What's unconscionable is the condition of buses

On Aug. 7, I had the displeasure of riding a bus into Downtown that leaked water profusely from the ceiling. On Aug. 8, the bus I took into Downtown had no air conditioning and stalled periodically when the driver stopped to pick up passengers. In addition, none of the windows would open. It was 7:10 a.m., the temperature outside was already 79 degrees with a humidity of 78 percent.

While perusing post-gazette.com on Aug. 8, I came across the article "Transit Chief Got Padded Pension." I was sickened to read that the former CEO of the Port Authority is suing his former employer because his monthly pension check was reduced from $9,066 a month to $5,947.05. To put this in perspective, he went from getting $108,792 to $71,364.60 per year.

That doesn't include his paycheck from Parsons Brinckerhoff, an international engineering firm, where he is a senior vice president. According to Mr. Skoutelas' attorney, Eric Stoltenberg, the Port Authority's actions are "unconscionable."

What's unconscionable is that the people who rely on public transportation are subjected to conditions that are completely unacceptable. Why even put these buses into service? There is nothing worse than boarding a bus at 6:55 a.m. on a hot, muggy morning for a 20-minute ride into Downtown where you have a variety of bodily scents and no way to provide adequate ventilation.

I think Mr. Skoutelas should be grateful for what he does have and not what he doesn't have.

THERESA PETROCELLY
Stowe

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More than enough

Every resident of Allegheny County (especially those who rely on public transportation) should plan and participate in a countywide "pity party" for Paul Skoutelas, former CEO of the Port Authority. We all feel his financial pain at the loss of $3,000 per month in pension benefits from the original amount of $9,066 per month ("Skoutelas Sues Port Authority on Pension," Aug. 7).

Mr. Skoutelas needs to get a life and realize what it is like for the average person to live day to day -- receiving more than $5,900 per month would make a hell of a difference to the majority of us!

ANNA MARIE CASTROVILLARI
Beechview

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Key to expansion

If it is prudent for an individual to plan for his or her future, isn't it also prudent for the Port Authority to plan for future extensions of its light-rail system?

The light-rail tunnel under the Allegheny River is not an end to itself, but the key for possible future expansions of the light-rail system to the west along the Ohio River Boulevard corridor, to the north along the East Street Valley corridor and to the northeast along the Route 28 corridor. The light-rail tunnel is the key to these possible future expansions. If the tunnel is not in place, the costs of these possible light-rail extensions will be so high it will be difficult to fund them.

The naysayers argued against the Downtown subway, a project the worth of which is self-evident.

We must make mass public transit more effective and not less efficient.

When it banned buses from traveling through Market Square, the city of Pittsburgh compelled bus riders to travel about a half mile to reach a destination about a block away. Trucks are permitted to make deliveries of freight along Forbes between Wood Street and Stanwix Street, but buses are not permitted to make deliveries of people in that same block.

JOHN D. WEINHOLD
Beechview

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Beyond 'one man'

I guess the hardest facts for some, such as letter writer Richard J. Colaric ("So Much Damage," Aug. 7), to acknowledge are that it was Muslim terrorists -- not George W. Bush -- who bombed the twin towers in New York in 1993, bombed the USS Cole, blew up the U.S. Marine barracks in Lebanon, flew planes into the twin towers and Pentagon on 9/11 and are responsible for the deaths and wounding of U.S. servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The U.S. "invasion" of these countries was not the action of "one man" (Mr. Colaric's words), but that of the president of the United States and the U.S. Congress, which authorized it. "One man" could not have done it.

Despite Mr. Colaric's contention, the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. government worked together to put into action the words of Sens. Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Tom Daschle and Jay Rockefeller that called for the removal of Saddam Hussein from power. Unfortunately, most liberals seem to have blocked those facts from their memories.

BRADY GOLDSMITH
Pleasant Hills

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Murtha, apologize

I am a registered Democrat and an Iraq War combat veteran who served with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. I was deployed to the Al Anbar Province of Iraq with "Task Force Panther" from June 2005 to June 2006. I have experienced firsthand the same kind of attack that those young Marines faced on that day in Haditha. I know how fast judgments have to be made and what the ROE (Rules of Engagement) stated. People from the left wing of our party have never been interested in that information.

Now that the charges have been dropped on two of the Marines from the Haditha incident ("Corps Tosses Out All Charges Against 2 Marines in Deaths of Iraqi Civilians," Aug. 10), would you please help me and all those serving in the military in calling for a full and complete apology from U.S. Rep. John Murtha for his disgraceful behavior over the past year? It is difficult enough to try and stay alive and watch your brother's back in a guerilla war without someone judging your every move before they even know the facts of the situation.

