Letters to the editor September 29, 2011 edition

Owners ask burglar to return dog’s ashes

To the scum that burglarized our home on Sept. 20:

We do not care about the material possessions you stole from us when you kicked in the door to our home, but did you have to take the only possession that is not replaceable?

Why did you take our dog’s burial box with her ashes in it? The box was clearly marked with her name on it and it was on our mantel in the living room with her picture next to the box.

If you have any conscience at all, and if you still have Mandy’s burial box, we would like to have  it back, no questions asked. 

Bill and Eva Egner

Academy Gardens

I have a dream

There exists in my dreams a city of happiness, a utopia, a city of dreams, a place where there are no homeless people, drug addicts, welfare recipients, alcoholics, or people with AIDS.

This is my utopia and someday I will find such a place — not in my dreams, but in reality.

Jerry Foglia Sr.

Fox Chase

Al Schmidt will clean house

In May, Democratic primary voters in Philadelphia voted to change the direction of our City’s Commissioners’ Office by voting out the long-reigning chairwoman, Marge Tartaglione.

But our election system can’t be made transparent, efficient or effective without one more change in November. Al Schmidt is the right guy to make that happen.

Al is a Republican candidate for what is likely the one and only seat the Republican Party will have on the three-person election board. He is young, smart and dedicated to improving how the Commissioners’ Office is run. Al’s experience and vision are exactly what our city needs.

That means that all voters must make a choice between Al and the incumbent Republican who was a key ally of Marge Tartaglione. To me, the choice is clear — it is time to finish the job.

We need to clean up the Commissioners’ Office, and the best way to do that is by supporting Al Schmidt on Nov. 8. 

Kerry Bluestein

Bustleton

Schmidt will fix the commissioners office

This summer I interviewed Al Schmidt, who is running for city commissioner in Philadelphia.

As we talked about how voters are affected by the city commissioners office, I came away with a profound respect for Al. His desire to make a difference in Philadelphia, along with his sincerity, impressed me. He spoke about the Election Day problems that our city sees every year and the lack of transparency when it comes to how the city commissioners spend our tax dollars. To resolve this situation, it is going to take a leader who is intelligent, capable and agile. I believe that person is Al Schmidt.

When Nov. 8 rolls around, I intend to cast my vote for Al Schmidt and encourage others to do the same.

Linda Mullin

Holmesburg

Councilman O’Neill is pro-neighborhood

Living in Philadelphia, anyone can see the many challenges that face our city, from flash mobs and high crime rates to burdensome taxes and dilapidated neighborhoods. While these problems are winked at in other areas of the city, Councilwoman Brian O’Neill fights to protect the integrity of our neighborhoods.

For instance, this newspaper has reported how Councilman O’Neill attends homeowners association meetings throughout his district, listening to the concerns of the citizens and handling zoning matters on their behalf.

Councilman O’Neill gets out ahead of the issues that affect the families in the 10th district. His staff has the capabilities to protect against zoning issues that can damage a neighborhood. In fact, Councilman O’Neill and his staff use zoning and city departments to protect our communities against nuisance properties.

It may sound trivial, but a strong councilman like Brian O’Neill can be the difference between a neighborhood being ripped apart or holding strong, literally.

Bill Kerwin

Fox Chase

Corbett and Boyle should do the switch

Before the two politicians, Gov. Tom Corbett and state Rep. Kevin Boyle, start smirking over John Perzel’s recent plight, perhaps they had better look at themselves.

Mr. Corbett was nowhere to be seen during the recent Hurricane Irene. He pulled a Harry Houdini disappearing act. As for Mr. Boyle, who was so gracious and classy on election night, all he did was smear John Perzel and bragged about how he “kicked butt.” Let’s look at his paper-thin platform.

He recently avowed that there will be no methadone clinic in Northeast Philadelphia. Perhaps he is sincere and wishes to represent good, hard-working, law-abiding citizens, but then I suggest he switch parties.

Whose party hired Arlene Ackerman as school superintendent?

Whose party ran the school system into the ground?

Whose party raised taxes on hard-working Americans to pay for the failure of such schools?

Whose party gave Ackerman a nearly $1 million payout for doing absolutely nothing?

Whose party comes up with harebrained schemes to condone, encourage and pamper druggies?

Whose party started a needle-exchange program so that some poor innocent junkie would not get AIDS?

Take a look in your own house, Mr. Boyle, and show that you truly represent the people by standing against such idiocies.

Mr. Corbett should also change his registration. Unfortunately, there still exist parties and organizations that would welcome an individual of his “character and talents.” They all have one thing in common: They are all insidious and abhorrent.

Leonard T. Roberts

Mayfair

Drug clinic could be a lifesaver

To the readers whose letters to the editor in the Sept. 15 edition of the Northeast Times voiced opposition to a proposed methadone clinic in Holmesburg and to Dennis Kulp, the property owner:

I am a resident of Mayfair; however I am also a recovering addict whose life was saved with the assistance of a methadone clinic. Through persistence and a little “blood, sweat and tears,” I fought and am still rebuilding my life.

