So, candidate Ed Rendell is suddenly a reformer?

It appears that Ed Rendell has suddenly found "religion" and has decided after all these years that he's a reformer ("After Pay Raise 'Mistake,' Rendell Wants Term Limits," Oct. 6). I'm sure this transformation has nothing to do with the fact that he's up for re-election in a year when Pennsylvania voters have already demonstrated that they are sick of Harrisburg's pay-raise politics as usual.

Ed Rendell may consider himself a master politician, but not even he is good enough to convince voters that the man who once called the pay raise "good legislation" is really a good government reformer. As much as he tries to run from it, there is only one man in Harrisburg who could have stopped the illegal pay grab by himself. That man is Ed Rendell. Now, to protect himself from the pay-raise fallout, Fast Eddie has decided he's for term limits, after he was against them.

Suddenly, he's for reducing the size of the Legislature, after he ignored the issue for more than 3¹/₂ years. And unbelievably he's now for limits on campaign contributions, but only after taking $500,000 this year from the state teachers union -- perhaps as a thank you for allowing our school property taxes to increase $2 billion on his watch.

And Ed Rendell has the nerve to call Lynn Swann a hypocrite? Perhaps he's a master politician after all.

DAVID MARSHALL
Shadyside

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Our heartfelt thanks

I would like to publicly thank all the wonderful people who took the time to pay their respects during the five days before my husband, Bob O'Connor's, funeral. More than 10,000 individuals signed those registries and, even though Bob was the mayor of the city, my family is overwhelmed and deeply grateful for each and every public show of respect and affection for him.

I could not possibly thank each and every one of you personally, but please believe that does not diminish the sincerity of this message.

God bless you all from the bottom of our hearts.

JUDY O'CONNOR and FAMILY
Squirrel Hill

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Religion's role

I agree with what Charles J. McCollester writes in "Put the People in Pittsburgh 250" (Sept. 17 Forum), but he fails to expand far enough. True, Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary in November 2008 should be a celebration of pride and achievement that includes many people and invites the participation of all people, but conspicuously absent from his article is the role faith has played throughout Pittsburgh's history and today.

During the time of Mayor Bob O'Connor's illness and death, we saw how important faith and religion were not only in his life, but also in the lives of those who knew and loved him, who worked with him and prayed with him. Indeed, people of all denominations prayed for Mayor O'Connor and his family.

Beyond this episode of Pittsburgh's history, religion has played a vital role in our city -- from individuals who seek solace and comfort in sacred spaces to religious communities who founded many of our hospitals, schools, universities and human service agencies.

So, while I do agree with Mr. McCollester that our 250th anniversary must invite the participation of all people so that we do properly celebrate our pride and achievement, I would hope that the celebration would certainly include our religious institutions.

SISTER LIGUORI ROSSNER
Bloomfield

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Not worth the time

Regarding "Semi-Famous Actress Dumps on Pittsburgh" (Oct. 6): As a native of Homestead, I say let it go. Yes, our image has always been a soft spot, even when the city was bigger and more central to the country's industrial and cultural center, but in the final analysis, who cares what Sienna Miller says about Pittsburgh?

And don't you think Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has far more pressing concerns than what she thinks about the city? If there were a story here, and there isn't one, the headline would be the following:

"Mayor of Pittsburgh Wastes Time on the Concerns of a Minor Hollywood Starlet."

ROBERT PENMAN
Cambridge, Mass.

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Leave your hotel

Shame on Sienna Miller. If this spoiled girl would leave her hotel room every now and then, she would see Pittsburgh is a wonderful city.

Pittsburghers have a strong sense of tradition and are quite proud of their city. In addition, we have a rich cultural district and fabulous restaurants. If Ms. Miller would choose her words more carefully, she might have someone to do something with on her nights off.

LISA VID
Upper St. Clair

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Language unity

The article "A Call to Arms!" (Oct. 1 Forum) astonishingly combines bad taste, misplaced humor and purblindness. Has war now become a subject of laughter?

What is wrong with wanting a single language in a unified country? All one has to do is look to our neighbor to the north to see how having two languages in one nation can give rise to all kinds of problems, the least of which are the inevitable calls for separatism.

N.Z. MALACHIAS
Penn Hills

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Efficient English

Emil Nagengast's tongue-in-cheek musings about laws making English the official language of Pennsylvania made me smile ("A Call to Arms!").

I speak only three languages, English being my second, so I am going way out on a limb saying this: English is most wonderfully economical. You can state your point in one short sentence, while the same point said in the other languages, beautiful as they are, might take two or three times as long.

I really think it is this efficiency, and not the supremacy of the people who speak it, that makes English so popular around the world. Now, if your new country is the United States and the state of your residence is Pennsylvania, learning English is going to be the easiest way to make yourself heard.

If you listen, too, slowly you will feel that you start to belong. Isn't that why you decided to come?

SUSANNA FUSSENEGGER
Harmar

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Preschool balance

Dana Schultz's Sept. 20 commentary "Preschool Pays Off" makes a strong case for the value of early childhood education. However, when Ms. Schultz invokes school as the proper model of early childhood education, she risks misrepresenting what young children need.

When the average reader thinks of "school," they think of rows of chairs, worksheets and plenty of tests. An appropriate curriculum for early childhood goes beyond just academics; it balances cognitive and language growth with a child's social, emotional and physical development.

Southwestern Pennsylvania has many quality early learning settings, participating in Keystone STARS and accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Association for Family Child Care, that fulfill this need. Across our region, there are environments that facilitate learning through engaging, intentional play -- a child's natural medium for learning.

Ms. Schultz states that well-trained and well-compensated teachers dramatically increase a program's effectiveness. However, the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, reports that the average child-care teacher earns only $8.30 an hour.

The region's early childhood programs accomplish much with available resources, but investments like that of PNC and its support of the comprehensive, developmentally appropriate Head Start program can strengthen our children and our economy. Investing in our future is critical, but let's do it in a way that allows children to be children.

MICHELLE M. FIGLAR
Executive Director
Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children
Squirrel Hill

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Hillary Clinton will help the GOP if she runs for president

Consider me a feminist if a label needs to be applied. That neither concerns nor worries me. I am, however, worried about the careless actions of one person whom history may show to be one of this generation's most influential women.

Now is the time for a fair, educated leader. Putting partisanship aside, the United States needs strength and a cool head. I believe Hillary Clinton does possess these attributes.

However, the stakes in the next presidential election are enormous. Is the world ready for a female president of the United States? Maybe. Is the United States ready for a female president? No. Now is not the time to test the waters. Now is not the time for a social experiment.

With the Bush catastrophe already in play, the Democrats can put in a slam-dunk candidate. While Hillary Clinton is qualified, she will not gain the votes of those not ready for a woman president.

It's sad and it's unfair, but I think a Hillary Clinton for President campaign is a slam dunk for Republicans.

ANDREA L. SCIULLI
Oakland

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