It's time for the 'haves' to take a big pay cut

I always enjoy reading letters by people complaining and demeaning union people and organizations. The first thing I always look for after reading one of these letters is where the writer lives. It always seems the people who complain the most are the ones who sit in the "box seats of life" in very well-to-do neighborhoods or towns.

Folks, unions keep the balance. Without them, there are the "haves" and the "have nots." Just because a union person makes such and such a wage and receives a benefits package better than yours doesn't mean he should just fork it all over when things go bad. It takes years to negotiate decent contracts.

Why don't you "haves" take a big salary cut once in a while instead of blaming the blue-collar working man for all the ills of the economy today! Why is it always the working man who is to blame and the one required to suffer the most?

K.R. VECTOR
Munhall

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Missed opportunity

At a time when the near-term problems of the city's dangerously underfunded pension plan are growing ever more acute, it was highly disappointing last week to have City Council miss a golden opportunity to address the issue more forcefully in the 2009 budget ("City Council OKs Budget With Some Minor Changes," Dec. 17).

Instead of setting up a convoluted $45 million "piggy bank" for some future complex debt refinancing scheme (beloved by underwriters and consultants), why wasn't the bulk of this account used to replenish shrinking pension fund assets? Taking such a step would reassure city employees and current beneficiaries that their concerns are being addressed. It would also demonstrate to the state Legislature that we are aggressively trying to set our house in order and make an eventual request for state assistance more credible.

Congratulations to council members Patrick Dowd and Bill Peduto for being on the short end of a 6-2 vote in favor of the mayor's budget.

JAMES B. BURNHAM
Chairman
8th District Republican Committee
Squirrel Hill

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What's worse?

Political leaders have denounced the governor of Illinois for doing what comes naturally. In the political arena everything has a price tag hanging on it. Some of President Clinton's pardons were expensive, but a night in the White House or a ride in Air Force One was cheap.

Not so long ago, elected officials sold their votes to get the pork that greased the tracks for risky taxpayer bailouts. Could a guy selling a Senate seat be that much worse than the guys who occupy them?

CHARLES LINDSAY
Chartiers

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Give him the hook

Regarding "Specter's Ethnic Jokes Lay an Egg" (Dec. 17): Did you hear the one about the five-term senator from Pennsylvania who wasn't re-elected?

BRUCE SISKAWICZ
Greensburg

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Shop locally

Though there was no mention of it in last Wednesday's article on the Urban Redevelopment Authority board meeting ("URA Funnels $500,000 Into Manchester Project," Dec. 17), an important approval was made by the URA that will directly impact our neighborhoods for the year to come: Mainstreets Pittsburgh funding was approved to support 10 districts in the city. Mainstreets Pittsburgh provides funds that will help local neighborhood groups leverage marketing, promotion and streetscape improvements to enhance the atmosphere in our small business districts.

Butler Street at night, with the storefronts aglow, is a sight to be seen. I'd like to send out a friendly reminder that today is the last shopping day before Christmas. I want to invite you to make your holiday dollars go the extra mile by investing them in locally owned and operated businesses in our Mainstreets Pittsburgh communities, like Lawrenceville's bustling Butler Street.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday,

MAYA HAPTAS
Business District Manager
Lawrenceville Corp.
Lawrenceville

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My recovery story

Recovery from mental illness happens. I know because it happened to me.

I was a patient in Mayview State Hospital in 1992. A sustained support system helped my recovery and aided my return to the work force. While working at New Horizons Drop-In Center, I assisted other people in their recovery. Currently, I am a recovery consultant for Community Care. I work in training, community relations and recovery initiatives. Recovery is more than taking pills and seeing doctors. It means being part of a community and having friends and interacting with family members.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, fundamental components of recovery include self-direction and independence; a holistic view of mind, body and spirit; strength-based recovery, which means taking on new roles; peer support and social network; responsibility and respect for self and community; being empowered to make decisions; and hope, the catalyst of the recovery process.

Recovery is universal. A person has to recover from a cold, a broken leg and even a divorce. So, too, do people have to recover from mental illness and substance abuse issues. The best way to recover is with support of a caring and understanding community that is helpful and hopeful. There are many stories of recovery. I am not a sole survivor. I am only doing my part to help people understand that those who have experienced an emotional breakdown can recover in the community.

SARAH GOLDSTEIN
Bellevue

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Why use that photo?

On Dec. 9, as I walked into the house after coming home from school, I looked at the Post-Gazette's front page, as I usually do, to find a horrible picture of a young boy getting his head shaved. Curious, and a little frightened, I read the caption to learn that it was about a Muslim boy on the pilgrimage to Mecca who had his head shaved (this is an optional part of the pilgrimage tradition).

This really disappointed me, after the wonderful time I had Dec. 8 on Eid Al-Adha celebrating with my family and the community. There are so many spiritually magnificent things about this holiday honoring our blessed prophet Abraham and the time of Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). I was surprised that this was the only thing that could be put in the paper, shown to many ignorant people about my religion and our holiday. I found it hard to believe, after going to an amazing service with faces from all over the world right here in Pittsburgh, coming together to celebrate such an important holiday.

I really hope in the future that there will be more positive things shown about this wonderful time for Muslims.

MARIAM ABDELWAHAB
Forest Hills

The writer is a freshman at Woodland Hills High School.

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America must get to work on innovative transit technology

"This is my country!" That song echoes from long ago when I graduated from high school, particularly the lines, "I pledge to thee allegiance, America, the bold; for this is my country, to have and to hold." For some reason, these words continue to resonate in my mind.

Where am I going with this? I'm thinking of America's many crises, one of which is the desperate situation in Detroit. The decision makers of GM, Ford and Chrysler are the most derelict in their responsibilities to the shareholders and to the nation.

Let us not dwell on their respective failings, but rather on "where do we go from here?"

America faced a similar problem in December 1941 when we were attacked at Pearl Harbor and were not equipped to respond in kind. It did not take America long to focus on converting our arsenals to military production, which included GM, Ford and Chrysler and other plants stepping up to the task. We all shared in the victory. Now we have another challenge.

First, let's not attempt to outproduce Toyota and continue to jam our highways with autos. This would take years because Toyota is miles ahead of us in automotive technology. Rather, we must go in a different direction. As in World War II, we can convert our factories to respond to more critical needs, whereby we will be enabled to travel the entire nation by rail, such as maglev, at high speeds. Our auto workers can be trained and kept employed, and we can start exporting our innovations and again lead the world in a positive way.

Second, let's provide stimulus grants to our fine universities to promote nano-technology and other innovations such as environmentally correct fuels.

We must change our approach and think outside the box; otherwise, America will be left behind at the station and others will assume the lead. I just hate to think of the consequences.

JERRY L. GOB
Upper St. Clair

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