An appeal will provide assessment guidance

I disagree with Carnegie Mellon University professor Robert P. Strauss' criticism in the June 10 Forum section ("A Fork in the Road") of the Allegheny County chief executive's decision to appeal an Allegheny County judge's decision finding the county's "base-year" method of realty tax assessment unconstitutional.

The judge's opinion expressly finds it in "the public interest" to delay any relief until just such an appeal (page v of the opinion summary, and pp. 91-92 of the opinion). One reason he gives, in sum, is that since he found a statewide statute to be unconstitutional, and since other counties using the same state-authorized base-year method impose realty assessments that are even less uniform than Allegheny's, the final word on the issue should come from the state Supreme Court. The second such reason is that the General Assembly needs time to consider whether -- and if so, how -- to change the state law in question.

Other good reasons can be given for appealing, but not within the 250-word limit on these letters.

Whether the professor is right or wrong on whether an appeal should be taken, his language is intemperate, in characterizing the decision to appeal variously as taking "the low road," opposing "fairness," "embarrassing" and "political shucking and jiving." While there is certainly a need for informed and responsible debate on how to improve the county's real estate taxation system, that need is not met by bombastic exaggerations, or nasty name-calling, in total ignorance of the other side of an issue.

CHARLES R. BRAUN
Squirrel Hill

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Firing up fear

Mr. Kelly, are you seriously saying that because John Edwards is a Democrat he can't see the dangers posed by terrorists ("Blind to the Threat," June 10 Jack Kelly column)? Do you believe that by spreading that lie and by using the fear aroused by your lie that you are helping in the war on terror?

You, sir, are a demagogue. You bypass reasonable debate and stoke the fires of fear for your own personal gain. And you continue to pound the nail of fear into the timber of the American public until you are splitting the wood, and the nails, long since bent and broken, no longer a support too but a danger to any thoughtful remodeler.

History is cyclic, Mr. Kelly. The cycle of fear-mongering, reactionary neocons is coming to an end. I am hopeful that writers like you will recognize that your ideas are vital to the health of our culture, and stop using your considerable talents to divide with fear, but instead unite by vigorous, but civil, debate.

THOMAS DOUGHERTY
Ambridge

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SEPTA mythology

It seems whenever the subject of transit funding is raised in Harrisburg there is a small but boisterous chorus insisting "that transit agencies -- SEPTA in particular -- get more 'efficient' in their operations, meaning trim workers and lesser-used routes -- before more state money is approved" ("There's Little Chance of More State Aid for Transit Systems," June 10). This myth simply will not die.

SEPTA has been subjected to more than a dozen audits in recent years, including one by the Pennsylvania Transportation Funding and Reform Commission. All have come to similar conclusions. The most recent audit by the highly regarded Economy League of Greater Philadelphia, directly addressed the question of SEPTA's efficiency:

SEPTA operates at a level of efficiency that ranks among the top performing systems in the United States

SEPTA has responded to increasing shortfalls by improving operational efficiency. Over the past decade, SEPTA has strategically reduced employee head-count while at the same time increasing worker productivity.

SEPTA has maintained this comparatively high level of operational efficiency despite being asked to serve more people over a larger area.

While increased expenses (health care, fuel) have contributed to SEPTA's operating budget shortfalls, they have played a relatively small role. Rather, the biggest culprit has been lagging growth in dedicated funds, which have failed to meet even modest projections.

At 41.9 percent, SEPTA had the highest ratio of fare receipts to operating expenses of any major transit system in the country (outside the New York metropolitan area.) The full Economy League report is available at www.economyleague.org.

Some myths simply will not die -- especially if they are convenient to perpetuate a political bias.

RICHARD MALONEY
Director of Public Affairs
SEPTA
Philadelphia

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Anti-choice abuse

I am unfortunately familiar with anti-choice "clinics" like that in "The Exorcists" (June 10 Forum). These anti-choice offices will open their doors in the same location a pro-choice clinic once stood. They will go so far as to keep the same phone number as the pro-choice clinic. They will attempt to advertise themselves under similar names as pro-choice clinics. They will mislead women to think they still are an abortion provider, prolong the length of time before she can come in for an appointment, then lure her into their offices to preach anti-choice propaganda. They will walk the line of fraud, and no one bats an eye.

As the director of counseling for Planned Parenthood/Women's Health Services, I have seen the results of such tactics. These are my clients who are later in their pregnancies because their appointment-making process has been delayed by such "clinics." They are my clients who need additional help coping after an abortion, because when they called one of these anti-choice clinics to talk about their feelings, they were shamed and blamed instead of listened to and supported.

As the director of counseling at Planned Parenthood/Women's Health Services I can attest to 34 years of providing accurate information regarding all options. Professionally trained master-level counselors are available to provide women with professional counseling and accurate, research-based information -- not opinion -- so women may feel empowered to make the best decision for themselves.

However, if one day my clinic closes, and an anti-choice office opens where mine stood, will you notice?

CASEY SILL
Director of Counseling
Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania
Downtown

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Kids of gay parents

I applaud Mackenzie Carpenter's June 10 article focused on the interesting topic, but moot controversy, over gay parenting ("What Happens to Kids Raised by Gay Parents?"). As a psychologist and researcher who works with teenagers, I have seen firsthand how destructive discrimination against gays and lesbians can be.

I find it most fascinating that despite the teasing and bullying these kids endure due to their family structure, the vast majority of the research supports the notion that they are just as healthy and happy as children who live in traditional households.

This says to me that they are particularly well-raised and, with the help of their parents, have developed particularly good coping skills to combat the stressors of discrimination and hate.

MICHAEL P. MARSHAL, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
University of Pittsburgh
Oakland

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Let's leave Andrew Mellon's economic ideas well in the past

In "The Next Page" Amity Shlaes gave Andrew Mellon credit for "understanding the Depression" ("Andrew Mellon, Still Ahead of His Time," June 10). Mellon advocated leaving the economy alone to "right itself." Politicians may say they advocate this "laissez-faire" approach to economics. But they do not really believe in it, and no modern economy is run this way.

The problem with the "let it alone" theory is that it does not take into account the effects of increased productivity. When productivity increases, as it did during the boom of the 1920s, the number of workers needed to make something declines. Since the same number of people want jobs, unemployment increases and wages decrease. Fewer jobs and lower wages lead to less demand, so even fewer workers are needed. The result is a boom-bust cycle -- the economy oscillates up and down like a yo-yo. These cycles happened again and again during the Industrial Age; the Great Depression is only the most famous and recent.

The solution to this problem was to raise the wages and social benefits of the workers as their productivity increased. Government regulations like the minimum wage and unions both played a role here. This increased wealth in the hands of workers increases demand, so that the same number of workers are needed and unemployment does not rise.

No one these days would imitate Mellon by wearing a top hat and frock coat. No one should adopt his ideas on economics, either.

JON WEBB
Squirrel Hill

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