Pittsburgh_Patrika_October_2015

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol, 21, No. 1, October 2015
Large-scale manufacturing today accounts for only less than 10% of
the workforce among the different segments. Of the 64,000 healthcare
jobs, UPMC accounts for 43,000; University of Pittsburgh has 12,500
of the 26,000 education jobs; and 21,000 of the 48,000 retail jobs are in
Giant Eagle and Walmart.
T
Healthcare 64,000
he arrogance of the officials
of local monopolies Retail: 48,000
and near-monopolies to flex their
muscle to punish those who differ
from them and muzzle their voices
is so blatant that it is laughable
simply for their petulance and pettiness.
The fine example is UPMC,
a non-profit organization with $11
billion in revenues and $11 billion
in assets, not allowing the gift shops
in its hospitals to sell The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the city’s daily. They
cite “fairness issues” in the newspaper’s coverage of the very public
fight between Highmark and UPMC for the lucrative healthcare industry
dollars.
Steve Twedt, the Post-Gazette reporter
writes, “Twice in recent years,
UPMC executives… canceled the health
giant’s advertising in the Post-Gazette,
citing dissatisfaction with the way UPMC
was covered in the news pages and how
it was portrayed in editorials and editorial
cartoons.”
Well, the purpose of cartoons is to convey messages using humor, sarcasm,
irony, paradox, even ridicule, often all at the same time. If UPMC
officials were bitten by the cartoons, probably there was a grain of truth
in them. Maybe several grains of truth.
In campaigns costing hundreds of thousands
of dollars spent on print and audiovisual
media, both UPMC and Highmark
try to mould public opinion in their favor.
Like political campaigns, each hyped its plus
points and glossed over its negatives. The Post-
Gazette, being the major daily in the town,
covered the news item giving space for both
sides. It could not remain without taking a stand
Government 42,000
Education 26,000
Financial Service 26,000
Manufacturing 24,000
Transoportation 13,000
Utility 9,000
Total: 252,000
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