This wimpy bill isn't real health-care reform

Sen. Olympia Snowe should have closed ranks with her mean-spirited, mealy mouthed Republican colleagues and voted against Max Baucus' plan for health-care reform ("Health Overhaul Advances," Oct. 14). This wimpy plan, without a public option and employer mandate, is likely to be the bill that will go to the Senate floor because it has an excellent chance of receiving the 60 votes needed for passage.

If the Baucus plan had failed, Senate Democrats would've realized bipartisanship was dead, and then fashioned a reformed health-care bill needing only 51 votes, using the "budget reconciliation" maneuver -- George W. Bush used "reconciliation" to pass enormous tax cuts for the wealthy during his first term.

That Senate vote would've bolstered the progressive House version of health-care reform, which includes the so-called public option, and led to passage of a monumental bill that would, finally, allow Americans to participate in a health-care system that's affordable, comprehensive and humane.

Any health-care bill without the public option is a victory for conservative Republicans, for-profit insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry!

ROB BILLER
Fombell

See the elephant

Kenneth Melani, M.D., president and CEO of Highmark ("Our Region Provides a Blueprint for Insurance Access," Sept. 30 letters) would have us believe that his monopolistic insurance company is our savior in providing access to affordable health care; yet, Highmark and Keystone West have applied for rate hikes of 15 percent to 30 percent. What one hand giveth the other taketh away!

In the same Sept. 30 Post-Gazette, Berry Friesen ("Common Ground on Health Care," Perspectives) promotes insurance exchanges that can permit marketing policies across state lines to keep prices in check. Often these schemes include eliminating hard-won state mandates that require policies to include certain provisions, such as breast and cervical cancer screening for women in our commonwealth.

Neither Dr. Melani nor Mr. Friesen acknowledge the elephant in our collective living room. Most of the high cost and waste in our health-care system is due to the profiteering and excessive bureaucracy of health insurance companies. Currently 18 to 35 cents out of each health-care dollar are diverted from care by the current system. Only single-payer plans (HR 676 in the U.S. House of Representatives/S. 703 in the U.S. Senate and SB 400/HB 1660 in the Pennsylvania Legislature) that combine public financing and private delivery of health care, have the courage to confront the pachyderm in our living room and provide quality, comprehensive, affordable health care for all.

BOB MASON
Trafford

The writer is a founding member of Pennsylvanians United for Single Payer Health Care and Health Care 4 All PA.

Drilling means jobs

This letter is in response to the Oct. 3 letter "Pa. Should Brace Itself for Environmental Woes."

I have returned to Pittsburgh after 33 years of living in Texas. Texas has sacrificed a lot to provide natural gas and oil to the United States economy; however, life in Texas is affordable and just about everyone has a job. Letter writer Mary L. Blazina is right -- there will be some spills involved with the shale, but oil and natural gas companies are bound by very strict federal regulations designed to minimize any damage to the environment. No one in Texas has died from chemicals in their drinking water.

What Ms. Blazina doesn't apparently consider a "woe" is the thousands of people out of work here in Pittsburgh. I've lived here since July and five of my closest friends are unemployed. Barnes & Noble is closing a bookstore in one of the most prominent parts of town. I have never heard of an economy so poor that Barnes & Noble couldn't stay afloat in any area where it wanted to do business.

The woe in Pittsburgh is that there are no jobs -- UPMC began yet another round of layoffs in recent weeks. The Marcellus Shale will create jobs. My husband's company is a perfect example of that, as it is expanding its presence in the Pittsburgh area. Best of all it will keep your natural gas prices low; I have heard we're going to have a hard winter.

Pennsylvania should embrace the economic opportunity that presents itself with the Marcellus Shale.

CINDY NINESLING
Pleasant Hills

Seize this moment

While not every business is supporting federal action on clean energy ("Climate Bill Stokes Business Debate," Oct. 5), it's clear that a growing majority of businesses in Pennsylvania and nationwide are realizing that continuing with our current flawed energy system is potentially the worst economic plan of all.

Thankfully, the new legislation that was released in the U.S. Senate -- the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act -- would provide a huge boost to clean energy in Pennsylvania and across the country, while cutting the pollution that fuels global warming.

I was in Washington, D.C., when the bill was released, and I was joined by leaders from Pennsylvania's labor and green business communities. They made the trip to Washington because they know firsthand what clean energy means to Pennsylvania's economy -- and how much Pennsylvania stands to gain from federal action to promote clean energy.

With this bill, the U.S. Senate has an opportunity to help make Pennsylvania and the United States leaders in the world's clean energy economy. PennEnvironment urges Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey to help seize this historic opportunity.

NATHAN WILLCOX
Energy and Clean Air Advocate
PennEnvironment
Philadelphia

The Ardi article

In your Oct. 2 story about the Ardipithecus ramidus, known familiarly as Ardi, I observed two errors that would give scientists apoplexy. The first one is the headline, "Ideas About Evolution Turned on Their Head by Discovery." This is not true. Ideas about evolution are not turned on their head at all. This is just a headline written for the sake of sensationalism. This is a piece of the puzzle that appears to fill in the gap between chimpanzees and Lucy.

