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He has seen
the future
In reply to Patricia Tillis’ letter in the March 8 Northeast Times (Fox Chase is looking like a ghetto), may I respectfully offer this additional comment? Many parts of our fair city have been in the classification of a ghetto for a number of years.
I am a 50-year resident of Rhawnhurst, having previously lived in Germantown and the western suburbs, which required frequent driving through West Philadelphia.
If you wish to see a preview of what the entire Northeast will soon look like, I suggest a visit to Germantown, Mount Airy, North Philadelphia and West Philadelphia.
One might wonder if Mr. Street’s brothers and sisters who are running the city (his words) are the largest contributors to this decaying trend?
Many will probably suggest these comments to be racist. My belief is that they are realistic. Thanks for listening.
David W. Campbell
Rhawnhurst
We didn’t order
these menus
Now that the weather is improving, we are being bombarded with all sorts of menus being shoved in our doors, railings and mailboxes. Pizza shops, Chinese food, you name it.
On our block, we are proud of our homes and neighborhood and take care of same.
If there is a slight wind, these menus blow all over and litter.
How can this be stopped, as most of the menus aren’t even in our area? Don’t they have to have a license to distribute these?
Please help, as it is more than annoying to be constantly picking up this unwanted trash.
Barbara Agnew
Mayfair
Brady: Editorial judged
me unfairly
Setting aside the fact that the instructions on the candidates’ statement of financial interest were followed by my campaign to the letter, and the courts will now have an opportunity to affirm that, equating this act to corruption and breaking the law, as you did in your editorial last week (Bye, bye, Brady), is inappropriate and absolutely untrue.
It seems my opponents are choosing to fight this election in the courtroom, but I will fight this election where people live — in the neighborhoods of Philadelphia. This is America and the process in place allows challenges at every level, but I think your outrage should be preserved for candidates who distract voters from the very really issues facing our city with frivolous court action.
I am focused on proudly representing the 24,000 Philadelphians who signed my nominating petitions supporting my candidacy for mayor. I am proud to have been endorsed by Philadelphia’s police union and District Attorney Lynne Abraham, because they believe I am the best candidate to make this city safe.
I am also proud to have the support of labor organizations that represent tens of thousands of working Philadelphians and their families, who know as mayor I will create more economic opportunities for all of our families.
Along my journey from an out-of-work father to the halls of Congress, I have learned a thing or two about fairness and getting things done. I have succeeded through hard work, consensus building and integrity. I resent being judged by your editorial before we’ve even had a chance to present our case.
I’m running for mayor because I have the right plan to bring hope back to our city — and because like any other citizen who follows the rules, I have every right to do so. If your editorial board decides to support another candidate, that is your right, but that won’t stop me or your readers from making Philadelphia the best city in the world.
Congressman Bob Brady
Candidate for mayor of Philadelphia
Was editorial wrong?
I suggest you actually READ about Bob Brady’s petition challenge case before making conclusions about whether or not he made a mistake. Then perhaps you can make an educated conclusion.
Did you even consider that YOU got it wrong, and not Mr. Brady?
I’m for Bob Brady, and I hope he never considers stepping down. He’s the best our city has for a brighter future.
Gil Bromley
Frankford
No cop-outs
for mayor
Congressman Bob Brady: You want the Philadelphia Police Department to join your team and vote for you. In your television commercial, you say that you feel for the police officers and their families. You also say that we need more police on the streets.
I’ve spent 34 years in the police department and I have a few suggestions for you. The next time you do a television commercial on the police department, take the film crew to the headquarters of S.W.A.T. and Highway Patrol and look at the conditions that our officers are working out of. These elite units should not be working out of an old factory that should have been condemned 30 years ago. Also, there is no place for the officers to park their private cars. They must park on the street and then hope that their car is still there when they return after their tour of duty.
After that, take the film crew up to the 15th and 2nd police districts and take a look at the "landfill" that those police officers must work out of. What a disgrace!
I would like you as the next mayor to call for a grand jury investigation to find out where all of the money that the Police and Fire Medical Association went.
I would like an explanation of why the men and women who put their lives on the line no longer have the medical coverage that we were told we would have when we joined the Police and Fire Medical Association. We were told that we would not have to worry about medical coverage in retirement. Now our coverage must come out of our pension check.
Where did the money go? The pensioners have been asking this question for 15 years and have not been given a satisfactory answer. The only way we will be able to find out the truth is through a grand jury investigation.
Every candidate who runs for mayor always promises they will fight for police officers, but once they get into office they become comatose.
If it is true that you care about the officers and their families, it would be a start in the right direction to look into these matters.
Joseph McAllister
East Torresdale
Killing animals
is barbaric
There is no justification for hunting. How can you protect one animal and torture another? We are taking all the land from them and then we complain that they are invading our space. They are running out of land.
