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This section covers editorials, letters to the editor, opinion columns, and faux press releases on politician web sites. Do not assume I agree with an editorial or other op-ed piece just because I don’t publish a critique. I also submit letters to the editor. There are limitations of that approach, however, and they include: Out of necessity, newspapers place a limit on letter size. For example, the Beaver County Times has a limit of 200 words. Most other newspapers have a similar limit. The problem with the limit is that thorough discussion of a topic is tough to do in 200 words or less, especially when trying to refute “drive-by” assertions. The letter-length limit is even tougher to deal with when you want to include excerpts of a piece for context so the reader knows exactly what you are talking about. There is no guarantee the newspaper will publish your letter. Newspapers occasionally edit significant content in your letter. Some newspapers limit the number of your letters they will publish in a given period of time. For example, I believe the Beaver County Times has a limit of 12 letters per year. I believe other papers have lower limits. The papers generally provide the letter title, and sometimes the title is misleading.
For calendar year 2012 critiques, please go to Pundits 2012. For calendar year 2011 critiques, please go to Pundits 2011. For calendar year 2010 critiques, please go to Pundits 2010. For calendar year 2009 critiques, please go to Pundits 2009. For calendar year 2008 critiques, please go to Pundits 2008. For calendar year 2007 critiques, please go to Pundits 2007. For calendar year 2006 critiques, please go to Pundits 2006. For calendar year 2005 critiques, please go to Pundits 2005. For calendar year 2004 critiques, please go to Pundits 2004. Editorials | As of mid-September 2011, the BCT quit writing its own editorials. It since restarted and now publishes a mix of in-house and outsourced editorials. | | | | | | News: Newspaper publishing more dangerous than petrochemical manufacturing | November 3, 2013 | | Gov. Corbett is out of touch | October 10, 2013 | | Legislature needs to change cyber school funding formula | September 29, 2013 | | Medicaid acceptance a pleasant surprise | September 22, 2013 | | PSSA: A limited education | September 15, 2013 | | Big Mac budgeting: A bare-bones approach for workers | July 21, 2013 | | Legal loophole led to lost chance for justice | July 17, 2013 | | News: What boom? Industry pundits claim thousands of jobs will be created, but numbers don’t quite add up | May 4, 2013 | | Blame the cowards, not just the NRA | April 19, 2013 | | News: Nuclear safety net: Scientists skeptical of industry compliance | April 6, 2013 | | News: JFK holds complex place in black history | February 23, 2013 | | News: Questions abound on Seitel seismic testing | February 19, 2013 | | Scouts should stop playing straight | January 30, 2013 | | Death to Prince Charming | January 25, 2013 | | A shaky ladder | January 13, 2013 | | News: Climate center: 2012 roasts to hottest year on record | January 8, 2013 | | | | | | | | Letters to the editor | Author | | Cuts to housing are hurting | Jeffrey Huber | October 13, 2013 | Tea Party dictates Republican Party | Betty Bowser | October 10, 2013 | Accurate tax figures are important | Harley Baden | October 8, 2013 | Shut down is an act of terrorism | Alfonso Saahir | October 8, 2013 | We have a right to a clean environment | Bob Schmetzer | October 4, 2013 | Medicaid acceptance a pleasant surprise? For whom? | Robin Cox | October 2, 2013 | Congress ready to take down the country | James Zedak | September 26, 2013 | Repeal the Sequester | Bruce Simmeth | September 17, 2013 | President doesn’t have the power | William Dickson | September 15, 2013 | Obituaries are not news items | Charles Smith | September 15, 2013 | If you don’t have anything nice to say … | Lynn Coleman | September 13, 2013 | Fear for loss of column | Don McClinton | September 13, 2013 | Urge Congress to pass immigration reform | Mary Pellegrino | September 12, 2013 | Move away from the oil and gas mentality | Randy Shaffer | September 12, 2013 | Respond to climate change | Dewitt Walton | September 12, 2013 | Bring back J.D. Prose’s column | John Mukanos | September 11, 2013 | Extend the message of Dr. King to animals | Lester Himber | August 29, 2013 | Cancelled column | Frank Bovalino | August 25, 2013 | Change in priorities necessary | Philip Dedig | August 4, 2013 | Under neighbor’s thumb | Jerry Miskulin | August 4, 2013 | Farm money should be spent wiser | Charles Hansen | August 1, 2013 | Deen not good role model | Lynn Coleman | July 26, 2013 | No such thing as states’ rights | Jerry Miskulin | July 11, 2013 | Fight for climate solutions | Randy Francisco | July 7, 2013 | Realistic gun control needed | Jason Bufalini | July 5, 2013 | Time for independence | Dave Ninehouser | July 5, 2013 | Stop dragging feet | Jan Carpenter | June 30, 2013 | NRA efforts support terror | Stephen Kislock | June 7, 2013 | Not time for corporate tax cut bill | Sharon Ward | May 22, 2013 | Special thanks | Dan Cogley | May 17, 2013 | Risk vs. reward | Bob Schmetzer | May 17, 2013 | Welcome to reality | Mark Hogan | May 15, 2013 | NRA Commandments? | Stephen Kislock | May 15, 2013 | Hire local workers | Geriann Ryback | May 15, 2013 | Think ahead | Lonzie Cox | April 14, 2013 | Rothfus has much to learn | Elizabeth Douglas | April 14, 2013 | Matzie shows strength of character | Robert Marshall | April 14, 2013 | We all deserve better | Jan Carpenter | April 7, 2013 | Republicans slowing economy | Dan Cogley | April 7, 2013 | Combined churches can do good | Lonzie Cox | April 5, 2013 | President earned respect | Lynn Coleman | April 3, 2013 | Blame Teapublicans | Thomas Finch | April 3, 2013 | Time to wake up | Frank Snyder | March 29, 2013 | States should determine gun laws | Philip Dedig | March 27, 2013 | Business, not government, creates jobs | Nick Kosanovich | March 17, 2013 | Education should be available to all | Angela Villar | March 15, 2013 | Missing the point | Stan Olash | March 3, 2013 | People should be priority | James Zedak | February 28, 2013 | Kane proven herself | Michael Cicconi | February 21, 2013 | What about female pope? | Oren Spiegler | February 21, 2013 | We can’t blame the president | Thomas Finch | February 20, 2013 | Use common sense | Lynn Coleman | February 8, 2013 | God doesn’t love guns | Dave Ninehouser | February 8, 2013 | Blacks still ignored | Lonzie Cox | February 7, 2013 | Fracking not green | Bob Schmetzer | February 6, 2013 | What do they want? | Dan Cogley | February 1, 2013 | Politicians to blame | Paul Frey | February 1, 2013 | Recycle cans, kick politicians | Edward Kuyweski | February 1, 2013 | Limit bullets | Robert Hacker | January 31 2013 | It’s your choice | Stephen Kislock | January 24, 2013 | Keep guns out of schools | Dan Cogley | January 24, 2013 | Different decisions | Lonzie Cox | January 20, 2013 | Armed guards in schools inhuman | Elizabeth Douglas | January 17, 2013 | Take the plate | Larry Mason | January 13, 2013 | Pennsylvania not proud | Dan Cogley | January 10, 2013 | Commissioners should protect Friendship Ridge | Rebecca Fischer | January 9, 2013 | Friendship Ridge needed | Lois Sestito | January 9, 2013 | NRA did itself disservice | Paul Underiner | January 6, 2013 | What oil boom? | Christina Sarson | January 4, 2013 | Time to work together | Kayla Turney | January 4, 2013 | The beginning of the end? | Alex Yawor | January 4, 2013 | | | | J. D. Prose | It was a good run, but this column’s over | August 18, 2013 | | Voter ID delayed is injustice (temporarily) denied | August 4, 2013 | | Hanger: Opponent’s favorite status is “nonsense” | July 28, 2013 | | Time and apathy send DemCRO to the grave | July 21, 2013 | | Corbett’s now a parody of a viable candidate (updated 7/16/13) | July 14, 2013 | | Metcalfe is now the official state embarrassment | June 29, 2013 | | One man’s ‘reform’ is another man’s humiliation | June 23, 2013 | | McClelland won’t mince words on Rothfus or anything else | June 9, 2013 | | White’s online antics are no laughing matter | June 2, 2013 | | Calling out the GOP on their shiny object obsession | May 18, 2013 | | Really? Segment of Democrats think Corbett is doing ‘excellent’ job | May 12, 2013 | | Time to