The other error is your decision to elevate Dr. C. Owen Lovejoy of Kent State University. Kent State is not in Pittsburgh's back yard so there is no need to give it a local twist. Although Dr. Lovejoy played an important role in the journal articles that were just published, the find belongs to Dr. Tim White of the University of California at Berkeley. Dr. White is also the lead author. The way you wrote the story is a shameless breach of scientific protocol.

CAROL J. SHELTON
Shadyside

Pa. perspective

Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize and 60 years of buckwheat pancakes sharing the front page ("After 60 Years of Buckwheat Cakes, They Keep on Flipping," Oct. 10)?

This is why I love Pennsylvania. We tend to keep things in proper perspective.

KRISTINE BIRUS
Irwin

The U.S. should withdraw from these wars

I believe we should withdraw all our troops from Afghanistan and Iraq immediately. Who named the Taliban our enemy? Didn't we used to support them when they were fighting the Russians in the '80s? Is it their fault that we have become the new foreign occupying forces? Aren't they simply doing what many of us would do -- namely struggle against foreign troops occupying our homeland? What can we possibly gain from this war? Increased national security?

I, for one, feel increasingly insecure the longer this goes on. Who pays for it? If we flush trillions of dollars down the Afghan and Iraqi toilet, is it any wonder there is little left for bridges, schools and hospitals? What would our beloved country look like if we had invested those wasted resources in streets, parks, education, health care and decent jobs?

I am a retired Christian pastor, and I hear my Master telling his followers, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52).

REV. W. C. WINZELER
Coraopolis

Community disinvestment will destroy us

For decades, residents of the Greater Hazelwood area have witnessed the ongoing disinvestment of their neighborhood.

Similar to many other communities in our city, like Lawrenceville, Beechview, West End, Carrick and Knoxville, the residents and businesses of Hazelwood have seen a declining investment in their community's infrastructure, its amenities and economic development. While this has been disheartening to the people of Greater Hazelwood and a definite disadvantage to the city's real estate value and tax base, it hasn't been anywhere near as destructive as the institutional and intellectual disinvestment that has occurred within the past decade.

With the recent closures of two public schools and a parochial school in the community, we now have the recent announcement by the Carnegie Library system of its plan to close the Hazelwood branch of the library. This is just part of an ongoing practice of deserting the community and its people. When the library moved from its historic location on Chatsworth Street in Hazelwood a few years ago to a smaller, more modern location (take note, Mount Washington), it promised the community that a new library would be built and would serve as the cornerstone anchor of the Second Avenue business corridor's redevelopment. Needless to say, neither happened. Now it is again turning its back on the community, suggesting that local children and elderly can take two buses to visit a neighboring branch.

Disinvestment in communities such as Hazelwood is not the answer to growing our city and region, preparing a work force for jobs of the new economy or as a way to help the youth of our community be able to meet the Pittsburgh Promise!

JOHN TOKARSKI JR.
Glenwood

At La Roche, we prayed together

Congratulations to the Post-Gazette for up-to-the-minute online coverage of the G-20 for those of us who were keeping in touch from homes and offices.

The article by Ann Rodgers ("Christian and Buddhist Faithful Focus Prayers on Value of Resolving Conflict," Sept. 25) caught my eye because, as a faculty member of La Roche College, I participated in some of the activities that our college provided as an opportunity to pray for the safety of the visiting dignitaries, protesters and city and the issues being discussed.

I recognize that time and space limitations were even tighter during these two days of news gathering, but Ms. Rodgers gave a distorted picture of what happened at La Roche. As the only Catholic college in Pittsburgh that stayed open Thursday and Friday (with a North Hills site 10 miles from Downtown), we joined our own prayers with those of the Zen Center of Pittsburgh. For 12 hours, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., students, faculty and staff were free to come to the chapel and pray quietly. At 12:15 p.m. a Catholic Mass was celebrated, and local residents joined us, as they did throughout the day.

A Taize prayer service was held at 7 p.m., a regular Thursday evening feature at the college, and at 9 p.m. a candlelight prayer service began in chapel and ended in the St. Francis Peace Garden in front of the chapel.

The implication that La Roche had turned over the chapel to the Buddhists is hardly true. We prayed together throughout the day. It was an extraordinary day of quiet and peace amid the clashes with police that often were simultaneous in other parts of the city.

I am proud of the college for reaching out to our Buddhist sisters and brothers and making them feel welcome in our space for prayer and worship. Jesus' prayer "That all may be one" was certainly evident at La Roche, and Father Peter Horton, our campus minister, and our president, Sister Candace Introcaso, deserve our thanks.

SISTER RITA M. YEASTED
McCandless

The G-20 protesters' nonsense

I read about the G-20 demonstrations and the reaction by the police and, quite frankly, the Post-Gazette seems very slanted toward the demonstrators. In the first place, there might have been 20 percent of the demonstrators who had some cause in mind when they took to the streets. The remaining four of five people were simply out to make a scene. Consider that some of these people have been doing what they do on a regular basis most of their arrested-development lives.