For John "Judas" Murtha to say the group of Marines at Haditha killed "in cold blood" before they'd even been charged or their cases adjudicated just shows you how completely dishonorable this man has become in his quest for power. Please call his office and help us in holding him accountable for his actions. It is shameful the way that Democratic politicians in this country continue to put soldiers' lives at risk and weaken our war efforts for their own political gain.

STAFF SGT. MARK RUSSAK
North Irwin

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Not my kids

In regard to the letter by Joe Martin from Shaler ("Unsavory Meals," Aug. 10): He complains about the expense of the food at the Pittsburgh zoo compared to what single mothers and low-income families get.

Perhaps Mr. Martin should just donate more of his money to all the people he thinks are not getting enough from taxpayers. In this day and age, there is no reason for people to keep having kids they cannot afford and expect the government to raise them and pay for their keep. My taxes already pay toward their keep, their medical and everything else under the sun they get.

Let's be more sensitive to some other projects of living creatures that need to be saved and protected. My taxes are raising enough kids who are not mine. I gladly give to the zoo and other animal organizations.

CAROL SCHMIDT
South Side

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To catch an idiot

There is a very simple solution for drive-through restaurants to eliminate the "fire in the hole" idiots ("Police Warn of Prank on Drive-Through Workers," Aug. 7). Putting a camera in a position to take a picture of all license plates should put these people out of business in a week or two.

FRED H. THOMPSON
Blawnox

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We must restore our nation's greatness

Can anyone tell me what has happened to our country? I sit here watching the news, reading my paper, and I am horrified. What happened to the country that my husband defended in World War II?

People being flooded out, bridges collapsing and general deterioration of our infrastructure. Jobs being sent overseas. Our sons and daughters being killed in a senseless war. Health care out of reach to many citizens. Homes being foreclosed. Greed running rampant in corporations and politics. Shootings on our city streets.

l am sure when my husband was at Iwo Jima or when my father worked on the WPA to help make this country strong and great, they never imagined this would be the country they would have.

It is time for changes, time for good leadership, time to make it a safe and strong country again. I want my children and grandchildren to be as proud as I have always been of my country.

LOUISE K. LOGAN
Swissvale

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We receive more letters than we can fit into the limited space on the editorial page, so we'd like to share some additional letters with our Post-Gazette Web site readers.

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The price of dividends and low-cost goods

Once again, another recall that involves China ("More Chinese Toys Recalled," Aug. 14). Hey, corporate America, I got just one thing to say: You get what you pay for.

Let's outsource some more American jobs once again to an overseas underdeveloped country so the CEOs and stockholders can have another banner year.

DAVE GRADY
Carrick

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Send employers of illegal immigrants a message

With the recent killings in New Jersey in which an illegal immigrant is among those charged, the questions of how to police illegal immigrants with limited enforcement personnel and how to decrease the jobs being given to illegal workers by American companies are simple. But first, why do companies hire illegal immigrants?

Employers who hire illegal immigrants do so to increase their profit margin by paying their illegal workers minimum wage for what would normally be higher wages for any given position. Out of this pay, the worker receives half, the people who supply the workers are paid out of the other half and the employer pockets the rest.

Since these employers have extra cash, fine them a million dollars when caught employing illegal workers. Pay the informants who turn them in $250,000 out of that fine. Use the rest to pay for more border patrol officers and equipment.

How long would it take for employers to get the message and how much longer would we have this problem?

JOHN MARKUS JR.
Penn Hills

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Mascot misstep

Regarding the Aug. 11 editorial "Meet Big Mac: The Steelers' Mascot Reflects an Enduring Image":

Become Big Mac to the fans? Try big MacStake.

TONI STAAB
Avalon

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Altmire's support for clean energy

I would like to thank U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire for supporting an amendment to establish a national Renewable Electricity Standard. The U.S. House of Representatives passed this important amendment recently as part of a broader national energy bill.

The passage of the RES along with the larger energy bill would take significant steps toward a cleaner and more secure energy future for Pennsylvania and the entire country. The RES requires that utilities generate 15 percent of their electricity from clean, renewable energy such as wind, solar or biomass, or through energy efficiency savings by 2020.

We thank Rep. Altmire for standing up to massive opposition by utility company lobbyists and joining a broad coalition of environmentalists, labor unions, farm groups and clean energy developers to champion and pass this bipartisan legislation.

MICHAEL NOVAK
Squirrel Hill

The writer is a PennEnvironment volunteer.

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Speaking of long waits

I have a health problem. It is not serious now, but my primary care physician wants me to see a particular type of specialist within two weeks. I cannot get an appointment until late October. Where are those people who say they don't want universal health care because you will have to wait too long to see the doctors?

BARBARA DICKMAN
Delmont

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