On behalf of the men and women represented by the Pittsburgh Regional Building and Construction Trades Council, I want to voice my support for the demolition of the Civic Arena and redevelopment of the 28-acre parcel of land in the Lower Hill District on which it sits.

Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania must be viewed as a city and region that look to the future and not to the past. While we can be proud of our heritage, we should not dwell in it. Rather, we must be both visionary and practical if we are to maintain Pittsburgh's status as the nation's most livable city.

The Civic Arena was a wonderful facility when constructed more than 50 years ago. But its construction was not without its critics. The arena separated the Hill District from Downtown Pittsburgh, both literally and figuratively, and it has taken many years for the Hill District to recover. Today, we have an opportunity to reunite the Hill District with Downtown Pittsburgh by replacing the arena with both residential and commercial development. It is an opportunity that we cannot afford to miss.

The Civic Arena is a stand-alone facility. Its sheer shape and size are not conducive to adjacent development, and that is what needs to occur.

Development means both permanent and temporary jobs for the construction industry and for many other workers. It means new tax revenues for the city of Pittsburgh at a time when the city is in desperate need of tax dollars. It means opportunities to attract new businesses and residents to the city. In short, development means progress.

For these reasons and others, the Pittsburgh Regional Building and Construction Trades Council endorses the demolition of the Civic Arena and the redevelopment of the Lower Hill District. We urge the Sports & Exhibition Authority to act accordingly.

RICHARD STANIZZO JR.
Banksville
Business Manager
Pittsburgh Regional Building and Construction Trades Council

Arena's a waste

As a Pennsylvania registered professional engineer, I have been engaged in the design, construction and operation of buildings in the Pittsburgh region since 1979. My design practice involves building infrastructure with an emphasis on green design and energy efficiency. I am excited that the new Consol Energy Center has achieved a gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Conversely, keeping the Civic Arena as an infrequently used or "mothballed" facility would waste precious energy resources as well as limited taxpayer money. Like many others, I also have fond memories of Pitt Stadium and Three Rivers Stadium. Yet each of these facilities was replaced as ongoing maintenance and new technology meant change was necessary. Further, the unique attribute of the arena was the retractable roof, yet that was seldom ever utilized.

There is significant interest in developing this prime real estate into a viable part of the neighborhood. The building should be demolished to allow the private sector to develop the land for the benefit of the city, rather than having it become an unused landmark and a financial liability.

GLENN AVICK
Upper St. Clair

A savage sport

I am baffled by the photograph on the front of the Aug. 26 Local News section, which features a Pittsburgh firefighter and a county police officer in a boxing ring and notes the upcoming "Battle of the Badges" at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The photo caption says it's a "memorial boxing event."

Boxing is a "sport" of thinly veiled savagery. It consists of the "winner" delivering a sufficient number of blows to the head of the opponent as to render the poor soul unconscious or close to it. All of this joyous "athleticism" is absorbed by the bloodthirsty and voyeuristic.

Anyone who believes that boxing is good, clean, wholesome fun should today observe "The Greatest," Muhammad Ali, whose body and brain have been ravaged by years of boxing injuries. This man was vibrant and sharp in the early days of his career.

Why in heaven's name would law enforcement officials who seek to keep our neighborhoods safe promote acts of mindless violence? What type of example does this set for the community, particularly for its many impressionable children who have a difficult enough time growing up to be decent, respectful, civil adults?

OREN M. SPIEGLER
Upper St. Clair

Time to pay up

Let's get the facts straight. Unless letter writer Robert Walsh ("Liberals and Taxes," Aug. 28) believes those who make $250,000 are part of the "middle class," he has his facts wrong in his rant about raising taxes on the middle class.

The Obama proposal is to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire for only those people making more than $250,000. There will be no increase in taxes for those making less than that amount, which obviously includes the entire middle class.

To be specific, those making in excess of $250,000 will see a 4 percent tax increase only in their income that exceeds that amount. For example, a small business or individual with an income of $300,000 would have a tax increase of 4 percent only on $50,000.

Conservatives who say they are concerned about the deficit should be elated to have the estimated $3.5 trillion this tax plan would raise in the next decade from those making over $250,000. Most Americans should be thrilled to pay the additional tax if they made a quarter-million dollars a year.

RICHARD LESNAK
Ohio Township

Media negativity

We see in print and hear on TV a lot of information and commentary about the difficult state of the U.S. economy's present and near-term future.

Unemployment is hovering near 10 percent and there are approximately another 5 percent to 7 percent who would like to work but have temporarily withdrawn from seeking jobs.

That leaves about 85 percent of a full work force of people who are gainfully employed at their historical pay levels, realizing that some unknown percentage of that group may have taken jobs at reduced pay levels.

Supposedly, 60 percent of our gross domestic product is generated by consumer purchases. If those people who are employed were not scared away from purchasing in a normal manner by all the negativity constantly being fed to them by the media, maybe we could start on the road to economic recovery.

How about it, news media? Why not have a more positive outlook or even a less negative outlook on our economic future to get things moving in a positive direction again?

JEROME MORTON
East Liberty

While speaking with a voter the other day about whether he approved of President Barack Obama's job performance, I received an unexpected response: He hasn't decided yet. "I don't think there's been enough time," he elaborated. "Everybody makes mistakes. He's human."

Sure, everyone makes mistakes, but shouldn't the president of the United States be held to a higher standard than the average American? After all, the nation elects presidents to straighten things out, not contribute to the pile of problems that has inevitably built up over the years.

Apparently Mr. Obama has been given a free pass on judgment for the first two years of a four-year term. Especially with the aggressive legislative agenda the Obama administration has pursued so far and will continue to shove through Congress for the foreseeable future, one would think that Americans with just a toe in the political ocean would have made up their minds by now.

Today's world is driven by instant gratification: Why don't politics play along? It takes the average person only seconds to form an opinion on a song.

Sure, the president's performance evaluation should be granted significantly more weight, but critical midterm elections are weeks away. To have a preference change or evolve over the course of a presidency is acceptable and understandable. However, to have not evolved whatsoever after several economic overhauls and spending bills, turning the nation's health care system on its head and threatening to do much more before 2012 is almost incomprehensible.

In expectation of the change that Washington will play a part in this coming November, I would suggest that this voter and others who have yet to look into the issues take a minute to do so; it's time to make up your minds.

ANNE THOMAS
O'Hara

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