dip our toes back into the gossip pool | May 5, 2013 | | Christiana says it’s time to expand the WATCH list | April 28, 2013 | | Heroism in Boston and Texas, but cowardice on Capitol Hill | April 21, 2013 | | Easter Bunny brought a bowl of column jambalaya | March 30, 2013 | | Gutless Congress lets NRA win another one | March 23, 2013 | | If Corbett has lost women, it’s all downhill from here | March 17, 2013 | | Corbett’s twisting logic to reject Medicaid expansion | March 10, 2013 | | Voting for anti-violence bill before voting against it | March 2, 2013 | | Corbett’s re-election chances on orange alert! | February 24, 2013 | | It’s always sunny in a Fox News studio -- and Germany | February 10, 2013 | | Corbett’s trying, but the hits keep coming | February 2, 2013 | | Losing GOP scheming to rig Electoral College vote | January 26, 2013 | | Rothfus’ Sandy relief votes aren’t a good start | January 20, 2013 | | NRA response steers it straight into irrelevancy | December 21, 2012 | | Time for talking is over, gun control now | December 16, 2012 | | White’s got no home on the Range | December 2, 2012 | | Here’s the least surprising endorsement ever | November 3, 2012 | | No buts about it, GOP goes medieval on rape | October 27, 2012 | | Romney’s lies don't work, but more Americans do | October 5, 2012 | | Good or bad, campaigns dance around the polls | September 29, 2012 | | 47 percent of readers won’t like this column | September 22, 2012 | | No doubt about it now, Mitt Romney has no shame | September 15, 2012 | | Fact checking a lie-free Democratic convention is easy | September 8, 2012 | | No hurricane, but Tampa’s buried by blizzard of lies | September 1, 2012 | | One man’s brush with GOP greatness | August 25, 2012 | | GOP’s bad week of bad press, bad polls and bad jokes | August 11, 2012 | | In politics, irony isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be | August 5, 2012 | | Maybe the GOP will go for UFO ID next | July 29, 2012 | | Save the chain emails for someone who cares | July 21, 2012 | | Berardelli steps up to lead when comments go too far | July 13, 2012 | | There’s nothing but (censored) everywhere we look | June 29, 2012 | | Shell cracks gas, Gov. cracks the bank, we crack wise | June 16, 2012 | | Report questions jobs, cost of cracker plant tax credit | June 12, 2012 | | It’s not winter, but APR skates free from jail | June 2, 2012 | | Even state legislators know ALEC’s bad news | May 19, 2012 | | Political Prose: The GOP’s week to remember come November | February 11, 2012 | | Critiques of 2011 Prose columns | | | Critiques of 2010 Prose columns | | | Critiques of 2009 Prose columns | | | Critiques of 2008 Prose columns | | | | | | | | | Gino Piroli | Critiques of 2011 Piroli columns | | | Critiques of 2010 Piroli columns | | | Critiques of 2009 Piroli columns (none in 2008) | | | Critiques of 2007 Piroli columns | | | Critiques of 2006 Piroli columns | | | Critiques of 2005 Piroli columns | | | Critiques of 2004 Piroli columns | | | | | |
Brownfields, Cleanups and Anti-Union Cranks | Beaver County Reds | December 27, 2013 | In rural Kentucky, health-care debate takes back seat as the long-uninsured line up | Beaver County Reds | December 4, 2013 | Pope Francis rips capitalism and trickle-down economics | Beaver County Reds | November 27, 2013 | How Billionaire Businesses Expect the Public to Subsidize Their Low Wages and Opposition to Unions | Beaver County Reds | October 27, 2013 | Misdeal: Setting up the Next Showdown for January | Beaver County Reds | October 15, 2013 | Beaver County Reds Treasurer Supports Repeal of Income Tax, Medicare | Beaver County Reds | September 24, 2013 | Factory Workers in 1910 | Beaver County Reds | September 6, 2013 | New look to editorial page | Shane Fitzgerald | August 18, 2013 | Progressive Democrats Protest ALEC in Chicago | Beaver County Reds | August 9, 2013 | Why We Are Marching on Washington August 24th | Beaver County Reds | August 8, 2013 | Aug 24 March Gathering New Energy: Help Us With The Buses! | Beaver County Reds | July 24, 2013 | Unions Demand Democrats Fix Affordable Care Act [Obamacare] | Beaver County Reds | July 17, 2013 | Rep. Jesse White (D-46), Ashley