Stop trying to find fault with the mayor

Honestly, I would like to ask every person who has issues with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl ("Mayor's Foes Say Golf Outing an Ethics Bogey," July 6; "Slow Learner," July 6 editorial) to ask themselves this question: "What would I have done?" I feel that no matter what he does or what he says someone will fault him. Maybe they are jealous of what he has accomplished in his young life that some cannot and will not ever achieve.

What is he actually guilty of? Golfing, going on a trip to New York? Wow, wouldn't it be nice if all the politicians were that crooked?

My only advice to him would be ... lay everything out on the table; if people have something to say, then so be it -- at least they can't mix anything up. If they don't like it, then oh well.

We need younger people to keep this city going in the right direction. Keep up the good job, Luke.

C. ENGLERT
Overbrook

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Good for the city

In response to the public issue of whether Mayor Luke Ravenstahl should have played in the Mario Lemieux Celebrity Invitational, let it be known that he is not the first public official to play in the event. When it was held at Nevillewood, Rick Santorum took part in the festivities and, ironically, Bob O'Connor was in the foursome as well. I didn't hear a peep then.

Furthermore, it should be considered good PR to have the mayor participate in such events; look at him as though he is the CEO of the city -- and is doing the diplomatic thing by spending time with his customers away from the office. I play golf with customers all the time; it's good for business, folks.

As a young professional born, raised and educated in Pittsburgh, I find it pleasing to have someone who is willing to be as active as Luke Ravenstahl as our mayor.

DAVE PAOLICELLI
South Side

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Dense defenders

I read the editorial regarding Luke Ravenstahl and the $27,000 golf game he attended while the women of this city were asking for an audience from the administration regarding an important subject ... the promotion of policemen who had a past history of domestic violence ("Slow Learner," July 6).

I loved the editorial. It assuaged my rage a little bit. But there is really a bigger issue here: the people of Pittsburgh.

A great number of the people in Pittsburgh are not smart. They are the most dense people I have ever seen. I am not from here and have been here a year or so. They don't care what their "baby mayor" does. They keep repeating the phrase "give the kid a chance." What is wrong with these people? It is like they have been hypnotized and, just like "Stepford wives," repeat this mantra. The mayor blames everyone but his mother for picking on him. He blames Bill Peduto, "yellow journalism" and Republican mayoral candidate Mark DeSantis for his woes. I am sure there are some intelligent people here, but I fear they are in the minority!

Mayor Ravenstahl should grow up and be a man and take the consequences of his behavior instead of whining and crying like a baby. And the people of Pittsburgh had better wake up. This little baby is going to lead them into bankruptcy. They deserve it.

PATRICIA MORAN
Point Breeze

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Give it a rest

Why doesn't everyone stop scrutinizing the mayor? Every move he makes is talked about in the newspapers and on the radio.

If Mayor Luke Ravenstahl were in his 40s or 50s would he receive so much criticism as he does by being a young mayor in his 20s?

Let him do his job. When it comes down to it, many people are envious of his attaining this position at such a young age.

When Mayor Ravenstahl was on City Council, it was the other council members who voted him to be president, and they all knew that if anything happened to the mayor (and sadly it did) Mr. Ravenstahl would be next in line. Obviously, they thought he was qualified then.

Give it a rest already. Let's talk about other news that is more important than whether Mayor Ravenstahl is at a golf outing, in New York with David Letterman or there having dinner with someone. Who cares? Let him do his job.

Talk about Gov. Ed Rendell not keeping his promises. Let's give him a report card and see how well he fares.

Even though I do not live in the city, Mayor Ravenstahl has my utmost confidence, as well as that of my friends who do live in the city.

PATRICIA RODZAY
McCandless

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Not so free

Kudos for UPMC ("UPMC Draws Up Severe Code on Freebies," July 2). In 20 years of working for doctors, I have personally seen how the drug reps come to the office daily and bring lunch for the staff. Those "free" samples are given to the patients, expecting the doc to write a prescription for it.

What they don't tell the patients is that when they fill their new drug prescription, it costs three times as much as a not-advertised, no-sample-given drug (in my case, an inhaler). This is a multibillion-dollar industry. "Free" lunches and samples are cheap if you get the doc to write a scrip for it.

You get a handshake at the front door and a kick in the butt at the back door.

C. HUTSON
West Mifflin

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Colleges as neighbors

As neighbors of Carnegie Mellon University, we are pleased to read about Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Duquesne University working together to curb students' off-campus bad behavior ("Colleges Urged to Police Off-Campus Students," July 4). Thank you, Mayor Ravenstahl, for setting up an advisory committee to help students and residents live together on the South Side amicably and respectfully. And thank you, Duquesne University, for stepping outside your campus boundaries and realizing your inherent responsibility for your students no matter where they live.

The colleges and universities in Pittsburgh bring many students into our city, fuel our economy and give us an acknowledged level of gravitas. Pittsburgh also is known for close-knit neighborhoods where being respectful and considerate of each other is a way of life.

More than 40 percent of the single-family homes on Beeler Street, near Carnegie Mellon University, have been converted to rental units mostly occupied by students. Unfortunately, many of these students have exhibited un-neighborly rowdy, noisy, inappropriate and disrespectful behavior. Over the past six years, the Beeler Street Association has worked with our city councilman, police commander, a few landlords and Carnegie Mellon to help keep the parties and unacceptable behavior to a minimum.

With vigilance and persistence, we have had minor successes. But we fear that student behavior will not change without a requirement from the university for accountability.

We hope that Carnegie Mellon policy-makers will join those at Duquesne in taking responsibility for all their students, on and off campus.

BARBARA GRIFFIN
JANEY ZEILINGER CLARK
Beeler Street Association
Squirrel Hill

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'Livable' for whom?

I read the article addressing the high poverty rate among African Americans in Pittsburgh ("Poverty Worst Here for Black Residents," June 27). I'm amazed that Pittsburgh is rated the most livable city when the poverty rate is so high among a large portion of our city's population. How did we obtain this rating, for whom is it most livable and what is the rating based on?

ANITA THOMAS
Lawrenceville

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Don't mess with this arts and culture success

Good for VisitPittsburgh Chairman Jeffrey Letwin for recognizing that taking funding for arts and cultural organizations and giving it to the county tourism agency doesn't make sense ("Tourism Agency: We Didn't Ask for Tax Shift," July 3).

In the Arts & Economic Prosperity III Study we released last month, Allegheny County's findings revealed a $341 million economic impact from nonprofit arts and culture industry spending. The study also revealed an average expenditure of $34.49 per person from outside the county, per event, in addition to the cost of admission -- nearly twice as much as the $17.45 spent by Allegheny County residents.

Arts and culture are magnets for tourists, and tourism research repeatedly shows that cultural travelers stay longer and spend more. An investment in the arts clearly brings greater economic rewards in attracting cultural tourists and helping local businesses thrive.

It sounds like the Allegheny Regional Asset District formula works in giving half of the money raised each year to cultural assets -- why mess with a good thing?

ROBERT L. LYNCH
President and CEO
Americans for the Arts
Washington, D.C.

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