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Thursday, May 24, 2001
Don't ban car phones, but do require hands-free devices
Ever since the first Model T rolled off the assembly line, people have found ways to become distracted while driving. Whether it's due to conversing with passengers, drinking a beverage or operating a radio, drivers all too often take their attention off the road. All of these activities can cause dangerous situations, but recent public opinion has focused on using wireless phones.
The great majority of drivers proceed with caution when calling from their cars; however, with more than 100 million Americans using wireless phones, it is not difficult to find people struggling to drive and use handheld phones at the same time.
As the nation's largest wireless communications company, Verizon Wireless feels it is time to take a stand to improve the responsible use of wireless phones in vehicles. That's why we are the first company to break from the wireless industry and support statewide legislation that calls for the required use of hands-free wireless phone devices while driving.
In certain parts of the country, proposed legislation calls for banning all wireless phone use in vehicles. Such laws would be neither a fair nor a realistic solution because they would be difficult to enforce and, essentially, would turn millions of motorists who use wireless devices responsibly into criminals.
Wireless phones provide the means to communicate with family, friends, police and emergency services virtually anytime. While Verizon Wireless does not support any bill that bans wireless phone use in vehicles altogether, we would support a statewide law that includes the following criteria. The legislation must require the use of hands-free devices, exempt emergency calls from handsets, ensure uniformity across the state, assess penalties no greater than those for careless driving and allow a three-year phase-in period to give consumers time to cycle out of contracts and upgrade their handsets to hands-free capability.
Such legislation would take a significant step in advancing responsible driving.
We encourage Pennsylvania lawmakers to consider statewide hands-free wireless phone legislation, which we believe is a practical, reasonable way to address this issue.
ROGER TANG
Selling out education
Gov. Tom Ridge has signed a bill that has provisions for independent schools, teacher testing and quasi-vouchers through tax breaks for corporations that fund scholarships and technology for private and parochial schools ("Ridge Signs Education Bill," May 19). Voters in other states have overwhelmingly rejected such proposals when given the opportunity.
Another bill signed by Ridge provides for a 25 percent pension increase for actively employed teachers and other state workers. Retired teachers who worked most of their 35-year careers at near-poverty-level wages can look forward to only another minuscule cost-of-living adjustment and a $50 a month increase in the medical expense allotment.
The carrot waved in front of the legislators was a 50 percent increase in their pensions, which they receive after 20 years of service.
It's a pity they did not have the integrity and courage to fashion a bill that dealt with the business at hand, their pensions, rather than selling out public education in Pennsylvania.
KATHLEEN SWEENEY
Editor's note: The writer is a teacher in the Woodland Hills School District.
Not a partisan player
Staff writer Dennis Roddy, in his article about the mayoral primary race ("Uncomfortably Close," May 16), was as confused as he claims everyone else was. He contrived, in an effort to be clever, to link something I said to the political race between Mayor Tom Murphy and Councilman Bob O'Connor. Now that's more than "just a few degrees off plumb" because I'm a musician, not a politician.
Between election results, the crowd was watching the Penguins hockey game on a nearby TV screen. When Mario Lemieux and company took the lead, everyone cheered wildly. I remarked to the crowd, "We're going to sing 'em [meaning the Penguins] through to victory."
To the confused Dennis Roddy, it wasn't clear, at a political rally, which audience I was addressing.
First, the audience I address has nothing to do with politics. I deliberately stay away from being partisan. I'm there to entertain and make the crowd happy. Let it be clear that Tom Murphy and Bob O'Connor, whom I highly respect, are my longtime friends.
Both invited my band to play that night. However, Murphy's office happened to call 11 days earlier to book us. And to be fair, if Bob O'Connor's call had come sooner, we would have gladly played his party.
It is a tribute to Pittsburgh and to Tom and Bob that these highly qualified men have caused voters to make a tough decision between two capable candidates.
JIMMY SAPIENZA
Editor's note: The writer is vocalist and front man for the band Five Guys Named Moe.
Service with a smile
Tourists come from all walks of life, regardless of race, creed, color or nationality. Pittsburgh is developing into a first-class city for tourists. The big question is: Are this city and its suburbs ready for tourists? My answer to this is no, not as things now stand.
Many people have never had to serve large numbers of people from all walks of life.
Tourists are money, and that is what good service is for. The people who travel to different cities and countries know what it feels like to have good service. People of all walks of life can get very irritated when you take their money and in return give them very poor service. That includes all people of different colors.
So, to the new Pittsburgh regarding its new revenue trade -- the tourist -- just remember to serve the tourist and the people who live here with class, dignity, respect and a meaningful smile on your face. I'll guarantee you that they will be back.
HERMAN A. TALLEY
A failure to aid women
U.S. Reps. Mike Doyle, D-Swissvale, and John Murtha, D-Johnstown, cast disappointing votes last week in favor of President Bush's global gag rule ("House Keeps Ban on Aid to Abortion Groups Overseas," May 17). The global gag rule, a policy implemented by President Bush on his first day in office, forces U.S.-aided family planning providers in the world's poorest countries to deny their patients information about abortion and to be silent in public policy debates about abortion in their own countries.
The policy interferes with efforts to save the 515,000 women in developing countries who die each year from pregnancy-related complications, 70,000 of whom die from unsafe abortions.
The global gag rule cuts off funding for urgently needed family planning programs, contributing to higher rates of unintended pregnancy, maternal death and, ironically, abortion. Those who continue to receive U.S. family planning assistance are forced to surrender their free speech rights and withhold information from women about safe and legal abortion, leaving them to seek out often-deadly back-alley abortions instead.
The votes cast by Reps. Murtha and Doyle were among the small number that provided the margin of victory to uphold the gag rule on a vote of 218-210. I urge them to reconsider their support for this policy in the future.
TERRI BARTLETT
Como's soothing sounds
It is difficult to express the feeling my soul experienced when reading about the life of Perry Como in the May 15 article >" 'Casual' Crooner Remembered as the Prince of Soft Pop Hits."
To those of us from Western Pennsylvania who had the opportunity to attend Father Logue's Camp Rosary in Somerset (summer vacation for the nine Kelly children at $15 per week), I am certain that many have fond memories of "lights out" in our cabins, as the voice of Perry Como singing Shubert's "Ave Maria" echoed through the trees, lessening any qualms of the day and easing us into slumber.
My gratitude for the memories of a great man.
EDWARD G. KELLY
Thanks, Pirates! I'll save money by not attending your games
Although not a big Pirates fan, I was looking forward to a couple of games with my family at the new ballpark (the one we voted not to have). But the restrictions on bringing in outside food and drink have put a damper on that.
The banning of metal and glass containers is a good idea; they can pose a danger. But the banning of plastic soda bottles is just plain ridiculous. Also to tell me the size of the sandwich I can bring to the park is just plain ludicrous!
Saying the policy prevents the bringing in of alcohol is a cop-out. There is alcohol served at the park, and there are many ways to bring your own alcohol there, too. Nothing short of a strip search can stop people from doing that.
The real reason for the policy is obvious: If people can't bring their own refreshments, they must buy them at the ballpark at ridiculous prices. Maybe this is a ploy to help pay some of the over-the-hill and overpriced players on this sad team.
Thank you, Pirates, for making the decision not to visit the new ballpark easy for me. I will take my plastic soda bottle and big sandwich to a Colt League or Pony League game; it will probably be more entertaining anyway.
A. CUDA
President
Pennsylvania/Ohio/West Virginia Region
Verizon Wireless
Warrendale
Edgewood
Forest Hills
Hill District
Vice President for Public Policy
Population Action International
Washington, D.C.
Upper St. Clair
Plum