It was disappointing to read in the March 14 Post-Gazette that Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl have endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination ("Onorato, Ravenstahl Back Clinton").

I'm not associated with Sen. Barack Obama's campaign, but I believe he offers a new inspiration and hope to our country that is completely different from anything Sen. Clinton has to offer. What sets Sen. Obama apart is his conviction that for our government to really work, politicians and citizens of all stripes need to be brought together to work toward a common good. That style of government would be radically different from what we have experienced during the past eight years, when fear, suspicion and intolerance have been exploited to divide the country.

Sen. Obama's view of government is reflected by the civil, positive style of his campaign. As Sen. Clinton has fallen behind in the race for the nomination, her campaign has taken on the same destructive, strident tone that we've become accustomed to over the past several years. Maybe fear and divisiveness win elections, but they don't inspire.

We can either elect another member of the two-family, political aristocracy that has ruled our country for the past 20 years, and endure four more years of destructive politics, or elect a man who wants to govern in a different way and who inspires others to share his vision of unity. That's why the Republican Party fears Barack Obama more than they fear Hillary Clinton.

CHARLES A. ETTENSOHN
Regent Square

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Excellent editorial ("Ferraro's Slur: Clinton Should Have Been More Upset About Remarks," March 13)! The Clinton campaign, from Bill Clinton's remarks in South Carolina, to Gov. Ed Rendell's remarks to the Post-Gazette editorial board, to the recent remarks by Geraldine Ferraro, has consistently tried to define Barack Obama as a "black" candidate, knowing full well that by doing so, they are appealing to the racists among us.

I'm not saying that Bill Clinton, Ed Rendell or Geraldine Ferraro are racists themselves, but they seem unscrupulously willing to play the race card, or any other card for that matter, to win the nomination. The end does not justify the means. Shame on them.

Barack Obama has not made race an issue in his campaign. He is who he is, period. I'm a 64-year-old educated white woman and I like who he is. Barack Obama is my son! He has my vote!

MARY ANN HARSCH
Troy Hill

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In 1967, Lurleen Wallace succeeded her husband, George, as governor of Alabama. No one saw it as a victory for women. To the contrary, it recalled the ascension of Isabel Peron as president of Argentina, after the death of her husband, Juan. What makes the candidacy of Hillary Clinton, touted as a historic first, any different?

Hillary runs in the shadow of her husband, taking credit for his accomplishments when they suit her (the Children's Health Insurance Program), disowning them when it does not (the North American Free Trade Agreement).

Tellingly, she will not ask Bill to release presidential papers that might shed light on her actual achievements. She is diffident about disclosing their tax returns and secretive about Bill's business relationships with powerful campaign contributors. She will not divulge what role, if any, Bill will serve in her White House.

If Hillary is elected, two families will have dominated American politics for more than a quarter century. Perhaps it is time to ask how presidential dynasties benefit working men and women, or why a Clinton restoration is good for the republic.

MICHAEL W. ZIMECKI
Squirrel Hill

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I was looking at the picture on the March 8 front page which was titled "A Sub-Prime Grilling" and thinking about the Bush tax cuts for the rich, which were meant to stimulate the economy. Yeah, right!

How about tax cuts for the not-so-rich? Those people have proved that they will spend every dollar they have (and then some) to try and get ahead.

When Henry Ford wanted to sell cars, he gave his workers more money so they could afford to buy them. In the '50s and '60s when steel was king in Pittsburgh, workers were paid well and they bought cars, appliances, homes, groceries, clothes, etc. and they did it without a wallet full of credit cards.

Our government is as upside down as the mortgages that are now in foreclosure. Homeland security means more than just military might.

New economy? Yeah, right.

MARK C. BISI
Brookline

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Regarding Senate Bill 1063 currently being considered by the state Legislature: Although some degree of reform does seem warranted, collection of local earned income taxes at a county level doesn't seem to make sense.

Having worked closely with municipal tax collectors and officials for more than 20 years, the overwhelming feeling is that moving these collections to "big government" would result in the loss of local control and the timely collection of tax revenues. Municipalities, school districts and taxpayers alike also would lose the local familiarity and contact currently available. Many municipalities would also lose a substantial investment in their collection efforts under this consolidation.

Strict penalties for noncompliance of timely collection, reporting and distribution of these taxes seem appropriate, as do standardized reporting practices and forms (if there is an area that may account for part of the state's estimates of annual collection losses, it may be in this area). However, having a large governmental bureau collect these taxes in this manner seems inappropriate, as it becomes a middleman being involved in the collection and distribution of revenues that don't even belong to them.

To think that the proposed tax collection consolidation would make things simpler, look at the current length of SB 1063 (more than 120 pages) and the bureaucracy it creates.

There are situations where "less is more" and "bigger is better" make sense. This proposed tax collection consolidation doesn't appear to be one of them.

EDWARD A. SCATENA
President
Logi-Tek Solutions
Verona

The writer's company is an information technology consulting firm that provides local municipalities with tax collection software.

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In response to the allegations that have been made against the McKees Rocks Police Department by Barbara Spicer ("Police Nonsense," March 8 letters): We formally deny any and all allegations of stopping, detaining and/or the issuance of a traffic citation to the driver of a Port Authority bus. We have conducted an internal investigation, which has determined that there have not been any recent incidents of citations being issued to an on-duty Port Authority employee.

Furthermore, Ms. Spicer, we would like you to validate your statements by advising of the exact location, date and time of this alleged traffic stop.

ROBERT MARTINEAU
Public Safety Director McKees Rocks
CAPT. WILLIAM GRAMZ
McKees Rocks Police Department
McKees Rocks

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I continuously hear and read that the governor and the candidates for president will do something to provide health insurance for the uninsured. I think that is so important.

Although I have to ask these questions: When will someone do something to help the insured who are paying for their own health insurance? What about the people who have an income of $25,000 a year and are paying $500 a month for health insurance for one person? Even with the insurance, what about $400 a day copays for hospital stays, until you have paid $2,000? What about $100 copays for the emergency room and copays of $25 a month for generic and $35 for nongeneric prescriptions? What about those who can't get help from the pharmaceutical companies, because even though they meet the income requirement they are not eligible because they have health insurance?

What about the seniors who are on a fixed income and even with Medicare still have high health-care costs? There are seniors who have worked all their lives and now can't afford their medications and do without.

I want to see everyone helped. I'll vote for the candidate who can do this. It is time to stop talking and promising and do something about it.

It may be time for socialized health care.

JUDY BYERS
Carrick

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