Young people are being priced out of Downtown

After reading the Sept. 24 article about the Downtown housing boom ("Downtown Housing Boom No Illusion"), I had to write.

I am a Pittsburgh native who, during my 20s, lived in Philadelphia, where I lived in the center city and loved it. I have anxiously awaited the development of Downtown Pittsburgh to buy a condo.

I am extremely disturbed by the prices. I am single, in my early 30s and a registered nurse. I am exactly what this city should be trying to attract.

I guess that I will have to move outside the city, since I can't locate a condo for less than $200,000 that doesn't overlook a dumpster. When the developers realize their mistake, will I want to buy Downtown and have all my neighbors be senior citizens? Nothing against senior citizens, but we need to attract younger people to town to protect the longevity of our city and region.

Offering housing that only the very rich and older can afford is a big mistake. Maybe I should take my money to the south or out west; it seems that Pittsburgh doesn't want me.

LESLIE EDWARDS
Mount Washington

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Make it affordable

I appreciated your Sept. 26 editorial "Downtown Living: 'Build It and They Will Come' Proves True": You are right on the money.

The Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP) has been focusing its economic development initiatives on connecting young people with jobs, entrepreneurial resources and opportunities in Downtown living during the past year. We have partnered with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Pittsburgh Downtown Neighborhood Association on programming that promotes Downtown living, and this year's 40 Under 40 celebration is being held at Piatt Place, reinforcing our commitment to life after 5 p.m. in the Downtown corridor.

Young people want to stay in Pittsburgh; we like it here. When it comes to Downtown living, young people are open to an urban lifestyle within walking distance of three major-league sports facilities, world-class cultural amenities and the promise of the next big development. I can assure you that young people are sold on the dream; we just need some affordable reality.

Build it and we will come!

ERIN MOLCHANY
Executive Director
Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project
Downtown

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Clean it up

In response to the Sept. 24 article about a Downtown housing boom ("Downtown Housing Boom No Illusion"): I think it is important to remember that even though necessities for growth, like grocery stores and movie theaters, are missing Downtown, there are larger, more basic problems to fix first.

I recently took a walk Downtown on a weekend to check out the construction of the new PNC tower. Along the way, I encountered many disturbing things.

For example, I walked by one homeless man passed out drunk in an alleyway; two other drunk men, surrounded by liquor bottles, passed out in a vacant storefront; and about three others panhandling. I even had one homeless man accost me for a spare dollar.

In addition, I found many trash receptacles overflowing with refuse and quite a lot of litter lying in the street gutters. How does the city expect to gain more residents in an area riddled with trash and drunken homeless?

The Downtown neighborhood must be cleaned up. Once the area looks presentable, then more businesses and people will move in.

MATT WILLIAMS
Franklin Park

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Santa Ed

Quick. Would someone please draw a political cartoon with Gov. Ed Rendell dressed as Santa Claus?

In the past year, we have seen him in more places than we can count, making promises to give everybody and anybody anything they want. Of course, 'tis the season (election season, that is). Unfortunately, just like the legendary holiday elf, the promises he makes many times are not fulfilled. Even when they are, you know who pays for the promise ... the parents/taxpayers.

Wake up, Pittsburgh. Don't be as gullible as a child on Santa's knee.

MILLICENT NOVIC
Murrysville

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Real inflation rate

Our government is proposing to strong arm its way into the quality and cost of college. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings ("Higher Ed Is Next Challenge After No Child, Secretary Says," Sept. 15) visited Pittsburgh and noted that higher education costs have been rising about 7 percent a year.

To understand why that is less than a crisis, Americans must understand what the inflation rate really is; what her employer, the U.S. government, has done to our money since creating the Federal Reserve; and why everything, not just tuition, costs more every year.

Since 1913, the dollar has lost 95 percent of its value, yet the Fed keeps printing money out of thin air, degrading the value of existing dollars. It requires more devalued dollars every year to buy a certain amount of stuff: a year at college, a house.

China's happy to accept these IOUs (by buying bonds). It can change its mind any time, perhaps if America nukes its ally Iran.

"Nominal" inflation, the rate our government publishes based on massaged statistics, is 3 percent to 5 percent annually. Actual inflation -- what hits our wallets -- is estimated by analysts to be 9 percent to 10 percent. Our government has an enormous incentive to lowball the rate so it can underpay Social Security recipients, wage earners and others whose checks tie to the nominal rate.

In this context, a 7 percent yearly hike in college costs is modest, reflecting how much more we're paying for everything, thanks to policies of our government. Yet Ms. Spellings uses it as a pretext for even bigger government. Amazing.

