Think about those hurt by this drug dealer

Regarding "Politicos Rallied for Drug Dealer: Woods, Gigliotti, Ferlo Urged Judge to Go Easy on City Hall Coke Peddler" (Feb. 15): My, oh my, what would we do without reporters? Thank you, Post-Gazette. Had you not demanded to see the letters that were written on behalf of a drug dealer, we might even vote again for Judge Donna Jo McDaniel and Sen. Jim Ferlo.

Mr. Ferlo should have been looking beyond Gilbert Martinez's family and thought about the other families whose members were obviously addicts; Mr. Martinez, a supervisor in the city controller's office, not only fed that addiction but was making money at the same time.

As for Ben Woods, how dare he say that Mr. Martinez panicked and that is why he fled. He didn't seem to panic or get anxious when he was drug dealing from his office. He had a steady, good-paying job that a lot of citizens who are qualified would like to have. Keep up the good work, Post-Gazette.

LORRAINE LAU
Kennedy

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This is no scandal

"Politicos Rallied for Drug Dealer" (Feb. 15) is a sensationalized headline scribed for the purpose of embarrassing three politicians. One of these public servants, Jim Ferlo, is not surrounded by any scandal and has shown exceptional political courage as a member of City Council and in the state Senate. Your attempt to create a scandal reveals that your editors and reporters are incapable or unwilling to do their real jobs -- investigate.

The United States has more of its citizens in prison and more people per capita in prison than any other country. One out of every 150 people in this country is in prison. Since 1980, violent crime has remained steady. The explosion in prison population is a result of harsher sentencing primarily for nonviolent crimes. Less than 10 percent of cases go to trial. Armed with the specter of decades in jail, aggressive prosecutors craft the evidence and intimidate the accused into pleading guilty.

The Second Chance Act, which floundered in the previous Congress, should be reintroduced this year. It would help to educate inmates, enhance rehabilitation, lower recidivism and return less resentful people into society. Will the Post-Gazette investigate the horrendous situation our justice system is in or ask Sen. Arlen Specter if he plans to reintroduce the Second Chance Act?

Perhaps Sen. Ferlo's letter is news and certainly some sentences given for crimes are appropriate. However, the PG has failed to include the facts about the vindictive punishment that is often handed down. The real scandal is that the Post-Gazette consistently chooses sensationalism over information.

BILLY HILEMAN
Lawrenceville

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Single-issue treason

The anti-abortion proponents gave their votes to the politicians who promised to chip away at abortion rights, and that gave us President George W. Bush and a Congress subservient to his wishes. As a consequence, we find ourselves faced with -- among other things -- involvement in Iraq, a national debt that will take generations to correct, major environmental damage, a loss in national prestige and the movement of money from us to the already disgustingly rich.

There was, however, no movement on the matter of abortion. Those who voted for Mr. Bush and company should have realized that would be so; that matter will never be settled.

As long as abortion is a major issue, and as long as politicians can rely on votes based on their stated opposition to abortion, they will keep the issue alive. If it were to be settled, they would lose a block of votes they count on to put them into office. They will, therefore, take steps so that never happens.

Whatever your stand in regard to abortion, I respect it. But I respect this country even more. So I regard any focus on a single issue at the expense of the welfare of our nation as a whole as treason, and I watch helplessly as it destroys us.

PAUL A. ALTER
Wilkinsburg

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Humor and beauty

Dan Simpson's column "Trivial Stories That Maybe We Need" (Feb. 14) is spot on! Not only might trivia be a necessary diversion from stories of serious disasters, but also the humor of your cartoonist (the too much maligned Rob Rogers) is a preserver of sanity.

But that's not all: The art of your illustrators is also to be applauded, as it also is palliative. There is beauty in the drawings of Stacy Innerst (as on the Feb. 14 "Class Act" cover) and humor in Daniel Marsula's drawings (see the Feb. 14 front page and C-1 Magazine illustrations). Past drawings of Anita Dufalla, with their whimsy and wit, also add much to the articles they illustrate and to our pleasure as well. Thank you all!

PAULA MATHIESON
Mount Washington

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Protecting our forest

A PG editorial stated, "There is plenty of room in [the] Allegheny National [Forest] for responsible commercial interests to operate alongside strong conservation. It begins by designating a healthy amount of the most pristine areas as wilderness" ("Keep It Real," Jan. 30).

First, there are 200,000 acres of private land within the Allegheny National Forest for commercial interests. There's no need to access the Allegheny for these purposes. Second, the Allegheny Defense Project supports additional wilderness in the Allegheny. Designating these areas as wilderness, however, is not guaranteeing their protection. Ninety-three percent of the mineral rights are privately owned and oil companies are carving roads in the Allegheny every day to drill new wells. Recent evidence suggests that "responsible commercial interests" are not conducting this drilling. The Forest Service has actually encouraged visitors to go to other national forests for recreation because of the current oil boom.

One oil company has proposed drilling in the Allegheny Front National Recreation Area, a protected roadless area that citizen groups proposed for wilderness. New wells are planned in other proposed wilderness areas on the Allegheny. Designating a few more wilderness areas without addressing the mineral rights issue is the equivalent of putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound.

Allegheny Defense Project will continue working to protect areas that exhibit wilderness characteristics from being exploited by this oil boom. We will also strive to protect other sensitive and important wildlife and watershed areas from logging and drilling. Pennsylvania's only national forest deserves no less.

CATHY PEDLER
Board Member
Allegheny Defense Project
Erie

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No common sense

Stuck on an interstate highway for 22 hours in single-digit temperatures ("Rendell Irate About Interstate 78 Gridlock," Feb. 17). Stuck in an airplane on the tarmac for five hours or longer in a snowstorm ("Stranded Travelers Have Little Recourse," Feb. 16). Why are people afraid to make timely, common-sense decisions?

PennDOT should have closed the interstate in both directions, sent heavy equipment on the treated and unblocked side of the highway and removed Jersey barriers every five miles, allowing the vehicles to vacate the highway on the unblocked side.

In the JetBlue incident, the pilot should have ordered a passenger demarcation ramp after it was evident that there would be no takeoff. These are simple, common sense solutions that should have been taken.

ROB PAINTER
McCandless

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This kind of peace is hardly reason for celebration

The headlines screamed in large, bold type what the weary world has long awaited -- "Palestinians Make Peace" (Feb. 9). The specter of peace has long been a tantalizing apparition in the battered "Holy Land." Seeing it in print doesn't make pigs fly, but at least it appeared a hopeful start.

But wait, folks, we're not talking about Palestinian peace with the people they have long vowed to destroy -- the Israelis. This is about rival Palestinian factions just agreeing to stop killing each other for now. Peaceful co-existence with Israel remains a distant illusion.

Polls indicate that more than 90 percent of the Palestinian people feel their only solution is not just a state for themselves, but ultimately, the destruction of Israel. Although the Palestinian Authority may feign some effort at political accommodation, the primary agenda of Hamas, the elected "will of the people," remains to destroy Israel. Hamas has repeatedly told us, and demonstrated by brutal action, they are nothing more than armed goons, whether targeting fellow Palestinians or despised Israelis. Remember, Hitler's brown-shirted storm troopers engaged in the same style of "politics."

What's wrong here? The world rejoices simply that Palestinians agree not to visit mayhem on each other? What drives this international travesty? Is hostility toward the Jewish state so pervasive that reasonable people cannot see through the charade of what has become acceptable as a legitimate Palestinian government?

Weary as we are of war, let us not wait breathlessly for the next announcement of peace from Hamas.

GERALD P. KRUTH
Squirrel Hill

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