Gambling addiction is hardly a major problem

I continue to scan the articles in the Post-Gazette concerning opposition to the casinos in our region. I had to laugh aloud about the opposition due to the increase in "gambling" addiction ("No Plans Set for Treating Compulsive Gamblers," Nov. 26).

Please, give me a break. Have we stopped licensing bars and restaurants in our region because of the effects of alcohol-related accidents? Crime is on the rise because of drug-related incidents, yet crack houses flourish and the dealers roam the streets without a care in the world. The insurance industry has decreased reimbursement for inpatient treatment for drugs and alcohol, yet society does not address addiction problems the way they address gambling problems.

I have been a health-care worker for the last 16 years and I will tell you that I have never once seen a person in the emergency room for their gambling problems. The same cannot be said for alcohol and/or drugs. Come on, people -- if gaming is opposed, let's do it for the right reason, whatever that may be, but let's not bring addiction into the picture, when we have done nothing to help the still-suffering alcoholic and/or addict.

DAVID BEGLER
Forest Hills

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Parents, shape up

When is society going to start holding parents responsible for the decisions they make regarding their children? Your Nov. 25 editorial regarding junk food ads ("Junk Ads: Snack-Food Makers Curb Their Pitch to Kids") specifically list the main cause of children's obesity: their parents. Yet you choose to ignore it and instead lay the blame on others.

One sentence in your editorial -- "Kids see advertising promoting this product or that and pester their parents until Mom or Dad relents" -- says it all. It's not the manufacturer's responsibility to limit what a child eats, it's the parents' job. Yet everyone, including your paper, would rather ignore the pathetic job parents are doing and instead blame everyone else. If, as a parent, you are unable to say no to your child or to be the adult and limit their intake of unhealthy food, then maybe you shouldn't have children.

The biggest problem with our society is the lack of personal responsibility and the "blame everyone else for my bad choices" mentality. Wake up, parents -- if you can't handle the job of being a parent, don't blame everyone else. Quit letting them spend hours sitting in front of the TV or video game system. Buy food that you know is healthy and not just what your kids pester you to buy. Help them exercise or, at the very least, make them go outside and play.

It's your responsibility to protect them and keep them safe, and that includes their eating habits. Quit blaming everyone else for your bad parenting skills.

KENNETH SNEDDON
West Mifflin

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Enough Section 8

Regarding Amber Tuschak's Nov. 29 letter, "Make Section 8 More Attractive to Landlords": This city and county has entirely too much rental property under Section 8. The initial idea of this program was to assist the elderly and poor, through a combination of government and the private sector, in having a decent place to live. It is now used by men and women who abuse the welfare system. They don't use the aid to lift themselves from poverty, but instead garner substantial government aid and housing in nice neighborhoods without having to work their way into earning a home.

There should be a cap on how much a neighborhood, borough, city or county can use Section 8 housing. If you consistently place those who abuse the government's social programs in neighborhoods where families work tirelessly to own their own homes, that neighborhood -- such as the part of Brookline in which I live -- will never prosper. It will simply be transformed into a version of public housing.

All too often, after landlords turn to Section 8, rentals turn into dilapidated structures. They are ruined by neglect, drug use and disorderly tenants who have no roots in that particular neighborhood and have no vested interest in taking care of it.

Section 8 has its place. But it must be limited to ensure that the elderly and needy get the housing they need and that neighborhoods using it remain viable. It not intended to help out those who refuse to remove themselves from poverty.

FRANCESCO ROSATO JR.
Brookline

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Sign of the times

It was encouraging to read that the Port Authority deficit was substantially reduced by the very generous contract from UPMC for signs on the buses ("UPMC to Spend $1.1 Million on Bus, LRV Ads," Oct. 2). They will undoubtedly extol the virtues of UPMC, as opposed to the inferiority of the other guys.

I am sure they hope this will increase the very meager profits they already enjoy. We should all be proud that some of our staggering health-care premiums go to support such a noble cause.

JOHN B. MALLON
McCandless

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Boost recycling

I applaud the progressive and environmentally responsible steps being taken towards a "greener Pittsburgh," such as leadership in green building design and better land usage ("It's Getting Much Easier to Be Green in Pittsburgh," Nov. 26). I'm shocked, however, at how far behind the times the city is in terms of its recycling program.

I am a newcomer to Pittsburgh. I am also a child of the 1980s, when the recycling revolution began. I come from a state which has had a bottle and can deposit program for nearly 25 years. I was stunned to find that Pittsburgh has no such program. I also find the recycling program confusing and inconvenient. Curbside recycling will recycle newspapers, glass, plastic and aluminum, but not mixed paper, Styrofoam or corrugated cardboard. Recycling centers have inconvenient hours for those who work during the day.

The Pittsburgh Public Works Web site states that "recycling is mandatory for every resident, business, office and institution in the city of Pittsburgh." Where is the evidence of this? While a citywide program does exist, it is clear to me that an incredible number of residents, businesses and institutions either do not know about it or do not understand how to execute it. Where are the convenient receptacles labeled "glass" "paper" and "plastic"? Recycling bins should be as common a sight as trash cans.

It's not enough to say that something is "mandatory." The population must be educated about the program and then systems must be in place to make it convenient and simple for everyone to implement. Recycling must become a part of our daily lives in order to have a real impact.

STEPHANIE KLUTER RAEL
Point Breeze

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A fan's notes

I just returned from my first visit to Pittsburgh. My family and I fell in love with your beautiful city and its people.

We were in town for the football game between our University of Louisville Cardinals and your Pitt Panthers at Heinz Field. We walked and ate along Carson Street, took the incline and toured the Downtown area. Everywhere we went, folks stopped us to talk about the game, where to go and how terrible the turf is at Heinz Field. On game day, our kids (11 and 14) had a ball doing some good-natured trash talking with the guys behind us in Section 106. They gave us a great suggestion on where to eat with the kids. And Heinz Field (other than the turf) is the nicest stadium we've ever been in. All in all, a terrific weekend in a beautiful city.

We'll be back, maybe for a Pirates game and a trip to the Carnegie Science Center and UPMC SportsWorks. I hope Pitt fans find my city and fellow Louisvillians as hospitable when the Panthers visit us next year. Thanks, Pittsburgh!

MARK HEBERT
Louisville, Ky.

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Jesse Jackson can't simply 'ban' a vile word

While I don't condone comedian Michael Richards' use of the N-word, or the use of the word by anyone, I think Jesse Jackson is out of line suggesting that the word should be banned from film and all entertainment ("The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful" celebrity news, Nov. 29). Banning an offensive word? Doesn't that smack of Nazism? Come on, people. This whole political correctness issue has gone way too far.

It wouldn't bother me if I never heard the N-word again ... nor other offensive words that are used commonly by many people in everyday life. Just walking through the local mall is enough to make my ears burn and my blood boil. But everyone should take responsibility and curb their tongues without the use of legislation, if this is indeed what the Rev. Jackson is promoting. People say ugly things. Sometimes they mean it, sometimes they don't. Either way, it's their responsibility to apologize and -- hey, here's something novel -- take the consequences for their actions.

The Rev. Jackson should be more understanding. He made his own faux pas years ago when he referred to New York as "Hymietown." No one suggested banning that word, though I admit it might be a different situation now.

This episode makes me think of Clint Eastwood's recent comment regarding American society. To paraphrase, he said that we're living in a kindergarten these days. People act like little kids, with everyone blaming everyone else and running to the "teacher" when they get their feelings hurt.

DONNA CASTOR
West Mifflin