ELLEN CONSER
North Point Breeze

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Limited credit

While defending Wal-Mart's business practices may not be popular, I cannot really say that columnist Ruth Ann Dailey's comments are bold when they are so ridiculous ("Wal-Mart Does More Good Than It Gets Credit For," Sept. 25).

Wal-Mart does provide jobs for people and it does provide low prices for shoppers, but the credit stops there. Ms. Dailey spends more time comparing Wal-Mart practices with other corporations than focusing on the real issue. Saying that Wal-Mart bashers unfairly target the company instead of Target is like saying filmmaker Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me") should have eaten at Burger King. And comparing the percentage of Wal-Mart workers on Medicaid to others is equally ridiculous. Great, shoppers save $50 billion annually, but that's not going to help people on food stamps.

Even if the average employee makes close to double the minimum wage, how is that going to help an employee trying to raise a family? Some Wal-Mart bashers probably do truly hate the retailer, but the point is to make sure Wal-Mart (and the rest of corporate America) does more.

All companies have an obligation to their employees, communities and, sometimes regrettably, to their shareholders. Ms. Dailey seems to be more upset that she cannot shop at the proposed Wal-Mart yet ... maybe that is her real point.

ERIC WILTROUT
Lawrenceville

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Just who is the enemy in this horrifying mess in Iraq?

In his Sept. 18 letter Roy Leuch of Upper St. Clair complains about the PG giving the same old arguments. He asks the PG to do something better than give the enemy a timetable "as to when we are going to pull out" ("The PG Sounds Like a Broken Record Regarding Bush").

Well, if Mr. Leuch knows who the enemy is, I wish he'd tell me.

In 2001, Osama bin Laden unleashed 19 men armed with box cutters and a few flying lessons with horrifying results. Five years later, bin Laden is still not captured. We know he's an enemy.

Now, to Iraq. There are Shiites, Kurdish Sunnis, Baathists and Arab Sunnis. Which group is the enemy? All men between 15 and 50? All women under 80? All children with brown eyes? Sadr, the young cleric? Ayatollah Sistani, the older cleric?

We have been in Iraq longer than we fought Hitler and the Axis powers.

Who is the enemy? Insurgents? Islamofascist terrorists? Chemical Ali? We were told someone had weapons of mass destruction. Oh, that's right, the guy found hiding in a hole in the ground -- some master planner.

Our soldiers sit like ducks to be picked off. They are caught in the middle of chaos that edges closer and closer to civil war.

Seriously, Mr. Leuch, please identify the enemy. Better yet, call up the president and let him know so we can all say, "Heck of a job, Mr. Bush, heck of a job. You got the enemy."

KITTY LAGORIO
Venetia

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We receive more letters than we can fit into the limited space on the editorial page, so we'd like to share some additional letters with our Post-Gazette Web site readers.

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Everyone will adapt

As a former Pittsburgher, I've been watching developments regarding Allegheny County's proposed smoking ban with great interest ("Smoke Ban Has Cloudy Future," Sept. 30) -- mainly because I felt so strongly about it a decade ago when a similar law was enacted in San Francisco, where I now live.

When the ban was proposed, I was opposed to it because of my somewhat conservative view that good manners should not be legislated. I was also used to secondhand smoke, tolerated it well enough and hoped that education and common courtesy would be enough to convince smokers to give nonsmokers a break.

When San Francisco's smoking ban was proposed, then enacted, there were predictions that the sky would fall, restaurants would go bankrupt, bars would cease to exist, unemployment would skyrocket and the civilized world, as we know it, would certainly come to an end. Sound familiar?

It's been more than a decade since our local law went into effect. Everyone -- smokers included -- has adapted and nobody is angry at anyone else. Restaurants stayed in business, as have the bars and everyone else.

Although a nonsmoker who tolerated smoking before, I now find it a delight that I can eat at a restaurant or attend public events without having to breathe in secondhand smoke. My friends who smoke don't find it too great an imposition to go outside and do their thing where they won't be blowing the smoke into my lungs. Nobody's angry. The world hasn't come to an end.

In other words, calm down a bit. Civilization will continue to exist. Once the smoke blows over, you'll be just fine.

JOE MEYERS
San Francisco, Calif.

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Other employee issues

I know that one of the key issues that helped get the smoking ban passed ("Allegheny County Council Passes Smoking Ban," Sept. 27) is to safeguard employee health, particularly so in restaurants and bars. If employee health is such a key issue, then isn't it about time that these same employees receive the paychecks and/or benefits that they deserve instead of their employer relying on us to make sure of it?

