Northeast residents discuss helping homeless veterans, government overreach, defending postal workers and more in this week’s letters to the editor.
Donate to homeless vets
The brutally cold weather has been especially bitter for our homeless veterans. The Veterans Multi-Service Center in Philadelphia has issued an urgent plea for cold weather gear for our veterans who are living on the streets in Philadelphia. They badly need hats, gloves, scarves and thermal underwear/long-johns. These items may be gently used.
If you are interested in donating any of these items to our homeless veterans, please drop them off at my district office at 19 S. York Road in Hatboro, and I will make certain the items get to our homeless veterans as quickly as possible. Thank you for your support of our homeless veterans.
Rep. Thomas P. Murt
152nd Legislative District
Government overreach
There is a problem in this country. This problem is a political issue that stems from the role of government in our lives. City Council passed a bill to deal with issues in stores called stop and go’s, activities such as drug dealing and other activities that are against the law and restaurant code. This part of the bill is an issue that should be addressed but in my opinion not by adding a law.
There are agencies already in place in Philadelphia like the Board of Health and Licences and Inspections and law enforcement that we pay tax dollars to handle these issues. A controversial part of this bill is they are forcing businesses to take down their Plexiglas windows put up for safety reasons. City Councilwoman Cindy Bass says the glass is offensive to people in those neighborhoods.
I ask Bass, how about we take protective glass down citywide? Let’s take it down at bank locations and in every store citywide. I say this with all due respect. The idea of a business having the government say you are not allowed to pay to protect the people inside the store is ludicrous.
We have to decide what the role government is in our country. In the last decade, it has become very apparent that certain groups of people believe that government belongs in every part of our lives. These groups of people want the government to have control of our healthcare to the way the law enforcement works to, in this case, who can put up the protective glass. It is overreach and we can not stand for it
David Lee
Chalfont
Homestead reduction
I noticed that there are many homeowners in Philadelphia who should be and are not getting their real estate taxes reduced by the homestead rebate.
That is a $30,000 reduction in their tax assessment, or more than $400 in taxes every year.
The city should be publicizing this more.
Please check with your neighbors and make sure they don’t legitimately overpay their taxes.
They can go to the city’s website and apply for it now for 2019.
Mayer Krain
Modena Park
Postal Service doesn’t care
In response to Francis McGuigan’s letter, “Why deliver mail at night?” published in the Northeast Times on Dec. 27:
This letter is in response to Francis McGuigan of Parkwood asking the Drummond Road Post Office to do the right thing and deliver his mail before 7 p.m.
Well, Francis, be glad you get mail delivery at all!
The post office couldn’t care less what time you get your mail. Call and complain, and they will tell you to get a P.O. box.
The carriers have no control over their routes and what time they deliver. They are out there working long, hard hours in unsafe conditions and are overworked and underpaid.
It is insane that they even have to consider having a miner’s light as part of their uniform.
Do you really think they want to be out delivering your mail at 7 p.m. at night, during the holiday season, rather than be home with their families?
Be thankful that you are in a safe neighborhood. Imagine if that carrier was your son or daughter out there in the dark until well after 7 p.m. I can, because my son is.
Kimberly Elliott
Morrell Park
