As a follow-up to the letter writer deploring the condition of Pittsburgh's infrastructure ("Downtown Is in No Shape to Welcome Visitors," June 16): She was of course spot on, as any mildly interested person walking the streets can attest. A brief walk through only a portion of Downtown recently not only revealed that virtually every street and sidewalk -- save those sidewalks around the major commercial buildings -- is cracked, rutted and crumbling.

How can we expect our citizens to respect our streets if all they see is a deplorably depressing and messy landscape that the government is largely responsible for allowing to develop? If it doesn't care, why should we?

What's more, while the signage hawks keep a keen eye on every proposal to erect a sign on a building, no one seems to pay any attention to the thousands of government-placed signs attached to just as many poles. Many are so old and worn that they're unreadable, while hundreds of others are dented, bent, scarred and hang at every angle but plumb. Numerous detour signs also dot the streets, dangerously intruding onto the sidewalks, and many are draped in ugly black cloth and anchored with half a dozen ratty-looking sand bags.

Once one begins to notice this carnage, it's like trying to erase a bad lyric from your mind. I contend that if our government made a concerted effort to clean up its act, more of its citizens will clean theirs up as well.

DOUG CHAMBERS
Squirrel Hill

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The June 15 story "Job Openings Galore at WVU" gives an account of a very rare combination of circumstances.

What the powers-that-be at West Virginia University must recognize is that there is no tried (or even untried) formula for dealing with that many important administrative openings. I would urge the board of the university to identify a respected retired university president and persuade her or him to serve as interim president of WVU long enough to steer the West Virginia ship back into calmer waters.

I am sure that the Association of American Universities or the American Council on Education would be of considerable help in identifying such a person.

RUDOLPH H. WEINGARTNER
Squirrel Hill
The writer is former provost of the University of Pittsburgh.

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Who sets the priorities in this state? You would think that getting rid of drugs on our streets and in our neighborhoods would be the best way to protect the citizens of this state. You can't walk down a street, drive a car or even sit in your home without fear of being shot.

The police can't do their jobs because people live in fear of retaliation if they try to help. If the police do their jobs, the people rise up and go against the police. It's very confusing.

We have murders every day and some of our "citizens" think we are still living in the "Wild Wild West," where if you don't like the way a person looks, just blow him away!

But now I'm getting down to my question: Why should smoking be the priority for this state? Why is the "smoking problem" more important than crack, heroin, amphetamines or the murders? I say the state should be finding a way to take the profit out of drugs. Do your job! Work for your people!

JANET PTASZKIEWICZ
Brookline

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I cannot tell you how exciting it was to read the coverage about our new tunnel under the Allegheny River ("Under the River: Transit Project Passes Halfway Mark," June 8). The technology is great and the fact that so many of the components are locally manufactured is even better.

However, I believe it is time to give this new addition to our city a name. Since Europe has the Chunnel, I think we should call ours the Funnel.

Just think, in the year 2011, you will be able to go to the arts festival, then hop the Funnel over to the Pirates game (surely they'll be competitive by then). Afterward you can jump on the Funnel again and head over to the new casino. Who says a billion dollars doesn't get you much these days?

I'm ready to nominate it for the eighth wonder of the modern world -- the Funnel!

DOMINIC E. FRATANGELO
Whitehall

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Jack Kelly, in the June 8 Post-Gazette, praised Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as a perfect partner for Republican John McCain in the upcoming presidential election ("McCain's Secret Weapon"). The subheadline claims she's a running mate "who's got it all."

Conservationists, naturalists and lovers of wildlife might not agree with that choice.

While her credentials are seemingly impeccable, Gov. Palin endorses and defends the aerial shooting of wolves and bears in her state. Wolves are chased to exhaustion by helicoptors and then shot to death, even the pups. Wolves are beautiful, intelligent creatures living in family packs. They kill to eat, as do hawks, eagles, tigers and many other creatures. Taking them out destroys the balance of nature.

I'm not against hunting, but this form of hunting is deplorable. Gov. Palin, a National Rifle Association member, thinks it's OK.

Would we have another Cheney in the White House? It might be a good thing to get her out of Alaska. But as a Democrat, I don't intend to help that happen.

MARGIE SWANSON
Beaver

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I want to thank Monongalia County, W.Va., Circuit Judge Russell Clawges Jr. for the 41- to 56-year sentence that he imposed upon Brian J. Stone for the auto accident that he caused while driving under the influence that resulted in the deaths of five people.

It is obvious that this man has no regard for the safety and lives of others. According to the June 11 article in the PG ("Drunken Driver Gets Up to 56 Years in Jail," June 11), Mr. Stone has had nine drunken driving arrests with seven convictions since 1998.

I can't understand why it had to take the deaths of five people before this man was finally taken off the roads, the same roads that I and many other innocent people travel.

I feel that anybody who drinks and drives and kills someone in an auto accident while DUI should be tried for second- or third-degree murder and not just vehicular homicide or manslaughter with a minor prison sentence. If the penalty were stiffer, perhaps it would save lives by keeping more of these thoughtless people off the road.

DONALD S. POLINSKY
Camp Hill, Pa.

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A recent opinion piece by registered lobbyists for the nursing home industry alleging that Pennsylvania has chronically underfunded nursing homes is a surprising allegation when you consider the facts about how richly the industry is funded by taxpayers ("Nursing Homes Need More Help," May 28).

The nursing home industry readily admits that Medicaid funding for nursing homes has risen 22 percent -- more than a half billion dollars -- since Gov. Ed Rendell took office. Pennsylvania's taxpayers now send the nursing home industry more than $3 billion per year. And we already have some of the highest daily reimbursement rates in the nation -- higher, in fact, than 44 other states.

In Pennsylvania, we already have more nursing homes and more nursing home beds than consumers need or want. Today, Pennsylvania has 7.6 nursing home beds for every 1,000 citizens. But, California has half as many nursing home beds: only 3.6 beds for every 1,000 people. And Florida, West Virginia and Maine -- all states frequently cited as having the oldest populations in the nation -- have significantly fewer nursing homes beds based on population.

A recent statewide poll showed that 92 percent of Pennsylvanians wish to receive long-term care in their homes. But, 82 percent of our state budget for long-term care goes to nursing homes ... and only 18 percent supports the home-based care and community services that Pennsylvanians are demanding. It's time for government to focus more resources on providing the services that our citizens really want.

JOHN MICHAEL HALL
Harrisburg
The writer is deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare's Office of Long Term Living.

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