Jackson, and I | Robin Cox | June 9, 2013 | Central Labor Councils Pass “Resolution for Action in Defense of Social Security and Medicare” | Beaver County Reds | June 4, 2013 | Hidden Costs of Crumbling Infrastructure … - Bridges, not Drones! | Beaver County Reds | May 24, 2013 | Global carbon dioxide in atmosphere passes milestone level | Beaver County Reds | May 10, 2013 | Nearly 500 Celebrate May Day in Pittsburgh with a Colorful and Festive March and Rallies | Beaver County Reds | May 5, 2013 | When Will We Find a Member of Congress to Speak for Our Progressive Majority? | Beaver County Reds | April 27, 2013 | AFL-CIO Pres. Trumka Condemns Obama Budget | Beaver County Reds | April 11, 2013 | Sen. Elizabeth Warren Opposes Cut to Social Security | Beaver County Reds | April 10, 2013 | GOP Worships the ‘Hand,’ Disrespects Those Who Work With Them | Beaver County Reds | March 4, 2013 | Op-Ed: Decisions Are Made By Those Who Show Up on Election Day | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | October 31, 2012 | Second Obama-Romney Debate Analysis | Beaver County Reds | October 16, 2012 | So You Want to Create Jobs? ... | Beaver County Reds | October 16, 2012 | The 7 Biggest Economic Lies | Beaver County Reds | October 15, 2012 | FDR’s Timeless Warning | Beaver County Reds | October 13, 2012 | Headline: Anti-Semitic, Warmongering Progressive Democrats of America – PA 12th CD and Beaver County Peace Links support an anti-Semitic warmonger in Virginia race | Beaver County Reds | October 12, 2012 | Op-Ed: Ten Random PA Policy Points | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | September 4, 2012 | Coal miners and the Obama administration | Beaver County Reds | August 28, 2012 | Banksters Turn against Obama | Beaver County Reds | August 9, 2012 | Investigation Shows Rep Jim Christiana’s Ties To School Choice Groups Could Top $170,000 | John Paul Vranesevich | July 30, 2012 | ‘We’re Fired Up!’ – Protestors in Harrisburg Vow to Defeat GOP Voter Suppression Law | Beaver County Reds | July 27, 2012 | Eye Chart for GOP Apologists | Progressives for Obama | July 23, 2012 | End Student Debt! | Beaver County Reds | May 3, 2012 | Chesapeake Energy CEO bankrolled Corbett starting in ’04 | Beaver County Reds | May 3, 2012 | “DID YOU KNOW?” | Beaver County Reds | April 25, 2012 | Obama’s Mortgage Fraud Unit is a Fraud on the American Public | Beaver County Reds | April 18, 2012 | Democrats Must Fight for the 99% to Win in 2012 | Beaver County Reds | April 18, 2012 | Foreign National to Kick Off Labor Effort for Critz in PA 12th CD | Beaver County Reds | April 13, 2012 | April 4 Vigil Vows to Fight GOP Efforts to Deny Voting Rights | Beaver County Reds | April 7, 2012 | Comments about student loans | Beaver County Reds | April 3, 2012 | Misc comments about protests and Rockefeller Republicans | Beaver County Reds | April 1, 2012 | Area Municipalities Sue State to Overturn Zoning Gift to Gas Drillers | Beaver County Reds | March 30, 2012 | Do Facts Even Matter Anymore? | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | March 28, 2012 | Tragedies, Crimes and Trayvon Martin | Beaver County Reds | March 24, 2012 | Op-Ed: Turning Good Ideas into Good Legislation for PA | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | March 20, 2012 | Elder Vogel Was “99% Against” Voter Restriction but Votes Yes! | Beaver County Reds | March 8, 2012 | What The “Robo-Signing” Mortgage Settlement Means For PA | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | March 6, 2012 | Democrats Will Choose Nominee for US Congress from New 12th District | Beaver County Reds | February 20, 2012 | Op-Ed: When will Congress Start Earning their Pay? | Jack Manning | February 14, 2012 | Editorial: The Political Who Are | Beaver Countian | February 8, 2012 | Voting Rights Protest vs. GOP in Rochester, Saturday, Jan. 28 | Beaver County Reds | January 26, 2012 | We’re All in the Same Boat? | Beaver County Reds | January 25, 2012 | ‘Right-to-Work’ and the Jim Crow Legacy That Affronts King’s Memory | Beaver County Reds | January 16, 2012 | Occupy: Resurrecting Rev. King’s Final Dream | Beaver County Reds | January 16, 2012 | Democratic Officials Line Up To Endorse