I read with great concern about the Pittsburgh Public Schools' plan to add 10 minutes to the school day ("City School Day to Be 10 Minutes Longer," April 14). Before we embark on such a change, I would like to see some concrete plans about how to use this 10 minutes effectively. In addition, I would like to know how the last addition of time, in 2003, was used and whether there has been any measurable effect on our children's skills. How will the 10 minutes be distributed?

It is not enough time for a new subject to be taught; if it is spread throughout the day, one or two minutes per class seems unlikely to change a teacher's lesson plans to include additional material. Adding it to a core subject will cause havoc with scheduling, as different students have the core subject at different times of day.

The 10-minute change also affects the after-school lives of our children. Many parents have complicated transportation or child-care arrangements that will have to be changed. A large number of students attend magnet schools and are on school buses for 30 or 40 minutes or longer. They will arrive home that much more tired and cranky.

Many students participate in extracurricular activities covering a wide range of areas: athletic clubs and lessons, religious instruction, music, dance or art lessons, educational tutoring or supplements, and have practice or homework time associated with these as well.

If there is a concrete plan to use this time, show it to us. Otherwise, don't make a change because it seems like the thing to do.

SUSAN K. COHEN
Point Breeze

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Several days ago there was a letter about somehow incorporating the old arena top onto the new arena ("Crown the Arena," April 16). While it is a great idea, especially since Pittsburghers have a hard time letting go of the past (just look at how many still have mullets), why not do something that is fresh and innovative and makes it like no other sports facility?

The arena was different when it was built and offered something no other arena had, an opening roof. Why not keep Pittsburgh on the front of the new and different and put a green roof on the new arena?

It would attract not just sports fans but also environmental advocates as well. In addition to being environmentally helpful, it would also help beautify a downtrodden neighborhood in need of a bit of help.

DAYLE KENDALL
Wilkinsburg

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So the solons of local government, county Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, want to merge Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Does this mean that the county taxpayers will have to assume the debt of the city?

Look out! Dan the tax man will probably triple the drink tax to do this. Then in 2010 he'll run for governor and Luke for county executive.

To quote the late Myron Cope: "Yoi and double yoi."

JOHN PETROLIAS
Owner, The Smithfield Cafe
Downtown

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Human rights activists and many congressional representatives (including Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama) say President Bush should refuse to attend the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in China. They say his absence will serve to condemn China's illegal invasion and military occupation of a sovereign country, Tibet. They also cite ongoing human rights abuses and legal injustices by China's leaders.

Could anything be more hypocritical?

How can George W. Bush condemn China, or any other country, for illegally invading and occupying a sovereign nation after his illegal invasion and ongoing occupation of Iraq? Can Mr. Bush, with a straight face, really tell Chinese leaders that their treatment of the people of Tibet is barbaric and unjust, when he is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths and injuries, millions of refugees and the endless suffering of innocent Iraqis?

What about the abuse of human rights by China's leaders? How can Mr. Bush criticize them, when he approves the use of torture and rendition, establishes lawless prisons, violates the Geneva Conventions, suspends habeas corpus, wiretaps his own citizens and ignores the will of the people's representatives with "signing statements" that boldly declare he will not enforce our laws?

Instead of asking Mr. Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies, shouldn't activists be petitioning the International Olympic Committee to prohibit him from attending at all?

JAY LYNCH
Upper St. Clair

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Jonathan Fantazier hopes that regional casino-mania will spawn a counter-revolutionary interest in real and sustainable innovative business models ("3 Better Bets for Pittsburgh," March 30 "The Next Page"). His three ideas are distinctive, practical and build on well-developed infrastructure here in Pittsburgh -- the basic stuff of successful innovative businesses. I am writing to endorse Mr. Fantazier's "Better Idea No. 3: Financial Research Center of the New Global Economy."

Because gambling makes a sport of risk, one benefit of casino-mania is that we will have open debates on risk -- and risk management. In the mid-1600s, a Dutchman named Christian Huygens applied principles from the sport of risk to commercial matters and helped the Dutch invent insurance and financial derivatives. With a culture of risk-taking and financial instruments to manage risk, the Netherlands rose quickly to become one of the most powerful nations on Earth.

While the Dutch did not make their way to the three rivers, leaving opportunities for the French and British, the resources are nevertheless here today. Pittsburgh's universities have strong programs in the mathematics of risk and related disciplines. There is a strong culture of innovation supported by programs as diverse as the Pittsburgh Technology Council and the Honors College at the University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is also conveniently located at the center of the financial triangle comprising the derivatives markets in Chicago, the major international banking centers in New York and the center of financial policy, Washington, D.C.

We believe Pittsburgh can become Mr. Fantazier's financial research center of the new global economy. That is why we, Steel City Re, a financial services firm that increases, protects and restores corporate intangible asset value, established our headquarters here last year. We're betting on it.

NIR KOSSOVSKY, M.D.
CEO, Steel City Re
Downtown

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I was pleased to attend Sen. John McCain's speech at Carnegie Mellon University, where I am a graduate student ("McCain Calls for Cuts in Corporate, Individual Taxes," April 16). I was delighted to hear the senator say that as president he would reclaim the Republican Party's good name as the party of spending restraint, doing this in part by freezing U.S. discretionary spending increases for one year.

Although I support efforts to control runaway spending, I encourage Sen. McCain to consider a more-focused freezing approach -- one that would preserve or increase already-tight budgets for science and medical research, which are necessary to ensure that America stays healthy and competitive.

The National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health have had nearly flat budgets for the past three years. Factoring in inflation, the NIH has seen an effective annual 3 percent to 4 percent funding decrease. In March, Bill Gates warned Congress that the United States is not keeping pace with China and Europe's increasing public research investment. Meanwhile, seven top U.S. universities co-published a report describing how low funding is turning young scientists away from disease-curing careers.

Today in America, researchers design bacteria to turn sugar into gasoline, engineer crops to be more nutritious and enable prescription drugs that extend our lives. We are eager to realize John McCain's vision of a more efficient nation with federal support for the ideas and tools that make discovery possible.

PARKER MILLS
Squirrel Hill

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I would like to comment on the April 15 article "GOP Wants to Cut Pa. Tax Rate." For as long as I can remember, the Republicans have always used tax cuts as a campaign platform. They are never pressed by your paper or other news organizations, however, on the real economic impact of tax cuts.

Most economists know that tax cuts do nothing for the long-term prosperity of the nation. Even in the short term, the impact of the cuts on the economy is minimal. Very few businesses will use this windfall to create new jobs -- it just goes into their pockets.

For any real change to occur, demand -- driven by the real income of consumers -- must go up. Demand can only increase if the real incomes of consumers and the number of jobs are increased.

Your paper should press lawmakers at the state and national levels on these issues using real economic facts and should seek to educate the public about them.

JOHN J. LIPCHIK
Indiana, Pa.

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