There would not be “flash mobs” of heroin addicts terrorizing Mayfair by stealing, copping and shooting up; instead there would be women, human beings that have the unfortunate disease of addiction, not for their next fix but desperate for some guidance in getting their lives on track.

I, too, pay taxes, recycle, and pay for my daughter’s education, and am able to be a productive member of society thanks to the assistance clinic. I walk up and down to stores along Frankford Avenue and ride in the morning and at the end of my day as well.

So I say, Mr. Kulp, continue efforts to make this clinic possible. Men and women are dying every day from addiction. Please open this clinic. It could be a matter of death for someone just like me.

Mary Kate Barras

Mayfair

Mayor Nutter is wrong to reject CHOP funds

The hypocrisy of the Nutter administration is astonishing.

When Mayor Nutter first proposed his discriminatory soda tax a year ago, the motive was to reduce childhood obesity. The public and City Council didn’t buy it. This past spring, when Nutter again tried and failed to gain passage of a soda tax, there was no mention of saving the city’s children from obesity. The new rationale was to plug the school district’s massive budget gap.

One can only surmise that Nutter is readying a third run at a soda tax, given that he and Health Commissioner Donald Schwarz, despite facing critical city budget shortfalls, rejected $10 million from Children’s Hospital that would have funded an anti-obesity program through city health centers simply because the grant was provided to CHOP by the beverage industry.

And shame on both of them for equating an industry that makes beverages containing sugar to the evils of the tobacco and firearm industries. Nutter, in his arrogance, tweeted “Taking money from Big Soda to fight obesity is like taking money from the NRA to fight guns. You can't buy this City Hall.”

Maybe, maybe not. But apparently Nutter thinks it’s perfectly OK to use children as political pawns. 

Daniel H. Grace

Secretary/Treasurer

Teamsters Local 830

Bye bye Ackerman, who’s next?

Ah yes, Maurice Chevalier, I remember them well!

Michael Marcase, Constance Clayton, David Hornbeck, Paul Vallas and Arlene Ackerman. They were all school superintendents in Philadelphia.

They came to town with monumental academic objectives and good intentions for Philadelphia’s school children. But somewhere between their peaceful arrival in town on their ponies and their sometimes-hurried departures — reminiscent of the way I dump sweat socks in the hamper after a rugged softball game — things often didn’t work out.

So now we begin another infamous Philadelphia search for a new superintendent. From the Arctic Circle to Pago Pago, we will look for the savior for Philadelphia’s school children. It’s sort of like the game of Twister — spin the wheel and let’s see where it stops.

Why can we not find the next superintendent right here in Philadelphia? We have many fine and qualified academicians in our hometown. If Philadelphia is a world-class city, there must be a superintendent to be hired, right here.

Or maybe the native Philadelphians don’t want the job, because they know the secret — the secret that the superintendent that I didn’t mention told when he left town frustrated and bewildered.

I speak of Matt Costanzo. He stayed as superintendent only for a short period of time. One reason he left was he was fed up with politicians calling him on a regular basis, dictating whom he was to hire at the school district.

I recall how he was disappointed that he was not permitted to teach Philadelphia’s school children, because politicians wanted him to be a patronage maven. So, let the search continue as Philadelphia awaits a new savior for our school children. And the next and the next . . .

Also, let all school board and School Reform Commission meetings be televised like they were decades ago. This will keep the process transparent and enable parents, children and taxpayers to be aware of what’s happening, because we hate surprises, especially the $629 million variety.

Myles Gordon

Bustleton

Thanks for the 9/11 coverage, NBC-10

I would like to thank NBC-10 for the coverage they showed on 9-11-2011 at Ground Zero in New York, Shanksville in Pennsylvania and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. 

The coverage was wonderful and made me feel so proud to be an American. The show of love and patriotism was astounding. I did not lose anyone in the three different attacks in our country 10 years ago, but I cannot comprehend how some terrorist group could kill so many innocent people. God bless them all.

It was great to also hear people say, “God bless America,” sing many of our patriotic songs and see our American flag shown everywhere. That’s America and true Americans.

Then I remember some of the things that have been changed, like no prayer in public schools, the 10 Commandments and crosses taken away from buildings, some wanting to change our national anthem, some not knowing which hand to use to put over their hearts when the Pledge of Allegiance is said, etc.

This makes me wonder what this great country of ours is doing to allow these changes to happen, and I do not see that these changes have helped America in any way. This country was built on “God and country,” and nothing or no one should change that.

Respect for our national anthem, American flag and the Pledge of Allegiance should always be taught to each new generation of Americans, because that is what America was built on. If not taught, we lose true American patriotism, our history and our heritage since America became a country. 

Judy Brock

Parkwood

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Letters should be 300 words or less. Short letters have a better chance of getting published. All letters are subject to editing and MUST include the writer’s full name along with daytime and evening phone numbers for verification purposes. Anonymous letters will NOT be published. Mail to: Letters to the Editor, Northeast Times, 2512 Metropolitan Drive, Trevose, PA 19053. Fax: 215-355-4857. E-mail: pronews@bsmphilly.com