Pa. must update criminal laws to reflect new technology

Regarding the July 3 editorial "Cyber Bullies: A New Law Isn't Needed to Combat These Fools": As mobile, digital and Internet communication technology continues to evolve and penetrate the mass market, attempts to exploit that technology by sexual predators, identity thieves and other cyber criminals present an ongoing challenge to state legislatures.

As a former prosecutor and chairman of the Senate Aging and Youth Committee, it is my duty and obligation to counter that challenge through a vigorous multifaceted attack on "cyber identity theft," "cyber harassment" and "cyber bullying" that employs legislation, criminal prosecution and public awareness through prevention and intervention policies in our schools.

Pennsylvania is one of the 40 states with outmoded laws on technology that has not enacted legislation to specifically address deficiencies in criminal laws dealing with harassment or identity theft that utilizes mobile, digital and Internet-related communication technology.

Working in conjunction with the Pennsylvania attorney general, Pennsylvania district attorneys and law enforcement, this legislation will close this loophole.

Lastly, Pennsylvania is one of five states that has not enacted anti-bullying laws and has received an F grading. According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, "cyber bullying" is a global problem of epic proportions and involves minors targeting minors via the use of modern communication technology. I-Safe America surveyed more than 1,500 students ranging from fourth to eighth grade across the country; 42 percent of kids have been bullied online.

By enacting statewide policies for all school districts to implement, I believe schools and parents can become effective allies in preventing cyber bullying.

STATE SEN. JANE CLARE ORIE
McCandless

The writer, a Republican, represents the 40th District.

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Filled with pride

My son, after an 18-month deployment in Iraq, arrived at the National Guard Armory in Johnstown.

After making the 1¹/₂-hour drive home to our Carrick (Hornaday Road) residence, we were delighted to see our tree-lined street decorated with yellow ribbons, flags and "Welcome Home" signs, along with the many neighbors and friends on their front lawns and porches waving and cheering my son home.

Not only am I proud to be an American but also to live in the city of Pittsburgh.

ROBERT C. MEUSSNER SR.
Carrick

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Dedicated sheriff

I find the continued attacks of the Post-Gazette on Sheriff Pete DeFazio and the employees of the Allegheny County sheriff's office disgusting ("Stick 'Em Up: Is Anyone Minding the Store at the Sheriff's Office?" June 24 editorial). Yes, the sheriff's office has some problems -- some of which we didn't ask for.

The continuing rise in sheriff's sales, as lenders continue to foreclose at record numbers, doesn't help. The sheriff's office has a very limited staff assigned to the monthly sheriff's sales of real property. Yet, they meet the demands every month. The distributions of proceeds are prepared as the current laws dictate. At this time, there are no current laws that permit other row offices to distribute these proceeds.

The distribution of proceeds is not an easy task. I hope the Post-Gazette does not write its biased editorials simply because the sheriff no longer advertises the properties for sale in the PG.

Sheriff DeFazio has led this office well. His insistence that warrants in criminal matters as well as for dead-beat parents be executed shows just some of the dedication he has to the citizens of Allegheny County. The sheriff doesn't have any children, yet he tries to make sure children get the support they are entitled to.

The sheriff's office has admitted that some of its accounting procedures are archaic and antiquated. When the rise in sales was noticed, where were the Allegheny County row officers to ask why? Did they ask the sheriff if he could use any more help?

RICHARD F. FERSCH
Oakland

The writer is a deputy sheriff assigned to the Civil/Real Estate Division.

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Disturbing trend

I found the article on growing economic segregation in our country to be quite disturbing ("As Middle-Class Areas in Big Cities Shrink, Poor, Rich Areas Grow," June 25).

The article, based on a Brookings Institution report, describes the disappearance of mixed-income neighborhoods and the dramatic growth of homogenous neighborhoods at the extremes of the economic spectrum. Such economic segregation is racial as well, and demographics in Pittsburgh reflect such growing segregation.

In 1990, non-Hispanic whites accounted for 71.6 percent of the city population, but only 66.5 percent in 2000. This 5.1 percent drop represents a loss of more than 40,000 white city residents. Fifteen percent of the city's white population disappeared in 10 years.

At the same time the suburban areas saw a loss of only 1.4 percent of white residents. City and suburban data show that in all areas isolation indices (the percentage of same-race individuals in a given census tract) rose for all nonwhite populations. Thus all people of color in the region are more isolated than they were a decade earlier.

Segregation in our neighborhoods weakens the overall infrastructure, drains the tax base and minimizes the capacity of local officials to provide essential services to their community. The hazards of segregation illuminate the critical need to ensure equal housing opportunities and promote integrated, mixed-income neighborhoods.

County and city officials must use their resources to reverse segregation and promote inclusive, diverse neighborhoods. It's better for all of us.

PETER HARVEY
Executive Director
Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh
Downtown

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Selective criticism

For reasons that are beside the point, I'm not a big fan of either The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times or The New York Times. Having said that, on to other aspects of things.

Regarding "secret operations," lately this business of the tracking of financial affairs of "terrorists" ("U.S. Culls Financial Records as Terror Preventer," June 23), given official as well as "semi-official" comments from/by the Bush administration during the last few years, one might wonder how "secret" this operation actually was.

Other than that, as I understand, The Wall Street Journal as well as The New York Times published articles regarding this "secret operation," yet it is the Times that is accused of "treason" or otherwise criticized by President Bush, among others ("Bush Vents Spleen Against Media," June 27).

Strikes me that this selective criticism raises a number of questions about the Bush administration, questions that need to be answered. Question is, who will provide the answers?

ALAN SCHULTZ
McCandless

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If the system works so well then why do many die from lack of insurance?

In response to the June 24 commentary "The Myth of Universal Health Care" by Doug Moore:

Despite the fact that the United States is the only industrialized country in the world without universal health care, Mr. Moore states that our present system works "incredibly well" for the vast majority of Americans.

He doesn't mention the 18,000 who die every year because they lack insurance, an estimate from the much-respected Institute of Medicine. Mr. Moore says the high and rapidly increasing cost of the present system is chiefly due to "too much health care" and "negative lifestyle choices." He fails to mention the wasteful administrative inefficiency of our system of multiple insurance companies and even goes as far as to claim that competition among underwriters "positively influences rates."

These are not comforting words to the millions of Americans who can't afford health insurance. We may marvel at the impressive medical advances and the high quality of medical care provided to most of those adequately insured but should recognize that World Health Organization studies of overall health care gave the United States the ranking of only 37 out of 191 U.N. member countries, and that most other industrialized nations exceeded us in such important health indicators as infant mortality and life expectancy.

These facts should motivate thoughtful people to carefully consider current Pennsylvania health-care reform bills that are characterized by an efficient single-payer system with universal coverage and an appropriate emphasis on preventive medicine.

RICHARD H. MICHAELS, M.D.
Regent Square

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