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Why have G-20 in Pittsburgh?
The article further states that April's G-20 meeting in London required 10,000 police officers. Something is truly askew with this whole scenario. Are they contemplating shutting down the tunnels and the parkway? Traffic in Pittsburgh on a normal day is a disaster without the burden of a police squad on every corner.
Aside from the issue of who will pay for this fiasco is the larger question of why all this security is necessary in the first place. If it is indeed so hazardous to hold a meeting such as this, would it not be better to hold it somewhere more suited to dealing with large scale events? New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Philadelphia come to mind. They are used to dealing with large numbers of nuts and psychos on a daily basis and may be a better choice for this meeting.
Mark A. Livingood
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Osama bin lobbyin'
Since 9/11, according to government figures, 175,000 convicts housed in U.S. prisons have converted to Islam.
Now, President Obama wants to close the detention facility at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer the Islamic terrorists there to stateside prisons - where they can turn the home-grown, wannabes into hard-core jihadists.
Sounds like the idea was hatched by a lobbyist for Osama bin Laden.
Lou Marra
Canonsburg
Cling to God, guns
To quote Mr. Obama while he was campaigning last year, he said that all we have here in this area was our small towns, our God and our guns. Well, if the government keeps getting larger and the taxes keep going up and our rights keep getting smaller, we are going to need our God and our guns to survive this mess we are heading for.
If we Americans keep apologizing for what we believe in and what we stand for, we will soon lose our God-given freedom that so many good men and women have given their precious lives for.
We should be proud Americans and stand up and be counted for who we are and let us stop being ashamed. Tell the world and our enemies who we are and what we believe in.
It's time to celebrate the 4th of July in Spirit and Truth.
Dick Jackson
Canonsburg
Lou Marra : 7/2/2009
actually, Guantanamo Bay and the torture that went on there and elsewhere was the idea that sounds like it was hatched by a lobbyist for Osama bin Laden. This is actually a fact, since foreign jihadists, including the bombers a few years ago in Britain, said this was an influence. By the way, did you know that it is now coming to light that over 100 prisoners were tortured to death by US agents or soldiers under the Bush administration? Without trials. Thats what happens when fake prisons outside of USA law and torture are approved.
Mark : 7/2/2009
Are you not ready to take on the challenge of the G-20? Then get out of the way because better and brighter people than you are ready to make Pittsburgh a wonderful and safe host city. Also, the fact you have so much fear of "nuts and psychos" means that you are mentally defeated. You let the terrorists beat you. Saftey is a legitimate concern. But if we don't go about living our lives, then Bin Laden accomplished his goal.
Living Good : 7/2/2009
“They are used to dealing with large numbers of nuts and psychos on a daily basis and may be a better choice for this meeting.” What's your point? Are you saying that various local, county, state and federal agencies responsible for providing security cannot handle the areas nuts and psychos. If anyone has read the various blogs lately we have our share.
hey dick : 7/2/2009
i'm not afraid of terroists.... the one's causing chaos in the everyday lives of working American's will be attending the G-20. the corporatists, facists, and the lap dog politicians they own. That's who scares me... bin Laden is a pimple on the as@ of the world. he's been raised in importance by those with power who would use fear as a means of control.
Pittsburgh - G20 : 7/2/2009
When the plan was announced that Pittsburgh would host this summit, the reason cited was how Pittsburgh has pulled itself from the ash heap. Pittsburgh would be a great example of how American cities have revitalized themselves, and our city was to be the shining example. Who is deluding themselves? The recent discussions surrounding Act-47 indicated the city was in fanciancial ruins. The finances of the city are still under control of an outside body because the local politicians have demonstrated their inability to manage city finances. Consider all the new taxes being proposed to help cover the deficits -- $5/day added parking tax, $50/student for college peole just to attend college within the city, $20/patient just to enter a Pittsburgh hospital, occupation tax increase from $52 to $145/yr, ... and the list goes on. Yesterday, officials revealed that the pension funds are merely a 30% funded, about half of what is considered to be a desparate situation (60% funded). As somebody said, it would take all the income to the city from present taxes just to fund the pension fund properly. Now, is this the city that is to be the US shining example of how revitalization works? I hardly think so. Many officials speak proudly of being able to "show off Pittsburgh." Is this what we really want world leaders to understand? With so much talk about "what the leaders will see," why are so many spending their off-meeting time at Necacolin? Will any of those coming to Pittsburgh really spend time to "see our great city?" I'm doubting so. The question raised in the letter speaks to security measures. The city is spending huge money, that they don't have, to consult with other cities on what to do about security. Other cities, such as London and Seattle, have shown that the cost of security is huge, beyond what was expected. These cities regret having offered to host the Summit meetings. Does anybody really think that hosting this Summit will "put Pittsburgh on the map," (local politicians words,not mine)? Is anybody prepared to monitor the increased economic input into the region because of this meeting? The local Thomas Murton group has already indicated that physical confrontation and violence is not out order to "educate the people about world problems." If a local group takes this stance, will the national organizations that specialize in confrontation and violence take a lesser stance? I surely am wishing that it goes smoothly, with minimum of problems. But, even if the security costs are minimual, who really thinks this event will reap benefits of international proportion? Me thinks this is a very large ego trip for some local politicians, regardless of any negative consequences.
Islam, Muslims : 7/2/2009
Hey Lou are you aware that not all Muslim are terrorist? Are you aware that people who practice the Islamic faith are not all terrorist? Timothy McVeigh was white Catholic that killed 168 people in a terrorist attack. Do you believe that all white that practice Catholicism are terrorist or potential terrorist? Keep up the good work GOP supporters. You’re doing a great job alienating just every demographic in the country. In 2000, 46% of Arab American voted for Bush, there another group of people being pushed out of the Republican Party. Keep up the good work and the only people remaining in the GOP will be a few bitter old white men.
GOP Chair to re-elect no one. : 7/3/2009
All FANATICS who leave no room for others are extremists - no matter what "religion" they espouse. Hence, even if you are so diametrically opposed to any religion or refusal of any religion - you are showing yourself to be falling short and less of an American citizen than you might imagine. So, where is your voice when others are persecuting those who are trying to practice their faith as christians? Just curious. To me, true freedom is when you allow others in/of your nation of citizenry to practice theirs as long as they are doing no violent/unjust harm to any other. I suspect your answer was politically motivated.
ns : 7/3/2009
“So, where is your voice when others are persecuting those who are trying to practice their faith as christians?” What persecuting, who is persecuting Christians? I drove past several churches last Sunday and it look to me like those attending were doing so without any fear of persecution. The point of my post to Lou Marra was about bigotry and hypocrisy.
