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Opinion

Our opinion: Regular reassessment cycle makes sense

Our Opinion

Property reassessments will never be a popular idea in Pennsylvania, which is why we won’t be surprised if legislation in the state House and Senate don’t move forward quickly. But Democrats’ idea to require regular property reassessments is one that should, in our opinion, move forward even though it won’t be popular. State Reps. Emily Kinkead, D-Bellevue, and Jen Mazzocco, D-Mt. Lebanon, said recently they will introduce legislation in the state House of Representatives to require regular reassessments. Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Allegheny, has already introduced legislation ...

Our opinion: Teacher shortage is no joke

Our Opinion

There were times during talks to close Sheffield and Youngsville high schools that it felt the community didn’t believe Warren County School District administrators when they said there was a teacher shortage. Here we are, one year after the merger, struggling to find Spanish teachers. The Warren County School District is turning to online instruction and long-term substitutes to address a shortage of Spanish teachers at Eisenhower High School. Gary Weber, district superintendent, said the administration would have preferred to move a teacher between the schools if the schedules ...

Our opinion: Acknowledging U.S. worker contributions

Our Opinion

As this year's Labor Day observance approaches, America's workers, traditionally part of the "cement" that holds this country together, are concerned increasingly about what effects robots and Artificial Intelligence will have on their work lives - and lives in general — going forward. And, that worry is destined to continue, although "people in the know" remain certain that humans' important places in businesses and industries will continue - albeit, in many cases, in different capacities. For now, though, Jorgen Pedersen, CEO of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute, ...

Remember who builds U.S., what fuels their work

Local Commentaries

Labor Day is a celebration of the people who build America. They are the workers who wake before dawn, put on a hard hat and steel-toed boots, and head to a job site. They build the roads we drive on, the buildings where we work, the power plants that keep the lights on and the pipelines that deliver the energy that makes modern life possible. But workers need something to build. Right now, America has a tremendous opportunity to put both its resources and its workers to work. After years of delays and uncertainty surrounding critical infrastructure, the country is confronting ...

Readers' Speak

Letters To Editor

Tough Mideast lessons Dear Editor, Anti-Zionism. Don’t fall for the propaganda. Don’t fall for the threats. It does not mean anti-Semitism. Anti-Zionism does not mean you are anti-Jewish. It has taken years, but the propaganda machine has been extremely effective. And it is a difficult thought process to change. This is the message that has been drilled into our subconscious: Israel is our only ally in the Middle East. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. Anti-expansionism of the state of Israel into new territory means you do not support the right for the ...

Other Voices: Americans, Canadians are losers in escalating trade wars

Our Opinion

The 50 percent tariffs announced Monday by President Donald Trump on all cars, trucks, automotive parts and steel from Canada would crush manufacturers in the United States and raise prices in both countries. The silver lining is that Trump said these import taxes would not take effect until Jan. 1, leaving time for negotiators to disarm an economic land mine. A bilateral deal appeared close last week before talks broke down at the 11th hour. Neither Trump nor Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to look as if he’s succumbing to bullying from the other, so the escalation has ...