The county controller’s office is well-functioning

As Chelsa Wagner’s chief of staff, I really try to bite my tongue because I know that my point of view may seem biased. But, after the April 17 article in which Mark Patrick Flaherty said, “Right now, the office is in crisis, it’s in turmoil” (“County Controller Candidates Wagner, Flaherty Battle”), I could no longer stay quiet. How dramatic.

Believe me, there’s no crisis here, no turmoil. The staff is responsive as ever. Everyone is doing their jobs. Mr. Flaherty is trying to paint a picture that just doesn’t exist. The only problem we have is the county administration is blocking us from performing certain audits.

If you don’t believe me, come on down and take a walk around. You’ll see for yourself that we have a well-functioning department. I am very proud of our employees and their daily accomplishments. LYNN GRIFFIN

Chief of Staff Allegheny County Controller’s

Office Downtown

Citizens’ real issues

When I was a kid, mothers ran the household, dads worked and the families made out financially and even managed to put the kids through college. Today, both mom and dad work, they barely scrape by on the combined paychecks and the kids end up deep in debt from their college loans.

It would be natural to assume that this is happening because the value of our labor has shrunk to less than half of what it used to be. But that is far from true.

The economy of the United States is humongous. American corporations are pocketing yearly profits that exceed the value of entire nations. Corporate management makes more in one day than many people will make in their entire lifetime. And it is our labor that makes it all happen.

In other words, our labor is worth more today than it has ever been. But the middle class is sinking into poverty, our schools are starving for funding, our infrastructure is crumbling, our food supply is drying up, our planet is dying and millions of kids go to bed hungry.

What I am describing must be the real issue of the upcoming election campaigns. It must be the spine of the Post-Gazette campaign coverage. I haven’t seen it happening. Instead, I have seen acres of newsprint devoted to Benghazi, where emails were sent and a multitude of other red herrings.

We need to focus on what matters. PAUL A. ALTER

Wilkinsburg

Forward with Hillary

When Marco Rubio became the third of likely many candidates to run for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, he referred to Hillary Clinton as being a “leader from yesterday ... promising to take us back to yesterday.” Mr. Rubio’s remarks mirror similar sentiments from fellow freshman senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, who are also seeking the Republican nomination. Portraying Ms. Clinton as the candidate of yesterday is very alarming because they are stating that her issues are not what America needs.

The Republicans seem to have a desire to separate from the past. When Mr. Rubio refers to Ms. Clinton as the candidate of yesterday, is he referring to her stance on marriage equality or universal health care? More than 70 percent of the population lives in the 38 states where same-sex marriage is legal, and the number of uninsured Americans decreased by nearly 25 percent in 2014 thanks to the Affordable Care Act.

Ms. Clinton also supports universal preschool and is against giving tax breaks to the wealthy. Her views are more in line with the issues that concern middle-class Americans.

The Republicans’ belief that Hillary Clinton is the candidate of yesterday is very disturbing because they are dismissing years of progress and fights for equality. A Republican president risks putting America back in a position that leads to economic collapse. Hillary Clinton is not the candidate of yesterday, but rather they are. America did not need then, and certainly does not need now, a Republican president. JOSEPH SAMUEL ROGERS

Brookline

Pension deficit roots

The article “Pennsylvania’s Pension Problem” (April 12 Business) mentions that the state has not been keeping up its annual contributions to the fund, “which is one reason for the deficit.” In fact, it is the single overwhelming reason for the deficit.

Several administrations and the state Legislature kept finding reasons to delay the state’s share of payment. Civil service employees kept paying their share in the confidence that the state would eventually start honoring its contractual obligations. Instead, we are confronted with hand-wringing cries of “deficit” by the very people who created that deficit.

Now GOP lawmakers want to change the system to a 401(k)type plan for new hires. It is no coincidence that this will make a lot of money for their friends in the financial services industry, who lobby governments heavily. This is no doubt the reason the “problem” was created in the first place.

So, when the new governor proposes means of actually meeting the pension obligations, these legislators howl like spoiled children that they shouldn’t have to act honorably. We are going to have to start electing adults who can solve problems rather than grandstand.

Vote the current crop out of office, and let them go to work directly for the lobbyists. HOWARD SCHMITT

Green Tree

The writer is a retired state employee.