We need to educate ourselves and learn how to respect all of God’s creatures. We also should stop discarding animals on the streets. Humans are the cause of the feral cats and we also should be the solution. Killing an animal because it doesn’t suit our purpose is barbaric! We need to stop debating and stop the abuse of all animals.
Jennifer Iannaco
Frankford
Animals make life
worth living
Cheers and a proper applause for Mr. Richard Iaconelli’s letter (Loss of a pet extremely painful for owner) in the Feb. 22 edition of the Northeast Times.
His article was written with great understanding and genuine affection for his two cats.
In a society often devoid of feelings for others, Mr. Iaconelli’s article strives to show us the true devotion and unconditional love our pets can give, without restraint. It is a fact that bringing a cat into a nursing home where old people sit around and stare at TV all day, can reinvigorate them and jolt them perhaps into activity and reality. An animal can pick up and respond to mood swings, sadness, and stressed out or lonely or depressed people.
They will park in one’s lap, purr softly and hypnotize us with gentle stares, in an eye-to-eye contact. Their antics constantly amuse us as they cavort about in constant chases.
What an empty and void life it would be without our precious pets! They have so much silent understanding to share. There is a lesson to learn here and now, but are we humans "human enough" to recognize it?
Carl P. Fasciocco
Mayfair
Treat animals
like humans
I would like to take a moment to thank the Northeast Times, the many letter writers, and the people who contacted me directly, concerning the death of my pets. I truly appreciate their kind thoughts. This could only happen in a community newspaper.
The comments were summed up by one friend who wrote me wistfully: " I have saved more pictures of the pets in my life, than of my relatives." A thought surely worth both a chuckle and a tear.
Sadly, I hope the letter writer who, in last week’s edition, criticized City Councilman Jack Kelly for fighting for no-kill shelters would think about these sentiments, as well as your columnist Robyn McCloskey, who that day, seemed to be making a joke about running over a kitten.
I firmly believe how we treat animals, especially our pets, is a window into our souls.
Richard Iaconelli
Rhawnhurst
Don’t forget the feral cats
I am sure Mr. Kelly’s March 8 Guest Opinion about Philadelphia becoming the first no-kill city in the nation gives the average pet lover a warm and fuzzy feeling, but I have a real concern for the needless killing of non-adaptable pets, such as the feral cats in the Benjamin Rush State Park and elsewhere. Animal lovers need to step up to the plate on this issue.
Trap/Neuter/Return programs are proved to be a successful means of controlling the feral cat colonies and should be endorsed by anyone who considers himself a proponent of humane animal treatment. I am happy to hear anyone, including Mr. Kelly, propose any measure that helps animals, but humane treatment should not just be for the beautiful, cuddly little puppy or kitty. Let’s get off our butts and do the whole job.
Once a policy such as Mr. Kelly is suggesting is put in place, people sit down and start patting themselves on the back, and that is the end of the effort. If you truly care about the humane treatment of animals, include them ALL in the initial proposal.
By the way, Mr. Kelly, if you are successful in your version of a no-kill city in Philadelphia, it will not be the first in the nation. I have children who live in Fond du Lac, Wis. No-kill has been in effect there for a long time. You might want to consult with them on the matter. There are probably other such cities around the country as well.
I hope that your oversight of the more difficult animals was accidental and that you will revise your plan to include them as well. Then and only then will a pat on the back be appropriate for you, Mr. Kelly.
John Furlong
Trevose
• • •
Regarding Mr. Kelly’s Guest Opinion, It’s about time someone in this city is outraged about the unnecessary euthanizing of these animals.
As for feral cats, I think TNR is an excellent idea, and I have personally taken eight feral cats, using a borrowed trap, down to the SPCA, where they neutered them, and I returned them to the woods behind my home. They are there each day, and I feel them. Two of them are now inside my home because one of them was sick and I took it to the vet, who told me to keep it in for 30 days, and he’s been in ever since, although he does take off for a day or two at a time. Some feral cats can become inside pets, but the best thing is the TNR program. I applaud it!
Claire Orr
Pennypack
She’s sorry to see Jeanes
close its maternity ward
I am writing in response to the letter from the woman who is not going to be affected by the closing of Jeanes Hospital’s maternity ward (She’s just wild about Holy Redeemer, March 8 edition):
I had my first child at Jeanes on Jan. 2, 2007, and by far had a great experience. Not knowing what to expect as this was my first childbirth experience, Jeanes went above and beyond and exceeded my expectations. After 20 hours of labor, I ended up needing a Caesarean section. This frightened me, but all of the nurses and doctors that took care of me alleviated my fears and gave me wonderful care. I delivered my daughter at 11 p.m., and my husband was allowed to stay with me throughout the night. Not one person gave us a hard time.