As a smoker who is now being made to feel unwelcome in either type of establishment, I know where I'll be putting my money and where I will not. If we're going to make positive changes in this society, then a smoking ban is just a baby step for what's to come. I'm really anxious to see who takes the fall next.

SANDY BEHANNA
New Kensington

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Unfair in so many ways

Regarding the proposed "no smoking" ban in Allegheny County: I would like to say how unfair it is. While we are at it, let's ban all cell phones, and men and women wearing strong cologne, and screaming kids in restaurants. Also let's ban all that "elevator music" in some breakfast diners, etc. All of the above (for me anyway) are like running your fingernails across a chalkboard.

But let's let motorcycle drivers ride without a helmet, and let's follow that Port Authority bus up a hill spewing out black smoke and breathe that in. Let's tell our neighbors that they can't have a barbecue outside, because the smoke is drifting into my windows.

Folks, I think you get my point. Smoke is smoke, and breathing in any smoke is harmful to you.

Let's all go to a bar (nonsmoking, of course), then drive off into the sunset, into say, Butler, Westmoreland or another surrounding county, for a cup of java and a smoke.

TOM STANESIC
West Mifflin

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Risky behaviors

I read your Sept. 25 editorial about the 1993 "don't ask-don't tell" policy regarding the enlistment of homosexual and lesbian persons in the armed forces ("Don't Keep 'Don't Ask': The Military Should Not Deny Itself Good Soldiers"). Frankly, I saw nothing new or inspiring in your rehash of the same old arguments.

To rely on that old chestnut of "they're already serving anyway" or "other countries do it" is hardly a compelling argument. The fact is that there are and always have been gay and lesbian members of the armed forces. Your problem seems to be that they are not allowed to define themselves by their sexuality. So what? Do you define yourself by yours? I doubt it.

Here is the question no one asks or answers: How do you handle the problems that arise because of behaviorally transmitted diseases -- specifically HIV/AIDS?

The U.S. Armed Forces are in a dangerous business. Their function is to go places for the rest of us, engage in violent conflict (again for us) and to fight and sometimes be wounded and killed. The military has a closed blood supply system for wounded and injured soldiers. Isn't there a real danger of contaminating or eliminating a significant portion of that system by the introduction and endorsement of sexual behaviors that increase the likelihood of infection?

I would like to know the answer to that and hear less about your outdated social engineering proposals.

JAMES C. YEARSLEY
Tampa, Fla.

The writer, who retired from the U.S. Air Force as a senior master sergeant, is formerly of Whitehall.

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Protecting their investment

The best reason to look forward to this national election is the falling gas prices. Of course, we are not supposed to correlate that with the election and just accept that there are no hurricanes and the world is somehow stable now.

My theory is this: Common sense will say that you want to protect your investment. Oil prices directly affect the public both negatively and positively. High gasoline prices surely will affect the election process. The oil companies know this and they want to protect their investment of millions of dollars spent lobbying the current government.

If you spent the money and time on a person, why put that person in jeopardy of losing the election and having to start all over again?

I think we will see prices just barely under $2 by November, then they will boost up once again because of a late hurricane, the holiday season or Mideast fighting -- anything you can imagine they can use to dupe the public again and be able to keep the current administration intact.

GARY BONACCI
Collier

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Our message

After being bombarded with Rick Santorum's over-budgeted television campaign propaganda, I was wondering if he is running for sainthood or the Senate. Come November, we have a message that we will approve: Bye-bye, Rick Santorum.

WAYNE R. BENNETT
Baldwin Borough

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Great cartoon

Hahahaha! Rob Rogers' "boy mayor" is the funniest caricature he's ever created (Brewed on Grant, Sept. 27). No disrespect to Luke Ravenstahl: It's exciting to think about what a smart, energetic young person might do for the city and the region. But still, what a hoot.

DAVID STEINHART
Churchill

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Dearth of cabs

There is a problem affecting Pittsburgh that, if not rectified, will only continue this city's existence as a third-rate and wannabe metropolis. My friends and I were enjoying a Saturday night in the Strip District and, having thought ahead about the evening's festivities, decided not to drive. When it came time to leave for the evening, we ran into a crisis that is incomprehensible in other cities: We could not get a cab.

Two people in my group had to call a taxi service an excess of 20 times each just to get through and, when they finally did, were promptly put on hold for 10 minutes. When someone finally picked up, we were told that no cabs were available, so tough luck.

Is this what people get for being responsible and not driving after a night of drinking? How is this allowed to continuously occur? It disgusts me when I think of the other cities I've been in that do not have this backward problem. I have concluded that this city does not care that people will continue to drive drunk, endangering themselves and others, just because there is no other option.

BRIDGET NEE
Dormont

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