Crack down on troubled kids
Leave it to the local media and city officials to downplay the seriousness of the rioting flash mob of students on March 6. For some reason, they had only a half day of school and were soon on the streets of Center City doing probably the only thing they know how to do well — cause trouble.
God forbid they go home and study, go to a library or get into an after-school program that would help them better themselves.
These incidences will keep on happening; and more frequently as long as government keeps paying people on welfare more money to sit home, not doing anything to better their lives and have more kids when they can’t even take care of themselves and provide for the ones they already have.
Thirty to 40 years ago, you may have had one or two emotionally disturbed and disruptive kids in a class. Now in each class there could be anywhere from five to 10. And you’ll find that most of these kids come from dysfunctional non-two parent families on public assistance.
So what that means is that in those classes, nobody is learning anything. And let’s face it, in spite of what education and city officials may say, if things remain as they are, most of these kids will never have a chance to be the future leaders, scientists or innovators. They will be the future thugs who wind up dead, in jail or on drugs.
The only solution is to gradually start making public assistance contingent upon showing that one is trying to improve their lives. After all, weren’t these programs meant to just be a bridge to help those on hard times get back on their feet? They should have to prove they are enrolled in a school, job training or other type of program that can help them get their lives together. If they don’t then their public assistance should be diminished on a sliding scale.
Paying people to stay poor and dependent on government never was and never will be the answer to the poverty and crime problems in the major cities — it only exacerbates them.
Peter DiGiuseppe
Rhawnhurst
Double standard of speech
If you are white, you can speak any language you want. And nobody complains.
Don’t be brown or black skinned or Latino, and speak your language. They are going to look at you like you are from another planet.
Carlos Perez
Rhawnhurst
Soda tax hurts the people
As everyone may have read, Pepsi is laying off 80 to 100 workers due to the beverage tax. This was, in a word, predictable. The interesting point is the typical liberal class warfare-type answer from Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and his administration. Here are their comments.
“The soda industry sunk to a new low today,” city spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said. “They are literally holding hostage the jobs of hard-working people in their battle to overturn the tax. Pepsi reported nearly $35 billion in gross income and $6 billion in profit last year…. The idea that they can afford to do that but ‘must lay off workers’ should make every Philadelphian very skeptical of whether these layoffs are actually due to the tax.”
This shows the arrogance and lack of accountability from our mayor. It is obvious that he and 13 members of City Council don’t care what effect this tax has on the residents of Philadelphia.
As I have said before, only the voters can hold these people accountable.
I hope the residents of Philadelphia see what is going on in front of them and make a choice in upcoming elections to vote for people who are in it for the people.
David Lee
Far Northeast
Her electric bill is too high
I called PECO wondering why my electric bill is $50 monthly on the budget. The young lady I spoke with at PECO agreed, saying that my usage is very low — lower than last month and last year. Essentially, she said I was paying only for my refrigerator use. Tongue-in-cheek, she suggested getting rid of my refrigerator.
I use very little electric. I do not bother to turn on a light walking to the bathroom at night. Something must be done. I am being robbed of the very small police pension of my deceased husband.
The young lady I spoke with at PECO suggested I call the Customer Assistance Program, a program for people who can’t make ends meet. The man who took my call at CAP said I made about $200 too much monthly with my Social Security. Are you kidding?
Ursula Farrell
Holmesburg