I doubt that even one representative from any of those countries in attendance even watched the local news, and probably not one of them cared. So who were these people demonstrating against? Were they mad at banks and store owners because those people are in business to earn money and provide jobs?

Why is it that they believe that anyone who's in business should have some altruistic motive for opening a business and that would be to provide a means for others to earn a living? Should every business within our society exist as a nonprofit organization?

I can only look for a time when there is a meeting such as the G-20 in our city and there is not one person demonstrating in the streets. When that happens, I will be proud of my city.

Along with the freedom of speech and the right to assemble, there is a responsibility to respect other ideas and not harm anyone. I am thankful for the police, and I would say they acted with a great deal of restraint. I would not have been so tolerant of miscreants acting with such inane antics.

NICK LIBERTO
Blawnox

Irresponsible dog owners in our parks

I was running on a trail through Frick Park the other day when I was suddenly barked, snarled and jumped at by a dog that was not on a leash. As the attack was happening, I begged the owners to get the dog off me and please put it on a leash. I was very scared. I did not know if it was a friendly dog or a dog that would bite. Thankfully, it did not bite me but it gave me quite a scare.

I continued running and when I came back around the loop I saw the dog and its owners again and the dog was still not on a leash. They were carrying a leash. I ran by without incident this time, but I told them I had hoped they would put the dog on the leash. They ignored me and made no effort to apologize. I find this type of behavior unacceptable. There are signs all over our parks that state a dog must be on a leash.

Our city parks are for the enjoyment of everyone, not just dog owners. I frequently run through both Frick Park and Schenley Park, and 95 percent of the time the dogs I see are on leashes. But all it takes is that one dog owner who fails to follow the rules to make a frightening situation for a stranger. I like dogs, but I do not like it when they bark and jump at me. I am shocked and offended at how blatantly rude these dog owners were.

Dog owners -- please keep your dog on a leash when using our city parks. Let others enjoy the park without your dog causing a frightening situation.

CHERYL SEELEY
Squirrel Hill

No wiggle room regarding this right

You certainly have the right to voice your opinion concerning the current challenges to the Heller decision passed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in its 2008 session ("Shots in the Dark: The Supreme Court Raises New Fears on Gun Control," Oct. 2 editorial). In a similar manner, I wish to voice mine. As a former resident of Pittsburgh for nearly 15 years, I am appalled that you continue to miss the facts concerning the impact of the Heller decision insofar as it finally pronounced the obvious reach of the Second Amendment to the Bill of Rights, which was added to the U.S. Constitution before it was enacted, as the foundation for the function of the new government.

The Second Amendment was a preliminary enunciation of the individual rights of the people, no matter where they resided within the United States: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." This was the recitation of a basic right of the people, and left no wiggle room for any governmental entity to infringe that right, period.

I am sure you feel that state or local laws passed in the name of common good should be allowed to modify the right to keep and bear arms, but the fact remains that the basic framework of the Constitution, as envisioned and written by the author, James Madison, forbids any and all infringement of that right as it applies to the people of the United States.

I am not going to get into a discussion of the relative merits and statistics used by your choir to permit "justified" modification of the basic right, because there is no permission in the Constitution to effect any infringement of that basic right, pure and simple. You may consider the various articles of the Constitution to be a "living and breathing" statement of the law, but the Bill of Rights is exempt from that interpretation as it is a basic statement of fact of the rights of the people, surmounting any and all subsequent attempts at modification.

THOMAS WRIGGINS III
Newcastle, Maine

This child's death should be on the conscience of many

Upon reading about the death of Jaylon Johnson-Floyd ("Boy, 5, Shot Dead Inside His North Side Home," Sept. 27), my heart just broke. For years and years I taught young children who lived in such crime-ridden neighborhoods. No matter how hard these parents tried, how watchful they were, their children were constantly at risk. One can survive being poor and not having a lot, materially speaking. What is one to do when you and your children are not safe within the confines of your very home?

Without knowing any of the particulars, which, of course, I don't, I can tell, right now, that if the shooter had not had such easy access to firearms, I would not be looking at the photo of this sweet little face and praying for his mother.

I don't have to wonder what the National Rifle Association would have to say in response to this tragedy. I've heard it time and time again, and my response continues to be, "The NRA members are wrong, have been wrong and will continue to be wrong on this issue." I will also venture to say that the gun that killed this child was not ever intended for use as an instrument of legitimate hunting and providing of food. This gun was intended for the killing of people, period. And the fool who shot it is, apparently, unable to tell the difference between the person he was aiming at and a 5-year-old baby.

May God be with this child's family. And may the person who shot him as well as the idiots in Congress who are bought and paid for by the NRA never have an easy night's sleep again as long as they are on this Earth.

SALLY R. KIVOWITZ
Nazlini, Ariz.

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