prevention Act, the 2% Wealth Tax Bill and approve President Biden's 25% tax on billionaires. We need a revision of the tax code and salary guidelines so that everyone pays and receives a fair share.
Gloria Gralewski
McGonigal Arrest Raises Questions ......
This nightmare just will not go away. We know that Oleg Deripaska was a key coordinator of Russia's foreign influence operation in the 2016 presidential campaign. We know he was associated with Paul Manafort, the ex-operative for Putin's puppet regime in Ukraine, ex-campaign adviser for President Trump, and ex-felon whom Trump pardoned and for whom he unwound seized assets.
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We know that Charles McGonigal, a former senior FBI counterintelligence officer in the New York office, was indicted in January on money laundering and corruption charges in connection with none other than Deripaska, Putin's go-to guy. We now know that Rudy Guiliani was very close to the FBI's New York office, which had a reputation for being pro-Trump.
This arrest of McGonigal makes it clear that we still do not know all of the facts surrounding our 2016 presidential campaign and that we are still vulnerable to Russian influence operations. We do not know why the Justice Department has not indicted Trump with obstruction of justice charges. Special Counsel Robert Mueller stated that after Trump left office he could face criminal charges as a private citizen.
Is Rep. Jim Jordan's investigation into the FBI an attempt to muddy the waters about the McGonigal case similar to then-Attorney General William Barr's attempt to muddy the water in the Mueller Investigation?
Dan Kramer
White Supremacists Terror Attacks......
The Center for Strategic and International Studies has reported that the incidence of domestic terrorism attacks are on the rise. These attacks come from the far right and the far left. The Center emphasized that the words right and left do not refer to the Republican or Democratic parties but rather indicate a small group of individuals on the extreme fringes. Violence in America has risen to alarmingly high levels, corroding our political processes, substituting force and fear for debate and compromise. Increasingly bellicose language from our national leaders, lawmakers, and television personnel create an atmosphere of grievances, resentment, fear and anger. The level of threats and intimidation to our public servants, election workers, nurses and doctors, teachers and librarians has reached new heights.
The Center indicated that between 1994 and 2020, we had 893 terrorist attacks and plots. 57% were perpetrated by extreme right-wing white supremacists. 2/3 of the terrorist attacks and plots in 2019 and over 90% of terrorist fatalities in 2021.
Our government must do more to deal with hate speech and acts, and law enforcement must have better tools to handle these corrosive situations.
Michael Garing
Sensible Gun Laws......
America has a gun problem. We are world leaders in both gun ownership and deaths. Statistics show 120 guns per 120 Americans. In the first 6 weeks of 2023, there were 71 mass shootings. We have become numb to media reports of the carnage that affects civilians and law enforcement alike. The police are often out armed.
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The surge of gun purchases during the pandemic did not make us safer. Studies show in homes with guns, the guns are more likely to be used against someone in the home, more often a woman, than for self defense. Guns are rarely used against intruders.
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We feel unsafe in our schools, churches, places of work, and communities. Then, cite the 2nd Amendment and the need to protect ourselves. We do not need to gut the 2nd Amendment to achieve change. The 2022 bipartisan Safer Communities Act is a start, but not enough. We need universal background checks, a truly national registry, consistent laws and enforcement regarding domestic abusers, more restrictions on gun modifications and tracking of ghost guns. We need reinstatement of the Assault Weapon Ban.
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The majority of Americans favor stricter gun laws. We need legislators to push forward bills to keep us safer, and to show us who back both us and the Blue.
Lisa Messineo
How Will You Vote......
One hundred percent of Republicans in Congress voted against prosecuting rich tax cheats, 100% of Republicans in Congress voted against cheaper insulin, 100% of Republicans in Congress voted against cheaper prescription drug prices; voted against cheaper gas, voted against the Voting Rights Act, voted against fighting climate change, voted against ending gerrymandering, voted against the stimulus checks, voted against Roe vs. Wade, and voted against the child tax credits. How will you vote the next time you go to the polls?
Sandy Kramer
Democracy and Protecting Public Education Go Hand In Hand......
The Trib's recent articles criticizing public education speaks to the ill conceived effort in Pennsylvania to privatize education. Under the guise of vouchers or parental choice the extreme right's elite class of billionaires want to corporatize one of the foundations of our middle class. They want more of our taxpayer dollars going into their pockets. Taking tax dollars away from public education to give to private entities will destroy our public education system. A system that is a great equalizer and played a big part in expanding our middle class. The current three generations of my family has prospered due to public education. Do not let the billionaire class destroy that opportunity for the next generation.
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Religious schools are part of private schools. Do you want your tax dollars subsidizing religious schools? Do you want your tax dollars subsidizing elite expansive private schools? There are problems in our public schools. Let's put our energies to work fixing areas what should be improved. But don't through the baby out with the bath water.
Joanne Garing
Gun Violence In America......
Ninety-nine percent of Republican lawmakers voted against banning assault weapons and 96% voted against common sense background checks before gun sales. Both of these safety measures are supported by the majority of Americans and would save countless lives.
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According to the Gun Violence Archive, there were 648 mass shootings in 2022. Despite this, GOP legislators blocked the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, which was designed to combat the growing threat of domestic violent extremist groups and individuals by ensuring that law enforcement had the resources needed to identify and prevent this type of violence.
As of February 6, there were 60 mass shootings reported this year that resulted in 92 deaths and 240 injuries. That doesn't include the over 1,200 gun deaths in this country so far in 2023.
