The strong economic recovery deserves more respect

The Post-Gazette on Wednesday applauded the economy's creation of 262,000 new jobs in February and wrote that the "job scene seems to be brightening" which "may signal that a definite, but fragile, recovery is under way" ("Job Surge: Last Month's Numbers Offer Hope," March 9). I would like to take that assertion a step further.

An economic recovery has been under way for many months. Unfortunately, as The Wall Street Journal noted, it has been the "Rodney Dangerfield" recovery. It can't get any respect. Had much of the public and Pittsburgh not been so enamored with presidential politics the last 12 months, they would have noticed the following positive indications that the recovery is not "fragile" but robust:

Over the last 12 months, nonfarm monthly payroll growth has exceeded 150,000 new jobs seven times, including 300,000-plus in the month before the election (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

The unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. In comparison, Germany's unemployment rate recently reached 12.6 percent.

GDP in 2004 grew 4.4 percent, after growing 3 percent in 2003 (Bureau of Economic Analysis).

The Dow Jones Industrials hit a three-year high recently (Wall Street Journal).

Inflation is low.

Interest rates remain at historic lows.

By all historical measures, the U.S. economy is strong.

JOHN GRIFFITH
Shadyside
Editor's note: The writer is a master of business administration student at the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University.

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Paltry returns

I am writing in response to the March 5 letter by Harold N. Carl ("Employers' Tax Cut?"). Mr. Carl is concerned that businesses could get a break under the Bush Social Security plan by not having to entirely match employee FICA contributions. I am not aware if this is true, but to focus on that aspect is to miss the point that matching FICA contributions are an added cost of doing business. This translates into less money for wages and salaries as well as for hiring more people, and it is a cost borne by everyone.

Working people should instead be outraged that the combined tax of 12.4 percent (6.2 percent from both employee and employer) earns a paltry return of less than 2 percent. Furthermore, we are informed that increased Social Security funding is necessary to maintain future benefits. FICA contributions, when included with other retirement savings options such as IRAs, 401(k) plans, etc., represent the largest single outlay of Americans' retirement savings. Few people are able to save an amount equal to what they and their employer pay in Social Security contributions. Yet, we are told not to depend on Social Security to sustain us in retirement.

Those who invest in IRAs and 401(k) plans would not tolerate Social Security's subpar investment performance in their own investment accounts over the long term. It is time to give people the choice of diverting funds to their own private accounts for the opportunity to enjoy a comfortable retirement.

FRANK DREIFUSS
Mt. Lebanon

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Not serving us

Our beloved U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum is at it again. The latest thing he is trying to screw the poor people over is the minimum wage.

Sen. Edward Kennedy wanted to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour, but Rick Santorum wanted the poor to have only up to $6.25 per hour, and he wanted to change the overtime rules to benefit the businesses and jam it to the workers more ("Santorum, Kennedy Duel Over Minimum Wage Hike," March 8).

Sen. Santorum, why can't you help the small fry instead of the big guy? Aren't you supposed to be working for Pennsylvania, not George W. Bush? When are you going to start?

In the Post-Gazette article, you stressed that changing to a two-week work period would be voluntary and would require signed consent of an employee. Come on, senator, all a company has to do to force compliance is to threaten an employee with termination if he or she doesn't sign the consent form. Don't you think that would occur?

To the voters of Pennsylvania: If you vote once in your life, vote in 2006 to get Santorum out of office. Sen. Casey sounds good, doesn't it?

JEFF BEARLEY
Overbrook

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'Starting Young'

Letter writer Linda P. McDougald is absolutely right when she says, "Education starts at birth, and the parents are the first and most important teachers" ("We Need to Start Working on the Achievement Gap at an Earlier Age," March 3). With the constant reminders of war and other human rights abuses going on in the world, education for "caring" is more important than ever to our future.

Parents and other family members are primarily responsible for creating not only an environment for school learning but also a caring environment during the critical first three years of a child's life. This is the period that cutting-edge research shows to be crucial to a child's healthy social and emotional development -- and which builds the foundation for intellectual and later school learning skills.

In 2001, Peace Links took Gandhi's message to heart: "If we are to have real peace in the world, we shall have to begin with the children." In partnership with the University of Pittsburgh's Family Foundations Early Head Start, and with major funding from Alcoa Foundation, we created "Starting Young -- Supporting Parents for Peaceful Lifestyles," a collection of activities specifically designed to help parents and other caregivers of very young children. Starting Young helps to fulfill the Peace Links mission to "... strive for a safer world for our children by ... educating children and families in conflict management skills" and is proving to be a valuable and much needed resource. The book is already in use locally in Early Head Start and public health programs and by other agencies serving parents of very young children. For more information about Peace Links programs, please contact us.

JANICE AUTH
Director, Peace Links
Downtown

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Citizens as police

Regarding "When State Police Aren't Really State Police" (March 10): While there may be concerns about a separately chartered group being called state police, there is no need for citizens to be excluded from the Pennsylvania State Police. State patrols in at least 10 states have auxiliary or reserve components, as well as hundreds of sheriff's offices and municipalities. Having a corps of trained volunteers under their control is a big asset to law enforcement agencies in these days of expanding missions (homeland security, ever-increasing traffic, etc.) and stretched resources.

BROOKE WEBSTER
President
Reserve Police Officers Association
Yonkers, N.Y.

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Active and accessible

I was surprised and concerned to read a March 10 letter suggesting that city Councilman Bill Peduto is inaccessible and uncooperative ("About Council Race" by Harlan Stone, who is running for Mr. Peduto's council seat). My experience has been the opposite. I have found Councilman Peduto's involvement, his willingness to listen to his constituents' needs, his approachability and his ability to make positive change commendable.

Bill Peduto has been active in Oakland. He has been to the Oakland Community Council and has been accessible to our organization throughout his term. I have found him to be active in various community and charity functions throughout the East End. He has volunteered his time with the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh and Leadership Pittsburgh. His tireless work with the Baum/Center Planning Initiative and his commitment to the Future of Oakland Plan have been invaluable to our community.

Far from being uninvolved, it no longer surprises me to find Bill Peduto involved anywhere he can make a difference. Personally, I'm impressed.

NATHAN HART
President
Oakland Community Council
Oakland

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Bankruptcy bill does nothing to curb abuses by credit card issuers

I am a 25-year-old, middle-class male who has been bombarded by the junk mail credit card company advertisements. I find it telling that while the new Republican bankruptcy legislation is aimed at reducing consumer abuse, it does nothing to reduce the abuse of credit card company tactics ("Bankruptcy Overhaul Gets Senate OK," March 11). Interest rates on credit cards average 12 percent, but how many consumers know that the "penalty rates" for late payments average 23 percent, not to mention the late fees that are also incurred?

Even sadder, few voters know that more than half of all personal bankruptcies in this country are caused by a medical emergency, not something one generally counts on when accepting a credit card. So we have to bear not only the extra costs of being uninsured or underinsured, but we also have to pay usurious rates on these health-care emergencies, which are not our fault.

Sounds to me like a lot of health care and credit card companies are getting rich.

CLIFTON WIGTIL
Canonsburg