Mar 7, 2003 3 min read

Once again, Penn Future has it wrong. First they complained that the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission was not considering an alternative they proposed to the Mon-Fayette Expressway Project, an alternative that is $700 million more expensive than the expressway and of dubious economic benefit. Now they complain that the Turnpike Commission is holding a public meeting to solicit input from the community before completing an analysis of the expressway alternative. Penn Future, a statewide environmental organization, specifically requested that the Turnpike Commission will hold a community meeting at West Mifflin High School to seek community input on the Penn Future proposal.

By holding the March 12 meeting and conducting formal analysis, the Turnpike Commission is going well beyond the requirements of the federally-mandated environmental review process. The process only requires that responses to comments received during comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement be provided in the Final Environmental Impact Statement.

Penn Future’s objections to the March 12 meeting is the classic case of an anti-highway and anti-development group constantly changing tactics to seek to block progress on a broadly supported and essential transportation project. Our position is that the Penn Future proposal is too costly, highly disruptive to the community and will neither address the transportation access necessary for the economic revitalization of the Mon Valley nor relieve the traffic congestion on the Parkway East.

Representatives of the Mon-Fayette and Southern Beltway Alliance will submit formal comment at the community meeting stating that further analysis of the Penn Future plan is not warranted and should not be pursued.

Joe Kirk, chairman

Mon-Fayette and Southern

Beltway Alliance

Money and power

I read in the paper that Joe Hardy may be entering the Fayette County commissioners’ race. Well, I wonder why a man with that much money and power wants in to politics. I’m not attacking him personally. I don’t know him, but one has to wonder why. Does he have county’s best interest in mind or is it something else?

All I know is the wealthy look out for number one. And its not me or Joe Public. This I do know from experience; been there, done that. I’m sure he has worked hard to get what he has, and that’s good. He should be proud.

I just wish people who have that kind of money would remember the ones that helped then make that money – the men and women who bust there butts day in and day out just to get from paycheck to paycheck.

This county does not need a king of the hill. What we need is jobs that pay more than minimum wage and jobs that have health care and futures. Can he do that? Can he bring jobs in? Everybody says they can, but I’m still waiting. A man with that much money and power, in a office with that much power, there’s a thought.

I can’t wait to see how this one turns out. Remember folks, money goes where money is.

Dallas Workman

Lemont Furnace