Burdening students even more is unconscionable

For decades, city leaders failed in their obligation to adequately fund the pension system. Now, through his proposed tax on tuition, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is suggesting that the 18- to 23-year-old segment of the population bail out a situation caused by the negligence of their elders ("Ravenstahl Defends His Proposal for Tuition Tax," Nov. 11).

Many of today's college students will graduate with a significant burden of student loans and will face a dismal employment market. For their entire working lives, they will be saddled with high taxes to place a dent in an obscene deficit. The federal government has literally mortgaged their futures.

Don't these students deserve all the help we can give them as they prepare for careers that will generate taxes to pay a debt that they did not create?

Our colleges and universities add immeasurably to the prestige and viability of our region. Yes, they are provided with some degree of government services, usually emergency in nature. Most schools have their own campus police. Think of the jobs and subsequent taxes provided by university employment. Consider the money spent locally by students. This is far from being a parasitic relationship.

In my opinion, taxing tuition would be unconscionable.

CARL SHIPLEY
Bethel Park

Mayor's illogic

I was reading Rich Lord's Nov. 10 article about Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's proposed tax on university students when I saw the quote, "Mr. Ravenstahl said parents and students should look at the 'questionable' fees colleges and universities are charging today" ("Lamb Questions Whether Pittsburgh Can Impose Tuition Tax," Web story). Schools may charge me "questionable" fees, so that makes it acceptable for him to tax me? What kind of logic is that?

I find it more questionable that the mayor mentioned this tax as a serious possibility only after his election. I sincerely hope that this ill-thought-out idea does not pass. When a form asks me what my job or profession is I may write down "student" but that does not mean that I am earning any money attending school from which I should be taxed. I am paying money to the school (with student loans). We students do not deserve to be taxed because we want an education in Pittsburgh.

REBECCA SLINGER
Shadyside

He has few options

I know that Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's tuition tax proposal is controversial, but the commonwealth has left him with few, if any, options.

Despite numerous efforts over the years, the commonwealth has not provided opportunities to urban hubs, large and small, that host large tracts of tax-exempt real property to recoup the costs of the municipal services that they render to them. Notwithstanding the recently enacted EMT ($52) tax (ironically pushed only by Pittsburgh, but now used by hundreds of municipalities throughout the state), Pittsburgh and other urban hubs do not have mechanisms to adequately meet the costs involved in hosting large, regional tax-exempt institutions such as hospitals, universities, museums, stadiums, etc.

Naturally, as Pittsburgh residents, my family and I enjoy the wonderful tax-exempt amenities that we have in our city. Those same amenities are also enjoyed by noncity residents from all over Western Pennsylvania and beyond.

A tuition tax would not be my first suggestion. My approach would be to enact a state revenue-sharing program, like the one I proposed in 1995, which passed the House in 1996. It died in the Senate, even though the state was flush with cash at the time. Since then there has been no political will to fund such a program, and with our revenue projections chances are bleaker than ever.

So rather than blasting the mayor's proposal, the institutions of higher education should team up with him to address the city's revenue needs. Other tax-exempt institutions should join in the effort. They can start by mobilizing their boards of trustees and student bodies and their families in a major lobbying effort in support of state revenue-sharing or other funding mechanisms for the urban hubs that serve as their hosts.

STATE REP. DON WALKO
North Side

The writer, a Democrat, represents the 20th Legislative District.

So stay in Schenley

In regard to the Nov. 7 letter "A Spoiled Stroll": The letter writers missed the whole beauty of Frick Park. My husband and I are practically daily walkers on the trails of this beautiful park. We also do not own a dog. If all you are interested in is whose dog is on a leash or not, then stay in Schenley Park.

Frick Park has been getting revitalized in the past few years and the efforts that have been put into this park are amazing. Yes, it is true that many dog owners do not leash their dogs, but have these letter writers ever watched the dogs while they are down in "Lower Frick" running about and playing with their owners and other dogs? Did the dogs bother them or their grandchildren in some way?