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January 6 saw a domestic violent attack against the very institution that governs our free nation. Law enforcement personnel were injured and died as a result of the mob attack on the Capitol. Other instances of political violence include the attack on Paul Pelosi, the plot to kidnap the Michigan governor, and a Republican candidate paying men to shoot at Democratic lawmakers' homes. Even election workers, school board members, and librarians have had to endure harassment and death threats.
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The GOP has purposefully ignited violence for partisan political purposes. They normalize the use of violent rhetoric, which has become a dangerous and alarming hallmark of their messaging.
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When did the law and order party become the vigilante party that advocates vengeance and a blatant disregard for law and order?
Katie Forsythe
Balance of Wealth and Power......
It is noticeable that many of the Trib's opinion pieces are written by the Commonwealth Foundation and the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. I consider these two organizations to have extreme right-wing conservative and libertarian beliefs. To me their objectives are, no taxes no regulations and privatize everything. They worship at the alter of unfeathered free markets, the law of the jungle.
The Economist Robert Reich's approach is that there can be no "free Markets" without rules. He states, "Government doesn't intrude on the free Market. It creates and maintains a market that works for all of us." But today, "our economy is influenced by giant corporations, big banks, and wealthy individuals with enough resources to be heard. Their money buys lobbyist campaign contributions, and public relations campaigns. And so the notion of the "free market" becomes a kind of smokescreen used by the very rich to continue rigging a system they're already rigged to their benefit. The debate should not be about free markets vs. government interventions but about power and who wields it." It should be about how we the people should have a seat at the table. How we should benefit from the fruits of our labor and our economy. We the middle class need to speak out and demand our fair share. If Republicans and Democrats unite, we could take on the one percent.
Gloria Gralewski
Toxic Waste Site Should Not Be In OUR Backyard......
Residents of Western Pennsylvania Beware! We are at risk! MAX Environmental plans to build a new hazardous dump on the banks of the Sewickley Creek, a tributary of the Youghiogheny River, threatening drinking water for thousands. We have some of the worst air quality in the nation with MAX releasing the highest airborne lead pollution in Pennsylvania. For years, DEP has ignored our poor air quality. In 1948 in Donora, 20 people died, within 6 days another 50 were found dying, hundreds of citizens were left disabled from a mix of pollutants and a temperature inversion. For 50 years, toxic wastes have been dumped in Yukon. Max and its predecessor Mill Service have had hundreds of violations, spewing harmful chemicals into the air and water, threatening our health. This new MAX dump will be the ONLY hazardous dump in all of Pennsylvania. They will dump untreated wastes including arsenic, benzene, lead, chromium, and radioactive wastes. Why would the DEP consider allowing a known polluter to continue? Remind our County Commissioners that allowing this dumpsite to go forward in NOT acceptable! If they turn their backs on the voters in Westmoreland county, come this November we will vote them out. Commissioners and the DEP should say no to MAX!
Patricia Daly Oliver
Wealth In America......
From the results of this past November election, one can conclude that a stable democracy is important to the people of Pennsylvania. We do not want our legislature to be able to nullify our votes, or Republican lawmakers claiming the 2020 election was stolen, or Representatives going to court to oppose certifying a duly elected President, or lawmakers participating in an insurrection. We do not want a one-party autocracy.
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But here we are, two years after the 2020 election and our General Assembly is still tampering with our democracy. They are again going to court, this time to prevent voters from filling three vacant seats in heavily Democratic districts just so they can maintain their majority a little while longer. They are ok with voters not having representation just so they can stay in power.
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It is unfortunate they are not as interested in passing legislation that will help us, as they are with expanding their power. Most Republicans and Democrats want the same things from our lawmakers: a fair wage and taxation system, clean water and air, safe streets, good public schools, affordable healthcare, the freedom to choose our own religion. Our do-nothing legislature is MIA with our most important issues, while they are working overtime demolishing our two-party system.
Michael Garing
Wealth In America......
The top 1% of Americans own around 32.1% of the country's total wealth, the 90 to 99% own around 37.7% , the 50 to 90% own around 28%, and the bottom 50% own around 2.6% of the country's total wealth. We have not seen this level of inequality since the early 1900's and the robber barons of the Gilded Age. At that time, extreme inequality lead to the Great Depression which in turn lead to Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini. It is said "those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." We do not want to repeat that terrible time in history.
Tax cuts for big corporations and the wealthy has significantly eroded the middle class. The rich are getting richer and the rest of us are getting poorer. In 2020 the median wage increased by $26, but for those making over a million dollars, the increase was $300,000.
We must demand a fair taxation system from our government. Everyone and every corporation should pay their fair share of taxes no exceptions. Congress must undo the damage done by these tax cuts.
Julie Bojalad
Thank You Pennsylvania......
Thank you Pennsylvania. This past November you went to the polls and voted for democracy, for the rule of law, for action on the climate crisis, for bodily autonomy, for good paying union jobs, for the right to have clean air and water, for affordable healthcare, for quality public education, for living wage, for equitable taxation. And, you voted against fascism, vigilantism, privatization of essential public services and necessities, government restriction of religious freedom and reproductive freedom, no to gun violence, restrictions on voting, lies and conspiracies theories, and white nationalism.
You made a difference for our state, for our country. Thank You.
Sandy Kramer
This Is Not The First Time......
