Your July 16 editorial, "Unproved Theory: Obama Was Going to Make Scientists Happier," overstated the prevalence of political interference in federal science under the Obama administration.

Political interference was rampant under the George W. Bush administration. The Obama administration has a better track record, but unfortunately there are still incidents where science is being manipulated, suppressed or distorted.

The Obama administration has said the right things about ending political interference in science, but it needs to take action. During his Inaugural Address, Barack Obama promised to "restore science to its rightful place." Two months later, he asked his science adviser to produce a plan to do just that. It has been more than a year since that request, and the White House has yet to release benchmarks, guidelines or other components of a plan.

Some agency officials have instituted reforms on their own, and many have sent a strong message to their staffs that they will not tolerate abuses of science. But ending political interference in science will require reforms across the entire federal government that ensure the public has a full understanding of who makes public policy decisions and on what basis.

President Obama recognizes the need to safeguard the integrity of federal science. It is time that his administration puts his words into action.

FRANCESCA GRIFO
Director
Scientific Integrity Program Union of Concerned Scientists
Washington, D.C.

Seeking a vision

Residents throughout the region have a new opportunity to shape their future. Power of 32 is a public engagement process with no predetermined agenda in which participants come together to develop and prioritize ideas aimed at creating a thriving region in 2025 -- far enough in the future to encourage bold thinking, but close enough to see the visionary impact.

This regional initiative spans 32 counties and 4.2 million people in four states -- Western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia and northwestern Maryland -- and is now launching community conversations in each of the counties. All voices are welcome and the agenda is formed by the discussions.

We are on the cusp of being a world-class region, but we need to come together and work in a collaborative way to strengthen and magnify the resources we already have.

Find a community conversation near you at www.powerof32.org.

ALLEN KUKOVICH
Regional Chair
Power of 32
Oakland

Put 'mass' in transit

The Britannica Online Encyclopedia says "mass transit" is "designed to move large numbers of people in various types of vehicles in cities, suburbs and large metropolitan areas." The Port Authority of Allegheny County's financial woes stem from the fact that the agency fails to understand its primary mission. Buses operating during peak hours on busy routes, filled near capacity qualify as "mass transit."

Buses operating at non-peak hours hauling two or three people do not.

On a recent visit to the Waterfront I observed a full-sized bus traveling through the complex at 1 a.m. on a Sunday completely empty. This bus obviously wasn't needed for "mass transit." Moving individual people around the county is a job for a limo or taxi cab, not a Port Authority bus.

A check of the transit schedules in our neighboring counties shows that they operate their buses primarily Mondays through Fridays, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., with limited service during the day on Saturdays. That's it. Somehow their residents manage to get where they need to go during the remaining non-peak hours without government-provided transit. If they can do it, so can the residents of Allegheny County.

GARY PAULL
Lincoln Place

Transit assessments

The editoral "Transit Gloom" in the Post-Gazette on July 23 asked the state of Pennsylvania to appropriate funds that would prevent drastic cuts of service and increases in fares by the Allegheny County Port Authority. Public transportation is a crucially important government service. It especially benefits the many residents who cannot afford to own an automobile while slowing depletion of the world's supply of oil.

Good bus service increases the value of land, especially near bus stops, which obviously benefits the owners. It would also increase local government revenues if the land were taxed properly at its full value. Unfortunately, Allegheny County's property assessments are out of date, as of the year 2002, and also are generally too low on the value of land and too high on the value of buildings.

Annual and accurate reassessments will increase tax revenues, especially if bus service is improved or at least maintained. The local communities then can and should pay larger shares of the costs of public transportation.

Additional government revenues from good public transportation can be obtained by a higher tax rate on the value of land than buildings. The increased revenues from good public transportation can and should support even better public transportation.

HERBERT BARRY III
Oakland

More hot air

Pennsylvania Coal Association President George Ellis' "Hot Air About Alternatives" (July 13 Perspectives), in which he berates wind and solar power, is nothing but hot air. He states that alternatives are "not practical, reliable or affordable." Why then, Mr. Ellis, has the coal industry started running attack ads against wind turbines and solar cells?

Mr. Ellis then makes the claim that electricity produced from coal is the cheapest per kilowatt hour. But is that factoring in the hundreds of millions of dollars spent over the last 50 years cleaning up the environmental damage from mining -- pollution from acid runoff, fish kills, subsidence, toxic leachate from power plant fly ash dumps, along with the human costs of those killed in explosions, cave-ins and from black lung?

And don't forget the environmental atrocity in the southern Appalachians known as "mountaintop removal!" How much is a mountain worth anyway? How about the streams and creeks obliterated in this method? Aren't they part of the cost of generating electricity?

ROBERT ZBEGAN
New Castle

Buy American

The economic news still seems unclear as to whether or not the American economy is stalled, falling backwards or moving ahead. Many Americans are out of work or underemployed. Congress and the Obama administration are bogged down in partisan politics and finger pointing. Many of us are left wondering if the huge bailouts, tax breaks and stimulus spending are helping.

Perhaps as individuals we can take some charge of our own stimulus package and try to buy American. It may cost a few cents or dollars more when shopping to buy an American versus a foreign-made product. The added cost of the domestic product may be what is needed to save a job in Iowa or create one in Pennsylvania. A small cost to pay for a direct stimulus package we can control ourselves.

RICK WICE
Squirrel Hill

20 years after ADA, more work remains

"I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul."

These words from the poem "Invictus" strengthened and sustained Nobel Prize winner Nelson Mandela during his imprisonment on Robben Island and are an inspiration for all who seek to live fully and freely.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law July 26, 1990. The recent article ("Disabilities Law Hits 20 Years of Making a Community Open to All," July 21) highlighted effective changes and significant work still needing to be done so that persons with disabilities can live productive lives in the communities of their choosing.

Together, we participate in the unfolding narrative of this great democratic experiment that is the story of the extension of rights until all are truly equal.

• We want our independence. We need resources and supports.

• We want an equal opportunity and an equal chance at employment. We need an educated public and a change in attitudes.

• We want to be involved and included and not institutionalized. We need you to see us as who we are as your neighbors, friends, and colleagues.

Ultimately, we want the respect we have earned as members of this community, as taxpayers, veterans, leaders and professionals.

On this 20th anniversary, we celebrate the legacy; we welcome a new generation of leaders; and we continue to labor for full equality because the full intent of this law is yet to be realized.

LINDA WARMAN
Hazelwood
The letter writer is a transportation advocate for the Consumer Health Coalition's Health Committee for People with Disabilities.

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