Maybe they shouldn't be admonishing people regarding their pets. I'm sure there is an authority they could complain to if they find it necessary. The dog owners are all very diligent in keeping watch over their dogs and cleaning up after them. In all the times we have been enjoying the trails we have not come across any dog that has been mean or aggressive that wasn't on a leash.

It's a great, big beautiful park that all should be able to enjoy, people and animals. So please don't spoil it for everyone else; appreciate the park for all that it is and is becoming. If not, then I say again, stay in Schenley Park.

KAREN L. PROTHEROE
Edgewood

Farewell to Frick

In reference to "A Spoiled Stroll" (Nov. 7): My daughters, granddaughter and I were walking in Frick Park two weeks ago and noticed that no one had their dogs on leashes.

What is worse, two dogs kept coming up to us and licking my granddaughter's face and jumping on her. Then, these same two dogs ran off the trail and attacked a raccoon, viciously biting its neck and shaking it. We didn't linger to see what happened to the poor raccoon; we rushed away not wanting the baby to see this.

Also, no one seems to be picking up droppings. It looks like we too will be walking in another park.

SUE ASKEY
South Fayette

Letter appreciated

My father, a World War II veteran, received a wonderful letter on Monday from a second-grader at Bradford Woods Elementary School in the North Allegheny School District. It was a letter thanking him for serving and protecting our country so he could live a life of freedom.

I think it was a wonderful thing for the schoolchildren to do; the boy who sent my dad his letter really made his day!

CAROLYN L. RUFFER
Monroeville

Let's rethink how we pay for health expenses

It seems to me that insurance is not the best method of paying for health-care costs.

Insurance works for other expenses, like rebuilding a house that has burned down, because only a very small portion of the premium payers actually file a claim. Most people's houses never burn down.

But virtually everyone has health-care expenses, so there isn't a pool of nonclaimants to spread the costs over. I think everyone should have a personal health-care account to cover their medical expenses. Employers could pay into these accounts for their employees. People on Social Security and other forms of unearned income would have to pay a portion into their health-care account -- a portion similar to the Medicare premium. Parents would be responsible for paying for their children's accounts until the children reached 18.

If people didn't have enough money in their personal accounts to pay the health-care expense, the government would pay the difference. The government would use funds now used for Medicare and welfare as well as any unused funds in personal accounts when the owners die. This is a radical change from the idea of using health-care insurance to pay medical costs, but this way everyone could get health care when they need it.

LARRY GROCHALSKI
West View

A family's pain brings the reality of war to light

Carol Kowall's Oct. 30 letter brought tears to my eyes ("What Is the Value of This War's Human Cost?"). It's one thing to be moved by the photos of flag-draped caskets, to read the in-depth article about the resignation of a high-ranking official who no longer believes in the Afghanistan war, or to hear administration officials debating troop levels . . . but to read a letter from someone who has just recently lost a loved one for this war effort brings her family's pain right into the real world.

While I certainly and truly understand that families who lose loved ones either in Iraq or Afghanistan need to feel that their loved one didn't die in vain, there also needs to be, as Mrs. Kowall says, "a coherent strategy to bring this to an end." She also talks about "the most important cost of the war."

When I hear the big shots in Washington talking about how expensive health care might be, I want to shake them and remind them of what Iraq and Afghanistan are costing future generations. I agree that the most important cost in this case is the blood of our valiant armed forces in these far-off lands.

I hate starting my day with tears in my eyes, but maybe if people like Carol Kowall were invited to join the high-level talks about the future of our soldiers in these wars, we'd get to the ideas of peace and humanity that she pleads for in such a moving letter and lovely tribute to her nephew Corey.