I have been listening to the podcast, "Ultra" by Rachel Maddow. It is frightening and at the same time reassuring. Reassuring in that our current political situation is not unique, we have been there before, and frightening in that our democracy can be so fragile. "Ultra" takes us back to the 1930's and 40's when American First Committee and Father Coughlin's inspired Christian Front reared their ugly heads. Thousands of Americans belonged to these organizations including many members of Congress. Some of them were on Hitler's payroll to spread Nazi propaganda.
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The similarities between then and now are jarring. Their White Christian Nationalist goal was a violent insurrection to overthrow the U.S. government and install a racist authoritarian state. They tried to delegitimize the 1940 election. They used fear, intimidation, and harassment to divide Americans along racial, religious and political lines. They attacked the Justice Department and the press.
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The Justice Department did bring members to trial on sedition charges. But powerful politicians quickly turned the trial into a circus and chaos ensued. The trial ended without charges being made. However, thanks to a diligent press the scandal did not die and the American public voted those congressmen who were involved out of office. Hopefully this time around the Justice Department will not cave and, no matter the politics, will bring those involved in the insurrection to justice. If not, we citizens will again vote them out.
Joanne Garing
Is This Who We Want To Be ?
The far-right often talks about the supremacy of freedom and liberty. America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. However, their actions have consequences that diminish the freedom of some. In Georgia vigilante supporters have targeted election workers with death threats and physical intimidation. In Texas, their abortion law permit citizens to sue anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion after 6 weeks. The law allows ordinary citizens to be deputized as bounty hunters. Vigilantism is replacing the rule of law. There has been an increase in death threats, spying, hate mail and bomb threats.
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There are 191 bills across 40 states seeking to limit classroom instruction on gender, sexual orientation, race and American history. In Florida, Palm Beach County schools were instructed to remove books that even implied the existence of systemic racism and sexism. In Florida, students can file lawsuits about their classmates. In New Hampshire, teachers can lose their license if they teach about race, sex, gender and other sensitive issues. Schools can be sued by anyone and informants receive a $500 bounty.
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Rather than the land of the free, this sounds like an authoritarian surveillance state. One reminiscent of Hitler's Germany or the communist government in East Germany where citizen informants reported on their families, friends and neighbors. Is this who we want to be?
Gloria Gralewski
Who Is To Blame?
The media was quick in blaming Donald Trump for the outcome of the recent election. However, the Republican party played a major role, along with the right-wing media and conspiracy followers, who elevated the past president to the status of "Prophet of the Republican Party."
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How many times over the last 6 years did the GOP and the right-wing media have the opportunity to speak out against his lies, misinformation, and self-serving platform? Many opportunities were present. For starters, there were two impeachment trials addressing his transgressions and the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen. The same lie the Republican candidates are now using in Arizona and not allowing the votes to be certified. Who can forget Trump inciting an insurrection? His loyal followers, on January 6th, attempted to destroy our seat of Democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. Then there was the theft of classified documents. These were all opportunities for the Grand Old Party to denounce his actions, but instead, they vilified others, made up excuses for what transpired, or remained silent.
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The GOP has emboldened Trump, and in doing so has given a platform to others like Ron DeSantis, Majorie Taylor Green, and Ron Johnson to openly spread fear and lies about LGBTQ, Jews and minorities. They propagate hate and violence with their white supremacist, anti-democratic talking points that incite people to lash out at any group they deem not worthy of their approval.
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This isn't on Trump. This is on the Republican Party who have allowed and even promoted this Neo-fascism movement to take root and threaten the very fiber of our democracy and our individual freedoms.
Katie Forsythe
President Biden's Accomplishments...
Even with the Senate split 50-50, President Biden's accomplishments in just two years are very impressive. His handling of COVID-19 saved countless lives. Medicare coverage improved. Childhood poverty levels were cut in half. The bipartisan PACT Act and Safer Communities Act, were passed. The CHIPS Act, which will strengthen American manufacturing and innovation was passed. We are already seeing the results of the Infrastructure Bill which was desperately needed here in PA. The American Rescue Plan Act passed with little Republican support. This Act's purpose was to support small business and rescue the American economy from the public health and economic crisis created by the previous administration. The Inflation Reduction Act passed with zero Republican support. It includes a 15% minimum tax on companies with over $1 billion in earnings, a 1% excise tax on stock buybacks, improvements in healthcare, and a lifeline to battle climate change. President Biden is increasing the decimated IRS employee pool so that they can reduce Big Money's tax evasion prevalent under President Trump.
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The media and Republicans label President Biden as senile and incompetent but the facts indicate he may be the most consequential President in 40 years. In contrast, President Trump's main accomplishments were a $2 trillion tax break for Big Money and a packed ultra-light Supreme Court hell-bent on reducing our rights and freedoms.
Patricia Daly Oliver
Unite Against the Real Enemy...
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I have protested at Donald Trump's and Doug Mastriano's rallies. It is always baffling when one of the participants looks at me and in their best authoritative angry voice shouts at me to "get a job." Now, with my gray hair, hunched shoulders, and wrinkled skin, I am obviously way past retirement age. But, those fact do not seem to matter to some Republicans. They see a Democrat and assume they are a free loader.
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The facts tell a different story. The blue states send more tax money to Washington than they receive back and the red states receive more tax money from Washington than they send. So, if anyone is a free loader it is the Republicans.
