Letters to the editor
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Pa. should be promoting academic excellence
After the last question on the last day of Regional Science Bowl competition on Feb. 26, the captains of the two top teams embraced and congratulated each other on their play. Each captain had attended the Pennsylvania Governor's Schools of Excellence and Taylor Allderdice's Team A had just beaten State College High School's Team A. The winner will go to the National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C.
Gov. Ed Rendell is planning to ax funding for the Governor's School in his budget ("Elite Summer School Program Facing Pa. Budget Ax," Feb. 4). On a day when some of the brightest regional high school scientists exhibited incredible facility in math, engineering and science (even sending the Ph.D. researchers from the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Lab facility back to the books at times), no one in the room doubted that taxpayer money devoted to the "special education" of the best and the brightest students in the state has been very well spent.
Anyone who questions the wisdom of funding our brightest students should imagine the bleak academic landscape without them. Pennsylvania should be known for more than excellence in football.
ANN McIVER McHOES
Judge
Regional Science Bowl
Squirrel Hill
Blue about 'Wings'
I look forward to going with my dad to the 911th Airlift Wing's air show, Wings Over Pittsburgh, every year ("Wings Over Pittsburgh Canceled This Year," March 3). I was trying to get him to go both days this year, as it was supposed to fall on Father's Day weekend. We hoped to see the Blue Angels.
Wings Over Pittsburgh attracts more than 250,000 every year. They should charge a small fee, maybe $5 each, for people to go. That would help to pay for the air show. They already have lots of sponsors. There are also a lot of people who would volunteer to help with the event.
This is disappointing news for Pittsburgh. Let's hope the 911 can find enough money to have it next year.
TAYLOR LETURGEY
Age 14
Castle Shannon
Let the fungi have it
Gov. Ed Rendell's recent announcement that the North Shore Connector was "a tragic mistake" was right on target. The project should have never been started by a number of politicians. The majority of the general public saw this project as not necessary and as a future debacle.
I recall a big push by Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato to take the government funding or lose it -- without regard to its future failure. Mr. Onorato's response to the tragic mistake was basically "we have gone this far -- let's finish it."
After thinking of a positive outcome for the North Shore Connector, the only one that makes sense is a mushroom farm. This unique place has all the qualities for a successful mushroom farm. It would be used 365 days a year, which is a lot more than eight Steelers home games. The employees could enter through the North Shore entrance to cultivate and the end product (mushrooms) could exit through the south entrance and onto the Strip District for worldwide distribution.
Mr. Onorato can promote this to his fungi (politician) friends. Pittsburgh has the potential to be the mushroom capital of Pennsylvania. Mr. Onorato should "we" do this?
BOB MULLEN
Harmar
Hog-wild greed
After reading the article about a bill to allow aerial feral hog shoots in Texas ("Look Up, Feral Pigs: It's a 'Pork Chopper,' " Feb. 21), I thought it would be a good idea to include some additional hogs in a future hunt!
Let's start with the greedy CEO, COO, CFO and board of directors hogs. Then we should include the greedy investment hogs who have stolen billions of dollars for their lavish lifestyles and ruined tens of thousands of lives with nothing but false promises.
Finally, we can include the many crooked political hogs who are supposed to be representing the people, but in fact are only filling their own pockets as they steal the taxpayers blind. (We should throw some judges in there also.)
Let the hunt begin!
Is it any wonder the confidence level in this country is the lowest that I have ever seen it in my 75 years?
FRED H. THOMPSON
Blawnox
Budget confusion
I am a little confused and hope someone can answer this question.
In the new federal spending bill, the people of Iowa are going to receive funds for a special study. In part, this will be paid for by the citizens of Massachusetts, who, in turn, are to receive funds for their own purpose. This will be paid, in part, by the taxes of the people of Louisiana who will get some special project paid for by the tax dollars of people in Oregon, who are getting their study paid for by the federal government with tax dollars from Iowa.
Now, how is this more efficient and less expensive than all those states paying for their own needs rather than including a special handling charge from Washington, which will doubtless be paid for by us in Pittsburgh? And, I really don't want to pay for a sod farm in Massachusetts.
BILL YORK
Upper St. Clair
For health's sake
Two "duh" points:
1. Single-payer health care is the first, best help for all U.S. businesses, especially the U.S. auto industry, which has huge health-care costs related to its pensioners. It's the best help for all of us, especially people who have lost their jobs and can't find another in the current deep recession. This is a moral issue: Everyone should have access to decent health care.
2. If you want to improve all kids' academic performance, they should have phys ed or recess built into the schedule -- every day. Show me a study that doesn't prove kids need to move and then maybe I'll understand why my ninth-grader at the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, along with most of his classmates, has no gym for the entire school year.
ROBERTA J. MINTZ
Shadyside
Rocky Mountain low
While the closing of the Rocky Mountain News is only one of many newspaper losses nationwide, it will be felt in Pittsburgh a little more directly. When PG editorial cartoonist Rob Rogers is otherwise occupied, the wonderful pictorial satire of the News' Ed Stein sometimes fills the gap.
I hope a major market editor is smart enough to bring him on board some "printcraft carrier" that remains afloat.
JAY GARBER
Monroeville
Editor's note: Ed Stein's cartoons continue to be syndicated through Newspaper Enterprise Association.
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First Published March 7, 2009 12:00 am
