Library officials have made poor decisions

I read with consternation the Oct. 13 article on funding for the Carnegie Library system ("Bad Year for Pittsburgh's Libraries With Cuts and Closings"). While funding challenges for libraries are real and reductions in state allocations are not insignificant, they reflect only the challenges that nearly all agencies are meeting without wholesale reductions in service.

Funding for the Carnegie Library under the new budget is actually far above the anticipated figure cited in its decision to close neighborhood branches. My colleagues and I worked for these additional dollars even after library leaders ignored our request to meet with them prior to a vote on closures. This difference is actually enough to make up the shortfall the library claimed forced this decision.

Moreover, the library's complaints about funding are a red herring when the system has spent at least $30 million since 2003 renovating favored neighborhood libraries. Poor decision making by the library administration should not result in neighborhood branches being abandoned. And alternatives for increased efficiency without closing branches, such as in Philadelphia, as cited in the article, could save these branches if the Carnegie system cared to consider them.

The Carnegie Library system will simply not be the "right size" if its poor judgment leaves neighborhoods behind and betrays Andrew Carnegie's principle of access for all.

STATE REP. CHELSA WAGNER
Brookline

The writer is a Democrat representing the 22nd Legislative District.

Losing out to sports

Thank you for publishing Brian O'Neill's wonderful column "No Quiet in These Libraries: The Battle Is On" (Oct. 13). I recently relocated to Pittsburgh after living for almost 45 years in New York City.

We live in a city, Pittsburgh, where the sports pages are bigger than the arts sections. When the boy mayor wants fireworks, he finds the money. When the city wanted a new baseball park, funding was found. When it wanted a new ice arena, that happened. When the city wanted a new football field, it somehow paid for it. However, when the finest institutions in the city, i.e., the public libraries, need money? It cannot be found.

Here's an idea. Instead of wasting money on the five or six fireworks displays each year, use that money to pay for the libraries. That should about cover the $1.2 million we're short.

I wonder what living in a city that values sports more than the arts and education says about us. No wonder we're losing our younger people to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and many other more balanced cities.

Thank you, Mr. O'Neill, once again for a wonderful piece of writing.

TONY CRAIG
North Side

Prepare citizens

Columnist Paul Krugman points out ("The Uneducated American," Oct. 10) that public funding for education is shrinking. That's odd for a country that, since its beginnings, has considered education to be important. But, today, voters don't want to use their tax money to support schools and libraries, which are withering on the vine. Americans find money for things they consider important; obviously, they no longer think education is one of those things.

While most people are wondering what's wrong with Americans, I'm wondering what's wrong with education. I trust that American gut instinct that has, over the centuries -- with ponderous and glacial progress -- steered us in the right direction.

Education has strayed from our nation's real needs. With its emphasis on technical and scientific areas, and diminution of literature, arts, history, civics, etc., it is preparing students for high-tech industrial jobs that some 85 percent of the students will never hold. At the same time, it is preparing some 0 percent of its students for participation in the democratic process. In other words, it is training students to be employees rather than preparing them to be citizens.

The United States is running short of citizens -- men and women who have the basic knowledge necessary to make intelligent decisions about what is right and what is wrong for themselves and for their country. That doesn't come from our present nuts-and-bolts style of education. It comes from a wide-ranging knowledge of all aspects of life. Schools must drop their present focus on what is "useful" and refocus on what is important.

PAUL A. ALTER
Wilkinsburg

Outrageous tie-up

Regarding "Construction Turns I-279 Into a Nightmare" (Oct. 11): I was a part of that traffic nightmare last Saturday. It is outrageous that officials had such little regard for citizens, allowing them to sit on I-279 for literally hours while PennDOT did road construction.

I don't care how many signs PennDOT posted -- nothing short of naming a time limit would have properly described the time drivers waiting to inch their way to I-79 would have to wait in traffic. It was a dangerous and thoughtless situation created by those who obviously don't care.

When PennDOT saw what was happening, why didn't it reroute or simply close the road? There was no excuse for this.

ARLENE PORT
Squirrel Hill

Why on the fence?

After contacting U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire's office to inquire about his position on health care and in particular the public option, I received a response that he hasn't made up his mind yet. My questions are, what is he waiting for and whom does he represent, his constituents or the health-care related lobbies from which he accepted $400,000 in contributions?

The for-profit health care has led to high premiums, less coverage and denial of coverage, particularly because of pre-existing conditions. A public option would end these abuses. The public option is the right thing to do, and if Rep. Altmire doesn't stand with his constituents on this, then this gentleman should not be re-elected.

I ask anyone who agrees with me to contact his office and let him know that if he doesn't stand for the public option you will not vote for him.

DOMINICK FARAONE
New Castle

Give us their plan

Why can't every person in America -- at least taxpayers -- have the same health-care coverage at the same cost as every senator, congressman and their staff members? Why is this so hard?

DONALD E. KOENIG
Bethel Park

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