Developer should bear risk of failure

In responding to Judge Robert Dierker's ruling that St. Louis officials lacked authority to offer hundreds of millions of dollars to subsidize the NorthSide redevelopment plan, the editorial board, in the editorial "Celebrating decline" (July 12), implies that the plan can proceed only if the city provides the anticipated subsidies. The developer's own estimates indicate a belief that he will realize a profit of at least $251 million even without those subsidies.

Nothing in the ruling prevents the developer from pursuing his quixotic vision or from enjoying any profits that might result from its success; rather, it requires that, like all other entrepreneurs, the developer must personally bear the risks of failure instead of pushing them onto the taxpaying public.

Dave Roland • St. Louis, Policy Analyst, Show-Me Institute

Shooting from the hip

A recent letter called John Cochran VA Medical Center a pit and slum, among other exaggerations.

Apparently, the dental clinic needs a firmer set of teeth in its operations, but that doesn't justify shooting wildly from the hip in denigrating the hospital's entire operation.

I am a World War II veteran who has been treated wonderfully at that hospital for almost 50 years. If it weren't for the skilled, efficient, dedicated and compassionate care of the JC personnel, I and many other veterans would be dead by now.

Cochran should have been built on a site where there was room for expansion. Still, despite, its hemmed-in situation, its officials have been ingenious in expanding clinics and improving care over the years.

The JC hospital cares for a superabundance of veterans. Sometimes appointments for those veterans who are less sick have to be spread out a bit, and there may be a waiting line for prescriptions. But a little inconvenience for the common good shouldn't be a bother. After all, our treatment is free.

God bless John Cochran Hospital.

Jack Moran • St. Louis

Pension problems

I was disappointed with some of the misleading statements in the editorial "First responders" (July 11), about firefighters' pensions. The pension costs will not "rise indefinitely." The city's pension obligation will go down when the stock market recovers. Also, firefighters offered to change the funding mechanism so that the city wouldn't have to pay as much now, essentially allowing the city to pay its obligation when the economy gets better. The city declined. Perhaps the city wants to use the excuse of a bad economy to stop funding our pension.

The editorial didn't mention that the unused sick-leave benefit is given to all city employees, not just firefighters. Firefighters told the city that the costs of the sick-leave buy-back plan would be enormous because firefighters rarely call in sick. But this irresponsible sick-leave buy-back plan essentially was forced on us, and now everybody acts as if it's our fault.

The editorial failed to mention that the Deferred Retirement Option Program is a benefit for all city employees, not just us. Firefighters do not get Social Security. We pay 8 percent of our salaries into our pension, and the interest that is built up over the years is used to fund our pensions. Because we don't get Social Security and because we have a dangerous job with many costly injuries, our pension costs will be higher than other city employees' pension.

Next time, I suggest the editorial board get its information from Local 73, too, not just from the city of St. Louis.

Greg Nienhaus • St. Louis

Let's get ours!

Again we have seen the foolishness of our government, both local and federal, with the decision to award St. Louis with $25 million for a trolley to nowhere ("Loop-Forest Park trolley moves off the drawing board," July 10). Are we going to be asked to subsidize this as we do with Metro, so a few folks can get from the Loop to Forest Park?

How many folks will be riding a trolley in the winter months?

In the late 1960s, my friend Tom Foster, owner of the heliport downtown, had a trolley built that ran on a truck frame. Readers may remember the River Front Trolley. It would be wiser to invest in a small fleet of these vehicles, which could go anywhere. That probably would cost millions less. But I guess the new mentality is "free money from the stimulus package, let's get ours!"

How sad when there are so many areas where this money could be better spent. Can you say St. Louis Fire Department?

Denny Eads • Oakville

Justify the testimony

The article "Toyota lashed out at SIUC teacher over electronics" (July 11) appears to be an attempt by the teacher for publicity or a shakedown of Toyota.

When Toyota representatives met with David Gilbert, they asked him to justify his testimony. That was 'something he refused to do, saying he stood by his sworn statements to Congress." That is not an action of someone who is out to "tell the truth" or to help to correct a problem. And it is not the action of someone who has nothing to hide.

The teacher should justify his testimony or newspapers should quit aiding his vain quest for fame.

Dan Fischer • Lake Saint Louis

Wanting him to fail

It is said that people see and hear what they expect to see and hear based on their previous assumptions. This obviously is true with Charles Krauthammer when it comes to his opinion of President Barack Obama. His rant about the president's 'selective modesty" is shameful and, in itself, arrogant and narcissistic ("Obama's selective modesty," July 11).

When the president speaks, I hear him describe the attributes that make the United States a strong, vibrant democracy. He uses examples of our ancestors' perseverance in difficult times to inspire us now. He reminds us time and again that we need to protect our precious ideals, especially the fact that we are a nation of laws. His respect for the greatness of the American people is self-evident.

Those of us who listen to what Mr. Obama is saying rather than twisting bits and pieces of his speeches into something grotesque will continue to work to keep our nation strong and our fellow Americans healthy.

Mr. Krauthammer and other Obama-haters do the country a disservice by using their power to try to destroy the Obama administration. Americans who want the president to fail more than they want the country to succeed drag us all down and shouldn't be given one-third of the opinion page in the Sunday paper.

Susan Cunningham • Pacific

Serious consequences

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama and Congress sent a clear message to Iran that if it continues to threaten the security of the world, its government will face serious consequences. That is why the American Jewish Committee-St. Louis was a strong supporter of the legislation.

The bill expands the scope of the 1996 Iran Sanctions Act by penalizing foreign companies that assist Iran's energy industry, the regime's most vulnerable sector. U.S. banks are barred from dealing with foreign banks that do business with the Revolutionary Guard or aid Iran's nuclear program. Foreign companies that provide Iran with technology that can be used to restrict the free flow of information are barred from U.S. government procurement contracts.

These sanctions are the direct result of the Iranian regime's refusal to open its nuclear program to scrutiny by the international community. We at AJC hail the U.S. government for taking this important step to prevent Iran's nuclear ambitions by enacting new sanctions targeting Iran's financial and energy sectors.

Nancy Lisker • St. Louis County Director, American Jewish Committee St. Louis Region