Port Authority's service is nothing to brag about

The Jan. 21 article about increased Port Authority ridership ("Cost of Gasoline Boosts Port Authority") reported that "[b]esides high fuel prices, a consequence of Hurricane Katrina, Port Authority CEO Dennis Veraldi attributed the agency's gains to high service levels ..."

As a daily rider of the new Overbrook line, I can honestly comment that the increased ridership reflects nothing of the sort. The service is deplorable.

Trains on the Overbrook line are constantly breaking down. Twice in the past two weeks, trains have broken down in the Downtown portion of the trolley tunnels, resulting in 30-minute and 50-minute delays respectively on those days. Last week I just missed a scheduled 6:30 p.m. trolley that arrived at 6:20, and did not see another 47L car until 7 p.m. (cars are scheduled every 15 minutes). When I inquired to the driver about the 6:45 train, he informed me that a Library car was broken down inbound, causing delays. When I asked why this was not announced on the platform to inform riders, he told me that it was announced on the news. This did not help those of us sitting in the underground.

These types of problems occur consistently and the trains are not reliable, especially if you have an important business meeting or appointment. (I drive on those days when my appointment is in the early morning.) I would venture that the majority of riders are as frustrated as I am, but unfortunately we have just resigned ourselves to the fact that we are a "captive" audience. With high gas prices and parking rates, we have chosen the lesser of the two evils.

LORI VARADY
South Park

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Merging 911

In response to the Jan. 17 article "Last Piece of Allegheny County 911 System Consolidation Put in Place": The article as a whole was well-researched, but I would like to provide one small point of clarification.

The article implied that the increase in the 911 surcharge fee was to help cover some of the added costs of the newly merged 911 system. Allegheny County actually initiated the procedure to change the amount of the surcharge in 2002 because it was recognized that the revenues from the surcharge were not adequate to cover the costs of the 911 system.

At that time, Allegheny County's contribution rate was 74 cents, the lowest county rate in the state. In each year since then, any costs of administering the 911 system that have exceeded the revenues from the surcharge have been paid out of the county general fund.

Indeed, increasing the contribution rate to $1 will not fully alleviate the burden on the general fund, but this is the highest surcharge allowable to a second-class county and makes Allegheny County's rate comparable to what other counties charge.

The consolidation of the 911 system has costs associated with it, but these costs were not the impetus behind the increased surcharge -- the pre-existing revenue shortfall was. Moreover, any costs associated with the merger of the 911 system will be more than offset by the long-term cost-effectiveness of the newly merged system.

My fellow council members and I continue to work toward making county government more efficient, functional and cost-effective. The merger of the 911 system accomplishes all three of these goals and continues the trend toward a better Allegheny County.

RICH FITZGERALD
President
Allegheny County Council
Downtown

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What progress?

Sen. Rick Santorum admonishes the Post-Gazette editorial board regarding its distortion of his position on our progress in Iraq ("Telling the Whole Story About Iraq," Jan. 18 In Rebuttal). But he refuses to explain why he holds this position. What progress have we made? How does he define winning the war?

He states that the terrorists can only achieve their objectives by deflating support here in America. But he does not define these objectives. He does not tell us how the terrorists plan on deflating support here.

He claims that the media does not acknowledge any action or incident in Iraq that does not include violence and bloodshed. Yet he does not provide one example of an action or incident that deserves reporting.

In recent weeks, I've read stories about an Iraqi journalist/interpreter protecting an American reporter (National Geographic, February 2006). I've read in the Post-Gazette about an Iraqi baby with spina bifida being rescued by U.S. soldiers (Jan. 1). If I've seen these "positive" reports, perhaps with a little effort Sen. Santorum and his staff might be able to find a few more stories.

CHARLES E. PREMICK
Hampton

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Power corrupts

I want to keep an open mind, to avoid saying "there they go again" about Democrats or Republicans, presidents or members of Congress. With this Congress, though, I can't help but think of Pogo: "We have met the enemy and he is us."

So much of the current Congress was elected in the 1994 midterms. One of the big reform issues then was term limits, and so many of the freshmen pledged to go one and out -- but they have run every two or six years since. Now we find a Republican-controlled Congress that champions pork legislation and panders to the rich and corporations, and that has many members blatantly in bed with lobbyists. They have violated so many of the principles of conservatism they ran under.

I think most voters are practical-minded adults, not in lock step with either party's rhetoric. Voters see all politicians as hypocrites to one degree or another, essentially part of the politician's job description. But this Congress is something special. As "leadership" from the White House greases the congressional wheels to ever more deficit spending, more pork and into the arms of lobbyists, it's as if the congresspersons are each individually channeling Louis XV: "After me, the deluge."

ED HEATH
Stanton Heights

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Tax reform now!

I don't understand why we don't yet have meaningful property tax reform. It was promised to us when the governor was elected, and it was used as an excuse to allow slot machine gambling in our state. When are we going to see property tax relief?

Why can't Harrisburg increase the state income tax 1 percent and halve our property taxes? Gambling revenues can fill in the gap. Philadelphia and other urban areas should not be given special treatment either. The benefits of reform should be given to all citizens of the state equally. Property tax dollars lost to a district should be replaced from the income tax, etc. one for one.

We should also eliminate Keystone Opportunity Zones and other property tax exemptions. It's been my experience that they are used by established businesses to build new facilities in the same area, not so much by new business. If property taxes are halved, all business will reap the benefits.

We have been waiting for property tax reform for a long time. It is time we saw some results.

TOM McKINLEY
Brookville

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Nagin outrage here

I highly agree with Ray Rieber on his comments on Ray Nagin ("No Nagin Outrage?", Jan. 20 letters). It seems that media (the Post-Gazette included) lose their nerve when it comes to reporting a racist black comment.

But God forbid if it were reversed. You'd hear about it every minute from the TV, newspapers, etc. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be all over it.

If Mayor Nagin wants New Orleans to be a "chocolate city," than let him have it. And make sure it's built with "chocolate" money. Every person in the world should remember this statement when asked to donate money for the Katrina fund. New Orleans has just been scratched off my next vacation destination.

CRAWFORD WILSON JR.
Monroeville

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Shrink the Legislature, and shoo out the bums, too

While reducing the size of the Legislature will save Pennsylvanians some money, it will do nothing to improve the commonwealth if, following the reduction, the same old dinosaurs remain in power to occupy the fewer remaining seats.

History shows that redistricting protects the good old boys, and any legislator who has bucked the leadership will likely find his or her district decimated in a redistricting effort. Thus, having fewer seats will actually reduce opportunities for reform-minded public officials to have a voice in the legislature.

House Speaker John Perzel, R-Philadelphia, appears to be one such dinosaur who, if left in power, would only exacerbate the Legislature's many problems. Consider that on the same day that Rep. Perzel opined that only the media care about the influence of lobbyists ("Pa. Lobbying Costs Average $1.4 Million per Senator," Jan. 17), the most prominent Republican in Pennsylvania, Sen. Rick Santorum, joined forces with Sen. John McCain to call for more disclosure and transparency about the activities of Washington lobbyists.

Perhaps reform-minded Pennsylvanians should begin a letter-writing campaign directed to the good people of the 172nd district, in order to remind them of how truly detrimental to democracy has been their previous contribution to public discourse.

LORRAINE A. SMITH
Mt. Lebanon