PG's pay raise ire is blinding it to a dedicated leader

I am writing to express my disappointment with the April 26 editorial "Hackett in the 42nd: Stevenson Disappointed on the Pay Raise." The single trait that seems to distinguish Rep. Tom Stevenson's opponents in this editorial is that they are not incumbents.

The Post-Gazette editorial board has allowed itself to get swept up in the public furor over the pay raise issue.

In doing so, you are ignoring Rep. Stevenson's five terms of dedicated service to the constituents of the 42nd. Rep. Stevenson has been a productive legislator, a friend to seniors, a role model for younger people and, in your own words "a seasoned, diligent and reasonable Republican." He has served this community well, with honor and commitment.

I do not consider "unspectacular" to be a negative when it is accompanied by reliable, consistent and dedicated. And in Rep. Stevenson's case, it is. Your endorsed candidate, as well as the other candidate you did not endorse, have offered nothing more than hollow promises, filled with rhetoric. It is easy for them to claim revulsion and distrust about the pay raise issue, knowing full well it is a hot button topic, but not knowing how they would have responded faced with the same issue. Where are the specific ideas?

It's easy to say, "I want to reduce taxes." It is hard to come up with ways to do so. Ignoring the record of a highly qualified five-term legislator is shortsighted. Doing so because of a single issue is foolhardy. Endorsing a candidate whose strongest attributes are running his own business and being a keen tennis player makes one question the impartiality of your editorial board.

ANDY BOOTH
Mt. Lebanon

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Turn the tables

I am writing in regard to the April 27 story "Sex Ranking List of High School Girls Has Mt. Lebanon Abuzz." I am quite shocked at the attitude of the lawyer defending one of the boys.

To say that the list "is not a crime" is not a view I would share. I don't have any children in school, but remembering my high school days doesn't bring up any such things as this. The excerpt from the school's policy states "unwelcome sexual slurs, epithets, threats, verbal abuse, derogatory comments or sexually degrading descriptions; unwelcome graphic verbal comments about an individual's body or overly personal conversation" and "unwelcome spreading of sexual rumors" as being sexual harassment.

The comments of "it's just kids being kids" and "any other place, it would be way less important," stated by two students, are just as bad as the lawyer's comments.

I have a simple solution for this. Why don't the girls of the high school make a list of their own for the "top 25" boys? The girls can rank the boys in the same way but with some minor changes to the grading system. They could rank the boys on their faces, buttocks, the size of their manhood, their sexual activity, STDs and drug use.

I wonder if this would change the attitude of the boys in the school if the tables were turned on them. If the boys can get a kick out of humiliating the girls, then the girls should have an equal opportunity to do the same to the boys.

DENNIS MOWREY
Monroeville

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Their responsibility

Put the blame on the parents of the boys in Mt. Lebanon about their scandal ("Explicit Ranking of Girls Sparks Outrage," April 26). It starts at home, period. Nothing else accepted.

Be aware of what goes in and out of your children's computers. Accept your responsibility.

DON KOENIG
Bethel Park

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Taxpayer tunnels

I am very disturbed about the news that the "North Shore Extension Appears on Track" (April 22). This tunnel project is ill-conceived.

While it is certainly a good and, in almost all cases, the only possible method to modernize our cities, bridges and highways, federal shares of the costs are nevertheless taxpayers' money, and it reminds me of the bankrobber's attitude of "it hurts nobody." I am not sure what hurts more, our city and county debts or the astronomical national debt that future generations have to live with.

The North Shore would be as well off with a light-rail bridge connection using the existing rail bridge, which is strong and has the space needed.

What are the cost comparisons? Have our politicians ever done their homework, or are they more interested in becoming the famous promoters of glamorous projects we cannot afford? Are huge cost overruns of any concern, such as occurred at the Petersen Events Center? The tunnels already smell like that. (I visited Boston recently and remembered another good example of tremendously wrong tunnel cost estimates.)

E. GUS SCHEMPP
Franklin Park

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Border control

I read with interest Dennis Donegan's April 23 letter ("Familiar Story"). He wrote a cute story attempting to ridicule some Americans' concerns with illegal immigration. His argument is an imaginary scenario of a 1600s Native-Tribe Times Gazette story called "Illegal Immigrants Swarm Shores!" The reporter of this fictitious story regales the reader how these illegal immigrants don't speak the language, smell bad and don't even worship the proper god, etc.

He is referring to the Europeans coming to the North American continent. Illegal immigrants every one.

Those illegal immigrants created a great nation: America. Mr. Donegan wants us to stop worrying. The current illegal immigrants won't be a problem.

He neglects, however, to finish the story. What happened to those Native-Tribe readers? Well, I think those illegal immigrants stole their land and forced them onto reservations. The Native-Tribe readers' culture was nearly destroyed in the process, and thousands were killed through disease and a genocidal cleansing of the land.

So maybe that fictitious reporter of the 1600s was right to be concerned. We should remember what happens to a people who don't control their borders to illegal immigration.

N. JANE TORTORICE
Export

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Arena possibilities

Please allow me to clear up letter writer J.E. Scherer's confusion on the gambling/new arena issue ("Why an Arena?" April 27 letters).

The first thing that needs to be done is to understand that a new arena isn't just for hockey.

Yes, the Penguins would be the primary tenant of a new arena, but plenty of other activities would happen there as well.

Think of the possibility of being able to go to a concert in a venue designed for such a purpose. Or even the chance that another sports team, such as an arena football team, would actually be able to play here in Pittsburgh without dealing with an antiquated arena.

A new arena, which just about everyone the city population has voted for agrees with, is a necessity to keep even more tax dollars coming in. People need to quit thinking New Arena = Penguins, and start thinking New Arena = Possibilities.

THOMAS STUMP
Millvale

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The teachers union did the best job possible for its membership

I wish to congratulate all members of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers and wish them much success during the short term of this new agreement ("City Teachers Accept Contract That They Rejected 3 Weeks Ago," April 22). I am pleased that the board has agreed to an overdue raise for those at step 10 and above and reasonable compensation for the teachers at the new academy sites, as well as other important economic and noneconomic items.

As union President John Tarka says there is always room for improvement in any contract, but there are realities that must be considered as well. Those are reasonable and wise words. Mr. Tarka is a reasonable and wise man, with extensive experience in teacher contract negotiations in and around Pittsburgh. With the fine members of the executive board/negotiations team, he has helped deliver a contract so that all can work together for improvements in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

As teacher Kathleen Stock said, I, too, know that the excellent PFT negotiations team does not present an offer to the membership until they know it is the best they can get at that time and under those conditions. This has been true for 15 or more contracts that I can recall. The choice to go to a second vote should satisfy those who were unable to read and comprehend the materials in the hours provided during the ratification meeting, and who wanted more time. They got it!

I hope that teacher Pete Mamula and his cohorts can also find satisfaction in the new agreement and will present their specific plans for the improvements they desire before the next contract.

LYN ENGELHARDT
Baldwin Borough

The writer is a retired Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher.

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