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Ron De Santis personifies this mentality. He rallied against New Jersey receiving government funds after a disaster but demands assistance when Florida has one. This attitude is a little hypocritical.
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Do not let them gaslight you. Democrats and Republicans share common needs and goals. We should unite against the real enemy, big money and big corporations. The wealthy are focused on a single objective, making more money. To that end, they do not want to pay their fair share of taxes. Taxes that we depend on for our safety and protection, our roads, a clean environment, and schools. They do not want regulations that interfere with their money making schemes. They want to privatize everything and anything to make more money. We need to stop demonizing one another and focus on the real enemy, the one percent.
Joanne Garing
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Enforceable Banking Regulations...
Recently I received notification from a credit card company that the interest on card balance will now be $28.99%. I find that amount shocking. How can we allow banks to charge that exorbitant level of interest on loans. In the past, if you paid more than 12 to 14% interest, you were dealing with loan sharks. Banks were not allowed to charge that outrageous amount. Now the banks are charging twice the interest the loan sharks charged.
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The income the banks make from this excessive interest is on top of the 2 to 3% income they make on every single credit card transaction. We consumers see an increase in purchase price because of the fees the banks charge and then we have usury level interest on top of the banks's already sizable profit.
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At one time banks paid out 4% interest on savings account. Today your savings account earns .1% to .2% . It feels as if we are being squeezed by banks both coming and going. It is time to demand our lawmakers place sufficient regulation in place to protect us from being gouged by big banks. Harrisburg and Washington should develop enforceable banking regulations.
Sandy Kramer
Republicans Assault On Democracy Continues
The other day I was watching footage of 1/6. The crowd was chanting U.S.A., leading one to believe they thought of themselves as patriots. However, what these supposed patriots were doing was violently and destructively trying to bring down our democracy, our government. Because they could not admit defeat, the Republicans and Donald Trump sought to nullify our votes and proclaim themselves the victors. 147 Republicans voted to overturn President Biden's election even after the riot. 8 of 9 Pennsylvania Representatives, John Joyce, Fred Keller, Mike Kelly, Daniel Meuser, Scott Perry, Guy Reschenthaler, Loyd Smucker, and Glenn Thompson voted for one party rule, voted for autocracy, They sought to illegitimately overturn our votes.
Even today, 345 current Republican candidates, 37 in Pennsylvania alone, are perpetuating the Big Lie. 60% of Americans have an election denier on the ballot, The radical far-right coalition seeks to put election deniers in charge of elections. If deniers succeed in controlling future elections they will interfere with non-partisan election administration and put our free, fair and secure elections at risk.
Vote as if our democracy is on the ballot, because it is.
Gloria Gralewski
Republicans Assault On Democracy
The Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers are gradually evolving into an anti-democratic Party. None of our Republican U.S. Congressman voted for the update of the Electoral Count Act, which would defend our voting rights and prevent a future January 6 style assault on our democracy. They are embracing Trump's Big Lie, passing laws to suppress the vote, and supporting takeovers of the machinery of elections. Eight out of nine Pennsylvania Republicans in the U.S. House opposed the certification of the 2020 election. They voted to nullify our votes, knowing there was no proof of fraud. But they just couldn't accept the will of the American people. One hundred and forty-seven Republican Representatives, in total, voted to throw out our votes. This is not how a functioning representative democracy works.
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The Republicans ignored democratic norms to pack the Supreme Court with justices who are willing to ignore the people and make rulings that further erode voting rights. They manufacture phony culture war issues, like CRT and the trans. panic, to distract and divide. They will lie, cheat, steal, to win at all costs. What the voters want is inconsequential. We must stand up to this assault on our democracy. Do not take our freedoms and liberty for granted.
Joanne Garing
The Supreme Court Versus the Constitution....
After this most recent term of the Supreme Court, civics textbooks all over this country will need editing. The judicial Branch is now in charge of legislation and amending the Constitution. They dismantled our separation of church and state. They ended reproductive freedom. They invalidated gun safety laws and made future restrictions difficult. They severely limited the governments regulatory powers to slow climate change and to protect our air, water, and soil from pollution. They did all this mostly on a partisan 6 to 3 vote, proving that they are not working for the American people and to uphold the Constitution, but for their own personal ideology. They are restricting our rights and freedoms to benefit Big Corporations and Big Money.
This Court wants to dismantle our government's regulating abilities, abolish our social safety net, and the progressive improvements that started with FDR's New Deal and ended with Nixon's EPA. Voting rights, consumer rights, labor and union rights, and human rights are all on the line. If the Court can not make it illegal, they will make it very difficult to exercise these rights, as they have done with reproductive and voting rights.
Joanne Garing
HB 1059 Pennsylvania Economic Development for a Growing Economy
(PA EDGE)
Biden's Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes more than $65 billion for clean energy transmission and infrastructure upgrades. 206 MAGATs in the House and 30 in the Senate voted against it.
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Build Back Better includes more than $400 billion in clean energy tax credits and investments in clean technology and manufacturing. 213 MAGATs in the House and 50 in the Senate voted against it.
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CHIPS and Science Act made a $52 billion investment in semi-conductor technology and manufacturing here. 187 MAGATs in the House and 33 in the Senate voted against it.
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So now our MAGAT legislature wants to take credit for programs based on Biden's legislative successes. PA EDGE would establish specific incentives applied to investments of at least $500 million that create a minimum of 1,200 jobs across an array of Pennsylvania industries including:
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U.S. Department of Energy-approved regional clean hydrogen hub.
