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Monday, February 05, 2001
Expanding the family leave act would burden small businesses
Your Jan. 22 editorial "Taking Their Leave" begs for a rebuttal, which I am happy to provide. You praise the Family and Medical Leave Act, which was signed into law by President Clinton eight years ago. The act provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for personal or family illness or to care for a newborn. The editorial goes on to encourage the following embellishments:
1) The act be expanded to included small businesses with less than 50 employees.
2) The one year of employment requirement before a person became eligible for the up-to-12 weeks of unpaid leave be waived or amended.
3). Incredibly, that this should become a paid entitlement.
We run a family-friendly business here. We do our best to accommodate situations that arise in any and every family, because we understand and empathize with our employees and the trials and tribulations that any person goes through in life. I believe most businesses, large or small, try to operate on the same philosophy, whether it's because of altruism or the market realities of trying to keep good people.
The last thing small businesses need is another mandated impediment to their growth and survival. Let's not forget that the eight years since the present law was enacted have been a time of unmatched prosperity. What happens in the down time, when we struggle with recession (as we may be entering now)? Why would small businesses make that borderline hire if they knew that new person could take leave, with little or no proven track record, and demand their job back 12 weeks later? In smaller companies, who is going to be burdened with the administration and paperwork of such an intrusion?
Most incredibly, who is going to pick up the tab for paid leave, undoubtedly mandated and enforced unilaterally by another government bureaucracy?
It took decades to right the ship from the folly of the welfare state, which did damage not only to the taxpayers but also to the recipients. Why would we want to go down a similar slippery slope again?
JAMES M. DRONEY JR.
Editor's note: The writer is a board member of SMC/Pennsylvania -- Small Business Council.
A new way
Mayor Tom Murphy says the problem is that when people elsewhere hear "Pittsburgh," they think of smoke. Yet how can a strategy of speculation (primarily in real estate) accomplish what a half century of smokeless skies hasn't? Changing the name would make more sense. The naming rights could even reduce the city's debt. "Gatesburgh" doesn't sound smoky and has a high-tech ring to it.
Or consider the problem of our region's loss of businesses to the neighboring state of Ohio. As we push our urban businesses to the hilly outer suburbs, the land not far across the state line is relatively flat. Making matters worse, we give it free advertising with the name of our biggest river. Why, if it weren't for the demolition, we'd have an easy remedy -- just change the river's name to Three Stadiums River!
As frustrated residents, a little levity is about the most we can expect from our leaders' follies (see our Web site at www.pandapage.org). The new stadiums are being built against a large public opposition, with the voiced speculation they will be the foundation for our region's revival, ignoring that much of the greatest rate of decline occurred during the teams' championship seasons.
The demolition of Three Rivers Stadium throws away a serviceable stadium which is worth more than the over $40 million still owed and its $5 million demolition cost. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's professional soccer team is without its own stadium and must play on a high school field in the South Hills. With all the talk of Pittsburgh being part of a global economy, what better way to have shown that the region is world class than to have had the world's most popular sport housed in its own home between two of America's most popular sports! Unfortunately, the owners must not have been big enough campaign contributors.
When the dust cloud settles, we would do well to remember it as a warning rather than entertainment, as a lesson that wasn't learned from the Farmers Bank Building demolition/Lazarus debacle Downtown.
DAVID TESSITOR
No parking on Second Ave.
I'm writing in response to Mayor Tom Murphy's comment about moving the city forward during his announcement speech to run for mayor again ("Murphy Comes Out Swinging in Mayoral Campaign," Jan. 30). Mayor Murphy should help the thousands of commuters on Second Avenue in Hazelwood move forward.
When the Glenwood Bridge reopened in October, Murphy ordered the police department not to ticket illegally parked vehicles. Most recently, he had the no parking/stopping signs covered with garbage bags. What about the extra commute time, the extra high-priced gasoline used and the extra carbon dioxide being expelled into the air caused by approximately 10 "illegally parked" vehicles?
The owners do have other options for parking. There is a street behind their houses, there is parking available across the street or on side streets. There are not many options for those who have to travel Second Avenue.
I'd like Mayor Murphy to allow us to move forward, not backward 20 or more years when parking was permitted on both sides of the street during rush hour. What would Oakland's traffic be like if we went backward to when there was parking on both sides of Fifth and Forbes Avenues?
