Letters to the business editor
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It's not immigration
"What's Stopping Pittsburgh from Growing" (April 22) blamed a lack of immigrants and jobs for them as the reason for the Pittsburgh region's population decline.
Was that article meant as a joke? I hope so. It's frightening to think that the person was serious.
The reason for the population collapse in the Pittsburgh area is simple: People and businesses are running away or staying away -- away from high and higher taxes, including those for schools and property; away from high basic business taxes, and things such as fees for showing the name of your business on your building or for having an alarm system; away from housing that continues to rise in price, even though fewer and fewer people live here (that is, a false market).
How about these bits of info as the end of a string leading to the real problems here: Pennsylvania is surrounded by Toyota and Lexus plants in Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey and seven more throughout the country. The number of Toyota and Lexus plants in Pennsylvania? Zero.
Honda has four, yes, four plants in Ohio, and eight more throughout the country. The number of Honda plants in Pennsylvania? Zero.
Immigrants? Jobs for immigrants? Are you kidding?
WILLIAM M. STODDART, Brentwood
An unhealthy move
I'm disappointed in your recent pieces on UPMC that there is no mention of what this move must cost a "nonprofit," and what effect that could have on the cost of health care ("UPMC Logo May Top Off U.S. Steel Tower," April 11). I'm sure [Jeffrey] Romoff could think just as well on a lower, less expensive floor. Or maybe in a less expensive building, if he must move. I guess he doesn't want to be so close to his hospitals.
UPMC is the 900-pound gorilla in health care, but I'm surprised one of the country's great newspapers is afraid to criticize it.
ROD ANDERSON, Shaler
Signing off on signs
The Highmark sign despoiled my favorite building (as a photographic subject). Now this; yikes.
Next, we can uglify the Union Trust, Arrott, Gulf, Koppers, etc.?
LARRY COMDEN, Baldwin Borough
A choice for freedom
In the April 17 Post-Gazette Business Section, Peter Morici says he finds it curious that anyone could think that workers voting to have a union are subject to arm twisting ("The Poor Get Poorer: There Are Better Ways to Attack Income Inequality"). Let's see how the current practice for voting for a union would work for you in the grocery store.
You decide to buy a jar of peanut butter. Before you can check out someone stops you and says, "Are you sure you want peanut butter?" Suppose there is no law that says he has to tell the truth and he spins stories about how peanut butter is the worst thing that came down the pike. Suppose he also can throw you out of the store if you insist on peanut butter and there aren't any police you can call to get this guy to leave you alone. Either you agree or you don't get any food.
That's what the Employee Free Choice Act will stop.
Here's how it works now. When a third of the workers at a place sign a card saying they want the advantages of a union -- better benefits such as employer-provided health insurance, higher wages (30 percent higher on average, 36 percent if you're African-American, 46 percent if you're Latino or Latina), fair treatment on the job -- management has to let them vote. Before the election, management can call employees in one by one and say, "Sally, if you vote for this union, I'll have to put in your performance report that you aren't a team player." There's a whole industry of high-priced consultants they call in to tell workers that unions make problems. Then the consultants bring about the tension and arguments that they accuse unions of causing. Finally, management can just fire you if you support the union. It's against the law, but enforcement takes so long and is so lax that it's like not having a police officer to call if someone hassles you in the store. Only after such an all-out assault can workers enter that voting booth. That's how the arm twisting works. And it should stop.
That's not the American idea of freedom of choice. That's more like life in a dictatorship. That's what the Worker Freedom of Choice Act will change once it becomes law. Everyone who values freedom of choice should support it. Nobody should be able to threaten people who chose to make their lives better by joining a union.
E. PAUL DURRENBERGER, Ph.D., State College
Incentives for airlines
The March 29 article ("German Company Will Make Area Home") reported on Sycor GmbH's decision to make Pittsburgh its North American headquarters. Sycor chose Pittsburgh for a variety of positive reasons, including a $360,000 incentive package from the state. While financial incentives seem necessary these days, there is another kind we could provide that would benefit both newcomers and well-established foreign companies, as well as Pittsburgh companies that do business in Europe. The incentive would be establishing direct flights to Europe from Pittsburgh International Airport.
Currently, there are no direct flights from Pittsburgh to Europe, a fact Bayer Corp. has publicly lamented. Why don't we offer free landing and leasing costs to the first airline that would agree to maintain frequent direct flights ? This is not a novel idea. Dallas is one area that has done this to lure businesses and jobs.
It is worth considering.
BETTY CONNELLY, Squirrel Hill
Combat illegal trade
In his article "The Poor Get Poorer," Peter Morici blames unions and trade policies for the decline of Americans' income. He is half right: The Bush administration has not applied U.S. law against subsidized and illegal and immoral trade.
But he is dead wrong on his anti-union tirade.
He seems to argue that unionized workers should give up their unionized wages and benefits so that their employers could better compete against this unfair competition. In his example he suggests unionized auto workers of American manufacturers should lower their standard of living to better compete against Toyota's nonunion workers.
It may not have occurred to him, but it just may be better to unionize the Toyota plants in the United States rather than the other way around!
TOM PLOCKI, Natrona Heights
Victim of its foolishness
Your commentary on Vonage is completely wrong. I wouldn't even call the story an "analysis." Vonage has been mismanaged from the start of the company. I find it comical that the PG is just now "reporting" on its failure.
Vonage is a business-model relic (from 2000) that has never had a clear picture of the environment in which it was competing. It came out of an overeager set of less than intelligent minds who thought they could cash in quickly on a "new" technology. They tried to force an unpolished piece of new technology (which they didn't invent) for something that could pass as "ready" for the everyday consumer.
The first mistake was trying to fool early adopters with a product a tech savvy person could set up himself. Second, the pricing structure was ridiculously high compared with the value of existing technology and others trying to gain market share. Please don't report Vonage "will get the blame," while bad connections may be a large part of the problem. They were a bunch of fools trying to make a quick buck. There's no shortage of that in the world; just don't make is seem like they weren't cognizant of their charade.
JOHN ROONEY, Regent Square
First Published May 7, 2007 5:46 pm
