Senate committee is fulfilling its duty to hold Iraq hearings
I was surprised by the Post-Gazette's Feb. 5 editorial claiming that the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has gone "AWOL on Iraq" by not scheduling hearings on the subject.
The committee held a four-hour hearing Jan. 30, during which committee members questioned Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and U.N. Ambassador John Negroponte on the Iraqi crisis. Also, a highly publicized hearing featuring Secretary of State Colin Powell was held the day after the editorial appeared. The secretary appeared before our committee the day after making his presentation to the United Nations on Iraqi violations.
A third hearing on Iraq was scheduled for yesterday. All these hearings were publicly announced a week in advance. All these hearings also were highlighted at the committee's public organizational meeting Jan. 28. The first and second hearings have been carried live on C-SPAN and replayed numerous times. There was intense press interest in and attendance at these events.
Of the six principal committees in Congress that have jurisdiction over foreign matters -- the military, intelligence and foreign affairs committees in the House and Senate -- the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is the only committee to have held multiple hearings on Iraq.
In addition to holding the three hearings addressing Iraq, the committee also held a hearing Feb. 4 regarding the crisis in North Korea. On Feb. 5 it unanimously passed the Resolution of Ratification to the Moscow Treaty on strategic arms limitation and publicly discussed legislation that we are developing to address the global AIDS crisis.
Today, a hearing is scheduled on the situation in Afghanistan. In the first 12 business days since formal organization, the committee will have held seven public meetings, including five major hearings. It has passed a major treaty, moved closer to passing AIDS legislation, approved its budget and subcommittees and confirmed State Department promotion lists. I doubt that any committee in the Senate will have met more frequently or covered more ground during this period than the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Further hearings on these critical matters and others will be held throughout this month and in the months ahead. Your readers can be assured that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will fulfill its responsibility to the American public, and to world opinion, to exercise its responsibility to conduct exhaustive scrutiny of American foreign policy.
SEN. RICHARD G. LUGAR
Chairman
U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Washington, D.C.
Vehicle reality
Regarding Jack Brannan's Jan. 24 letter ("Reduce Oil Consumption"), I must say that the solutions he offers fail to take into account the realities of everyday life. Let's review them.
Eliminating automatic transmissions: This fails to take into account the numerous people who, because of arthritis or other joint problems, cannot drive a standard transmission without severe pain.
Making all sport utility vehicles, light trucks and vans subject to corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards: What about vans like the E-250 and E-350, which are bought almost exclusively for construction and typically haul more than 1,000 pounds of tools and materials? Such vehicles cannot be practically made much more efficient.
Reduce the maximum acceleration rate to 3 mph per second: This would translate into a 20-second 0-60 time. And you thought getting up to highway speed by the end of the on-ramp was hard now. Personally, I shudder to think about all the accidents this would cause when merging cars are unable to match the flow of traffic. There is almost no fuel saved by this; studies done in Germany by BMW have proved that acceleration at three-fourths throttle is most efficient because it minimizes the engine's pumping losses.
Re-establishing the 55 mph limit: Any fuel savings from this come at the cost of safety. The fact is that a significant portion of the population would drive faster than 55. Studies have shown that speed differentials increase accident rates.
Encourage people who commute alone to use mass transit: I suspect that the majority are in situations where mass transit is simply not an option. Because of this, I find the estimate of a 20 percent oil savings to be highly dubious.
The simplest way to decrease fuel consumption is to move to diesel engines. Modern diesel engines are as clean as or cleaner than gasoline engines, and offer a 50-75 percent improvement in miles per gallon. Diesel would offer a significant fuel savings without a change in lifestyle.
AARON C. MEYER
Oakland
From grief to action
I have heartfelt sympathy for the grief of the families and friends of the crew of the space shuttle Columbia. Seventeen years ago, after the Challenger disaster, I met with some of the engineers who built the shuttles. I can still remember their detailed description of how the vehicles were constructed. I think that somehow they also incorporated a little of themselves.
In respect to those who have gone before, a subscription to "Ad Astra," the magazine of the National Space Society, is maintained at Carnegie Mellon University's Hunt Library. Recent articles include shuttle maintenance funding issues.
I feel that we should support NASA as it uses the remaining three shuttles to complete the International Space Station, support efforts to build newer reusable vehicles that are safer and cheaper to fly, return to the moon and then go beyond.
BILL CRESS
Chippewa
Editor's note: The writer is a member of the National Space Society.
Branding needs a focus
In reading the Jan. 31 editorial "Branding Pittsburgh," I understand why the Post-Gazette thinks, as it said, "It might be wise to forgo a final defining statement" about Pittsburgh. However, this action would undermine an important goal of the Pittsburgh Regional Branding Initiative of establishing a new brand identity for the region.
This group is currently engaged in the process of developing a brand strategy for the region that will lead to "a final statement about Pittsburgh" and serve as the foundation for the new identity. For this process to be considered successful, the "final statement" -- or positioning statement -- that is developed has to be based on a single, differentiating idea. A brand that tries to stand for more than one thing stands for nothing.
If the group were simply to sharpen the five "themes," as the PG has suggested, the result would be nothing more than a collection of ideas without a focal point. Pittsburgh would not be able to speak with a common voice, regional groups would have nothing definitive to rally around and the target audiences would not be able to make a connection with the region. And our old image would, no doubt, continue to prevail.
Brand building requires focus, not on the "revealed wisdom" of the five themes, but ultimately on one theme -- one defining positioning idea that will help to eradicate current perceptions and serve as a catalyst for regional growth.
ROB REUTER
Hampton
Editor's note: The writer is owner and president of Signature Marketing, a company specializing in brand strategy and marketing communication.
Magnet success stories
Brian O'Neill's Jan. 23 column ("Still Looking for Black-and-White Answers on School Diversity") offered an interesting local perspective on the nationally important issue of racial quotas in education. The Pittsburgh magnet school program guarantees its students both racial diversity and a first-rate education. At many of the best schools, the quota system virtually guarantees admission to members of whichever racial group is the minority in the school's neighborhood. O'Neill notes this in the case of the North Side school his daughter will attend.
The same is true of East Hills International Studies Academy, an elementary school located in a predominantly black neighborhood in the city's East End. My third child now enjoys the privilege of classes taught by superb teachers (led by a wonderful principal, Richard Nicklos) who have spent long careers at that school. East Hills celebrates its 30th anniversary this year with a weekend-long festival incorporating its annual Spring Carnival and return visits by many happy and successful alumni.
We often hear of difficulties faced by our schools, and recently alleged evils of quota systems have been in the news. But the successes of the Pittsburgh magnet school system speak for themselves.
MICHAEL WIDOM
Squirrel Hill
A horse track will not draw young professionals
I'm writing in response to the proposal for a horse racing track on the hilltop along East Carson Street near the Glenwood Bridge ("Racetrack Developer Has N.Y. Partners," Feb. 6). As part of the so-called "creative class," I can tell you that this is precisely the kind of project that drives young people out of our area. This proposal is more indicative of an old-school, backward-thinking mentality than a forward-thinking, modern city that is interested in retaining young professional people.
I think the majority of young people would much rather see this land used for more constructive purposes, such as devoting it to parkland with mountain bike trails and hiking trails. The alternative of seeing the top of the mountain torn off, and a horse racing and gambling facility go up in its place, is not at all appealing.
And if we can't agree on a constructive use for the land, then I'd much rather it remain as it is, a nice-looking, tree-covered hillside preserving some semblance of nature in the big city.
STEVE MUTMANSKY
Ross
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