We need to eliminate duplicate addresses

Regarding "Council Approves New Rules for Street Renaming" (Oct. 22): As a former city of Pittsburgh-Allegheny County 911 dispatcher and union official who currently represents 911 dispatchers across Pennsylvania, I know that this legislation passed by Pittsburgh City Council is long overdue and is needed countywide.

State law places the responsibility of naming and numbering streets in the hands of each municipality. Most 911 dispatch centers are operated by county governments, and in most counties there are duplicate street names and numbers, which creates a recipe for disaster. While it would be difficult to decide which municipality in each county retains its "Main Street," there is no reason that there is more than one "101 Main St." in any county. Emergency dispatchers are trained to ask what city, township or borough during the address verification process; however, callers are not always able to relay this key piece of information.

Our elected officials across Allegheny County need to adopt the standards set by the National Emergency Number Association and eliminate duplicate addresses to ensure first responders are able to locate their address without delay in an emergency.

RICK GREJDA
Business Agent
SEIU Local 668
Downtown

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A better bailout

Last week we learned that PNC Bank is buying the weaker National City. This looks like a model that our national leaders should use throughout the country to build needed confidence in the financial system. They should stop wasting valuable time and money trying to capitalize banks weighed down by zero market value toxic assets and marry them to each other to form viable institutions.

Furthermore, the Treasury Secretary should direct the banking system to renegotiate mortgages in default with new capitalization as may be needed to get the credit markets moving again.

BOB FURST
Upper St. Clair

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Work for greatness

I have been a resident of the city for most of my 45 years. Until recently, I have been proud to call Pittsburgh my hometown. Lately, however, the quality of life in our great city has become a thing of shame. Inattentive, ignorant drivers, citizens making the sidewalks and streets extensions of their homes and yards, city officials and workers forgetting that they work for us, quality service by our elected officials becoming the exception rather than the norm and more.

At what point did the upstanding citizens of this city abdicate their rights to quality of service and life? At what point did the officials and public workers cease to realize who pays their wages and what responsibility they have to those people?

We are a city in financial distress, whose infrastructure was once a thing to behold, but that now has fallen into a state of disrepair. In light of this, our mayor and other elected and appointed officials try to attract new investors, new businesses, new people to help revitalize this great city. In the process, they forget to recognize the potential that the citizenry of this city still has and the stake we all have in making this city great again. Let us turn inward and go back to the basics that made us a great steel town, a great technology town, a great place to live and raise a family, and with the resources we all have work together to make Pittsburgh great again.

Let us remember our heritage and honor those who came before so those who come after can be as proud as we once were and still are!

ANTHONY JAKICIC
Bon Air

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Healthier treats

People who wouldn't give a dog a piece of candy "because it is bad for them" will give children candy until it makes them sick, very sick.

Diabetes (we used to call it "sugar diabetes" until the sugar lobby objected) is epidemic. One child in three born since 2000 is expected to develop diabetes .

Diabetes can have serious complications, the most serious being blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and limb amputations, according to Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld in Parade Magazine (Nov. 2, 2003).

We can all help reduce the numbers by not giving children candy at Halloween. Give them something that is good for them. There are many choices of treats that aren't sweet. Fruit or nuts or packages of crackers or other nutritious foods. Try it. You will feel better. And so will the children.

EILEEN KARL
Pleasant Hills

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Major difference

This is in response to Robert A. Vrabel's letter touching on capital punishment vs. abortion ("GOP Puzzlers," Oct. 21). There is in my opinion a big difference between the two that needs clarification. As I see it, the death penalty is capital punishment (part of our justice system) for the guilty. An example of this is Eichmann being hanged in 1962 in Israel for his war crimes and atrocities, which are well known. There is a major difference between this and abortion. The major difference in my opinion is that abortion is also capital punishment, but it is capital punishment for the innocent.

EUGENE M. GOLDBERG
Hampton

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Unhelpful plan

As a health-care provider, I am totally in the dark regarding Sen. John McCain's proposed health-care plan for America.

Its centerpiece seems to be the princely sum of $5,000, before taxes, for a family to buy health insurance for a year.

If anyone knows of a family plan that can be purchased for that amount, please let us all know.

To my knowledge, the average cost is $12,670, and this does not include the cost of copays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket payments for items that are not covered.

MARY GANGULI
Point Breeze

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PICKING SIDES: Barack Obama

As elderly, white, former Republicans (pre-W) there is only one issue for us in "picking sides" -- the calamitous Iraq war, which we believe is the root cause of the country's ills: approximately $1 trillion down the Iraqi rat hole; more than 4,100 GIs dead and tens of thousands grievously wounded; the creation of a virulent breeding ground for Muslim terrorists; the loss of credibility among our allies; burgeoning gasoline prices; the unprecedented transfer of wealth to oil-producing countries, most of which hate us for our unquestioning support of apartheid Israel; and one of the most despicable presidential campaigns in memory. For these reasons, we will vote for Obama/ Biden.

JERRY AND ELSE SCHILLER
Penn Hills

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PICKING SIDES: John McCain

Penn HillsI believe our country needs someone with the experience to get us through. I respect Obama but McCain is the leader my country needs at this time. The things that kept me wavering before my decision include the fact that my family and I are Democrats; his pick of Biden for VP; and his proposed programs to benefit the middle class. I belong to that class. I know economics. I also know that if you keep "hammering" the employer (that man who is on the higher end of that income scale) he will either raise his prices, take the jobs elsewhere, or both. I, the middle class, will suffer and not benefit.

DONNA VESELEY
Monessen

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