Letters to the editor
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Requiring voter ID is simply common sense
I found Keesha Gaskins' commentary on voter ID requirements ( "Reject Voter ID," Jan. 11 Perspectives) to be leftward-biased and misleading. Such ID verification requirements are simple to comply with and do not disenfranchise or deny anyone the right to vote, as is falsely claimed.
Anyone who desires to cash a $10 check in any bank today must furnish a photo ID, even if they have a personal account with that bank. Funny, we hear no claims that such universal requirements are aimed at discouraging or burdening bank customers or disallowing their right to cash checks. In reality, it is accepted as a simple and prudent policy to protect the bank and the interests of all its customers. Consider two points: If it were deemed unnecessary, it would not be done, and proper voting is at least as important as cashing a $10 check.
Any person lacking a driver's license or other form of photo ID can comply with the proposed voting requirement by taking the simple, one-time step of obtaining a free ID card from the state. Compliance could not possibly be made any easier. Therefore, any individual who chooses not to comply either cares too little about voting or is too lazy or irresponsible to take this simple step.
Clearly, they would not be having their voting rights denied but would be denying themselves of this right. All rights carry with them certain common civic responsibilities, and protecting the integrity of our voting process is vital.
Perhaps Keesha Gaskins should concern herself with her own state of New York rather than interjecting her biased and misleading views on Pennsylvania's common-sense voting requirements.
JIM HART
Trafford
Not hard to get
This letter is in regard to Keesha Gaskins' Jan. 11 commentary ( "Reject Voter ID" ). I find it absolutely ridiculous that this requirement hasn't been in place all along.
We need ID to buy cigarettes, alcohol, drive a car, get on a plane or a train, even to get into R-rated movies. Ms. Gaskins is trying to tell me that these things are more important than electing someone to our nation's highest office? She claims that it will discriminate against minorities, seniors and young people. That's just plain stupid. Everyone is allowed to get state photo identification! How is that discrimination?
If anything, the law discriminates against lazy people. The law does not state that a voter needs to have a driver's license, just a photo ID. If you want to vote, then get photo identification! It's as simple as that. Get down to the DMV, pay your $15 and walk out with the right to vote.
Getting a photo ID is not a very hard thing to accomplish. I think taking a few hours out of your busy day to acquire one is a small thing to ask to guard against voter fraud, don't you?
Support House Bill 934! No ID, no vote!
JESSE SPRAGUE
West View
Uptown parking
I was disconcerted by the representation of the parking study referenced in the article "Lofts Already Under Way at Old Fifth Avenue High School" (Jan. 9). The PG reports that Bob Goetz of Trans Associates, who conducted a study on behalf of ACTION-Housing, believes that on-street parking is sufficient to support the developer's request for a reduction in parking to only 11 cars and 15 bicycles.
The article fails to note that this study was conducted from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 9, 2011 -- a single day on which the Penguins did not play at home. Failure to mention the limited scope of the study is irresponsible and misleading.
Additionally, while it is true that residents of our neighborhood are in the unfortunate position of being surrounded by surface parking lots, I disagree with the assertion that somehow ACTION-Housing is saving us from the problem by requesting this variance. Very few homes in our neighborhood have off-street parking. During the day, residents living in the un-permitted zone of our neighborhood must combat commuters looking for free parking, and many nights, all of us must plan our arrivals home around the events at the Consol Center.
Forcing large concentrations of new residents into on-street parking will only exacerbate the problem. As developers continue to build in our neighborhood, a comprehensive plan to deal with the influx of residential car parking will be absolutely essential. And it should certainly involve a study lasting longer than 11 hours.
LYNN HYDE
Uptown
Ugly deception
The Post-Gazette has stated that there is no need to hold abortion facilities to the same requirements as other free-standing ambulatory surgical facilities ( "Women at Risk," Dec. 19 editorial).
Why not? The truth is that these facilities perform surgical abortions and that was the reason for the passage of Senate Bill 732. The abortion industry depends on semantic gamesmanship to avoid the truth of its ugly business, but why contribute to the deception?
This is a business where one of two patients dies -- the mother survives but the child within her womb does not. If you cannot defend the rights of the children in the womb, at least have some compassion for the well-being of the women the abortion industry exploits.
HELENE E. PAHARIK
Director, Department for Human Dignity
Secretariat for Evangelization & Social Concerns
Diocese of Pittsburgh
Downtown
Adopt a Bridge
It appears the commonwealth's representatives have no intention of biting the hand that feeds them, and so I call upon the gas drillers themselves to pitch in. One of the biggest issues facing Pennsylvania is the condition of our bridges. The Marcellus Shale players' equipment is hastening their demise.
My proposal is simple: Adopt a Bridge, like the "Adopt a Highway" cleanup campaign, only Texas-sized.
I would have no problem crossing the Range Resources Fort Pitt Bridge or the Chesapeake Energy Highland Park Bridge. Heck, the P.J. McArdle Cabot Oil and Gas Bridge to the South Side would be a dream right now.
Let PennDOT make a list of needy spans, and the Marcellus Shale Coalition members can bring their checkbooks. Short of Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon's smiling face, they can post big signs at the portals. Seems simple enough to me.
RICHARD WILKINSON
Mt. Lebanon
Unopen space now
Even though I am a lawyer, I have much difficulty understanding the position of Occupy Pittsburgh. The Post-Gazette reports that Occupy Pittsburgh argued in court that Mellon Green is an urban open space that should be accessible to the public at all times ( "BNY Mellon, Occupy Argue Over Eviction," Jan. 11).
However, the establishment of a permanent encampment there has effectively excluded the general public from using the area. Occupy Pittsburgh's argument defies reason and logic.
DAVID C. GALLAGHER
Mt. Lebanon
It is possible to fight city hall
I was not aware of Verizon's latest attempt at pocket picking -- that is, a new charge it had planned to institute for those making a one-time bill payment with credit or debit cards online or on the phone -- until I heard mention of it during radio newscasts last week. When faced with public angst, Verizon immediately backed away from the plan.
Another interesting aspect of people's power was demonstrated a while back respecting the big banks' attempt at imposing yet another fee on the use of debit cards. Faced with another demonstration of public angst, the Financial Mafia backed down, too.
To those who cry "you can't fight city hall," I'm given to offer the following: Not only can people "fight city hall," they damned well should, with city hall presenting itself in any of several guises, which include but are not limited to the actuality of city hall, or mobs like Verizon or Bank of America, to mention just one of those "too big to fail" mobs.
By the way, regarding the despicable cowardice of the Obama administration, demonstrated via the conspicuous lack of criminal prosecution of bank/financial executives, the decision makers who brought the nation to its economic knees: If the people of this country raised hell with President Obama, et al., over this lack of the all-too-obviously warranted criminal prosecutions, the above referenced culprits might not be, as they currently are, skating away, free as the proverbial bird.
Remember the adage, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
ALAN SCHULTZ
McCandless
First Published January 13, 2012 12:00 am
