Residents discuss President Trump, Hollywood hate, homestead exemption and postal routes in this week’s letters to the editor.
Trump starting to crumble
Having lived through the assassinations of John Kennedy, MLK Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, and Watergate and Nixon’s resignation, and Monica Lewinsky and the impeachment of Bill Clinton, and the increasing climate disasters starting with Katrina and going on up to Maria, all I can do now — in my eighth decade — is to cry as I watch President Trump starting to crumble, his asinine attempts to avoid the worst, and Fox still screaming, “Lock her up!”
My life didn’t need, near its end, the fall from the heights of humanity, intellect and dignity of Barack Obama to the humiliating crap of a bozo who brags about being intelligent yet knows no more than 75 words. And, out of sheer selfishness, cannot see or deal with the disaster of global warming staring him in the face.
Alan Soble
Bustleton
Hollywood spewing hatred
What happened to the days when we, as blacks and whites, gay and straight, were able to get along with each other, and it was all in good humor?
As an example, take the 1960s comedy series, Laugh-In, when all the jokes were tongue in cheek and anyone and anything had equal share of harmless pun. And all back when Hollywood had a sense of humor.
So what happened now? Hollywood has become its own enemy. Everything now has become politically incorrect.
You can’t say anything against gays or blacks without being considered racists or homophobic.
It was funny when a white man, in the movie Soul Man, becomes a black man, and it was a funny premise. The reverse was the Wayans brothers movie White Chicks.
We were all able to make do with our idiosyncrasies, and it was all in fun.
But, now we have an atmosphere in the entertainment industry that all the monologues from Kimmel, Colbert, to SNL, are critical attacks against one individual, President Trump, and it’s not humor. It’s just being angry and spiteful because Hillary didn’t win.
Obviously the writers lack imagination other than to spew hatred. The wit of Laugh-In, you’re not.
Al Ulus
Somerton
Curb homestead abuse
In response to Mayer Krain’s letter, “Homestead reduction,” published in the Northeast Times on Jan. 3:
Mayer Krain wrote last week regarding the number of owner occupants who are not rightfully claiming the Homestead Exemption and urged them to apply.
However, far too many absentee owners continue, year after year, to claim this exemption and that is a tremendous loss in tax revenue that is ignored by the Office of Inspector General and the Revenue Department.
Many of these absentee owners are former owner occupants who have moved and rented out their properties with no rental and business licenses, more losses in revenue for the city in the form of annual license fees and taxes on rental income.
When a property owner moves and is no longer eligible to claim the exemption, they are required to notify the Revenue Department within 45 days. More often than not, that is not happening. Hopefully, our new city controller, Rebecca Rhynhart, will make it a top priority to aggressively address and stop this abuse and fraud.
Joane Kinkaid
Wissinoming
Long days for mailmen
In response to Francis McGuigan’s letter, “Why deliver mail at night?” published in the Northeast Times on Dec. 27:
Letter writer Francis McGuigan, I am a carrier at your, as you put it, “craphole of all mail deliveries.”
So if you got your mail at 7 p.m. anytime between Black Friday and Christmas, we are going into our 12th hour of work that day. That’s four hours of overtime every day for at least a month. We do not want to be out there with lights on our heads. And as far as the 35 houses 15 yards from your house- — yes, it would be a hardship because it’s a different route and adds more time to our already long days. So before you criticize us, you should ask that carrier what is going on.
Greg Phy
Torresdale Station
