City Council declares Dec. 14 National Healthcare Day. Sen. Jim Ferlo sponsors an event on this day in the lobby of the City-County Building. Many local, state, federal and city leaders are lined up to speak, including Sen. Ferlo, City Council President Doug Shields, U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle's aide and labor and business leaders. They speak in favor of health care for all Americans via a publicly funded health-care plan.
They speak of support for the single-payer health-care bills SB 300 and HB 1660 (Family and Business Health Security Act) and for HR 676 (improved and expanded Medicare for All Act).
Health care is a concern for everybody and it has been a frequent topic in the Post-Gazette. Yet, here is a major event promoting a real solution to the health-care crisis and the Post-Gazette completely ignores it!
It is obvious that the Post-Gazette is threatened to silence by the profit-driven health-care industry guarding its turf. All the colorful quarter-page ads that Highmark and its competitors buy (for health-care money) are sure to provide a very nice income. However, when selectively ignoring issues due to financial pressure, the PG is compromising its integrity and failing its mission to provide news to its readers. That's a disgrace to any newspaper and a disservice to the community.
GUNILLA NORDHAMMAR
Point Breeze
With 45 million Americans without health-care insurance, I, and a lot of other people, are appalled that the Post-Gazette did not cover and report on the National Healthcare Day event on Dec. 14 in Downtown Pittsburgh.
It's a crime that in the richest country in the world, the United States is the only one out of 25 industrialized nations where you can lose your home, life savings or just die because you don't have health insurance. People need to be informed that there is a bill before Congress that would solve this national disgrace once and for all.
Your decision not to cover this important gathering of people, from all over the area and country, is inexcusable. I know big health insurance companies, which spend a lot of dollars in advertising in your paper, would be out of business if a national single-payer health-care plan were enacted in this country. But what are your priorities: informing the public who suffer because of this national health-care travesty or ignoring things that may cause controversy with your advertisers?
We can only guess the answer to that. Shame on everyone involved in making the decision not to report on this very important event that affects everyone, not only in Pittsburgh, but all over the country.
TOM BAYUS
Hermitage
As a transplant recipient (kidney/pancreas/bone marrow), I thought Bill Toland's "Saturday Diary" showed great insensitivity and lack of compassion for the nearly 100,000 people in this country who are awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant, 18 of whom will die each day ("An Old-Fashioned Shopper Meets Modern-Day Retail," Dec. 15).
He wrote, in part, "During the holiday season, a weekend space in a mall parking lot is more valuable than a black-market kidney. You think I'm exaggerating, but which would you rather have in your hand right now, a lifetime reserved parking pass at the mall of your choosing, or an ice-cold kidney? Be honest."
Sixty-five thousand, or 65 percent, of those on the transplant waiting list are waiting for a kidney; another 10 percent are awaiting a multi-organ transplant that includes a kidney. I doubt very much that any of these candidates, or their loved ones, would rather have a lifetime parking space in lieu of a kidney. Without a lifesaving transplant, their "lifetime" parking pass would be short-lived.
I believe that Mr. Toland and the Post-Gazette owe an apology to the thousands of recipients and candidates in the PG's reading area, as well as to the beautiful organ donors and their families, for their callousness, insensitivity and indifference.
My only wish is that Mr. Toland never needs a lifesaving organ, especially a kidney. If he does, I'll be the first to offer him my parking space.
JACK SILVERSTEIN
Monroeville
I really wonder what people are thinking when they do the things they do. At least by reading the letters to the editor, you find out what is important to them.
Early this year we found out that service cuts would be needed for the Port Authority to survive. Many people were up in arms to fight the cuts and pressure local and state governments to find funding to keep routes open and help save union jobs. Fast-forward and we get a drink tax to raise the funds needed for the same Port Authority that we had to save from service cuts.
Now, I am not in favor of this tax and I was all for the service cuts earlier this year, but the people spoke back in May at public hearings and now we must all pay. It is kind of like using a credit card. What did you expect, that the politicians were going to get out their personal checkbooks?
It all makes sense because the most important thing in this region is the Steelers, so you need to smoke while drinking cheap in the bar watching the Steelers game, then have the bus take your smelly, intoxicated self home.
Keep up the good work, and remember to always vote for the incumbent at election time, no matter what he or she has done to you the year before. For, as much as we complain, we still must keep things the same.
DOUGLAS C. SICCHITANO
Glassport
This letter is being reprinted because its previous version, which appeared Dec. 18, contained editing errors.
Why do we have troops stationed in countries like Germany, Japan, Korea, etc.? It seems that wherever we had conflicts, we continue to keep troops in those countries.
Seems like we are spending funds that could be used where needed.
DON RIEFNER
Mt. Lebanon
In response to the Dec. 1 article "Her Idea Fits Like a Glove" about Carnegie Mellon University student Jennifer Gooch creating a Web site for lost gloves: Has she considered what a serious health hazard this could create? You don't know where the glove was found or who handled it.
The glove could be contaminated with millions of germs. The streets are full of germs.
Ms. Gooch approached a few local businesses to post glove collection boxes. How gross. I hope these establishments reconsider her ideas. I don't think the health department would approve.
Also, Ruth Ann Dailey wrote a column about Ms. Gooch's lost glove Web site ("Of Wayward Gloves and Lost Souls," Dec. 10). She stated: "The story, whimsical at first glance, struck a deep emotional note." How sad.
If Jennifer Gooch has so much time on her hand (no pun) and creativeness, why doesn't she use it for something more productive?
CATHERINE PERLA WHITMER
Whitehall
We welcome your letters. Please include your name, address and phone number, and send to Letters to the Editor, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh 15222. E-mail letters to letters@post-gazette.com or fax to 412-263-2014. Letters should be 250 words or less, original and exclusive to the Post-Gazette. All letters are subject to editing for length, clarity and accuracy and will be verified before being published.
First Published: December 22, 2007, 5:00 a.m.
