Pa. should be proud of this House cleaning

The state attorney general has shone daylight into the deepest, darkest corners of the state Capitol, and there he found rats, now parading before the press in handcuffs. The voters can now be certain of what and whom they elected. They've tried to hide their misdeeds by saying it's an "internal matter," citing their roles as CEOs of the state.

Three cheers for Attorney General Tom Corbett ("12 Face Charges in Bonus Scandal," July 11); let's hope he sends the rats to the deep, dark corners of jail cells.

Pennsylvanians should be proud.

SHAWN R. PETERSON
Stowe

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A Snow memory

I know that all of us are saddened by the untimely death of Tony Snow ("Bush's Former Press Secretary," July 13 news obituary), a man who showed us all how to live life in spite of his battle against colon cancer. He had such a special talent, we were blessed to have him for these few short years.

A year and a half ago, Tony accepted the invitation to be the main speaker at the annual Allegheny County Republican Committee dinner, which sold out immediately. What a special night that was to the delight of all the crowd. A great memory for us all!

We were greatly blessed by that moment in Tony Snow's life.

The irony of this is that Kay Bello, Bethel Park committeewoman, met Tony at the state committee meeting the summer before. She extended the invitation and kept following up on it. The night of the dinner with Tony, Kay Bello was unable to attend because she was in the hospital fighting cancer, but still working until her untimely death earlier this year.

MILDRED PFEIFER
Bethel Park

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Teach what works

The July 9 article on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs ("State Shuns Sex-Ed Grants Based Only on Abstinence") left me with the impression that while the professionals are arguing about abstinence vs. contraception, the kids are getting pregnant. Yet the truth is that, within the medical, public health and educational fields, there is very little disagreement about what type of education is effective in preventing teen pregnancy. Youth need education about abstinence and contraception. It's not either/or -- it's both.

Despite this overwhelming consensus, our federal government has spent 10 years and $1.5 billion on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Every evaluation conducted on both the federal and state levels has drawn the same conclusion about these programs: They don't work.

It is certainly unusual for states to refuse federal money, but abstinence-only-until-marriage programs have such a poor track record that 22 states have said no. The Rendell administration is to be commended for refusing to spend more state money on this failed approach and for investing instead in evidence-based comprehensive programs.

Teen pregnancy costs Pennsylvania taxpayers about $380 million per year. This is an expensive problem, in human and monetary terms. It's about time that Pennsylvania starts investing in programs that work.

JOE FAY
Executive Director
Pennsylvania Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Camp Hill, Pa.

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Deserted airport

Last Friday, I went to Pittsburgh International Airport to pick up our son and his family and parked in the short-term lot shortly after 9 p.m. Looking at the schedules, I saw there were only three planes scheduled for departure. On the other side, there were probably some 30 to 40 scheduled arrivals in the next several hours. I asked a security guard if this was typical for this time of night and he indicated it was.

How depressing; the place was so deserted. Then we loaded up the car and went to the tollbooths. I was dismayed to see that most, if not all, of the tollbooths were open for business even though there were only two other cars in sight. This speaks to poor management or a union that has extremely too much sway.

WILLIAM B. GORDON
Hampton

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Was pleased to serve

As of July 9, I was no longer contracted out to US Airways to serve as a skycap at Pittsburgh International Airport ("US Airways Eliminating Curbside Bag Check-In," June 28).

I've been blessed to have been able to serve as a skycap since 1979, and I just wanted to say that it has been a pleasure to serve the people of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas.

I have appreciated their flying on Allegheny, USAir, US Airways and allowing me to serve them at curbside at the old and current airport.

LARRY A. JENKINS JR.
West View

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Mental health rights

In the United States, it is estimated that one in four adults, ages 18 or older, is diagnosed with a mental illness every day. The community is all of us. However, the concerns of people living with mental illness have been consistently ignored.

In the June 24 article "Centralized Strategy for Mentally Ill," city Councilman Ricky Burgess states that "mental health resources are desperately needed in all communities." In Pennsylvania, HB 1448 has galvanized the political voice of the mental health community. If successful, the bill would direct any money collected from the Mayview State Hospital sale to support people living with mental illness in the community. A similar project related to home- and community-based supports for people with mental illness is the crisis center on South Braddock Avenue.

Yes, I am a resident of the North Point Breeze area. Yes, I can understand the concerns of my fellow neighbors about the erection of a mental-health crisis facility blocks from my home. However, I also believe that we are on the forefront of introducing a community-based lifestyle for people living with mental illness. A person is stronger when living in a community, and all people deserve to be included.

The Mayview closing can be conveyed as a step in the right direction for the mental health rights movement. Of course, this depends on HB 1448 passing. I urge you to contact your state legislators and ask them to support this bill.

ANNA VITRIOL
North Point Breeze

The writer is an intern for the Consumer Health Coalition.

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Why I grieve

I'm sorry that letter writer Ray F. Dively of Baden lost his moral beacon when Sen. Jesse Helms passed away ("A Great American," July 11 letters). I also am using this occasion to grieve, not for Sen. Helms, but for several friends who died of AIDS in the '80s and early '90s while Mr. Dively's great defender of "what is right" opposed funding for AIDS research.

It was only after millions of heterosexual Africans started dying of AIDS that the good senator (who ironically opposed most foreign aid) saw fit to support AIDS research. I guess my friends did not fit Sen. Helms' criteria of "spiritual and moral cleanliness in America."

To quote many of Sen. Helms' fellow conservative Christians, "What would Jesus do?" In my Bible, which is not a Homosexual Abridged Edition, He did not say one word about homosexuality. He did, however, heal a leper without first verifying the leper's sexual orientation (Matthew 8).

Maybe Sen. Helms knew more about morality than Jesus and is even now lecturing Our Lord for not persecuting gays like Mr. Helms did. I have a very different theory about where Mr. Helms is right now.

GREG FUHRMAN
Spring Hill

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Businesses must get on board with recycling

There remains a very simple task that businesses can do to reduce waste, but many are not. In addition, our communities are sadly overlooking the lack of effort that our local businesses put into "going green" programs.

Many of our local bars, pubs, watering holes and restaurants are lacking in one "green" regard: recycling, which remains one of the more cost-efficient and environmentally sound ideologies for businesses, communities and residents alike.

Take, for instance, one bar in Munhall. Every morning, depending on the level of business the night before, the staff simply throws out two to three large waste cans of beer, wine and liquor bottles -- glass -- into the Dumpster. These bottles go into the same garbage truck that picks up the trash.

What are we thinking? We call ourselves a leader in the arena of "green" thinking, but we cannot even get one of the most recyclable materials out of our Dumpsters and into the recycling center. Are we just trying to save a buck, or have our attributes of laziness and ignorance finally gotten the best of us?

If this example is just one of the many businesses that engage in such a practice, then we must be wholeheartedly ashamed -- not only at the businesses but also at ourselves for letting the practices continue.

Investigations into such practices along with proper regulations and enforcement would be a great service to Allegheny County's neighborhoods, the region and to the "green" community.

BENJAMIN P. BISHOP
Munhall

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