ELAINE KESSLER
Bus fares not fair
So Port Authority bus fares are going up to $1.60 ("Port Authority to Boost Fares April 1," Jan. 27). What about people on low incomes? First of all, it's outrageous, especially if you're only going on a five-minute ride or even 10 minutes.
Second, it's unfair that we the public have to pay more for bad service and rotten attitudes the bus drivers deal out to the customers. If the Port Authority needs to raise funds, then cut the bus drivers' salaries.
Finally, with the raise in fare, I would expect to ride on a clean bus (clean inside) and have bus drivers who have better attitudes.
And let me add one more thing as a taxpaying citizen: If I have one complaint with the bus or bus driver, the Port Authority better handle it professionally, because I will be watching it like a hawk.
JAIME VERMEULEN
Unvarnished speech
U.S. Rep. Tom Delay's Jan. 28 Forum commentary ("Campaign Finance 'Reform': An Assault on the First Amendment") mentioned the word "speech" at least 19 times, but referred to spending sparingly. Is he serious? Does he really believe that restricting campaign spending will restrict free speech? It bothers me that this guy is in a leadership position in the House of Representatives.
Post-Gazette editors are the sly ones. Since you have been under attack for being too liberal, anti-conservative, anti-Bush, etc., you gave prominent space to the other point of view. You have proved your point.
JOHN MUSSO
The mother was a victim
The tragic death of 10-year-old Candace Newmaker last year is sad beyond belief ("The Death of a New Beginning," Jan. 28), especially for her mother. I think it is wrong to make Jeane Newmaker look like an irresponsible mother or to paint a picture of her taking part in a "bizarre" procedure. It appears that she was trying very hard to do the right thing.
Rebirthing is not way-out or bizarre or crazy, but has a respected place among alternative practitioners. As a therapist, I have used it on occasion, but only with adults. Its responsible use requires cognitive knowledge of the normal birth process and it requires consent after careful structure and boundary setting. None of these conditions appear to have been present in Candace's case
But her mother was not behaving irresponsibly to have tried to find an answer for her adopted child (who suffered from severe emotional problems). I'm sure Jeane Newmaker didn't know that a two-week intensive therapy session including a rebirthing exercise would not be the treatment recommended by a knowledgeable and responsible child therapist. That kind of child requires years of constancy and consistency and time for trust to build. Patience is what Candace needed, not a rushed coercion.
Anyone who has lost a child, perhaps as a result of a terrible mistaken choice, knows that Ms. Newmaker is definitely a victim.
PATRICIA PARSICK
The nation has withstood right-wing harassment of a productive president
So now the Republicans want the American people to respect the office of the president of the United States, after eight years of attempting to tear it apart. I have watched as the right has done everything in its power to destroy the office and the man who occupied it for the last eight years. Despite their best efforts, both have stood tall.
This country has seen unprecedented economic and technological growth under the guiding hand of the Clinton administration. The environment and social programs are in much better condition today than they were eight years ago, and this country's status among the world's elite is just as strong today as it was when Bill Clinton took the oath of office.
I consider myself a centrist, who was prepared to vote in the general election for John McCain, an intelligent, well-spoken leader and a true American hero, until his campaign was derailed by the conservative element of our political system, which realized early on that they would not be able to control him.
Our new president has already demonstrated he cannot be trusted to protect our rights as citizens of this great republic and that his personal agenda, and that of his handlers, will always come first. This country can prosper and continue to move ahead with George W. Bush in the White House, but I believe it will do so not because of his leadership, but because of the course that was set by President Clinton.
In the Jan. 25 Post-Gazette, letter writer Sharyan Borgen indicated that she wanted to cancel her subscription because of liberal leftist bias ("Why Couldn't the PG Stop Criticizing Bush for One Day?"), but decided against it because her husband would miss the comics. Fear not, Ms. Borgen, your husband will not miss the comics: They will now be on the front page with Mr. Bush in the lead role as the fool.
GARY P. LANDEFELD
President and CEO
Mt. Lebanon Office Equipment Co.
Banksville
Pittsburgh Area New Direction Alternative
McCandless
Baldwin Borough
Lawrenceville
Delmont
Swissvale
McCandless