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Natural gas-derived fertilizer production facilities.
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Biomedical and semiconductor manufacturing facilities that invest at least $200 million and create 800 jobs.
These are sound investments, but they are only made possible because of President Biden and House and Senate Democrats. We need to keep the drum beat going now through November 2024. Like John Fetterman we should be "alpha" liberals calling out the MAGATS in our state legislature for what they are- a festering mass of hate, ignorance and hypocrisy. ​
Michael Pardus
Say NO to Let Mom Die Laws ....
Let Mom Die laws have become the norm among Republican legislators. Under the leadership of Senator Ward, with the support of Representatives Nelson, Rossi, Silvis and others, our Republican-led legislature has set the stage where Pennsylvania could be next.
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Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano would institute a complete ban on abortion with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother.
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Mastriano would criminalize women who have abortions and doctors who perform them, even under circumstances where the mother will die or when the fetus is dead or non-viable.
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Bans envisioned by Mastriano and by state Republicans are fundamentally Let Mom Die laws. Doctors and hospitals struggle to understand how close to death must a woman be before they can perform a lifesaving abortion without going to jail.
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Wisconsin criminalizes any abortion after the point of fertilization. Doctors in Alabama, Kentucky and Florida face criminal penalties up to life in prison. Is Pennsylvania next?
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Maternal mortality will increase by more than 24%. But apparently that's OK with state Republicans.
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Your vote in November is more critical than ever.
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Say NO to Let Mom Die laws. Women's lives depend on it.
Michael Pardus
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Legislators Favor Donors Over Constituents ....
The majority of citizens support Pennsylvania joining RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) with the benefits of increase job growth and decrease pollution and carbon emission. However, our legislature with the backing of the fossil fuel industry has been blocking that effort. They have gone to court to stop us from joining RGGI. They would rather support their donors than their constituents.
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As with the fossil fuel industry, the utility industry is a powerful political force with massive political donations and lobbying efforts. The Senate passed the Water Quality Accountability Act and the bill is now in the House. Once again, our lawmakers are siding with donors over constituents. This bill makes it easier to privatize our water systems. The average bill for customers of private water companies is 59% higher than that of public utilities (1).
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If there is any one thing that demonstrates our lawmakers are working for their own interest and not ours, it is their position on wages. They recently gave themselves a 14% salary increase over a two year period. At the same time they refuse to raise our minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. A living wage is reported to be $25 an hour and rising due to inflation. Our lawmakers have forgotten that we are their employers, let's vote them out.
(1) The Nation, August 22, 2022, p26, Water Wars. Julie Bojalad
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Tax Breaks for employers....
Republican Joe Pittman's article, (Trib 8/14/22), "Can't have good jobs without employers", is typical Republican doublespeak and a race to the bottom. Tax give-a-ways to big corporations and failure to increase the minimum wage are what got us into the situation we are in today. Our middle-class wealth has been redistributed upward to a corrupt few, causing inequality to reach all-time highs. Trickle-down did not work in the last century and it won't work in this one.
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It does not need to be this way. Pennsylvania has many advantages, many resources. We do not have to offer out-of-state, multinational companies sweetheart deals to create jobs. Employers whose only interest in Pennsylvania is to extract our natural resources, take the profits out of state, and leave us with a mess to clean up. Instead, the state should nurture homegrown start-ups. We should look for companies who do not price gouge their customers, who pay their employees a living wage, who are good stewards of our community and environment, and who pay their fair share of taxes. We need companies that are good neighbors. Employers who aren't solely concerned with profits.
Mike Garing
Taking Care of the Middle Class....
On June ninth, The Republican Study Committee released its 2023 budget recommendations, titled "Blueprint To Save America". The Heritage Foundation and other radical right-wing groups are singing its praises with buzz words like, empower workers, balance the budget, and stop socialism. A closer look at their recommendations reveal their far-right anti-democratic, anti-middle class horror show agenda.
The GOP is all about cutting spending when that money helps middle America. But when taxpayer funds subsidize big corporations the GOP does not talk about reducing spending. They do not talk about the budget deficit caused by the Reagan, Bush, Trump tax cuts for the wealthy. Policies favoring big corporations and the wealthy are supported, those for the rest of America are not.
The Republican recommendations are anti-abortion, anti-gun safety, anti-voting rights, anti-democratic governance, anti-campaign finance reform, anti-tax policy reform, anti-science, and anti-healthcare reform.
Their aim is privatization in schools, postal service and where ever they think the wealthy few can make more money. They want to eliminate our social safety net programs, our involvement in the Paris Climate Agreement, and agencies that protect us, such as the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, and the National Labor Relations Board.
These recommendations are directly opposite to what the majority of Americans want. No wonder you hear little about the "Blueprint".
Sandy Kramer
Legalized Bribery....
One can only stare in disbelief at the Trib editorial on August 21, "Lawmaker's Raises." The audacity of our Pennsylvania legislators is breath-taking. At a time when many of us are struggling, our lawmakers give themselves a 14% raise in a 2 year period. But that is only the beginning. In addition to their six figure salary, they received an average of $51 million a year on per diems. To be reimbursed for these travel expenses, the lawmakers do not need to provide receipts. Then there is their generous benefit package and expenses for multiple satellite offices.
