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PrintHighmark, give your customers a break
My family and I are subscribers to two different Highmark products here in the Pittsburgh area. So it is with great interest that I have read the Post-Gazette's current and previous articles on the proposed merger ("Top Pa. Health Insurers Merging," March 29).
My concerns are as follows: Not only will there be a potential monopoly (with all the concerns), but they will create an entity with a surplus of $4.6 billion and nontaxable income (as they are both nonprofits) of more than $600 million (based on the numbers in the March 29 PG).
I cannot speak to Independence Blue Cross' rate hike applications, but Highmark certainly applies for rate hikes on its various products almost annually. I find it somewhat humorous that Highmark states that it will not become a for-profit company. With its income and surplus, why would it?
If these companies want to make various commitments for use of their money for the public good, let them commit to not raising their rates for five years or something along those lines. Because, if their application for merger is approved without that caveat, you can bet that our monthly rates will go up.
LARRY GRUMET
Squirrel Hill
City controller race
I was disappointed to read the article stating that there are no elections of note ("Spring Primary Low-Profile: Peduto's Exit Leaves No High-Profile Races for City, County Offices," March 26). While I sadly agree that people may believe this, I would have hoped the author would have taken this opportunity to educate his readers that this is, in fact, not the case.
The city controller's race is of the utmost importance; this person will be in charge of watching over the finances of a city in financial peril. The next few years are critical as we try to get out of the terrible mess in which we find ourselves, and the future of our city is at stake.
With such a new mayor, one would hope that we would take notice that we are in desperate need of leadership and experience in other high-ranking public positions in the city, namely the controller's office. This is not to insinuate any lack of confidence in Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, but instead just to note that the newness of his position and, yes, his youth necessitate being surrounded by others who can add to his team and make his office a stronger one.
Michael Lamb brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, education and integrity to this race, and I hope that people will take notice and use their vote to ensure that we are carefully minding our dollars and cents in an ever critical time.
CATE REED
East Liberty
Protesters abused
Two busloads of Pittsburghers journeyed to Washington, D.C., on March 17 to oppose the war in Iraq. Our group of 100 included adults, college students, 10 high school students, a few grade-school children and several senior citizens. Our banner read, "Pittsburghers for Peace."
As we approached the Lincoln Memorial, I asked a police officer if we were heading in the right direction for the anti-war protest, and he said, "Yes." He did not warn us that we were heading directly into a counterdemonstration being held by Rolling Thunder.
We soon found ourselves surrounded by men and some women, clad in leather, with angry faces, calling us traitors, whores, queers, along with other profanities. They shoved members of our group in what felt like an attempt to provoke us. One man pulled a sign out of the hands of one of our high school students and tore it in half; another spit on a student. They would not permit us to pass. We peacefully turned around and walked the long way back along the reflecting pool to approach our protest site from another direction.
We were shaken but also shocked that anyone would treat us with such disrespect and inhumanity. We do not know whether all of the individuals whom we encountered were indeed veterans, but they were part of Rolling Thunder's counterdemonstration. We hope that veterans and veteran organizations would thoroughly investigate what happened March 17 and reprimand those who were responsible for these abuses.
THERESE J. STOKAN
McKeesport
Stop belittling Bush
I am amazed at the hatred spewed in Reg Henry's March 28 column, "The President Is One Privileged Executive," and, for that matter, the Post-Gazette in general, day after day.
I am a reasonably well-informed citizen, who changed my Democratic voter registration to Republican because the Republicans' beliefs and objectives regarding the major issues and their vision for our wonderful country were much closer to mine than those of the Democrats.
It was not because of some personal inane hatred for an individual or individuals. Among other things, the insinuation in the referenced piece that the "other side" referred to Bill Clinton as the "devil" is just another example of the deep-seated bias. Bill Clinton was called many things over the years, but I don't recall, ever, hearing him referred to as the "devil."
However, I did hear an enemy of the United States, Hugo Chavez, refer to our present president as the devil and later heard several pundits sympathizing with Mr. Chavez, a formidable enemy of the United States. How disrespectful to the president and to the country.
We should all be ashamed of ourselves -- the media for promulgating the continual character assassination and personal destruction, on both sides, that go on in the name of "politics," and we, the people, for allowing it to go on. Every president of this great country is "one privileged executive," and that's the way it should be.
JACKIE ROCCO
Monroeville
About Easter pets
This time of year it always saddens me when I go to the pet store and see baby rabbits crammed into crowded enclosures and offered for sale as "perfect Easter gifts."
Many of these unfortunate animals will wind up neglected, abused and/or in a shelter because the people who bought them did not take the time to research their care and consider carefully whether they would be able to offer it a good forever home.
Please, before bringing any pet home, research the animal's needs in terms of food, housing, behavioral characteristics and care required to be certain that you will be willing and able to provide the best possible home for the animal and that it will be the best possible "fit" for you and your family.
If it is to be a child's pet, consider carefully whether your child is responsible and mature enough to care for an animal gently and responsibly and whether you will have the time and inclination to supervise your child's interactions with the pet.
There is no such thing as a "starter" or "throwaway" pet. The so-called "pocket pets" such as rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, gerbils and mice are just as capable of suffering from abuse and neglect as any other animal and have just as much potential to add joy to the lives of the people who will love them and take good care of them.
DIANA BARBOUR
Upper St. Clair
Allegheny angst
They -- the irresponsible lunatics running this state -- now want to charge me a congestion fee for getting off the turnpike at my regular destination, and the county could jump on the bandwagon ("Onorato's Budget Relief May Be a $1 'Congestion Fee,' " March 25 "Getting Around" column). Wasn't an extra 1 percent sales tax enough? Wasn't requiring me to get my car's emissions tested just because I live in Allegheny County enough?
When will it stop? I know when -- when they force me to move out of this poorly run county. Maybe that's why Westinghouse is moving to Butler County, just so it won't have to put up with this nonsense.
And as for the public transit problem in this county, start with revamping the outrageous retirement and health-care packages that we have to fund. Any private corporation faced with the same predicament would go right for the jugular and eliminate all current and future golden parachutes.
I am sorry, but you people who voted for these jerks, from the governor on down, deserve what you get. Too bad I still have to pay the price even though I never voted for any of them. Let's see what other stupid ideas our leaders can come up with to yank some more money out of our pockets.
RICHARD J. COLARIC
North Versailles
It's time for us to rein in Iran
I read your March 28 editorial on Great Britain and Iran ("Tense Gulf: Britain and Iran Need to Work Out a Deal"), and it made me wonder why you are not condemning the Iranians for violating the Geneva Conventions.
When the Iranians first disclosed the coordinates of the seizure, it clearly put the boat in Iraqi waters. But regardless of the boat's location, the Iranians interrogated uniformed soldiers, paraded them on television and coerced confessions. All of these actions are explicitly forbidden by the Geneva Conventions. Don't make this out to be a discussion of an "honest disagreement."
Second, you claim matter-of-factly that Iran is not involved in the conflict in Iraq. Surely you cannot be blind to the fact that Iran supplies the insurgents with sophisticated explosive devices and that the five "diplomats" arrested are believed to have been engaged in terrorist activities. Work a deal indeed! How about reining in this outlaw nation instead?
PATRICK KELLY
Franklin Park
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