Letters to the editor, 07/26/06
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Hezbollah's ties to Syria and Iran are not exaggerated
In your July 14 editorial "Assault on Lebanon: Israel's Strong Military Action Turns Up the Heat," you stated that Israel exaggerates Hezbollah and Syria's link to Iran. Nothing could be further from the truth. This editorial opinion displays a total lack of understanding of the state of affairs in the Middle East.
Most political and international affairs experts freely acknowledge that Hezbollah is a tool of Syria and Iran, getting its military and financial support from Iran. This most recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, initiated by Hezbollah, is clearly another action designed to bring about the stated desire of Iran, the complete elimination of the state of Israel. Iran commands, and Hezbollah executes.
The timing of the conflict also serves Iran in that it deflected the attention of not only the G-8 meeting but the West in general from the growing nuclear threat in Iran.
As someone said, "Hezbollah is the bloody fingers of the Syrian hand, attached to the Iranian body." The evidence of the link between Hezbollah and Iran is so clear and obvious that to ignore it indicates either intentional ignorance or willing bias. As a reader of the Post-Gazette and its opinions for the past 43 years, I can only conclude it is prejudice against the state of Israel, or perhaps worse.
JUDAH SAMET
Oakland
Real complexities
The July 18 editorial on the Middle East conflict ("Stop the Fighting: Resume the Talks Toward a Middle East Solution") was poorly reasoned and displayed a simplistic view of the situation.
Most appallingly, it implied that Israel should be content to live with ultra-terrorist Hezbollah as its immediate neighbor because Lebanon cannot assume control of its southern border -- for lack of "consensus" and "firepower" -- and the prospect of an international force is "difficult to imagine."
Second, it is a grave mistake to insist that no blame in the conflict lies with Iran and Syria. It is only with political, financial and military sponsorship from Iran and Syria that Hezbollah has placed its cells on every continent, continues to arm and train Palestinian terrorists and has reportedly sent operatives to Iraq.
To oversimplify the situation might produce a more desirable worldview, one that does not include "widening the conflict into a regional war." Such a worldview, however, would not reflect the complexities of real life.
JULIA LEYZAROVICH
Upper St. Clair
Disregard for life
President Bush's misguided veto of stem cell research funding, under the guise of protecting life ("Bush's First Veto Keeps Stem Cell Funding Curbs," July 20), is another example of his total disregard for people living with devastating illness.
His political agenda is frightening: He is a warmonger -- Iraq is a killing field, thanks to the U.S. invasion. Israel, with the help of U.S. weapons and money, is destroying a country and innocent civilians, right before our eyes.
Where is the outrage?
KATHLEEN BURKE
Carnegie
Onward to Mars!
Now that the space shuttle has returned to Earth, congratulations to NASA are in order ("Shuttle Safely Completes Space Mission," July 18). Nevertheless, the time has come to wind down this timid near-Earth venture and prepare for a manned mission to Mars.
Of all places in our solar system, Mars holds the greatest promise for human expansion and adventure. Only Mars possesses most of the elements necessary for colonization: hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. These, in combination with Mars' carbon dioxide atmosphere, can be used to manufacture fuel and other necessities.
Colonists will not have to worry about a lack of life-sustaining water, for the Mars rovers have discovered large quantities locked up in its soil. Also, the 24-hour, 37-minute Martian day is compatible with the human biological clock. In contrast, the moon's monthlong rotation and airless, parched surface necessitate much greater expense and trouble to colonize.
NASA has drawn up plans for the next generation of heavy-lift rockets and crew vehicles for a return to the moon by 2014 ("For Rockets, It's 'Back to the Future,' " July 1). The Mars Society, a nonprofit organization of space advocates, has shown that direct flights to Mars using similar technology are possible within the same time frame, and that a return to the moon is redundant and unnecessary.
I urge everyone to learn about and support the efforts of the Mars Society. We can put excitement back into space exploration.
JAMES KIRBY
Greenfield
The writer is a member of the Mars Society.
Unions not to blame
I find it very upsetting that most residents blame city unions for the financial condition of this great city. Aside from the firefighters union, all other city unions do care about the financial plight of their employer and ask only for a fair wage paid for services provided.
Nonprofit organizations such as Highmark and UPMC take up almost 40 percent of city land but pay not one cent in real-estate taxes and have had record profits in recent years.
If these companies paid only a fraction of their assessed land value, we could lower residential taxes, provide better services and attract people back to this great city. Oh, yeah, and we wouldn't have to rely on slots as our financial savior either!
DUANE R. SCHICK
Westwood
The writer is a Pittsburgh police officer.
New Century is committed to public service, not personal gain
I am writing in response to the July 23 "Asides" editorial regarding my involvement in obtaining a license to distribute gaming machines.
First, let me state that I am not an advocate for gaming in Pennsylvania nor do I believe that having distributors (often referred to as "middlemen") is a necessary part of the system. I have never lobbied for either gaming or distributorships and, in fact, have never spoken to anyone on the gaming control board or its staff or to any person in the governor's office regarding this matter.
After learning that Pennsylvania was to have gaming distributors and that the stated purpose was to create jobs and opportunities for minority involvement, I joined with several others to form a company to obtain a distributorship license to serve those stated purposes. More than 25 percent of the ownership of our company, New Century Entertainment, is held by minorities. The company's chair and vice chair are both minorities. I hold approximately 15 percent of the ownership.
New Century has committed to a goal of 40 percent minority hiring and has further committed to donate 20 percent of the net proceeds of the company to minority-oriented, nonprofit organizations. In addition, individual owners of New Century have pledged to select nonprofit organizations to receive all, or a substantial portion, of their proceeds. I have pledged 100 percent of my share to charity.
The shareholders of New Century have a remarkable record of service to the community. Collectively they sit on more than 40 nonprofit boards. They also serve on numerous private sector boards.
New Century does not oppose the elimination of distributorships nor will we take any active role in trying to preserve that portion of the Pennsylvania gaming law. If, however, the state government keeps the distributorships we do feel that our plan to employ minorities and give a majority of our net proceeds to charity is a better plan than that of those who seek to reap personal gain from gaming.
If one reads the articles and the editorial by the Post-Gazette one would conclude that I am the sole organizer and principal owner of New Century and that I stand to personally profit from the venture. None of those are correct.
For most of the past 28 years that I have been in Pittsburgh I have been dedicated to improving Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and southwestern Pennsylvania. To now be portrayed by the Post-Gazette as trying to profit personally from gaming is disappointing.
JAMES C. RODDEY
Oakmont
Political self-service
Regarding "Roddey Licensed to Sell Slots to Casinos" (July 21): One needs only to look at the names of the principals of the companies who have been awarded the licenses to sell and service slot machines in our most corrupt of states to know beyond any doubt that political contacts are the only requirement.
Why on Earth would our yet-to-be- opened casinos be forced to purchase their machines through a Pennsylvania distributor? In addition to driving up the cost of the machines, the sole effect of this law will be to line the pockets of present and former politicians and their families.
The argument that this will generate any meaningful jobs in Pennsylvania is nonsense. The sole objective of this asinine law is to prove beyond any doubt that our political class in the Keystone State exists only to serve its own greed. Even more reprehensible is the use of "minority ownership" as a disguise.
The motivation for our politicians is clearly self-service, not public service. When are we going to get smart enough to turn out these scoundrels?
JAMES B. BANN
McCandless
First Published July 26, 2006 12:00 am