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As the Trib has reported, Pennsylvania has some of the most permissive campaign finance laws in the country. There are no limits on how much money donors can give candidates and no restrictions on how they spend that money. Also, there are no restrictions on gifts from lobbyists and others. We have legalized bribery in our General Assembly.
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It is no wonder that our legislature is dysfunctional. They are not working for their constituents. They will not increase our minimum wage, safeguard our air and water, support public school financing reform, secure our voting rights, renounce gerrymandering and stop interfering in elections. We deserve better. We should demand better. Let's fix Harrisburg and vote them out.
Joanne Garing
Double Standards for Accountability or Retribution....
The hypocrisy of the GOP is astonishing. They talked about Hillary Clinton's emails ad nauseam. Chants of "lock her up" are still echoed at rallies. The emails discussed innocuous matters already available in the public domain. In other words, the emails contained information that was classified, but the public knew of the information. For that the faithful followers of then candidate Trump wanted to "lock her up."
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Let's compare that to the deliberate action of an outgoing president when he knowingly removed classified, top secret, documents from the White House and puts them in an unsecured room in his private residence that is also a golf club. Why would one brazenly commit such a serious breach of national security? What would a private citizen have to gain by confiscating government classified intelligence?
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Many of these same Trump supporters are now chanting absolute outrage towards the FBI. The "law and order" party are accusing the FBI of tyranny, of abuse of power. The GOP party faithful seem to have two different standards when it comes to breaking the law. When a judge reviewed the overwhelming evidence leading to a search warrant to retrieve the documents in question, the chanters wanted to defund the FBI and do physical harm to agents, not hold the perpetrator of the crime accountable.
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It seems their take on law enforcement and protecting national security only needs to be enforced when it is supportive of their ideals, agenda, and proclaimed leader of the GOP.
Katie Forsythe
The Republican's Attempt to Change Our Constitution....
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is among the largest, most expensive legislative bodies in the country. At the same time, it is also one of the least effective in passing bills favored by its citizens.
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Now it wants to by-pass the democratic process altogether with amendments to the state constitution. They submit these amendments in low turnout, off-year elections with little discussion, review, or transparency. They know the public almost always votes yes for amendments and they word the amendments accordingly. This is an unethical legislative grab for power. They are seeking single party rule by eliminating the checks and balances among the branches, and that is not how democracies function. The General Assembly is using these constitutional amendments to circumvent the bill-writing and vetting processes of bipartisan cooperation, compromise, and collaboration. They want to by-pass the Executive and Judicial branches of government because they are occupied by democrats. The resulting laws can be extremely radical, not represent the will of the people, and demonstrate undemocratic governance.
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Do not let them succeed in this power grab. We want reproductive freedom, expansion of voting rights, separation and balance of governmental power, and no legislative meddling in our elections. Regulations may be undesirable to the lawmakers donor class but they are the safeguard of the middle class.
Sandy Kramer
The Republican Response....
After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, many in the Democratic Party called for "defunding the police." They believed cities could create non-violent solutions to social problems. This proposed solution was rejected by many cities.
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The Republican response was not to recognize the need to address the racial inequality. Announcing "we are the party of law and order" supported by "we support our police" yard signs does not address the issue. President Trump's disregard for the lives of the Capitol Police was superseded by his desire to remain in office, resulting in 140 police officers injured. Five gave their lives.
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Now, we are watching the theater of the absurd as some Republicans who supported or fear Trump are calling to defund the FBI. These Trump supporters take whatever side they feel they can to weaponize against Democrats and raise money for their coffers.
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Representative Cheney, a conservative Republican, tweeted, "I have been ashamed to hear members of my party attacking the integrity of the FBI agents involved with the recent Mar-a-Lago search. These are sickening comments that put the lives of patriotic public servants at risk."
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Many in the Republican Party are treating government as if it is a win-or-lose game. Government is not a game, but the people's business, where we either all win or we all lose.
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It has become clear that some government officials and politicians are not interested in serving the American people but only in expanding their money and power.
Is the solution to publicly finance all elected positions?
Patricia Oliver
Questions on North Huntingdon's waiver procedure....
I recently became aware of a practice by the North Huntingdon commissioners to entertain requests for waivers of building permit fees from nonprofit organizations ("North Huntingdon rejects Norwin request to waive permit fee," June 13, TRIBLIVE). Intrigued by this practice, I submitted a Right-to-Know request for waivers requested since 2018.
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On May 25, the Norwin School District requested to waive a building permit fee of $15,575 for the Hillcrest Intermediate District roof replacement. After some back and forth including unrelated discussion regarding a recent tax increase and the cost of school crossing guards, the application was still denied on July 20.
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The only other request made since 2019 was from Circleville Volunteer Fire Department for waivers of a zoning hearing board application fee, subdivision fee, land development fee, building permit fee and storm water line extension cost. Circleville VFD did not include a cost for the waivers. They claimed to provide social services at their building along with office space for businesses to expand. Their request was approved within only eight calendar days despite the lack of information provided.
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There appears to be different protocols used to evaluate waiver requests, and that it is a method to reward friendly organizations
and punish those with whom the commissioners have a gripe. I believe our tax dollars are being used to play political favorites, which is a shame when such a program, if properly administered, could benefit our community.
Diana Gray
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Abortion, the Constitution and Religion....
