A Plea for Tax and Spending Restraint to Allegheny County Officials

The following was sent on 19 October 2013 to Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, County Council Members Heidelbaugh, Robinson, and Ellenbogen, and Regional Asset District Chairman David Donahue in response to the news that Councilman Robinson is to seek an additional $4 million in county tax dollars to support the floundering August Wilson Center:                                                                                                  
Dear County Officials:
I am alarmed to learn that Councilman Robinson, who seems to be oblivious to the burden of property taxes, has proposed throwing good money after bad, providing another $4 million to the August Wilson Center as it faces potential foreclosure due to mismanagement and lack of foresight.
First let me note that August Wilson was an outstanding playwright with an inspiring story, and by all accounts, a good and decent man.  He has brought acclaim to this region.
Having said that, I would emphasize that every taxpayer dollar is precious, and I would remind the members that county residents are still attempting to digest the 21% hike in this levy along with the disastrous and costly reassessment, which continues to tie the county and its residents into knots.
I would further note an issue that has been conveniently ignored, perhaps in the pursuit of "political correctness": that the Wilson Center has been host to forums at which anti-Semites spoke without anyone to counter their hate.  The invitation to the "Reverend" Louis Farrakhan to appear dealt a deep wound to the Jewish community, to which the embittered host of the event, Bev Smith, responded with contempt, "Mind your own business."  The Center learned nothing from this debacle, subsequently inviting Farrakhan pal and fellow anti-Semite and America-hater, The Reverend Jeremiah Wright.  Status and respectability were conferred upon these "gentlemen" by virtue of appearing in such a distinguished forum.  
These men have every right to their views and to promote them no matter how offensive and extreme I or anyone else find them to be, but to use the Wilson Center, a publicly-funded facility, without anyone invited to offer counterpoint, is inappropriate and offensive.  I would ask how the African-American community would feel if someone that had expressed racist views were invited to speak at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, for example.
I hope that Executive Fitzgerald will do the right thing and I know I can count on Councilwoman Heidelbaugh to be looking out for the taxpayer.  I hope that will be enough to scuttle a huge new appropriation to the Wilson Center which we cannot afford.
Thank you for your consideration.