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PrintThis cash belongs to the people, so use it for transit
In your March 27 editorial "Transit Solution," you called for state action to alleviate the transit funding crisis. "State action" normally translates into a hand in the taxpayers' collective pocket, which is never a happy outcome.
Here's a better, albeit temporary, solution. The Legislature controls several hundred million dollars, both in money it spends on itself for those outrageous and potentially unconstitutional perks and the nine-figure rainy day fund it holds in the event it doesn't get paid some day due to the lack of a budget. Since all of those funds belong to the taxpayers and not the Harrisburg royalty, let's put that money to use for the people who need it the most: the overstressed, underserved transit riders.
While the authorities try to reconfigure public transportation into something that actually serves the customers, let's use all that money stored in Harrisburg for a useful purpose without another raid on the public purse. If Gov. Ed Rendell can give away our money for private enterprise, how about a small contribution for a definite, public purpose?
CHARLES DAVIS
Monroeville
Turnpike wizardry
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission's counterproposal to expand its sphere of influence is certainly a gutsy attempt to circumvent the governor's proposed reduction of its authority ("Alternate to Leasing Turnpike Unveiled," March 21). Why are both sides so fixated on offering such complicated solutions for such a simple problem?
One side wants to reassign the responsibility of accountability to a private "for profit" team of professionals. The other side wants to expand its chaos by strangling turnpike commuters looking to save a buck by exiting and using local side roads and by penalizing Interstate 80 truckers for avoiding one of the worst highways in America.
How did the turnpike commission evolve into such a money-losing autocracy looking to expand its enabling revenue bucket of nepotism and assorted favoritism? More interestingly, why would some private "for profit" organization of responsible financial accountability be so willing to trade $10 billion to assume such a fiasco, unless the mismanagement wasn't so obvious?
A less jagged approach might be to benchmark the current condition of the turnpike, while formulating "wish lists" for future upgrades. Reassign the turnpike workers to the "autocracy experts" at PennDOT and award supervision of the turnpike on a bid basis to a "for profit" team of managers. Revenues originated by organizational steamlining can be split between PennDOT to fund future improvements and the "for profit" management team of supervisors. This approach of financial management responsibility should shine the light of accountability into places previously unimagined by the political "horse trading" regimes of old.
DON BINDAS
Franklin Park
There to protect
With regard to the April 3 letter by Therese J. Stokan ("Protesters Abused") regarding the protest in Washington, D.C., on March 17: We were there to show that veterans, members of Rolling Thunder and members of the general public care about this country.
What this lady failed to include in her letter was that on Friday, March 16, 200 protesters, not members of Rolling Thunder, but people with her viewpoint, were arrested for failure to disperse at the White House and that for the first time in 20 years a metal detection device was at the entrance to the Wall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Why? Because at a previous protest, anti-war protesters spray-painted the Capitol steps.
The counterdemonstration on March 17 was held to protect the Wall. That memorial is the final tribute to American heroes, and no one, even if using their right to free speech and to demonstrate, will ever be allowed in any way to desecrate it.
So please, Ms. Stokan, get all your facts straight and tell the whole story about what went on in Washington, D.C.
RAY L. SOMMER
Vice President
Rolling Thunder Chapter 4
West Mifflin
Yes, why the silence?
Alexis de Tocqueville, in his "Democracy in America," noted the power of fads in America. We see this in Congress, which mirrors public opinion. One would have thought that all objections to the war in Iraq would have been voiced by now. Actually this has not been the case.
There has been little discussion of the morality of the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq. It was not justifiable by any concept of international law or justice. Not one member of Congress has pointed this out. America's self-image seems to make it immune to such criticism.
Nicholas D. Kristof's March 20 column ("The Israel Silence") addresses another American fad. Israel seems to be sacrosanct and criticism of it is silent. There may be less criticism of Israel in America than in Israel itself.
Recently, former President Jimmy Carter wrote a book describing "apartheid" in occupied Israel, for which he has been roundly criticized. He presents a strong case that the Arabs in Israeli-controlled areas are discriminated against. Surely in a thorough debate on the Middle East, Israeli policies, most of which are supported by America, must be critiqued, or we may commit another error.
It is curious that there was little criticism or even discussion of the rationale of the relentless bombings by the Israeli army last fall in Lebanon. Was there any mention of possible American help for the innocent suffering? I don't remember any.
MONTO HO
Upper St. Clair
Self-inflicted woes
I wish to reply to Nicholas D. Kristof's March 20 column. His one-sided, blame-Israel approach in the Middle East completely exempts the Palestinians from any responsibility for their own actions. He disregards all the long history of Palestinian rejection of peaceful compromises with Israel from 1948 to the present and ignores the many measures, including territorial concessions, taken by Israel to end the conflict.
Mr. Kristof ignores the fact that American citizens are, on the whole, supportive of Israel because of shared American and Israeli interests, first and foremost of which is democracy. He is silent on the strategic value to the United States of a strong Israel. He does not mention that Israel saved U.S. ally Jordan from a PLO-Syrian invasion in 1970. He is silent on Israeli intelligence coups in acquiring both a MIG-21 and a MIG-23 during the Cold War and the invaluable access the United States was given to those Soviet-built jets. Mr. Kristof does not talk about Israel's destruction of a nuclear weapons plant being built. These nuclear weapons that Iraq could have built might have been used against American troops in the war in Iraq.
To promote the nutty idea that the troubles of the Arab world are rooted in the Palestinian misfortune is silly. The Arabs blame their troubles on Israel rather than themselves.
RICHARD MOTTSMAN
Mt. Lebanon
Political opportunists
So a few politicians decided to drop out of their respective races recently. First, Bill Peduto drops from the mayoral race, saying he won't run a negative campaign, which is what the voters seem to want. But he may run as an independent in November ("Peduto to Keep Options Open Come Fall," March 24)? He knew he had no chance of winning a Democratic primary. So Mr. Peduto lets us know it's OK to be a traitor to your party, if it serves some personal gain.
Theresa Colaizzi decides to drop from the City Council race because she wants to finish what she started as a school board member. Then she says she's back in for City Council if Doug Shields wins for city controller and a special election is needed ("Colaizzi Drops Out," March 23). So she wants to finish what she started on the school board when she has no chance of winning the City Council election, but doesn't want to finish if she has a chance to win? They're both nothing but political opportunists.
SHAWN RUA
Edgewood
The county has gone too far with this penalty for bingo smoking
Let me get this straight: The Allegheny County Health Department, which complained about its budget problems last fall, has the time and resources to brutally penalize a fraternal organization running a bingo game, just because it politely allows its guests to smoke ("South Side Bingo Fined $16,250 Over Smoking," March 29)?
Sounds like the power-mad health department head, Bruce Dixon, really has no clue. It is also appalling that the department is using Soviet-bloc tactics like encouraging informants to police this ban.
Here's an idea: let's transfer the health department budget to the Port Authority: If we can't get respect for private property, we can at least have bus service.
MICHAEL PLITTMAN
Greenfield
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