Altmire | Beaver Countian | January 10, 2012 | Op-Ed: New Teen Driving Laws Now in Effect | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | January 10, 2012 | Jobs and FDR’s ‘Economic Bill of Rights’ | Beaver County Peace Links | December 23, 2011 | Tale of Two Cities: GOP Tries to Convert America’s ‘Bedford Falls’ Into ‘Pottersville’ | Beaver County Reds | December 27, 2011 | Op-Ed: Look Out for the Undertow | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | December 26, 2011 | Op-Ed: Redistricting – A Change Is Gonna Come | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | December 13, 2011 | Is Black Friday Really Just “Occupy Wal-Mart?” | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | December 1, 2011 | Do They Really Want ‘Specific Demands’ from the Occupiers? | Beaver County Reds | November 29, 2011 | Labor [Union Management] & ‘Occupy Pittsburgh’ Join Together in Nationwide ‘Bridge’ Actions | Beaver County Reds | November 24, 2011 | Op-Ed: This isn’t “the right way” on Marcellus Shale | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | November 20, 2011 | Banksters: You Made the Mess? Pay Up! | Beaver County Reds | November 14, 2011 | Democracy for America | Beaver County Reds | November 11, 2011 | Young People and Poor People: Unite or Lose | Beaver County Reds | November 8, 2011 | Editorial: Time Spent With Tony Amadio and Joe Spanik | John Paul | November 6, 2011 | Op-Ed: Highmark vs. UPMC Is A Tough Pill To Swallow | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | October 25, 2011 | House Bill No. 1077: A Bill To Legally Intimidate Women | My Ordinary Life | October 11, 2011 | Op-Ed: Cliffs Notes Aren’t Good Enough for Marcellus Policy | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | October 11, 2011 | Monday Musings Volume 8 | Beaver Countian | October 3, 2011 | Altmire Votes to Hold Emergency Aid Hostage | Beaver County Reds | September 23, 2011 | Tax Credit Could Help Give Abandoned Pets a New Home | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | September 23, 2011 | Political Battle Chess is a Bad Idea for Pennsylvania | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | September 21, 2011 | Bush And Cheney Remind Us How We Got Into This Mess | NationofChange | September 4, 2011 | U.S. Awash in Oil and Lies, Report Charges | NationofChange | September 3, 2011 | Big Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | August 31, 2011 | Op-Ed: Who Exactly Are They Pledging Allegiance To? | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | August 9, 2011 | Op-Ed: 10 Reasons Why I Voted NO On The State Budget | State Rep. Jesse White (D-46) | July 19, 2011 | Tell Rep. Altmire Hands Off Social Security & Medicare Noon Wed. July 20th | Beaver County Reds | July 17, 2011 | Shocking Electric Cost to Produce Fuel Dooms Todays [sic] Cars | TheEV.biz | July 3, 2011 | The People’s Budget: Quick Summary of a Good Plan | Beaver County Reds | April 25, 2011 | THERE IS NO DEFICIT!!! | Beaver County Reds | April 18, 2011 | ‘We Are One—And Ready to Fight Back!’ | Beaver County Reds | April 6, 2011 | Fighting for Our Future & Honoring Martin Luther King With Solidarity | Beaver County Reds | April 6, 2011 | USW Pres. Gerard Message to “We Are One” Rallies | Beaver County Reds | April 4, 2011 | Worker Solidarity – ‘We Have an Enemy, and It Must Be Named: Finance Capital’ | Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism | February 27, 2011 | Green Jobs: Frustration with Neoliberals over ‘Industrial Policy’ | Beaver County Reds | February 14, 2011 | Fox: The Twisted Source of News ... | Beaver County Reds | February 12, 2011 | Report Back: Huge Rally in DC for Jobs, Justice, Education and Peace | Beaver County Reds | October 7, 2010 | Never too young to sail solo | Marsha Keefer - Beaver County Times | September 5, 2010 | Top 5 Social Security Myths | Beaver County Reds | August 8, 2010 | Altmire Blows Smoke to Hide His Plan to Steal Social Security | Beaver County Reds | August 3, 2010 | Beaver County Blue BS | Beaver County Reds | July 15, 2010 | The Story of America’s Haiti | Beaver County Reds | January 18, 2010 |
© 2004-2014 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved. | |