Letters to the Editor

I was personally offended by Naomi Walker’s cartoon in Wednesday’s edition of The Pitt News…. I was personally offended by Naomi Walker’s cartoon in Wednesday’s edition of The Pitt News. It depicted a tennis shoe and a flip-flop sandal discussing finals and ended on a not-so-kind note on the idea of studying education. I find it appalling that one can criticize another person’s field of study. The fact that a flip-flop was used to represent future educators and the word “education” was purposely misspelled had my social foundations of education class stunned. I recently transferred from the College of Business Administration at Pitt to Arts and Sciences in order to pursue a career in education, and I will proudly say that I was more challenged in my education classes than in my CBA classes. But I would never consider belittling another major. I believe we deserve an apology, and I would be deeply disappointed if we did not receive one. I have worked just as hard as people in other majors at this University, and I find it hard to believe that this cartoon made the cut to be added to the paper.

Melissa Daugherty ______________________________________________________________

The Pitt News has repeatedly attacked the proposed drink tax on all poured beverages in Allegheny County. But what other choice does the county have? The only alternative offered by Harrisburg is to raise property taxes – an act that would hurt everyone in Allegheny County, not just restaurant and bar owners. Furthermore, it is believed that the county would have to cut 800 county jobs to alleviate fiscal pressure. It seems that more is at stake if the county doesn’t pass the tax. Also, the claim that the tax would cause more young people to leave Pittsburgh is absurd. No young person wants to pay more money to go out and have a good time, but the drink tax certainly wouldn’t be a reason for young people to leave Pittsburgh or decide against moving here. Pittsburgh’s cost of living is low compared to other cities, 30 percent below the national average, according to Pitt’s website. Even with the drink tax, the cost of alcohol would still be much lower than in other major U.S. cities. Ask a friend in Boston or New York how much they pay for drinks; it makes Pittsburgh look like a boozehound’s paradise. The overriding reason Pittsburgh lacks young people is simple: a lack of jobs. New York, Boston and Chicago, three of the top-rated cities for young people, all have drink taxes and a higher cost of living than Pittsburgh. The consumer is not the one being hurt. Everyone jumps on a chance to impose crippling taxes on smokers, but when it’s alcohol, people fly into an uproar.

Joe McCune School of Arts and Sciences