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Speak up or you
might get soaked
The Philadelphia Water Department is seeking a rate increase that will result in a total 30 percent increase for all residential customers over a four-year period. The PWD has had annual increases of 3 to 4 percent in the last seven years, which appears modest compared to an annual increase averaging 7 percent for the next four years.
The PWD advertised the proposed increase and hearings were set at five locations before hearing officer Harris T. Bock, Esq. I attended the hearing at Holy Family University on July 31. There were only three members of the public present to protest the increase. (There were a few other protesters who had complaints about the collection procedures of the Water Revenue Bureau.) An administrative aide from a city councilwoman’s office was present, and the public advocate was represented. The other 15 to 20 people present were employees of the PWD or the Water Revenue Bureau. The lack of interest by ratepayers and others (including our elected officials) is a shame.
The hearing examiner is still reviewing technical data before he renders his recommendations [Editor’s note: A ruling is not expected until mid-October.] Therefore, it is not too late to write him and tell him your opinion. It is a shame if you do not. Also, write your elected City Council members and tell them it was shameful for them not to inform community groups and/or attend the hearings. Also, tell them your opinion as to the increase.
If you and your elected representatives do nothing, it will send a signal that the members of the public are sheep being led to slaughter without protest.
The address of hearing officer Harris T. Bock, Esq., is 2 Logan Square, Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Harold Yaskin
East Torresdale
Candidate Boyle
praised for quick work
I watched with keen interest Matt Taubenberger’s TV ad with his saying he already has experience "on the job" working for state Rep. Kenney. Well, I e-mailed Mr. Taubenberger over a year ago about a problem I had with my auto insurance where they were charging me for an additional medical coverage I did not need or want. I got an e-mail very quickly saying he would be in touch with me. But weeks went by and I never heard from Mr. Taubenberger. After a month, I called him and left messages, but to my dismay Mr. Taubenberger never got back to me. A year later and I am still waiting to hear from him.
So I called Brendan Boyle’s office and he immediately told me what to find out from the insurance company and that he would look into it for me. Within one day, I got a call back from Brendan Boyle’s office and the whole insurance problem about the additional medical coverage was explained to me and taken care of. I want to thank Brendan and his office for helping solve this problem for me. I wish I would have called Brendan’s office earlier.
I am a senior citizen and I need the kind of attention that Brendan Boyle’s office already gave me and will continue to give to us. Thank you, Brendan.
Madeline Strange
Somerton
Editor’s note: Mr. Taubenberger, a Republican, and Mr. Boyle, a Democrat, are running to succeed the retiring Rep.
Kenney in the 170th Legislative District.
. . . But stealing his
signs is a no-no
On a recent Saturday night, I was home with my family when a car came up my street and stopped in front of my home. As we were not expecting company, we guessed they were looking for an address and would move on. Our street is very quiet with little traffic, and when the car did not move my daughter looked outside. What she saw shocked her and my whole family.
A man ran onto our lawn and stole the sign placed there supporting Brendan Boyle for Pennsylvania state representative. The man then jumped back into the car and sped away. No one bothered the opponent’s sign on a lawn two doors away, leading me to believe that this was not a juvenile prank. The next morning I noticed several Brendan Boyle signs missing from my neighborhood. I have heard that more than 50 signs were taken that weekend.
My family and I are disappointed to think that Brendan Boyle’s opponent’s staff or volunteers would behave as if this was a contest for junior high school class president and not Pennsylvania representative. We will replace the sign, and hopefully the public’s knowledge of these actions will discourage any further childish actions from these individuals.
Lynda Leto
Bustleton
Council at-large seats
are extra baggage
Upon first read, I really questioned Councilman at-large Wilson Goode’s proposal to reduce the size of City Council by two — in essence the minority-party representatives. However, upon further review, I think Mr. Goode’s proposal doesn’t go far enough in helping the city to reduce the cost of city government.
No, the proposal should be to eliminate ALL at-large members of Council.
Yes, the time has long passed when the Democrats were the party of reform throwing out the evil Republicans, when the young reformers of Dick Dilworth and Joe Clark came to clear house.
So all hail the plan to reduce the bloat of city government and return the Council to a true representative form of government by having a Council composed of 10 members, one for each councilmanic district.
Ken Hutchins
Juniata Park
Guy who bashed public
schools earns an F
In response to Jan Sklaroff’s letter to the editor last week, School district is one big disciplinary problem, it is important neither to generalize nor to assume students in "the whole district — except for Central High School and Masterman" experience disciplinary or behavioral problems.
One of the major determining factors of my family’s move to the Northeast seven years ago was the availability of safe, neighborhood schools that successfully educate pupils. After some research, Solomon Solis-Cohen Elementary Academics Plus School was the perfect choice.
