With cutbacks, Roosevelt's raise is out of line

I am shocked at city school board members supporting a raise of $15,000 for school district Superintendant Mark Roosevelt ("City Superintendent Receives $15,000," Aug. 28).

What other organizations in the region offer this generous of a raise to their executives on an annual basis?

Wouldn't we all enjoy such rewards from our employers?

I am the proud mom of two Pittsburgh Public School students and an advocate of Mr. Roosevelt and the district; however, this year both of my sons' schools have suffered from "budget cutbacks."

My youngest son now travels 1 hour and 40 minutes each way to school due to combined bus routes, meant to "save money."

My high school student has a library available to him just two days a week to "save money."

How can the board justify such a significant raise while our students, teachers and principals continue to struggle with cutbacks?

BETH CALDWELL
Elliott

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Liberal sour grapes

I had the misfortune of reading the column by Reg Henry concerning Gov. Sarah Palin ("Gov. Palin, Ready to Serve [Mooseburgers]," Sept. 3). Not knowing Mr. Henry, I would say he is a disgruntled and very biased person. It would also be safe to say that he is not a gentleman either, as he tore her apart because she was a woman. She was a brilliant choice and a "smart cookie," Mr. Henry. After reading your column it is also safe to say that you are out of her league.

I am not so naive or stupid that I cannot read, listen and form my own opinions. You and Maureen Dowd ought to enjoy each other, as you are two of a kind.

Ms. Palin's address was awesome, and she will be a nightmare to all you liberal journalists. I do believe you are suffering from sour grapes. As a woman, I am proud that she will be on the ballot in November and I definitely will vote for her. Go and get yourself some Kool-Aid now!

JOAN A. CLARK
Cecil

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She can ridicule

I watched Sarah Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention. She has the Rush Limbaugh "Junior High School Ridicule Thing" down pat. I suppose the message to our youth is that if you graduate from Harvard, we will ridicule you.

I was waiting to hear how she was going to medically insure the 43 million Americans without insurance, but she was busy ridiculing the columns on the stage behind Barack Obama. Not enough time to get to the insurance question, I guess.

I was waiting to hear about how we were going to improve our economy, but she was too busy ridiculing Barack Obama for his community service. Good heavens, we don't want our youth to worry about helping those less fortunate, do we?

I was waiting to hear about her differences with Joe Biden, but she was busy comparing herself with Barack Obama. I thought she was running for vice president.

As a grandmother of six and great-grandmother of one, I wanted to shout "grow up."

JOAN KOSINSKI
Baden

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This is our election

I am very worried that people will let color or some other ridiculous thing cloud their judgment in this election. John McCain will have people find their own health care. I can't imagine my 81-year-old mother being able to research health care and to be honest I can't imagine doing that myself.

If Mr. McCain were forced to get his own health care under his plan he would be ineligible due to the fact that he had a pre-existing condition (skin cancer). But when you are a millionaire -- should I say a multimillionaire -- that is not an issue.

People need to look at the facts, not the superficial issues like who is a "hockey mom" or the color of someone's skin. Please, this is about us, not them.

MAUREEN DUDAS
Unity

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Hillary is needed

Where is Hillary Clinton now? Where is the voice that rallies the women of our nation whose values are so different from those of Sarah Palin; whose values speak of the right of women to chose, as well as the right to have health care for all?

Why does that voice not speak out against the "Swift Voters" who chose only to destroy, and not to build, at this critical time in our nation's history?

JANE HASKELL
Oakland

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America's recovery

If you look back at when all our troubles started, most of us would agree it all began with Iraq! We are now estimated to have spent about $600 billion there, while Iraq is sitting on a $79 billion surplus. Families are losing their sons and daughters in this war. Oil prices continue to raise our gas prices. People all over the United States are losing their homes and their jobs and mortgage companies are folding, banks are closing and utilities are reaching outrageous prices. Our country is no longer looked at as No. 1. People are afraid to mention the "R" word, but let's face it: We are in a recession!

The only ways to recover are to first leave Iraq, to drill and refine our own oil and to stop letting everything be made in other countries -- especially China. We need to make everything in the good old USA, so that once again all Americans can stand proud and be united once again.

You can rest assured that if we continue on this negative road, taking care of Iraq and other countries, we will indeed lose America.

TOM GREJDA
Baldwin Borough

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Wipe them out

The U.S. administration let us down after Sept. 11, 2001. Our military did not go after al-Qaida beyond the Afghanistan border with our ally Pakistan. While al-Qaida set up camps in Pakistan and trained suicide bombers and other types of terrorists, we donated billions annually to the Pakistan government to no avail.

My suggestion to the new administration, presumably under Barack Obama, is send the U.S. Army into Pakistan to wipe out al-Qaida completely, including destroying all their camps. Don't stop if Pakistan objects, but reduce our yearly billions to them to nil.

I hope this suggestion and other calls for action will be taken up in depth by the two candidates before the November vote.

SIDNEY BARNARTT
Monroeville

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Trail torment

Here's a piece of local bicycle inanity. The Chateau Trail is a pretty off-shoot of the Riverfront Trail system that runs alongside the Ohio River from the Carnegie Science Center to the old penitentiary at Woods Run.

Access to it has been cut off at the science center because of casino construction. The prospective trail user is greeted by detour signs directing him or her along some five blocks of sidewalk, with instructions to dismount and walk, like there's any chance of that happening when the sidewalk is empty and you're in bicycle cleats.

The signs then direct you onto the roadway and lead you on a zig-zagging tour of the Manchester district, eventually depositing you onto Chateau Street, which has fast traffic, no shoulder and no further instructions. The detour could just have easily done that from the beginning, back near the science center, with a lot fewer signs. If you ride a ways on Chateau Street, there's a sign pointing to "trail access," but good luck turning left across four lanes of fast-moving two-way automobile traffic to reach it.

The Manchester district is well worth seeing on its own, but the point is, bicyclists want to use the trail, not detour around it. Unlike some other trails, the Chateau Trail is not used for commuting, since it dead-ends abruptly at Alcosan. As far as I can see, the trail right now isn't being used at all, and the detour signs are pointless. Couldn't something a bit more intelligent have been done, like a protected path through the casino mess?

OSCAR SWAN
Squirrel Hill

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Chicken feed attracts other pests

While I appreciate my city neighbors' interest in and love of their chickens ("Residents of City Crow About Their Chickens," Sept. 1), let me present another side of this story.

Chicken feed is attractive not only to their beloved fowl, but is also mighty attractive to not-so-pleasant rodents. After neighbors acquired chickens, I began to have a rat problem in my backyard, which abuts their chicken run. These rodents even made their way onto the engine block of my car last winter and culminated with me spending the equivalent of 200 dozen eggs on an exterminator.

The Post-Gazette has reported on the rise in the rat population in the city of Pittsburgh. Leaving chicken feed out on the ground is not helping the situation.

DIANE ROBERTS
Highland Park

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