Opinion : Another View

Gary Olson: Bangladesh deaths reveal high human cost of cheap apparel

Tue, 14 May 2013 22:18:00 GMT

The death toll from the April 24 collapsed garment factory building in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka has now exceeded 1,100, making it one of the worst manufacturing disasters in history. Young female seamstresses accounted for the overwhelming number of victims.

Robert J. Fisher: Balanced budget amendment, national sales tax can eliminate U.S. debt

Mon, 13 May 2013 21:29:37 GMT

During the past four years, Democrats and Republicans have been engaged in a seemingly endless and futile ideological battle over taxes, spending cuts and deficit reduction. Republicans relentlessly accuse the Obama administration of "kicking the can down the road." Hypothetical spending cuts were designed to take place over 10-year intervals. Sometimes, the Republicans claim, the cuts were merely reductions of proposed spending increases.

Mensch and Costa: Remove stigma of welfare from DPW

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:19:00 GMT

The term "welfare" is defined as the general well-being of an individual or group of individuals. However, when used in association with government services, the term has unfortunately developed a negative connotation.

Holly Wilde Edinger: Finance reform needed for Allentown and other urban school districts

Sat, 11 May 2013 18:20:33 GMT

Proposed changes in the Allentown School District are terrible! Honestly, as a parent of two kids at Muhlenberg Elementary School, I hear once a week how much they already miss gym, art or music. Here's the kicker: I was one of the board members who voted to cut those programs a few years ago. I voted to reduce the frequency of the electives in my own kids' school. It's not an easy thing to say to your kid (trust me).

Hans M. Wuerth: 'Where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people'

Fri, 10 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

When on Jan. 30, 1933, then-German President Hindenburg appointed Hitler as the country's chancellor, it changed German as well as world history. Twelve years later, Hitler ended his own life, but not before millions of victims had perished.

Kirk D. Raup: Commuter rail service viable option for Lehigh Valley

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:29:00 GMT

I actually agree with Bruce Davis' Your View that said high-speed rail is too costly and inappropriate for the Lehigh Valley. True, high-speed rail is most suited to longer distances with fewer stops, such as on Amtrak's northeast corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C.

Nation and Melone: Will Supreme Court end affirmative action for college admissions?

Tue, 07 May 2013 21:29:00 GMT

Americans embrace the ideal of equality. However, we have had a difficult time with the concept in practice.

Liberal anger only makes Ted Cruz stronger

Ramesh Ponnuru — Tue, 07 May 2013 17:02:00 GMT

Rude, entitled, arrogant and off-putting: That's how the conventionally wise in Washington are characterizing Ted Cruz, the conservative new senator from Texas. It's a better description of the critics themselves, who are inadvertently helping Cruz build his national fan base.

Lynn Prior: Buying local food supports area's farmers

Mon, 06 May 2013 21:52:49 GMT

Join our local food economy!

MacDowell and Minor: Obamacare, other factors result in high medical costs

Mon, 06 May 2013 10:04:00 GMT

In the rush to approve certain provisions in the Affordable Care Act and the subsequent excitement that surrounded the misconception that all Americans now will be covered by inexpensive health care insurance, one looming question has been lingering unanswered: How much will it cost?

Wally Ely: How a train saved Dorney Park during the Depression

Sat, 04 May 2013 19:14:16 GMT

When my current issue of the newsletter for members of the National Railway Historical Society arrived recently, I was thrilled to see new pictures of the railroad sensation of the 1930s — the Burlington Zephyr. One last train set of a gleaming stainless-steel engine and a string of equally shiny stainless-steel coaches remain operating and preserved by the Illinois Railroad Museum.

Eugene Davis: Many factors, not only gender, contribute to differences in salaries

Sat, 04 May 2013 01:00:56 GMT

Regarding the Your View, "Equal Pay Day points out women still get paid less than men," I have some comments that may help improve the understanding of observed pay differentials between men and women.

Robert E. Leiby: Penn State must work for the future, not the past

Thu, 02 May 2013 21:17:50 GMT

Growing up on one of Pennsylvania's 63,000 farms, I personally experienced the value of Penn State's agricultural programs at an early age. It's much more than milking cows and hatching chickens. From beekeeping technological innovations to research on chronic wasting disease in the Pennsylvania deer population, Penn State University's College of Agricultural Science affects us in ways most people take for granted.