Yes, there are bullies and a few children with limited impulse control, but you can find them in alternative or private schools as well. As I child, I attended a Philadelphia public school after coming from the public school system in Tucson, Ariz.
After completing my first academic year in Philadelphia, my parents placed me in a private Christian school capable of challenging me, at the advice of my teacher. Even there, some children misbehaved and spankings were permitted as a method of discipline for the disobedient.
Nonetheless, as parents blessed with intellectually advanced children and limited funds, middle school became a concern for my husband and I. That is, until we did a little more research. Russell H. Conwell Middle Magnet School became the choice for our eldest. Although, not the ideal location, as of September 2008, this academically challenging institution has been named a 2008 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School.
Additionally, they have implemented an Emerging Scholars program where students can choose alternative studies and further enhance their young minds.
Loving our children should not be in question, because we have chosen to enroll them in the Philadelphia public school system. Our family earns just enough to be ineligible for any outside assistance and not enough not to suffer from tuition expenses. Finding some of the best schools in the system puts our minds at ease knowing our children are receiving a quality education.
Where a child attends school is only one part of the equation for a decent education. How a parent guides and prepares his or her child to get the most from an education is of even greater importance. Dedicated teachers do what they can to cultivate and challenge our children. Ultimately, it is good parenting and instilling educational values in our children that is the deciding factor.
As a former pupil of the same school system and having successfully obtained both my bachelor of arts degree and master’s in business administration degree, there is no doubt my children will go on to achieve even more. The eldest has already decided to obtain her Ph.D, and why not? She will be a successful product of the School District of Philadelphia and therefore highly capable.
Robin L. Jessie-Green
Castor Gardens
• • •
I take issue with the very ignorance of Jan Sklaroff’s letter. If you so strongly agree with the voucher system, which by the way, I do, too, please do not take such a broad stroke with your brush. Do not condemn every public school in the city and insinuate that they are all discipline problems and that only parents who care about their children send them to alternative schools.
There are some gems in the system, such as the one I send my granddaughter to. She proudly attends A.L. Fitzpatrick School. It is a wonderful school with an exceptional principal, wonderful, caring teachers, and a very active and devoted parent volunteer organization.
All these factors, along with my reinforcing the work she has learned in school, have helped my granddaughter develop into the bright, engaging, well-rounded child she has become. She reads well above her third-grade level and has a vocabulary that can outsmart most adults. She consistently is on the honor roll, has been student of the month at least once every year, and usually makes perfect attendance. Does this sound like a child whose parents do not care about her or her education? My granddaughter is not the only at Fitz. I personally know many who excel in this manner.
I love my granddaughter, just as the person who sends their child to a school other than a public school does loves their, and how dare you insinuate that I do not. Your assumption that I do not is insulting, condescending and ignorant.
Are there children with discipline problems at Fitz? Sure, just as there are at ALL other schools. I remember one child very well, who was a huge disruption when my child was in first grade. She now attends our local parochial school.
Anna Mesoraca
Proud mom-mom of Gianna and staunch supporter of A.L. Fitzpatrick public school.
• • •
I’m a 10th grade student at Constitution High School. I have attended public school for 11 years. I have never had a disciplinary problem, and have had only 1’s in citizenship. I am now working to organize my second annual fair for a local non-profit organization. Last year, many of the students at my school helped, and we raised about $1,000.
I have friends who attend Catholic schools and they are always doing work that I learned a year or two ago. They have their share of behavior problems, too. Many charter schools have teachers who are not even certified, and the quality of charter schools varies among different schools.
As far as vouchers for students and people who don’t have children paying for public schools, education is an asset to all people in a society, with or without children. The public school students today may be your doctor, bus driver, police officer or accountant tomorrow. Hey, it might even be me.
Please don’t tell my mom that parents who care about their children don’t send them to public schools.
She may stop going to home-and-school meetings, report-card conferences, and baking those yummy cookies for bake sales. Instead, she might start paying for me to go to a non-public school and write angry letters when there is a problem, instead of actually doing something about it.
Maybe Jan from Berwyn should actually come to a school in Philadelphia to see how they run on the inside, instead of watching from outside.
We have lots of great teachers and lots of great kids who look up to (not frighten) them.
Bridget Fidler
Mayfair
People with prosthetics
need a helping hand
This goes out to all Pennsylvania state representatives that really care about the great people of Pennsylvania.
I dare you to pass a law that New Jersey already has, that no one has to pay for prosthetics. Some insurance companies pay 50 percent to 70 percent, and some pay even less. I’ve heard stories where people could not afford to get a prosthetic so they just kept getting the one they had adjusted and dealt with the pain and problems from not having the properly fitted prosthetic.
