On pollution, where is Rich Fitzgerald?

Throughout the meetings, press conferences, and hearings related to the fire at the Clairton Coke Works, I’ve had one question that’s gone unanswered: Where is county Executive Rich Fitzgerald?

How is it municipal officials, the Allegheny County Health Department, Pennsylvania legislators and even the lieutenant governor have responded or weighed in, but not the chief executive running our county? Mr. Fitzgerald is responsible for the county’s well-being, but he has yet to address the disastrous fire in Clairton or U.S. Steel’s failure to comply with clean air regulations and its permit.

Given the decades of toxic air, sickness and deaths due to pollution they’ve endured, the residents of Clairton and the Mon Valley need an ally every day. Where was Mr. Fitzgerald when U.S. Steel and the health department weren’t notifying the public about the fire and resulting high levels of sulfur dioxide? Or when the official solution was to confine residents to their homes?

He’s running for re-election this year and seems to have plenty of time to promote his candidacy, but he can’t show up for the citizens of Clairton? Where is Mr. Fitzgerald when corporations endanger the health of Allegheny County citizens? We need real leadership in times like these.

EMILY CLEATH

Lawrenceville

No compromises

America compromised when it set up a nation that was halfslave and half-free; we paid dearly for that compromise. The world compromised with Adolf Hitler, making one concession after the other, until he amassed all the power he needed to wreak havoc; we paid dearly for that compromise. Compromise is not necessarily a good idea.

There are some situations in which compromise is simply out of the question.

Nevertheless, editorials, cartoons and op-eds in the Post-Gazette castigate the Democrats for not compromising with Donald Trump. I strongly disagree. There are times when it is wise to compromise and others when it is not. When it comes to the Trump administration, I think it is not. PAUL ALTER Wilkinsburg

Far from leaderless

I was taken aback when I read the Feb. 25 story “Leaderless Carnegie Museums Still Thriving.” The Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh are indeed thriving, but CMP and the four constituent museums are far from leaderless.

Healthy organizations have many people who contribute to leadership. The article mentions some specific individuals, including the talented Kevin Hiles, Jason Brown and Kim Amey, who have stepped up in interim roles. It fails to mention that the leadership teams in all the museums have stepped up and worked harder to meet leadership challenges.

Board members also, starting with Bill Hunt, have contributed to the museum’s success. It may seem that boards are only there to give money and show up in the Post-Gazette’s Seen pages. But board members at CMP are expected to, and do, make real contributions to the leadership and success of the organization, giving significant hours and talent.

I salute the staff and boards of CMP and its constituent museums. They have worked hard in a time of challenges to make CMP a success. I am looking forward to an even more successful 2019.

CHARLES J. VUKOTICH,

JR. Mt. Lebanon The writer is a board member of the Carnegie Science Center.

The real enemy

The Feb. 27 editorial cartoon depicting the allegedly different messages of John F. Kennedy and Bernie Sanders is, I’m sure, just the beginning of a barrage of unfunny, insidious messages that will be forthcoming from the Post-Gazette to try to turn common folks against democratic socialism, the best governmental system available to ensure that all Americans have their basic needs met. It was a clever but diabolical effort to again pit average Americans against one another.

However, now that most Americans know that 1 percent of the wealthiest people in America control 80 percent or more of the wealth in the country, they finally understand who, and what, the real enemy of the average American is — unbridled, unfettered, non-regulated capitalism — not democratic socialism. And true to form, here come the messages of fear. Good. Be afraid. Time is up. RANDOLPH A. MATUSCAK

Donora, Pa.