Increase oil production
I don’t know where Brandon and company get the idea that inflation is suddenly going to decrease when gas prices are going up daily. We are now in the $3.80-90 range and there is no reason for them to go down as long as Brandon keeps our domestic oil production down, making us dependent on OPEC. These prices are affecting the whole economy. From transportation of goods to transportation to work. Everyone is paying a steep price while Brandon diddles like Nero fiddled and the country is burning down.
Richard Donofry
East Torresdale
Keep the focus on improving school environment
A portion of Northeast Philadelphia is under the jurisdiction of Ed Neilson, a Democratic state representative and previous Council member for Philadelphia. His work places an emphasis on education, but he has also worked on preventing sex trafficking as well as legislation to ease the lives of those living during the pandemic, COVID-19.
As one of his main priorities, Neilson has prioritized education through the numerous pieces of legislation he has sponsored. This includes every member involved in the educational system such as teachers, students and staff.
As a Council member, Neilson supported a tax raise to improve the Philadelphia school district budget without directly affecting a family’s financial situation by voting “no” only to taxes on property tax. He voted “yes” to raise other taxes, such as those on rental businesses and off-street parking in order to raise sufficient funds for the Philadelphia school district. This shows that despite the need to increase taxes to fund education, he was not willing to sacrifice families paying more for their children’s education.
As a representative, he has sponsored many bills that improve the overall educational environment, such as House Bill 1127, which pushed for teacher tax credit, hoping to alleviate the financial burden on teachers who spend their own money to buy supplies. With the teacher walk-out a few years ago due to unfair wages, this bill, if passed, will offer much-needed relief to teachers. Not only has he looked out for teachers’ well being, he has kept students’ learning environments in mind. These spaces need to both be secure and encouraging for every person involved. Thus, his concern for the safety of students, as shown in House Bill 1128, where he called for formal AED and CPR training for at least five staff members, is quite reassuring. This will prevent an avoidable tragedy from occurring and calm the nerves of both teachers and students should the event arise.
However, his work does not stop here. It can be improved and taken further. At the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, the state of many schools was up in the air. Some buildings were in terrible condition with asbestos and rain leaking through the floors. Students feared not being able to attend school in-person once again. Many schools, despite funding, are still not ideal learning environments that promote education. There have been renovations to some schools while others remain a hazard to students. Ed Neilson needs to enact further change into our curriculum — from ensuring that governmental agencies routinely check schools for hazards to training staff to recognize and react properly to mental health crises.
Xiaoxin Li
Julia Masterman High School
Standing by his words
With all due respect to Rev. David W. Brown, I am sorry that you were offended by my reference “thugs whose very births into this world are an abomination” in my letter published in the Feb. 16 edition of the Northeast Times. But I am not sorry for writing it.
I stand by my referring to the birth of someone who would do something like kill another human being just to steal their SUV; “an abomination.” These are individuals whose births into this world is something mankind would be better off without.
Some people are born bad seeds, period. And there’s no amount of rehabilitation, counseling or even prayer that would change that.
Peter DiGiuseppe
Rhawnhurst
A way to stop Putin
I had no idea it would be so easy.
Stop calling them “thugs” and the killings will stop; resist using “thugs” and no more 2-day looting of supermarkets; shoplifting in pharmacies will grind to a halt once “thugs” are no longer on our lips.
I’ve mailed a copy of Rev. Brown’s appeal to Sen. Rick Scott, who sat for a recent interview with CBS’s Robert Costa.
“Well, clearly, we ought to be condemning what’s going on in Ukraine, I mean Putin is a thug.”
Does the Florida senator realize how simple it is? Applying Rev. Brown’s yardstick will turn back Russian tanks.
Jerry Briggs
Mayfair
Crime will destroy us
I am still upset over the senseless murder of George Briscella by carjackers in Rhawnhurst. A loss of a son, father and grandfather.
I am also upset by the reactions of so many people. It’s the “crime is everywhere” shrug of
the shoulders fatalism that gets to me.
Do we care about our community, our seniors – our own families? Given different circumstances, that death could have been any of us.
I asked Rhawnhurst Civic to meet, but organizers fear Mayor Kenney’s onerous vaccine card requirements. Lord, when will that straitjacket end?
Our Police Service Area [PSA] meetings ended due to the pandemic. We must demand that they restart – now.
Has anybody here pushed back against the mayor, Council or our horrid district attorney? I saw one lonely protester on Large Street a week ago.
Folks, crime (and the fear of crime) will destroy our communities. Will any local politicians, businessmen, pastors stand up and lead? Or will we continue to pitifully bury our head in the sand?
Richard Iaconelli
Rhawnhurst
Messed up streets
If Kenney ever gets off his butt sitting on that Romper Room seat, instead of reading to kindergarten kids, why doesn’t he get his butt into a car and drive around the city and see how messed up our streets are, along with all the murders.
The streets in the Northeast alone are bumpy, uneven, potholes galore, and badly patched by the streets department. It’s like driving over bomb craters of a war-torn Iraq city.
Welsh Road to Willits Road.
Byberry to Bustleton.
Worthington to Southampton.
And many more that’s too long to list.
Enough of the soda tax for Kenney’s child care program. Parents received enough cash per child per month from Biden’s child relief package. How about fixing our roads and streets with that money.
Mayor Kenney doesn’t need his royal heinie on a throne. He’s better off on a toilet seat with his court jester Krasner by his side, because this city has gone to crap.
Al Ulus
Somerton
