Kilbuck served its citizens by following a bad state code

While I would be the last person to defend Kilbuck officials, who seem to believe that ignorance is a virtue, the Oct. 20 editorial "Rocky Silence" is off the mark when it labels the conduct of the township meeting as a failure of the supervisors' obligation "to hear out the people they represent." In point of fact "the people they represent" are the 700-some residents of Kilbuck. Most of the residents of that Lilliputian municipality live on the Roosevelt Road side of the hill, hence they were able to avoid that inconvenient little strip of Ohio River Boulevard so critical to 22,000 other commuters as well as Norfolk Southern railroad customers.

In reality, Kilbuck officials were so zealously attentive to demands of Kilbuck citizens for any kind of tax relief that they approved the River Pointe Plaza project above the objections and concerns of members of their own planning commission, concerned residents of other municipalities, the Allegheny County Conservation District and experts retained by various third parties to evaluate the soundness of the developer's designs. And they did this with the full consent of the Pennsylvania Legislature, authors of the Municipalities Planning Code (MPC), which gives total discretion over development projects to people who don't even live in the communities affected by such development. It is in these communities where representative government was powerless to do anything.

The danger of a true democracy is tyranny of the majority. The reality of representative democracy done poorly (such as is found in the MPC) is tyranny of the minority. Kilbuck officials did no more than they were obligated to do under the MPC and certainly no less. It is the MPC, not the township, that is at fault, and it is the MPC that must be corrected and the Legislature that must correct it.

SEAN McLINDEN, M.D.
Glenfield

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Canon law validity

In response to the Oct. 21 article "Catholic Diocese Affirms Sanctions on Female Priest":

While law is very important, usually one "knows" who writes it. Roman Catholic canon law comes from mysterious sources ... no one really knows its author or authors. It is said to be "universal," yet there is good reason to suspect the author or authors are all male, mostly white and celibate, leaving out women, people of color and married persons. How can law be universal without the voices of such large groups of people being consulted?

Could it be that at least some of Roman Catholic canon law is invalid, especially when it addresses women, people of color and married persons? One-tenth of 1 percent of Roman Catholics are making rules and laws, with little or no input from the rest. Or, alas, could God have spoken, secretly, to them again?

REV. C. WILLIAM HAUSEN
Christ Hope Ecumenical Catholic Church
Avalon

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The biggest gamble

Regarding the front-page article by Chico Harlan on the subject of online gambling ("New Law May Break the Bank for Internet Gambling Industry," Oct. 23): To begin with, it is impossible to address the subject of online gambling without including a discussion of the largest online "casino" in the world -- the U.S. stock market, where billions of dollars are gambled every day on the speculative buying and selling of stocks and bonds. People in general and day traders can mortgage their homes, cars and everything they own and borrow "margin" money to gamble on the market.

The article states that the online poker industry is a $12 billion a year market. The online stock market does billions of dollars every day, and people are losing millions every day and going bankrupt. There is no restriction on this form of gambling because our illustrious politicians are directly or indirectly receiving financial reward from this activity.

The online poker industry failed to pay off the right people to be protected. I believe it is the responsibility of the media to print all the facts about a particular issue, in this case online gambling. I have gambled on online poker sites and have risked much more money in the stock market than I ever have on the poker sites. In closing, if the Post-Gazette really wants to address the issue of online gambling, it needs to include all available options.

BRIAN L. GREAVES
North Strabane

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Not the tax's name

I read Brian O'Neill's Oct. 22 column ("Mayor Gives Wrong Answer to $52 Question") and enjoyed it, but I noticed an error and would like to bring it to your attention.

He used the term "emergency medical services tax." That's incorrect. The name of the tax is the emergency municipal services tax.

Our ambulance service always has a problem with residents believing the same as you. At fund drive time, people are always calling and telling us that they already pay $52 a year for emergency services. However, the tax goes to local municipalities. Under a bill just passed by the state Senate, the name would change to "local services tax."

PAUL MARCOZ
Eastern Area Prehospital Services
Turtle Creek

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Rock-bottom Bush

So what else is new? In the Oct. 23 editorial "Lifting the Veil: Some Troubling Insight to White House Decisions," the PG wrote as if it were revealing something that the public has not known or at least guessed.

It is no secret that President Bush is arrogant, ignorant and lazy. He has also traded on his family name to make his way in life. There have been many books and opinions recent and going back to when he was governor of Texas stating this.

President Bush is a disaster. He will go down as the worst president we have had since President James Buchanan, 1857-61. And future events may rank him as the worst U.S. president ever.

FREDERICK J. ROKASKY
Green Tree

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New math

Let's see if I've got the math right. A terrorist group headquartered in Afghanistan destroys the World Trade Center in New York City, killing almost 3,000 Americans in the process. To get even, we invade a country that is not the source of the attack, killing almost 3,000 Americans in the process -- and counting. On the terrorist score sheet that's two for the price of one -- plus.