If it was not for my great friends from work, my family and friends outside of work, I would still be paying off my prosthetic and no sooner would I have it paid off, I would have to get another one so I would constantly have this monthly payment.
Being a single working parent and having to worry if I could keep affording to replace a worn-out prosthetic, especially how the economy is today, is something I worry about all the time, not just for me but all the other people that need prosthetics.
I lost my leg to cancer and am very thankful that I am alive and can do most of the things I did before. Prosthetics give people the freedom to be independent, the ability to work, to take care of their children and most of all not to have to depend on other people for their daily living. Try carrying a hot cup of coffee or serving a meal to your family on crutches. So, I dare you to show me and the great people of Pennsylvania that you really care about all people. Thank you and God bless you.
Fayne Rein
Bustleton
Longtime Democrat
likes McCain/Palin
In reading the mean-spirited letters last week by Ms. Pia, Ms. McSorley, Mr. Breen and Mr. Gurmankin concerning Gov. Sarah Palin, this DEMOCRAT of 35 years felt the need to respond in support of Mrs. Palin. I too, have concerns about her ability to serve, given her family’s needs. I also wonder about her lack of experience, just as I wonder about Barack Obama’s limited experience. I’d like to hear her explain herself in more detail.
Yet I have never seen such mean-spirited and petty pre-emptive attacks on a candidate as I have seen on Mrs. Palin, by Democrats and their co-conspirators in the national media. Now, I know the media are to Obama what Monica Lewinsky was to Bill Clinton. But I thought the Democratic Party was a party of tolerance. How they championed Hillary Clinton. Her main accomplishment was to marry Bill, and hang on to his coattails. Yes, she’s a fighter, but she’s also the so-typical feminist with a 1960s- style "chip on her shoulder." Palin is a woman who remains feminine and gracious — a whole lot of women can learn from her. I mean, you can put lipstick on a 1960s liberal, but she’s still a liberal.
Sarah Palin stacks up well in terms of experience with Barack Obama. Where were the concerns over Obama these last 18 months? In fact, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower had less governing experience than Mrs. Palin. (I think they turned out OK.) I know Obama fans can agree — anyone can "learn" experience; it’s ability we are looking for.
I thought the media attacks on Mitt Romney due to his religion were a low point, but the personal media attacks on Mrs. Palin’s family (echoed by many Democrats) indicate a real sickness. I would tell my fellow Dems that you have a real problem in your party — a sad group of leftists whose main joy is in hate. Yes, liberalism can sometimes be a mental disorder. I try to keep an open mind and usually vote for either party based on the best candidates. Barack Obama has real potential, and I might vote for him in 2012. But in this election, there is something so morally bankrupt about the Democratic Party, and dangerous about the media’s complicity, I think I will have to vote for McCain and Palin just to keep my sense of honor.
Richard Iaconelli
Rhawnhurst
. . . The ticket makes
nary a lick of sense
Somebody let me know if I have this election right. Gov. Palin is making all the speeches and that man standing behind her with a stupid smile on his face is running for president? Don’t make a lick of sense to me.
Women are going to vote for McCain and Palin because they’re against abortion? Ladies, they are going to send your sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters and great-grandsons and great-granddaughters into McCain’s 100-year war against Osama bin Laden. They might save the unborn, but they will play hell with the young living. Don’t make a lick of sense to me.
McCain and Palin are against sex education in schools. They are for abstinence. How about Palin’s poor daughter? Don’t make a lick of sense to me. Gov. Palin wants to be vice president of the U.S. Her husband wants to secede from the U.S. Don’t make a lick of sense to me.
McCain and Palin want to come in to Washington, D.C., and clean it out. Don’t they know it’s run by a Republican president? And tell those two that they are Republicans. Don’t make a lick of sense to me. Make sure you vote.
Jim A. McLaughlin
Holmesburg
Pets are smarter
than we think
Ms. Gina DeNofa’s letter in the Sept. 11 edition, Adopting a cat is purrfectly human, was a grabber in terms of the public’s general attitude toward felines in general and pets in particular. Cats and many dogs are highly perceptive of the human mind and can detect moods of anger, happiness, pain, sadness and loneliness and give so much back in silent adoration. For instance, they can perceive a non-violent human (but not an animal lover) and will walk away from them.
It has been said we humans have an aurora or colored lights that emanate all around us, that only animals can detect and pick up on and respond, similar to that personal feeling we experience when we first meet them or humans. In any case, we all need one source of communication in one form or another, and our pets fulfill this need.
Carl P. Fasciocco
Mayfair
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