Salute to KQV for editorials on the Tunnels to the North Shore Stadiums

In the past weeks, KQV editorials have been ripping on local public officials for their silence concerning the dumb project: Building under river tunnels for an extension of the light-rail. Text of two archived KQV radio editorials follow.

Archived: 10/03/06

Our Public Servants Disconnect on The North Shore Connection!
This undoubtedly will not come as a shock to you, but in an editorial a couple of weeks ago, we contacted our Pennsylvania elected political leader...Governor Ed Rendell, Senators Rick Santorum and Arlen Specter, our U.S. House Representatives; Mike Doyle, Tim Murphy, Melissa Hart and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, inviting them to respond; for or against the Port Authority's North Shore Connector project; the twin tunnels under the Allegheny River to connect the Golden Triangle with the North Shore, currently guesstimated to cost taxpayers $435 million.

We sent each of them copies of the editorial through e-mail, fax, and the U.S. mail. We also contacted their offices by phone. Their response was; predictably, underwhelming!

Well, not quite! We did hear from Colin McNickle, Editorial Page Director for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He joined us in offering Op-Ed space to our federal elected politicians and, like our offer, he has yet to have his generosity accepted.

These are people we vote for- we're the ones who put them in office; who pay their salaries and their virtually unmatched perks; and yet they don't have the backbone to speak up, for - or against this project.

Meanwhile, through our 30 years here at KQV, we've never experienced the almost unanimous opposition to a project that we have with this Port Authority endeavor. If this issue were a referendum on the ballot, there's no question it would be overwhelmingly defeated. But that doesn't stop its proponents, or motivate our elected so-called public servants inside the D.C. Beltway to publicly speak out and be counted!

All of which leads us to conclude that by their silence, apparently Governor Rendell, Senators Santorum, Specter; Representatives Doyle, Murphy, Hart; and County Executive Onorato all favor this gross misuse of our tax dollars.

Yesterday, we received PAT's Public Relations mailing which delineates its current pie-in-the-sky prediction that the project will be started this month but won't be completed until mid 2011! So according to its schedule, if everything goes without a hitch, it still will be a nearly 5 year projected serious dysfunction of lifestyles and rights-of-way on the North Shore and Downtown!

Since our suspiciously silent elected public officials are too shy to be counted at our urging, maybe it's time for you taxpayers, who will vote for or against some of them next month, to let them know just how you feel about this issue; for or against!

To this end, you can find their addresses and phone numbers on our website, kqv.com, or listed on the blue-edged pages in the Verizon Telephone Book.

So, go get 'em tigers...here and now...and/or when you go to the polls on November 7th! That ought to get their attention!

Contact Your Elected Officials

Robert W. Dickey, President, KQV Newsradio

Broadcast: October 3, 4, 7, 8, 2006

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The North Shore Connector Challenge!

If you, dear listener still naively believe we live in a representative democracy, here's more proof you may be wrong!

Our elected so-called public servants and their appointed self-serving public authority officials have proved once again that they can shove anything they want down our throats - despite overwhelming opposition.

They did it with the taxpayer partially funded stadiums; they did it with that taxpayer funded "White Elephant" Convention Center; they are doing it with their casino gambling selection smokescreen to get a new arena; and they're now going overboard supporting that ill-conceived boondoggle known as the North Shore Connector; the twin tunnels to be built under the Allegheny River to connect the Golden Triangle and the North Side.

We've editorially opposed this more than $400 million rape and pillage of us taxpayers since it was first unveiled by the Port Authority a few years ago.

There are four obvious reasons why...

First, it's unnecessary. We already have sufficient bridge access to the North Side from Downtown...Second, it will be under construction for at least four years, which could wreak havoc on an already depressed downtown area...third, since it's not needed, it's a flagrant waste of taxpayer dollars...and fourth, it's a virtual certainty that the project will eventually cost far more than its current guesstimate; which has already been boosted several times since its initial estimate a few years ago.

Meanwhile, PAT has announced that it is in serious financial shape, with an anticipated operating deficit of more than $30 million this year. As a band-aid, it's considering outrageous fare hikes, cutbacks in service, staff layoffs, and is begging the state to bail it out...with more of our tax dollars, of course.

So, where do our elected so-called public servants stand on this frightening fiscal fiasco. Do they support...or oppose it?

Well, let's find out.

Where are you on this issue, County Executive Dan Onorato; where are you, Governor Ed Rendell; Where do you members of congress who are running for re-election in November stand on this project; Senator Rick Santorum, Congresswoman Melissa Hart, Congressmen Mike Doyle and Tim Murphy; and we'd like to hear your opinion, Senator Arlen Specter, even if you're not up for re-election this year.

KQV offers each and every one of you up to two minutes to inform our listeners just where you stand... for or against this tunnel project. Your response will be broadcast several times.

But, because the digging may begin within the next month, we need to hear from you folks as soon as possible. How can you turn down a freebee. So, as they used to say on that TV giveaway show; ...COME ON DOWN!

Robert W. Dickey, President, KQV Newsradio

Broadcast: September 13, 14, 15, 2006