Thanks, Streets Dept.
We often hear complaints about city services. But, this time, the Streets Department did an excellent job repaving the Krewstown Road Bridge over Pennypack Creek.
As Democrat committeeman for the adjacent neighborhood, I began calling about the significant bumps and potholes, grinds and imperfections several months ago.
Last winter it got worse. The potholes were brutal. I called in February and again in April and June. Work began shortly thereafter.
There were keys in getting results, the three P’s: Patience; Persistence; Politeness.
Job well done!
Now it’s our responsibility to stay off the yellow line and stay close to the speed limit.
Myles Gordon
Bustleton
Cigarette tax is unfair
This cigarette tax is a bunch of bull. My father was a Philadelphia firefighter and my mother worked different jobs their whole life to put six children through Catholic grade school and high school. Now, my wife and I are doing the same for two children and it is a struggle.
Why should I, as a smoker, who pays city wage, real estate, Social Security, federal taxes, etc. have to bail out the public school system again? We work too hard every day to try to stay afloat and I feel like we are going backwards.
If you want to generate funds, tax something that affects everyone. Don’t just penalize smokers. They preach, “don’t smoke”, but the taxes that cigarettes generate is in the billions.
The public school system is in such disarray that it will burn through this money and need more. Why not put a surcharge on students who attend the system like we do everywhere else. It is always the people who work and try to get ahead that get screwed.
Leave us alone and stay out of our pockets.
Bill Serody
Chalfont
City should not be sanctuary
A few weeks ago, a woman was repeatedly raped at knifepoint in Center City. The alleged rapist was an illegal alien from Honduras who had been deported in 2013. Apparently, he came right back again. That’s a critical fact. Shouldn’t the media (and we) ask why this happened?
The media response has largely been — silence.
The mayor and many in City Council have declared Philadelphia a “sanctuary city” for illegals.
The mayor has also stated such illegals will not be turned over to Immigration Services for lesser offenses. What type of signal does this send? If you have a criminal past, come here and blend right in anonymously. A sex-offender history will evaporate. I doubt anyone even knows how many illegals with compulsive criminal backgrounds live here. Doesn’t this put us all at risk?
Isn’t it about time to reconsider the sanctuary city policy? And when will those officials who support such a misguided policy step up and take some responsibility for this vicious crime?
Richard Iaconelli
Rhawnhurst
Teacher fraud triangle
Some teachers have been and will be charged with student testing fraud. If you look at the components of the “Fraud Triangle,” they are pressure, opportunity and rationalization. Didn’t some teachers feel the “pressure” and were provided the “opportunity” by the principals to aid in the cheating scandal at their schools?
Didn’t the teachers “rationalize” that if they didn’t comply, their careers would be in jeopardy?
The SRC wants principals to have more autonomy over the unionized teachers. They don’t want to be subjected to union-contracted seniority rules. What is wrong with this picture?
Mayer Krain
Modena Park