But, wait, there's more: To show the terrorists a thing or two, we get 15,000 to 20,000 Americans maimed physically and mentally, we drain our treasury and we stretch our military to the breaking point. Never mind the untold thousands of Iraqis killed and maimed and a country's entire infrastructure reduced to rubble. We're killing people right and left, but only a handful of Osama bin Laden's team get killed.

Boy, with returns on an investment like that, Osama should be on Wall Street.

CLARK McKOWEN
Ligonier

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Weakening the will

The terrorist's fifth column, consisting of the anti-American crowd, the anti-war people, a large number of Democrats and most of the mainstream media, has accepted its marching orders: Break the will of the American people to fight against terrorism in the Near East.

Their battle cry: Vote for the Democrats. And they are all hoping the Republicans stay home.

KEN RUZICH
O'Hara

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We need leaders like Melissa Hart in government

I am disappointed that the Post-Gazette has endorsed Jason Altmire over Melissa Hart in Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional District ("Altmire for Congress," Oct. 25). In fact, the PG did not "endorse" Jason Altmire but suggested that we vote against Melissa Hart.

The PG's decision was not based on Melissa Hart's record. Instead, it seems to me the PG wants us to vote against Melissa Hart because of her party affiliation (yes, she is a Republican).

I realize that the PG supports the Democratic agenda, but asking voters to disregard the results that Melissa Hart has generated for this region is inexcusable. She has worked hard to represent her constituents and to work with members of both parties to help Western Pennsylvania.

From helping seniors to health care to economic development to homeland security, Melissa Hart has been a leader in making positive change, and she deserves re-election. Washington needs more people like Melissa Hart, not fewer.

DONALD OSTERWISE
Kilbuck

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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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Many people need overtime pay

Let me begin by saying I am appalled at Joe Grata's article on Port Authority workers' salary and overtime pay ("Overtime Bedevils Port Authority," Oct. 14). What is wrong with people working overtime to make more money to support their families?

I don't think it's anyone else's business, and the fact that you printed their names is disgusting. If you have a problem or think there is a problem, notify the Port Authority. In this day and age where gas prices (they will increase again after the elections) are outrageous and the cost of living is rising, people have to work two or three jobs to make ends meet.

So if you can work one job and survive, what is wrong with working all the overtime you can? How do you know these are not single parents fending for themselves and their families? Look in the paper and see how many people are losing their houses to sheriff's sales.

If you want to pick on someone, go after the politicians who vote for their own pay raises in the late hours of the morning or fake a residence in our state so their kids can go to school for free. How about all the money and perks that are funneled to them by lobbyists? Go after the CEOs who make hundreds of thousands or even millions in bonuses each year.

Leave the hard-working, taxpaying citizens alone and go after those whose abuses put the rest of us deeper in the hole.

JEFF MEADER
Crafton Heights

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Disappointed in Hart

There is an important issue in the upcoming election in the 4th Congressional District between Melissa Hart and Jason Altmire.

I have discovered that many new Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs are not available at Veterans Affairs hospitals. Drugs available in the private sector do not reach our veterans for years after they are approved and sometimes never. This is not only a serious health issue for veterans but also a cost issue for the taxpayers, as many times better drugs eliminate or moderate long-term complications of debilitating illnesses like diabetes and cancer.

It is my belief that the Americans who serve us have earned the right to have the best our medical science can give them. So, I contacted Melissa Hart and offered to send her the facts on this issue, and she could act if appropriate. Unfortunately, she will not permit me to submit to her evidence on this issue. Consequently, I contacted Jason Altmire and he has pledged, if elected, to look at this issue if it could aid our veterans.

As a longtime advocate of Ms. Hart because of my perception (now flawed) that she supports our vets because she visits them, I am deeply disappointed in her and have decided to switch my vote to Mr. Altmire. I would ask other vets to consider doing the same, so we can ensure that our VA hospitals and treatment of our veterans are and will stay "cutting edge."

DENNIS McKEE
North Sewickley

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Why I don't like Santorum

I have disliked Sen. Rick Santorum ever since he took over Sen. John Heinz's Senate seat. I remember Teresa Heinz stating on television before the election that Rick Santorum was very, very arrogant and was nothing at all like her late husband, who was committed to the people and especially to senior citizens.

That was very gutsy of her, being a Republican at the time. Through the years I have heard ridiculous statements by Mr. Santorum, such as describing gay sex as part of a class of deviant sexual behavior that includes incest, polygamy and bestiality. He further states that consenting adults do not have a constitutional right to privacy with respect to sexual acts.

His book "It Takes a Family" shows a very arrogant, bigoted man who unfortunately was elected to one of the highest offices in the country. How he was ever elected is beyond me. He is not a nice man. He should not be our senator.

JEANI PIERCE
Mars

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