DICK MARSHALL
Crafton

The true masters will be served

Regarding the editorial "UPMC's Call: The Under-Use Claim at Braddock Rings Hollow" (Nov. 6): The last paragraph mentions "nonprofit institutions . . . are bound to a higher call." Perhaps so, in some cases; however, regarding the actions of UPMC, there appears to be significant question in the minds of some, UPMC's management in particular.

The following comes to mind. Absent significant curbing by our "elected things" of health insurers and related others, the gouging (premium and co-pay increases, the diminution of services, etc.) will continue, likely worsen. By the way, looking at all the money involved, lobbying and campaign contributions looming large, it appears that our "elected things" will continue to serve their true masters, those who hire and are represented by the lobbyists above mentioned, not The People.

So will the antics of insurers ever be curbed? One would like to believe so, but beliefs do not seem to square with what appear to be the facts of the matter, sad to note.

ALAN SCHULTZ
McCandless

This administration's unkept promises

It's time for us to respond to our president. We have an administration that told us it would bring change. There would be transparency to "the process." It would attend to our feedback and input -- it would remember for whom it worked. Yet, we are continually locked out of communication, ushered out the door, intimidated and ridiculed if we don't agree with it. "Disagreement" to this administration is un-American.

It scoffed at the tea parties; ignored the health-care input it received at the August "town halls"; placed tax evaders, self-proclaimed Marxists and socialists in the highest government positions; and called disagreeing Americans "racists."

This administration has trebled the deficit while accusing the Bush administration of overspending. It has actually entered business in an effort to control industry. This administration is pushing Congress to move too quickly into the health insurance business. Now, Mr. Obama, Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod and, of course, Anita Dunn want to control the press by "taking on [tuning out] the opposition." They have begun their attack on a "free press" by limiting Fox News Channel's access to the administration. Watch out NBC, CBS, CNN, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, et al. Why aren't you all raising Cain about this? You're next.

As for the rest of us, "People, wake up!" Remember the promises. Think about your own life experience, what your parents told you. Think for just a minute. Promises not kept -- yup, you remember -- are lies. Plain and simple -- promises not kept are lies!

STEWART JOSLIN
Shadyside

Reliance on U.S. oil simply doesn't add up

State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe should check a few facts about our oil reserves before he suggests that we should be doing more drilling for oil in the United States. On pages 44 and 45 of the July 7-July 14, 2008, issue of Newsweek there are some facts about oil.

On page 45 there is a graph of crude oil reserves for the 15 countries with the largest oil reserves. We rank 12th on that list, with reserves of 20.9 billion barrels.

On page 44 there is a graph of oil consumption in the United States from 1980 to 2007. In 2007 our consumption was 20.7 million barrels per day.

An interesting question to ask is how long the United States' oil reserves would last if we made two assumptions:

1. To be very optimistic, assume that the estimate of our oil reserves is low by a factor of two, so that our reserves were actually 42 billion barrels.

2. To be somewhat optimistic, assume that our consumption of oil does not increase in the future.

The calculation is very simple: Years that our oil would last equals reserves divided by consumption rate.

This simple calculation shows that following Rep. Metcalfe's policy suggestion we would run out of U.S. oil in less than five years. Frightening, is it not?

ROBERT W. WOLFE
Wilkinsburg

Return the enthusiasm with a check to charity

As we proceed through November and thoughts of the less fortunate are in our hearts and minds more now than any other time of the year, this thought came to me: Why are there so many people who have money and yet we still have an issue of hunger?

I know just about everybody asks that question, but I have another question: Why do we have very fortunate people in Pittsburgh who really could help more than others and choose not to? We constantly hear about how players from the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates sign these huge contracts; why not give back and help out people who could really use some help? These people who could use some help are some of the same people who have supported these teams through thick and thin.

I can bet a lot of the players have some extra money sitting around that could really be put to some good use. Imagine what a nice fat check made out to the food bank could do. Why not show the city of Pittsburgh the same love that the city shows you guys?

JASON BARD
Beechview

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