Letters to the editor
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The PSU trustees made a sad passing sadder
It is with a sad heart that I write this letter. I am a 1988 graduate of Penn State, my brother graduated in the mid-'90s and my father was a professor until his death in 1999. I have known only Penn State football and Joe Paterno in the same sentence. I am from and still live in the Pittsburgh area and have taken great pleasure in harassing Pitt fans about the tremendous record of Joe Paterno, whether it be his football win-loss record, his graduation rate of players or his monetary generosity toward the university.
When the Jerry Sandusky scandal broke, there were many emotions. I watched Joe Paterno's news conference announcing his retirement at the end of the season. When I heard that the board of trustees had fired him over the phone, I was appalled. Surely this great university would not do something so offensive. But, unfortunately, the story was true.
I heard Sunday of Joe Paterno's death. The news is not shocking as I felt when he finally spoke recently that he was speaking from his death bed and wanted to be heard before his death. I know that the board has been trying to secure his retirement for several years, warranted or not. What disgusts me as a Penn State alumna, and for the first time in my life makes me embarrassed to be an alumna, is the manner in which the board of trustees has handled this whole situation.
It is a sad day because of Joe Paterno's death, an even sadder day because after all he did for our university, the trustees chose to act as a large corporation and not a "family" and took away his will to live in such an unfair way.
SUSAN ZIEGENFUS
Sarver
A friend's support
This letter is not written to argue whether or not Joe Paterno should have been fired. I am writing, hopefully, on behalf of many Penn State alumnae and fans, to thank Franco Harris for his public support of the late coach.
Without detracting from the tragedy of the alleged sexual abuse of the children involved, one has to acknowledge the other tragedy of the fall of the great coach. I am sure that Franco's support meant a great deal to Coach Paterno. His death makes Franco's support all the more poignant. Hollywood could not have written a more sorrowful ending to a life story.
So, thank you, Franco, for your loyal and courageous backing of a man who meant a great deal to you and to the rest of us. Your actions are a part of the reason that we are able to say, even in times of adversity, we are Penn State.
Rest in peace, Coach Paterno.
PATRICIA M. CARLIER
Penn State Class of '78
Indiana Township
Legendary betrayal
Penn State killed Joe Paterno.
But I doubt even the death of their own bona fide college legend can dent the self-righteous armor the ironically named "trustees" of Penn State University have wrapped themselves in.
I wonder how proud they are of the betrayal of trust they and their employees have perpetrated. In the end, a lifetime of dedication meant nothing to these gatekeepers of big-money hypocrisy.
MARK BALOBECK
McKees Rocks
Respect the process
Before the head of Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin is put on a platter and handed to those clamoring for her resignation, why can't we wait and let the process, such as it is, play itself out?
If Justice Melvin is charged, then by all means she should step aside. However, until there is a concrete charge leveled against her, she should remain on the bench and do the job she was elected to do.
JANET L. HASER
Franklin Park
Re: eye surgery
As a medical professional, I was disappointed to read that legislation designed to protect the safety of patients who undergo eye surgery has been stalled by what appears to be legislative gamesmanship ( "A Clearer View on Eye Care?" Jan. 15).
The legislation in question, House Bill 838, makes perfect sense. The bill clarifies state law by defining eye surgery. The goal is to make sure that medical doctors can perform surgery.
Other health care professionals provide a wide range of very valuable and critically important services to patients, including nurse practitioners and physicians' assistants, to name just a few. But only medically trained doctors perform surgery and that should apply to eye surgery as well.
House Bill 838 was approved by the House by a wide margin because, one presumes, House members listened to all sides in the debate and reached agreement on the specific language in the bill. Surely, the compromise reached in the House should suffice for the Senate. The Senate needs to act now on behalf of patients.
BRENDA E. WATKINS, M.D.
Pediatrician
Brentwood
For patient safety
As someone who has recently undergone eye surgery, I was disappointed to learn that "legislative tactics" would trump straightforward legislation that will help ensure patient safety ( "A Clearer View on Eye Care?" Jan. 15).
According to your report, the legislation clarifies state law by defining eye surgery. The goal is to make sure that medical doctors -- and only medical doctors -- can perform surgery. This does not strike me as particularly controversial.
I would think that most voters would just assume that one would have to be a medical doctor to perform eye surgery.
House Bill 838 seems to be a common sense piece of legislation to close a potential loophole in current state law.
Even so, don't we elect legislators to make decisions? While some of those decisions may not please everybody, one would expect that decisions get made that ultimately benefit the majority of the voters.
The state House approved the legislation by a wide margin. It is time for the Senate to follow suit. Controversy or not, patient safety should come first.
MARY PIERCE
Upper St. Clair
President Obama must answer for his big share of the national debt
I am surprised Kevin McNany's letter ( "Those Who Reaped the Rewards of GOP Policies Should Pay the Tab," Jan. 10 letters) did not also blame 2001-2006 vintage Republicans for the bird flu scare, Bill Maher's marijuana use and the capsizing of a cruise ship off the Italian coast.
Where to start? As any good citizen should, Mr. McNany sizzles against the federal debt. Well, at least against the $3 trillion debt caused by a profligate, pre-tea party Republican Congress. No mention of the dizzying heaps of debt piled on by our current president, whose stimulus programs contributed to the nearly $5 trillion in debt amassed in a mere three years.
Mr. McNany squarely blames tax policies for causing the debt. This does have an element of truthiness to it, but not in a way that braces his Occupy Pittsburgh philosophy. Indeed, when the Republican Congress lowered marginal rates for low-income Americans to 10 percent, eliminated the marriage penalty and fixed the alternative minimum tax, the share of federal tax revenues from lower- and middle-class Americans decreased. Fortunately the additional revenue from capital gains and dividend tax cuts helped offset that hole, leading to a windfall increase of $369 billion on individual tax returns from 2003-2007.
All Americans recognize that tax cuts that stimulate capital formation benefit the so-called 1 percent. For some reason, this twists the knickers of Mr. McNany and kleptonomists like Paul Krugman. Remember, the economic growth generated by the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts reduced unemployment to under 4.5 percent, providing millions of jobs for the rest of us 99 percent. Class warriors like our president wish us to believe that cutting the nose off the American economy to spite the wealthy will somehow bring back the 6 million jobs lost since 2008. Good luck with that one.
Stimulus I and Stimulus II were hugely successful in discrediting Keynesian economics and in making us more broke. Democrats, God bless them, want to double down on these failed policies. I am hopeful that Mr. McNany's inner fiscal conservative will prevail over his partisan attachments and allow him to see that growing the federal government does not grow American prosperity.
BENJAMIN GROSS
Rosslyn Farms
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First Published January 23, 2012 12:00 am
