Harrisburg should solve problems, not create them

The proposed inclusion of "In God We Trust" in the commonwealth's schools is a religious abomination ("In Legislature We Mistrust," April 8 Tony Norman column). Religious leaders' push to reinsert God into public education has been consistently rebuked by what semblance of separation of church and state remains.

The U.S. Supreme Court claims that "ceremonial deism" (the concept that just a little God isn't actually religion) is permissible and that a national motto of "In God We Trust" is fine. Pennsylvania legislators need to pull their heads out of the sand and see that there are bigger problems than atheism they should be dealing with and that morality can come with all beliefs or non-beliefs.

Before "godless communism" scared the American public into accepting a religious national motto, we had the wonderful "E Pluribus Unum" to represent our country's mission without pandering to sectarians.

The fact is, Pennsylvania's constitution itself proclaims the monotheistic religious goals of the commonwealth, both in its preamble and giving religious freedom to worship "Almighty God" -- just the one. To expect that Harrisburg would respect rights of minority religions and atheists is obviously asking too much of them. Of course in today's society, it's practically impossible for atheists to be elected to represent us.

ADAM GREENBERG
Regent Square

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Why not go Greek?

State Rep. Bob Bastian's ill-conceived proposal to place "In God We Trust" in classrooms ("Law Would Put 'In God We Trust' in Schools," April 7) is an attempt to insert superficial religiosity in public schools, and it is an affront to the First Amendment's separation of church and state.

The rationale of the state Capitol's 26,000-ton dome being modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is laughable. Someone could point out that the Lincoln Memorial's colonnade of Doric columns is modeled after the ancient Greek Parthenon in Athens. Then Rep. Bastian's logic could be used to advocate posting "In Zeus We Trust" in school classrooms.

MARK ABRAMOWITZ
Squirrel Hill

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Soldiers forgotten

If only the media, politicians and citizens put forth the same concern for the welfare of our soldiers as they have for the private, family affairs of the Terri Schiavo family. The welfare of our soldiers appears to be non-newsworthy, as mention of it has become a footnote.

Where is Congress and the media when it comes to the loss of a young, healthy Marine with a promising future? I don't see a rallying call regarding the ethics or morals that require this young person's sacrifice.

Oh, yes, I forgot about the "war on terror" -- whoever terror is -- or "freedom," as if that is the current administration's moral obligation to the world. As citizens we consume the fodder that's fed to us by the media.

MARK SKALICAN
Commodore

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Worth the wait

The comments by A.M. Smalstig of Franklin Park should not go unchallenged ("What a Waste," April 6 letters). She seems upset about everything this administration does. It is the prerogative of any incumbent administration to travel across the country to spread its message. Do you not remember President Clinton traveling anywhere? That also cost the taxpayers money.

How dare this administration try to fix the Social Security fiasco -- much better to wait until it's totally broken and then worry about it, right? Gas is certainly high at $2.13 a gallon. However, at the end of the Carter administration, when we index for inflation, we were paying the equivalent of $2.80 a gallon.

Medicare is also a mess, and nothing will ever get done as long as your beloved Democrats stonewall everything presented to fix it.

I sat in traffic waiting for President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore -- now it's your turn to wait for my guys.

DAVID C. GARRETSON
Bridgeville

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What's the harm?

The March 4 editorial "Backseat Officer" is way off base in title and in intent. What can be wrong with an information-collecting computer chip in cars -- unless they're wired into the back seat, as you imply? Whoa, who'd like that?

But these chips collect only information on speed, seat belt usage and such data. An invasion of privacy? No, an invasion of erratic, improper, excess speed, drunken or doped driving.

But what's the harm there? Did you consider how it might slow down young kids and lessen their death rate as drivers? Did you consider that it might prove useful in an accident where one of the drivers declares, with fingers crossed, that he was driving only 25 mph?

What harm can such a device do? I see none. What good can it do? It can change the driving habits of many, and only for the better.

EDWIN J. BORREBACH
Bradford Woods

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Focus on cigarettes, not coffee

The picture associated with Anya Sostek's article ("Just When Did Coffee Turn Into a Kid's Drink?" April 6) shows a 16-year-old Allderdice student sipping coffee with his left hand while holding a lit cigarette in his right. Maybe I'm naive, but I'd be more concerned with why such a young person has started smoking and where he's getting his cigarettes. After all isn't it illegal to sell cigarettes, which lead to addiction and major health hazards, to minors?

EVE GOODMAN
Wilkinsburg

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Health and safety

On the April 6 front page is an article about coffee drinking among people of high school age. I think the photo shows a much bigger problem: the fact that a 16-year-old person is sitting in an establishment smoking a cigarette, a much larger problem than drinking coffee.

In addition, on March 28 there was an article in the PG about an artist who turns wood on a lathe ("Turning Wood Into Art"). I thought that was fantastic, but the problem I saw with the article was the young lady operating the equipment without any eye protection. In one quick flash she could end up blind.

FRANK A. OWENS
Garfield

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DEP has done its job on the Cambria Coke Co. plant approval

The Post-Gazette's suggestion April 5 that the state Department of Environmental Protection ignored strict environmental standards and sidestepped the public process to approve an air plan for the Cambria Coke Co. plant in Cambria County is terribly inaccurate ("New Coke Plant Gets Quick OK: Facility Will Bring 750 Jobs and High Mercury Soot Emissions to Cambria").

Mercury: Federal law requires no controls for mercury. We used our state authority to require a 93 percent reduction of mercury emissions. The environmental group PennFuture complains in the article that DEP has not been tough enough. Yet, the proposal PennFuture has before DEP to put mercury regulations in place would exempt coke plants from mercury controls, calling only for power plants to be regulated. Moreover, at best the PennFuture proposal would result in a 90 percent reduction in mercury emissions from those plants. Our plan meets and exceeds that standard.

Perhaps environmental groups, remembering the "dirty days" of the past, just don't want steel manufactured in Pennsylvania. If so, they should say that straight out, and acknowledge that that position is inconsistent with their call for clean energy. Windmills, for example, cannot be built without steel, and steel cannot be made without coke.

Federal parks and forests: The story also suggests that involvement of the National Park and Forest services in the review of this project is proof that the facility is bad. Wrong. Every major project in this part of our state entails this type of federal review as part of federal requirements aimed at protecting visibility and reducing haze. As stipulated in our permit, the coke plant will meet all that is required in this regard. The services' involvement is not news, and it is not unusual.

Particulates: It is alleged that the permit was rushed through to beat new federal soot requirements that kicked in April 5. Again, wrong. This proposal has been actively under review for many months dating back to last year. Moreover, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has stated that since guidance is not ready to accompany the new soot standards, states should follow current guidance. DEP has, and the plant fully meets these requirements as well.

The Cambria Coke project is state of the art, setting an example for investments in emission controls that similar facilities across the nation will be hard-pressed to match. Allegations that DEP did not do its job as it relates to pollution requirements are just flat out wrong.

KATHLEEN A. McGINTY
Secretary
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Harrisburg