Not following the rules
The NAACP was founded by whites, blacks and Jews over 100 years ago.
Its mission is to protect against racial discrimination, which is kind of interesting from what they have so far allowed their local president to get away with.
Maybe they should be reviewed by the IRS to ensure that they are complying with the rules that they must follow as a not-for-profit entity.
Mayer Krain
Modena Park
Hire trash-pickers
I have a trash collection cure. Local trash-pickers are fed up with ripping through our trash for the third time. In fact, even the skunks and squirrels are saying, “Forget it.” My suggestion and solution are simple. Employ all trash-pickers at a paltry salary, allowing them free reign over the good trash. Fire those bums at the City of Philadelphia sanitation department. While we are at it, Mayor Jimbo, wait until the depletion of the ozone layer begins to creep into our children’s lives.
Bill Heiser
Mayfair
Deteriorating district
In November 2018, Congressman Brendan Boyle, formerly of the 13th Congressional District, became the newly elected congressman of the 2nd Congressional District. During this time, the district has been deteriorating with no improvement in sight. The education in the district has not improved, along with rising crime and an opioid drug crisis that has not seen any improvement. Congressman Boyle is a perfect example of what happens in politics at the congressional level. The congressman is engaged more with the Washington politics than his district. To make our neighborhoods better, we need an engaged congressman in what is going on at home.
David Torres
Republican Congressional Candidate
Great job by PECO
I wanted to take a moment to thank PECO for the excellent job it did restoring power after a service interruption on Wednesday, July 22. During the rainstorm, a tree fell across Rhawn Street at the Langdon intersection and took down the power and cable lines (and blocked traffic). Without even calling PECO, a crew of about a dozen workers and 10 trucks showed up within an hour and started repairs. They worked non-stop until 3 a.m. to restore power. They installed a new pole, a new transformer, removed the tree blocking the road, and even restored power to my house. It was very impressive to see them work in a very professional and well-coordinated manner.
On the other hand, there is Comcast. My internet service was not restored until six days later. I spent at least 30 minutes on the phone with Comcast each day in what became a sadly dysfunctional attempt to restore service. PECO ended up doing most of the work for them – installing Comcast’s cables on the new pole that PECO installed. Every day it was a different story about the status of repairs, including things like “the ticket was submitted incorrectly” and “your service has been restored – powercycle your modem” (even though the cables had not yet been repaired). As if this wasn’t enough, after service was restored on the following Tuesday, a crew shows up and says it was going to rewire everything because “we don’t like the way PECO does wiring.” Fortunately, they left shortly after since the work PECO did rerouting the main feed was extremely high quality.
Comcast clearly has its customer service challenges. It can learn a lot from how PECO handled the situation.
Joseph Picone
Rhawnhurst
Looting bill comes due
It looks like the dominos are falling. Insurance rates are increasing if you can get it. Landlords can’t collect rent or evict. How many businesses won’t reopen because of the increased cost and the lack of the city even attempting to control the looting. Between the looting, the stifling business laws passed by the city, increased taxes and parking rates, why do business in the city? This doesn’t include the residents weighing their options about living in the city. Oops, there go the property values and real estate taxes. The trickle-down effect of lack of the city’s management of the situation is getting very expensive.
Richard Donofry
East Torresdale
Tax abatement good for the city
I am so sick of hearing complaints about the 10-year tax abatement. I live in a community of 320 homes that have the tax abatement. Building these homes provided jobs for taxpaying plumbers, carpenters, electricians, bricklayers, roofers, etc. First, we do pay real estate taxes, just at a reduced rate. Second, many of the people in my development took advantage of the incentive and moved back into the city from the suburbs. They now support city businesses and pay other city taxes. Third, many of the original residents in our community have passed the 10-year period and are now paying full real estate taxes. Fourth, the residents of my development are mostly retired fixed-income people such as police, firemen, teachers, hairdressers and many other middle-class occupations. We are not billionaires scamming the system. We are ordinary people trying to make our savings last. The abatement decreased the flood of people leaving the city. Eliminating or reducing it will reopen the floodgates to the detriment of the remaining city residents.
Ronni Flitter
Somerton
Prayers for a Biden victory
I am writing on behalf of all the people who agree with me. Donald Trump says nothing about what he is going to do if re-elected. All he does is tear down the character of Joe Biden, who says all he wants to do for this country. I pray that he is successful.
Barbara Ziccardi
Torresdale
Fire Donald Trump
Stop. Enough is enough with Donald Trump’s campaign ads bullying Joe Biden. It’s time for Biden’s campaign committee to step up. Begin by listing 10 of the 1,000 lies Trump told us. Then show Biden pointing a finger in Trump’s face, saying, “Donald Trump, you’re fired.”
Patricia Kapusta
Modena Park
City of Anarchy
Philadelphia is an embarrassment to our state and country. It has forgotten the moral virtues that were taught to me as a child and stayed with me. We have an elected district attorney who allows looters, vandals, thieves and arsonists to freely walk the streets with no repercussions. This same district attorney has cited violations against men and women in South Philadelphia who were protecting city property – the statue of Christopher Columbus – from vandalism. We have an elected mayor who has twice publicly apologized for the police using tear gas to protect people in cars who were being hit by protesters throwing bricks, stones, and banging moving cars on a main thoroughfare that could have caused deadly accidents.
Philadelphia’s elected officials are giving us a lawless city on its way to be run by anarchists. The first right of elected officials is to protect its citizens, according to the Constitution. Remember in November to ask yourself, what do you want for your city and country? Do you want law and order or will you accept lawlessness and anarchy in our city and country? We used to be called the “City of Brotherly Love.”
Marlene Markowitz
Bustleton
We want our freedom back
Mayor Kenney, the curve has been flattened and the hospitals are now prepared: This was the goal. Of course, the number of COVID-19 cases has risen as predicted when more people are interacting. However, the death rate is down and immunity most likely has increased significantly due to all those who have contracted and recovered from the disease (most without having had significant symptoms).
Do not try to take away our freedoms of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” It is not an appropriate use of your power as mayor. We are not children, and you are not our mother. Everyone can make their own decision as to what level of risk they wish to take, and the vulnerable can and should isolate themselves.
The damage you have allowed to occur to our city and the public’s mental and financial health since the hospitals were prepared is unconscionable. Please hear the people’s cry and do not repeat what you have already done in the name of protecting us from ourselves.
Ken Patkin
Rhawnhurst
Resist Trump’s federal troops
If the fascist Trump sends federal stormtroopers to invade Philadelphia, I call on Mayor Kenney to deploy the Philadelphia Police to arrest these illegal invaders and to detain them indefinitely. We must defend the cradle of liberty and our constitutional rights, including the First Amendment, which guarantees our right to peaceful gathering and protest against this authoritarian administration. If city officials are unable to take action to defend their citizens, it is our Second Amendment right that guarantees that we the people may assemble militias to protect ourselves, our property and our liberty, which is “necessary to the security of a free State.” My great-uncle fought against Nazi tyranny with the 101st Airborne. Soon, we may be called upon to fight against that same tyranny within our country. Any president who tramples our Constitution as this one has compels us to defend our rights. So when the camouflaged, masked and nameless secret police arrive, we must summon our courage and never forget what Pastor Niemöller once wrote regarding Nazi rule:
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out —
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
Michael A. Podgorski
Fox Chase
