I have been baited, switched, cheated and am often accused of having the word "Sucker" written across my forehead. These tactics have been employed against me by major retailers, as well as individuals looking for the quick buck that I carry in my wallet. Sadly, I have fallen too often for their schemes and have been so willing to allow my hard-earned dollars to leave my hands and enter theirs.
It now comes to my attention in the Jan. 15 Post-Gazette article "House to Tackle Property Tax Cuts" that the Pennsylvania Legislature has once again taken lessons from those mentioned earlier. And, of course, House Democratic leader Bill DeWeese and his cohorts have learned quite well from the lessons of all those who have suckered me in my past 67-plus years. The old "bait-and-switch tactic" appears to be alive and well in Harrisburg.
Our cost-effective Legislature is now going to reduce our property taxes using newfound gambling revenues ... But wait! It is in turn proposing to increase the sales tax by 0.5 percent. Even better, it might also consider increasing the personal income tax from 3.07 percent to 3.29 percent. I am so happy the Legislature is going to reduce property taxes. However, it cannot yet give us a definitive percentage reduction in those taxes. Yet, it had no trouble calculating the aforementioned increases. I suppose it's always easier to calculate increases since the size of the Legislature itself has increased over time to become the largest full-time legislature in the United States.
Let's just forget who votes for what, as it seems too many do, and just bring them all back home. Let's refuse to have "Sucker" written across our foreheads.
ED KARSIN
Robinson
Brian O'Neill's Jan. 6 column ("Why Lisa Bennington Is Abandoning Harrisburg") claims correctly that it has been difficult for women to get to Harrisburg but is wrong to assume that Rep. Bennington's choice of a single term means that it is easy to leave or easy to find other dedicated citizens willing to run and to serve.
Mr. O'Neill's suggestion even discourages such consideration with the statement: "Maybe Harrisburg is not the place for anyone who already has a fulfilling career, as our statehouse demands an acceptance of accomplishing not very much."
We need to raise the bar of public expectations for what our legislators can and should be expected to accomplish and whom we expect to see as candidates. Already, Pennsylvania is 44th for women's elected representation. Research and practicality demonstrate that a more diverse, inclusive Legislature will broaden the scope of policy issues and solutions that are addressed by government, provide better constituent service and enhance the quality of democracy. Surely those are all aims we can support -- now let's look for additional talented women and men to fulfill them.
ALLYSON M. LOWE
Director
Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy
Chatham University
Squirrel Hill
MARTHA L. HARRIS
President
Pennsylvania Women's Campaign Fund
Lewisburg, Union County
This is in response to Samuel Enciso's Jan. 11 letter ("Just Pay It, Already"). First, not everyone who drinks alcohol is a drunk or booze-monger.
What do you think about the following proposal? Everyone who goes to bars, hotels, restaurants and clubs gets an ID card that shows he or she is paying the 10 percent tax on drinks. And everyone without this ID card pays a 10 percent sales tax. This will get millions of dollars more for the entirely inept Port Authority. One final fact, the majority of drinkers don't even use public transportation.
I hope those who support the tax wouldn't object to paying a 10 percent sales tax. But they probably will say that isn't fair. Neither is the 10 percent tax on alcohol.
JERRY JONES
South Park
I'd like to know what all the fuss is about. I can't escape media coverage of the ongoing battle over the drink tax. Nobody seems interested in the plight of those paying the $2 flat tax on every car rental, though. Oh, perhaps that's because Hertz or Enterprise come to mind when you think car rental.
Well, apparently in Allegheny County, car-sharing programs like Flexcar, soon to be Zipcar, fall into that category!
I sold my car for healthier, eco-friendly and cheaper alternatives and now Flexcar informs me for a one-hour errand I could pay more than 50 percent in taxes. This program is primarily for multiple short-term reservations, each of which I'll have to pay the $2 tax for. Or take the bus -- which ironically is also shafting me to bail out an incompetent Port Authority.
Imagine seeing the faces of bar patrons asked to pay somewhere between 50 and 100 percent more in taxes for their drinks. For that, I'd most certainly pay $2 --every time!
JASON MAUPIN
North Side
In her Jan. 2 letter "Not a Right," Valerie Winschel makes several noteworthy errors and a challenge, each of which demands a response.
The first is an error of fact, namely her statement that Samuel Adams was a slave-owner from a slave-owning family. Not only were the Adamses famously opposed to slavery, referring to it as gangrene and a calamity (John Adams) and something for which to die in order to extirpate (John Quincy Adams), but Samuel Adams upon receiving a slave as a gift gave her freedom. He also personally introduced the bill to abolish slavery in Massachusetts.
The second is an error of logic. This is the suggestion that the Founding Fathers by virtue of their ownership of slaves have somehow forfeited any authority they might have in giving us a proper perspective on the original intent of the Constitution. This is a perfect non sequitur. In fact, their ownership of slaves, if it means anything at all in this discussion, simply illustrates that the issue of slavery was one constitutionally left to the states, much like the question of gun control.
This brings us to Ms. Winschel's challenge, which invites someone to prove that the Second Amendment refers to an individual's right to gun ownership as opposed to a "standing militia." The Supreme Court has taken the challenge and met it on multiple occasions. I reference two: Presser v. Illinois (1886) and United States v. Miller (1939).
JASON WINSCHEL
Mt. Lebanon
If the wording for the Second Amendment leaves room for people like Valerie Winschel ("Not a Right," Jan. 2) to challenge the right to bear arms, perhaps she should take a moment to read Pennsylvania's Constitution.
From Article 1 -- Declaration of Rights; Section 21, Right to Bear Arms -- The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the state shall not be questioned.
The right to bear arms in this state seems to be pretty clear. This right is so clear, it shall not be questioned!
ANTHONY BUZARD
Cranberry
Time for a new acronym -- GCA, or graduation competency assessment.
The Pennsylvania State Board of Education has determined that Pennsylvania's children are not being tested enough under No Child Left Behind. The board now wants GCAs to be administered to high school students as a graduation requirement.
The GCAs would take the place of locally administered final exams. Why? Because according to state Education Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak, local school districts are not capable of determining graduation requirements that are rigorous enough on their own. According to Dr. Zahorchak, local districts' graduation requirements are an assortment of "anything goes." However, Dr. Zahorchak has yet to provide any evidence that this is really the case.
I have an idea. I think Dr. Zahorchak and the entire State Board of Education should take the GCAs first. Each board member's score should be reported publicly and board members who are unable to achieve a passing score should be required to resign their positions on the board. As it stands right now, it appears to me as if "anything goes" to qualify to be a member of the State Board of Education.
We need to set high standards for our public officials and make sure they are actually qualified to make school policy
TIMOTHY D. SLEKAR
Altoona
The writer is associate professor of social studies education, Penn State Altoona.
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: January 17, 2008, 5:00 a.m.
