Let's not romanticize the illegal business of jitney cabs
In regard to the Nov. 25 article "Jitney Drivers Park It for a Night, Show Cool Style at First-Ever Ball": The Post-Gazette's portrayal of jitney drivers as honest, hard-working seekers of the American dream is a gross distortion of the facts about illegal cab services -- with tax evasion on the federal, state and local levels.
Also, the jitney stand in my neighborhood is a haven for drug dealing, prostitution, stolen property sales and robbery. There have been fights, shootings and murders there in the past few years. Loud arguments laden with foul language often ending with gunfire wake the neighborhood late at night. Old car parts, tires, used oil, auto fluid containers and rubbish generated by jitneys litter the streets around these unregulated, unaccountable enterprises.
Lawful businesses have restrooms for their employees; jitney drivers use the alley behind my home. Illegal taxi-cabs undermine legitimate public transportation resulting in necessary price increases by the Port Authority and licensed taxi operators.
Legitimizing illegal activity such as jitney cabs, even tacitly, is a slippery slope. If unlicensed cabs are acceptable, why not ticket scalping or food vending? Lawbreakers should not be characterized as just "lovable," "stylish," "gentlemen" whose "incomes provide the lift to purchase some of the finer things in life." The fact that "many of these guys are role models," and "they sometimes put their life on the line to make a living" in no way distinguishes them from Tony Soprano.
Accepting racial separation and public discrimination as valid arguments for jitneys condones segregation. Treating jitneys as some sort of homey, colorful remnant of Pittsburgh's past is inappropriate. It is time for the city to recognize and treat jitney cabs as what they are: illegal.
DAVID DEMKO
North Side
Beyond reprehensible
I read with interest and sadness the article "Homeless Evicted From Encampments" (Nov. 22) by Lillian Thomas. Truly it seems incredible at this time of the year -- the season to share, give and love -- to ruthlessly take what little these unfortunate individuals have, which probably amounts to not much more than a cardboard box (and maybe a blanket or coat).
My sister brought this article to my attention, and we both are astonished at the totally heartless and cavalier actions of both the Pittsburgh Department of Public Works and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. To say that this action was reprehensible is a grotesque understatement.
Anyone who has been Downtown and seen the sad state of those who are homeless certainly would testify that these people (both men and women) have already been kicked in the teeth by the world and the government -- all in the name of public welfare?
It is quite inconceivable to me that such inhuman and callous treatment can be tolerated by a "friendly" Pittsburgh. That is a first-class joke! I'm sure there will be much "buck passing," but that will not make a difference for these poor, starving and cold people without even a cardboard box to keep them from the cold, ice and snow.
Since this is the time of the year to care and give to your fellow man, I suggest that the mayor of Pittsburgh and PennDOT re-evaluate their holiday (and human kindness) spirit.
ROBERTA K. LESLIE
Coraopolis
The pit bull menace
How many children must be maimed, disfigured for life or killed before City Council wakes up and adopts a meaningful pit bull policy within city limits ("Dog Attacks Teen," Dec. 2)? The dogs simply do not belong in an urban setting.
For every responsible pet owner who trains his pit bull to adjust to city life, there are hundreds more who breed these dogs to fight and to intimidate all who venture near them. Far too many times we have heard of the little child who was the victim of an unprovoked pit bull attack -- my nephew was one.
The time has come for City Council to require that all owners of pit bulls carry $1 million of insurance to assure that if an attack does take place the victim will be able to receive quality health care, reconstructive surgery to repair the damage done and compensation for the pain, suffering and emotional trauma of being attacked.
There are far too many pit bulls in our neighborhoods, and the animals are not this popular because they are warm, friendly companions.
TONY CEOFFE
Lawrenceville
Pay for what you use
The Murphy administration is desperately attempting to look for ways to raise money to pay for the city services it provides. Those attempts boil down to finding someone to tax (the proposed "pouring" and payroll taxes). The problem with the city's proposals, and taxes in general, is that people don't see a connection between a tax and any particular service provided.
I propose to solve the city's financial problems by eliminating taxes and replacing them with fees for specific services. No one can complain about paying for a product or service that he or she uses. Paying directly for things that we use is the way out of our financial dilemma.
There are at least two ways to do this, both of which are superior to taxation. We already pay directly for water and sewerage services. Let's think creatively and see if we can apply this strategy to other legitimate city services including maintaining roads, bridges, parks and other infrastructure; providing police and fire protection; and providing building safety and zoning services.
Infrastructure: An annual road-maintenance fee can be charged to property owners based on the street frontage of their property weighted by the number of people living at the property.
Parks: Park maintenance could be paid for by those property owners who are closest to them. Or parks could be fenced with admission charged for entrance.
Police protection: Police could be paid from fees charged to the perpetrators of crimes. This not only would provide an incentive to catch the perpetrators, but the police also would spend more time in high-crime areas if left to act more as free-lance operators instead of being forced to go to areas with the most political influence.
Fire protection: It would be easy to directly charge people for use of fire protection services based on service calls.
Building safety and zoning: Fines can be levied against property owners who do not maintain their properties, which would pay the salaries of the building inspectors who could operate as free-lance agents. The administration necessary to enforce the zoning code could be funded by fees for public hearings.
Another approach is to assert that we, as Pittsburgh residents, all benefit equally from the city's legitimate services. If we can agree to this, we simply determine the costs of providing the services for each department and divide the costs equally between all residents. We can legitimately ask those who only work in the city to pay one-third of a share, since they presumably spend roughly one-third of their workday here.
NICK KYRIAZI
North Side
Shameful profit
Something is awfully wrong with the system of drug pricing in our country. Someone is getting rich from the sales of prescription drugs. It isn't the pharmacies realizing the bulk of profits, and it certainly isn't the people dependent upon the drugs to keep healthy. It is the money-hungry drug companies.
Why is it necessary for busloads of seniors to travel to Canada to get their life-preserving drugs? "Something is," as the saying goes, "rotten in Denmark"! It's long overdue that our Food and Drug Administration does something about this shameful situation!
ALDO GIANNINI
Wilmerding
Clinton was preoccupied when we needed him to look after our interests
My attention was drawn to the Nov. 29 letter "We Had a Good Man." My first thought was that this was a letter about Ronald Reagan. After reading it, I thought it must be a joke. It mentioned that Bill Clinton created a great economy and good jobs, kept us out of war, helped us not to live in fear and not to be attacked, kept crime and abortion rates low and maintained our freedom. The writer is obviously living in a dream world.
Bill Clinton was a joke and a disgrace to the office he held. The writer also mentions that George W. Bush is keeping us poor. I guess the writer doesn't bother reading the papers or watching the news, and he apparently doesn't look at his paycheck. Otherwise he'd know that George Bush is the one who gave him a tax cut last year. He also would know that George Bush is the man who is fighting the battle that Bill Clinton didn't have the guts to address when he occupied the office.
While American interests overseas were being attacked, old Bill was spending his time with a young lady in the Oval Office hoping the problem would go away. Oh, yeah, I forgot: Clinton sent a few cruise missiles into Sudan and remote areas of Afghanistan to show he was a real man.
The final laugh in this letter was the writer's prayer for Al Gore in 2004. Right! That would be a smart move. Might as well throw Hillary into the mix, too. Gore could hug some trees and Hillary could push for her socialist health-care plan again and, maybe, sweet old Bill could find another young intern to spend some time with!
ROBERT FALLERT
Cranberry
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