Letters to the editor
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Officials should have no smiles over this budget
Post-Gazette writer Tony Norman said it well. We are in, or going back to, the era of "rugged individualism and mindless austerity" ("State Is Liable to Wreck Transit at Any Cost," Jan. 31). Even with all the discussions about taxes and public transportation, the bottom line is do we want to go back to transportation systems circa the mid-1800s?
I worked three jobs most of my adult life. My parents, or I, have paid taxes for more than 60 years. I consider myself a middle American. Two years ago, I had to have a leg amputated. I benefit in theory from services such as the sheriff, fire marshals, etc., but in our borough we rarely have needed these services. The county plows lift at the boundary to my borough, and our borough has minimal direct exposure to county or state supports. I do need life-sustaining support from Access-Port Authority to get to kidney dialysis three days a week and to local stores.
The "lean and demanding" budget from Gov. Tom Corbett ("Corbett Calls Budget Plan 'Lean and Demanding': $27 Billion Proposal Slashes Millions From Universities," Feb. 8) calls for a 3 percent cut in the executive offices' budget and a 10 percent cut for the Legislature. Then look at the percentages down the list and you'll see 30 percent cuts for Community and Economic Development, 35 percent each for Conservation and Natural Resources and higher education, and 39 percent for Agriculture. Then look at the photo accompanying the story, and they did it with smiles on their faces!
They don't address long-term funding for public transportation. I wonder how it would work itself out if all the public fleet cars were cut and legislators had to use public transportation?
JACK McLELLAN
Glen Osborne
Hubby's handiwork
After reading Pennsylvania first lady Susan Corbett's letter, I felt compelled to respond ("Pa. First Lady Offers Ideas for Black History Month," Feb. 1). Does Mrs. Corbett realize that the organizations and events that she highlighted in her letter exist mainly because of an education system that her husband has recently destroyed? Does she realize that when someone like her husband cuts academic and artistic funding to public schools, children do not have the means to grow up and become individuals who make a difference in this world? Is she aware that thousands of people can't afford to attend cultural events or visit museums because big businesses are eliminating their jobs?
First Published February 12, 2012 12:00 am