The Declaration of Independence states that our Government derives its power from the consent of the governed, and the Constitution secures for us the blessings of liberty, meaning we are free from despotic control. However, our Supreme Court feels the states have a right to barbarically order women to bear children. They feel the states can deny women their reproductive freedom. I disagree. Ultimately, our Constitution gives power to the people. It provides for our welfare and liberty. No State shall make or enforce any law that shall abridge that liberty.
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We the people have overwhelmingly decided that we want reproductive freedom. We do not want some religious bigots pushing their version of morality on us. Life begins at conception is a religious belief, not a fact. Some religions believe that life begins when the baby takes its first breath. We are not a theocracy. We are a pluralistic country with a lot of different beliefs. Our founders warned of the tyranny of religion. They were adamant in the belief of the separation of church and state in order to protect everyone's religious freedom. A fact our Supreme Court has forgotten.
Julia Bojalad
GOP aims to take away rights....
Our Republican-controlled state Legislature can't accomplish everything it wants through legitimate legislative processes.
Senate Bill 106 will allow Republicans to amend the state Constitution to attack your right to privacy and undermine state election laws.
The most egregious and far-reaching change proposed by SB 106 is a declaration that the Pennsylvania Constitution prohibits taxpayer-funded abortion or "any other right relating to abortion."
Taxpayer-funded abortions are already prohibited under state law. Eliminating the right to privacy for an abortion is another matter. It will allow Republicans to ban all abortions in Pennsylvania, potentially without exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother.
Constitutional amendments to state election law under SB 106 includes voter ID requirements, new election audit requirements and election of lieutenant governor.
Over the past four decades, the documented instances of election fraud in Pennsylvania are extremely small (less than 0.000002%). The facts are clear: Existing state laws have successfully protected the integrity of our elections.
The proposed changes to election laws through the state Constitution are a Republican solution in search of a problem.
Your vote this November is more important than ever. We must stop anti-democratic Republicans from taking away your rights.
Michael Pardus
Eradicating Our Personal Freedoms....
For the first time in our history, the Supreme Court is restricting our freedoms and rights rather than expanding them. A ban on abortions is a dystopian nightmare of state-enforced pregnancies. This abortion ban, while egregious, is just one of the latest in a series of Supreme Court decisions that undermine our freedoms. The Robert's Court has taken away our reproductive freedom with devastating consequences for women. Past decisions impacted our voting rights with Shelby County and Bush vs. Gore, our healthcare rights with NFIBNFIB vs. Sibelius, our consumer rights with AT&T Mobility vs. Concepcion, and our labor rights with Cedar Point Nursery vs. Hassid. The latest ruling against the EPA saying we don't have theright to clean air but corporations have the right to pollute. This is only a partial list of freedoms restricted by this radical court that is determined to destroy our democracy.
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The highest Court in our nation has lost all legitimacy. No longer do we have major decisions that are unanimous, but six-three decisions split along party lines. The judges are not neutral arbiters, but party partisans. We are supposedly a government of, by, and for the people. However, the Supreme Court decisions go against what the majority of Americans want and upholding the constitution they pledged to protect. The Court has lost all credibility. They are systematically dismantling our democracy.
Make sure your voice is heard by voting for a candidate in November that respects individual freedoms and reflects the desires of the people, not a particular minority or special-interest groups.
Katie Forsythe
The Truth About College Vouchers....
Representative Nelson's PA College Voucher Program, posted in the Trib on June 2, is ill conceived and ripe with omissions. It would take money away from Pennsylvania's public universities and give it to parents for any post secondary education or any other qualified education expenses. This program is ripe for fraud and abuse with little oversight or accountability. It will squeeze public education for private gain.
Republican Representative Nelson is a bit disingenuous when he states that tuition will be reduced. He knows if Pitt, Penn State and Temple lose their funding they will need to raise tuition. This will move in-state students in the wrong direction. In these times we need a better educated work force not a less prepared one. We should be enhancing public education not diminishing it. Voucher programs are a dagger in the heart of public education which has been a pillar of our economic growth. Do not let them destroy our public education for private gain. Ask your representative to vote no on HB2639.
Sandy Kramer
The Big Lie....
Since the 1970's, 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 persuade congress and the public that man-made climate change was 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.
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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 warning, soil erosion, farmers unable to grow their crops and extreme weather all around. And Big Oil is still lying to us.
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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
Record Profits....
In 2021, oil and gas companies made billions in record profits and decided to give that money to executives and shareholders rather than help consumers by stabilizing gas prices. Exxon Mobil announced $23 billion in earnings in 2021, its highest in 7 years. Plus, Exxon is expected to generate $41 billion of net income in 2022.
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Opportunistic price hikes and excess profits are also happening in other industries. Tyson Foods, the nation's biggest meat processor, posted quarter profits up 48% from a year earlier due to price increases. Home Depot profits up 38%, ADM food up 55%, McDonald's up 59%, Keurig Dr Pepper up 83%. Our beef cartel profits in 2021 were 300% higher than in the previous year. Based on pre-pandemic levels, top U.S. corporations are raising prices on us even as near profits surge by a medium of 49%. Companies are using those profits for stock buybacks, executive compensation and bumps in dividends instead of helping their consumers by holding down prices. 2021 was the most profitable year for corporations since 1950.
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Tell Washington you support Senators Whitehouse and Warren's windfall profit tax not only on oil and gas companies but on those companies gouging the American consumer. This is how the ultra rich get richer and everyone else gets poorer.
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Julie Bojalad
Accountability....
Senator Ward's leadership failure means you pay more for your medicine.