Should Bethlehem evaluate its education priorities?

Wed, 01 May 2013 21:15:00 GMT

"Tonight, I propose working with the states to make high-quality preschool available to every child in America. Every dollar we invest in high-quality education can save more than seven dollars later on." This excerpt from President Obama's recent State of the Union address clearly establishes quality pre-K programs as a national priority.

Jaclyn Andrasek: Public service lesson learned in Bush White House

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:52:12 GMT

More than four years ago, the iron gates of the White House closed behind me for the last time. The bang of those gates meant that my time serving the American people in the George W. Bush administration had come to an end. After three years of witnessing history, working late nights, and writing thousands of emails, my privilege to serve had concluded.

Frank Snyder: Gov. Corbett's pension math doesn't add up

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:07:33 GMT

As secretary-treasurer of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, it is my responsibility to ensure our funding derived from paychecks of rank-and-file workers serves their best interests. By extension, I feel the same responsibility to hold public officials accountable for the money the commonwealth takes from workers' and taxpayers' paychecks to fund government. Gov. Corbett should too.

Rev. Bob Stevens: Are Allentown officials listening to concerns of city residents?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:11:00 GMT

Can we talk? Joan Rivers always used that line to introduce the next string of jokes. But what I want to talk about with you is no joking matter.

Jose Rosado: Too many athletes belong in the hall of shame

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:55:00 GMT

Unfortunately, many of us have had that difficult conversation with young children regarding their sports heroes and cheating. Usually at the end of the conversation, we remind them that winners never cheat and cheaters never win. We tell them this even though facts contradict what we want them to believe.

William H. Hubbard: How to transform LVIA into a regional transportation hub

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:26:46 GMT

Paul Carpenter 's column, "It's high-speed rail vs. highway and airport hell," got my attention because we both witnessed the final decline and fall of passenger rail service.

Dolich and Grabish: Immigration reform will 'help bring aspiring Americans out of the shadows'

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:24:01 GMT

Our very own Rep. Charlie Dent and Sen. Pat Toomey have returned to Washington, D.C., along with the rest of our nation's representatives and senators. As they prepare to take on the nation's business, we call upon them to prayerfully reflect on the fact that just immigration policy is not just sound politics but is one of the basic tenets of Judeo-Christian thought and practice.

Diane Wittry: WDIY public radio nurtures classical music in Lehigh Valley

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:34:42 GMT

We are so lucky to have a radio station like WDIY 88.1FM right here in the Lehigh Valley. It has long been committed to serving the Valley with quality classical music and interesting and diverse programming. Without public radio, our classical music landscape would be very different.

Donald P. Russo: Whatever happened to courtesy among drivers?

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:58:55 GMT

The name and photograph of Lee Kish of Fanwood, N.J., recently appeared on the front page of this newspaper. He is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty. According to information from police contained in news reports, last month Kish fired a gun at a motorist who blew her horn at him for driving too slowly on Interstate 78.

Kathleen G. Kane: Sen. Toomey should continue push for expanded background checks

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:20:23 GMT

The right to own firearms has been the subject of great debate in recent weeks. As attorney general, I swore an oath to defend the Constitution. What I did not swear to do, however, was sit silently in my office while classrooms of children are senselessly murdered. I never swore to defend a "right" that permits dangerous criminals or the mentally unstable to obtain a 100-round magazine that can be used to open fire on dozens of innocent moviegoers. The Constitution that I swore to defend is one that protects our families and allows children to feel safe at school, in the movies and in their neighborhoods.

Alice P. Gast: Observing Earth Day in era of entrepreneurship

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:05:00 GMT

Earth Day presents an opportunity each year for action and reflection on what we have been able to accomplish and what is still needed. Last year, Lehigh University launched its sustainability plan with faculty, staff and students working to create change on our campus and in the community. We believe that it is critical to work on sustainability in what we teach, what we research, and what we do.

Tom Foley: After Boston Marathon bombings, 'look for the helpers'

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:15:10 GMT

There's a picture on the front page of Tuesday's Boston Globe — in the background of the shot, someone is bent over an injured spectator, administering care. I looked closely at the picture and realized that "someone" was my brother Jack, the director of sports medicine at Lehigh University.