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Pennsylvanians face unaffordable prices for their drugs. Pharma's record profits in 2021, estimated at $120 billion, have grown twice as fast as other business sectors. It is long past time for our state legislators to act now on SB 579, which establishes a Pharmaceutical Transparency Review Board. This year alone, the price of 784 prescription drugs have already gone up. The Pharmaceutical Transparency Review Board created by SB 579 is an important way to highlight how much more Pennsylvanians are charged for their drugs.
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Legislators on both sides of the aisle have introduced legislation that would create such an entity that offers transparency, accountability, and oversight. But, State Senator Kim Ward has allowed SB 579 to remain "stuck" in committee.
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Conservative legislatures in Florida, Ohio, Nevada, Louisiana, and Texas have already passed similar legislation. Why hasn't Senator Ward taken similar steps to protect Pennsylvanians?
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Senator Ward must take action now to move SB 579 from committee. Her leadership failure requires an explanation, and an apology to all Pennsylvanians. It is now time for Senator Ward to protect her constituents and all Pennsylvanians from pharma profiteering
Michael Pardus
Clear and Present Danger....
Years ago, when Walter Cronkite presented the CBS news, you had a high degree of confidence that what you were watching was accurate. The reason for this was a little-known FCC policy called the Fairness Doctrine which stated that since the airwaves belong to the public, a certain percentage of their broadcasting time should be dedicated for public good, and also to "present controversial issues of public importance" in an "honest, equitable and balanced" manner. Hence, children's programming, public service announcements, and the nightly news. However, with the advent of cable television, Reagan's FCC cancelled the policy. Soon after that change, along came entertainment shows that were designed to sound and look like news but weren't, tabloid tv, Rush Limbaugh and political talk radio, cable news, primetime shows, etc. The people's confidence in the news was shattered. Now, we have alternative facts, well-crafted half-truths, unsubstantiated accusations of fake news, and addictive conspiracy theories. Everyone is having a hard time telling truth from fiction. I find this to be the most important issue facing us today. According to the historian Arnold Toynbee, who compared the rise and fall of several ancient civilizations in his ten volume A Study of History, societies start to fall when the people lose their ability to tell truth from fiction.
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In the Seth Rich trial, Fox News' Lawyers argued that nobody takes Tucker Carlson seriously (which was not the first time Fox has successfully argued in court it has no obligation whatsoever to tell the truth). If this is true, FTC should force Fox to label Carlson's show as entertainment instead of news. None of our freedoms including free speech are absolute. Freedom must be balance with morality and responsibility. This verity is epitomized in the saying: your freedom to swing your arm ends where my nose begins. Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. developed the standard of clear and present danger to evaluate whether speech is protected, giving the example of shouting "fire" in a crowded theatre as something that shouldn't be allowed. A witness in a trial is not allowed to use his freedom of speech to lie under oath. A grocery store is not allowed to use its freedom of speech to pass off rat meat as beef. And in these situations, nobody seems to be bothered that it is the government that gets to judge what the truth is.
Mike Garing
We Will Never Know Just How Many Lives Were Lost....
We will never know just how many American lives were unnecessarily lost to Covid-19. What was gained by not acknowledging or addressing the scientific data and early warnings? Who benefited from spreading misinformation about mask wearing, how the virus is spread, calling it a hoax or just saying it was just going to disappear? The initial lack of response to this catastrophic pandemic will be felt for generations. Children who lost their parents, parents who buried their children, not to mention the far-reaching emotional and physical lasting- in-print that will follow people for the rest of their lives.
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The fear, anger, and conspiracy theories that were instigated throughout the course of the pandemic (and continues to this day) gave fuel to the mistrust of what could have saved lives. What was gained to not lessen the loss of a million fellow Americans and how can you justify this? To the people who grieve the death of someone dear that might have been prevented had there been a plan at the onset of the pandemic, there is no justice.
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If you do not want to look at the human loss, then look at the economic loss. The pandemic has greatly depressed our ability to lift ourselves out of the hole Covid has put most Americans in. It has resulted in a lower work force, product shortages, inflation and price gouging. Again, who is benefitting from this?
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When history is written about this dark time on our nation, what will the take away be? How will the next generation deal with the consequences of how the pandemic was handled.
Katie Forsythe
Charter Schools....
George Will's article, "Crippling charter schools",Trib, 4/24/22, falsely states that "charter schools are the most accountable public schools." In fact charters make up 6% of public schools in Pennsylvania but account for about 25% of the lowest performing schools. They. have a large negative effect on the test scores of white students, and cyber charters have a larger consistent negative effect on all outcomes.
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In 2021 Pennsylvania spent $3 billion of taxpayer money on charters with little oversight. They have no elected school boards, no budget audit and few regulations. Charters receive generous funds from the school districts but have few of their costs. Charters are a shell game, they may be non-profit but they hire a for-profit management company to operate the school. They game the system. They pilfer money and students from cash strapped district schools.
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Pennsylvania's flawed and outdated charter school law is regarded as one of the worst in the nation. Governor Wolf has proposed a plan to save $400 million a year in the overpaying of charters. His plan would hold low-performing charters accountable and would increase their transparency. However, our state legislators again are refusing to cooperate and continue their obstruction.
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Before you vote, find out where the candidate stands on vouchers and charters. Don't let them use our tax dollars to privatize our children's education just to make some millionaire even more wealthy.
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Julia Garing