My four-day stay was excellent. Everyone that I came into contact with was polite and professional, including housekeeping and dietary personnel. The nurses that took care of me were absolutely wonderful! They were always there to answer my questions and to give me assistance with my baby. Marilyn, a nursery nurse, spent a lot of time with me because I was having some issues with breastfeeding. She was very encouraging and gave me the support that I needed. She was determined to make breastfeeding a success for me. In addition, my nurse practitioner, Mary Woltjen, stayed with me until 11 p.m. (when I had my C-section) even though her vacation started at 5 p.m. that evening and she had a very early flight to catch the next morning.
Both of these nurses showed that they were caring, compassionate and truly dedicated to their chosen professions. Being a registered nurse myself, I know how difficult it is to spend so much time with a patient considering our busy patient assignments and responsibilities.
Maybe this woman could chalk up her bad experiences with Jeanes considering that it happened over eight years ago! A lot can change in eight years and I think that my experience can prove that. I also have had friends who have delivered at Jeanes within the past four years, and they too have great things to say about Jeanes’ maternity ward.
So, I am very disappointed about Jeanes closing its maternity ward, because perhaps I will not have the same experience at another hospital when I have my second child.
Bridget Domanico
Torresdale
Won’t you be
my good neighbor?
The article Cancer center goes to court (March 8 edition) reported on the lawsuit filed by the Fox Chase Cancer against two individuals who appealed the decision of the Zoning Board of Adjustment to allow the center to further expand its current campus.
Such suits are know as SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) lawsuits and are generally filed by large and monied organizations against individual critics. The intention is to scare off such critics with the threat of costly legal fees; in essence, a bullying tactic. More than 20 states have enacted laws against SLAPPs because of the threat such suits present to an individual’s constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech. Instead of filing such suits, maybe it’s time the center really started listening to the community regarding its expansion plans and become the "good neighbor" it claims to be.
George Wylesol
Cheltenham
The bans are getting
out of hand
I don’t know how anyone else feels, but to me things are getting a bit scary now. First, a ban on smoking, now on trans fats. I thought this was America. I thought everybody had rights. The right to choose to smoke, the right to choose what we eat.
I am aware of the health issues that go along with these two choices. I am sure that we all are by this time. If a person chooses to smoke or eat improperly anyway, that is their choice, period!
As far as secondhand smoke is concerned, I thought that was why there were smoking sections and non-smoking sections. Some say cigarette smoke offends them. I say that perhaps there are things about you that offend smokers. I hope you don’t drink alcohol, wear cologne, curse, talk too much or have halitosis. If so, you may offend me.
Imagine being told you can no longer enjoy the inside of your favorite establishment because you have bad breath (not from cigarettes but from garlic).
What about the people who live in neighborhoods that have local bars? I guess my rights have been taken away also. I thought I had a right to a peaceful sleep. Not now, thanks to non-smokers. Since the ban, all the smokers now congregate outside of the bar and smoke. In case you are not aware, bars are open until 2 a.m. Geez, thanks. I can only imagine what summer will bring with voices carrying at night.
Life, liberty and justice for all! Not just certain people, but for all!
Anna Pearsall
Tacony
Money is no excuse
for mistreatment
Regarding Gail Cohen’s March 8 letter (Need space? Just go to Dunkin’ Donuts), I strongly suspect that she is either an employee or a principal of the Country Club Diner. Only this could begin to explain her bizarre and outrageous defense of the diner and her condemnation of people with special needs.
She apparently is referring back to a complaint made before mine by people with special needs about the lack of courtesy extended to them by Country Club in providing a handicapped parking spot.
Whether you are speaking on behalf of the diner or on your own behalf, Ms. Cohen, it is beyond belief that you see doing business as an excuse for discourteous service and the mistreatment of people with special needs.
The nation has enacted numerous protections for people with special needs. Apparently you and/or the Country Club Diner see greater profit in abandoning these protections and embracing discrimination.
You, Ms. Cohen, are the one who needs to "get a life" filled with something beyond anger and discrimination.
Joseph A. Breen
Fox Chase
A few words for
the abortion protesters
Some time ago I wrote a letter regarding the vulgar signs at the Northeast Women’s Medical Center. I still feel that these pictures are too graphic for public display.
The people they are to influence are walking into the clinic, not just driving by. Why not aim the signs at the clinic’s entrance, not the street, where innocent children can view them? All you’ve taught my children is that strange people stand out in bad weather with scary signs.
I think people misunderstood the point I was trying to make. I have no problem living near a women’s center that performs abortions. I don’t want my children exposed to graphic photos of any kind, abortion-related or otherwise.
I never said I "hated" those photos, so please don’t put words in my mouth. I don’t have "hate" in my life. I also didn’t say that "we should tell our children that if it’s legal, it’s OK." I was pointing out that police can’t stop people from doing things that are legal. I never compared abortion to slavery, racial segregation or the Holocaust.
Lastly, to the woman who is home-schooling her child, I commend you on your efforts. It must be very difficult for one person to teach a child everything they need to learn in life. It’s great the way you are teaching her to question authority with the opinion, "just ’cause something’s legal, doesn’t make it right."
I know many others agree with that opinion. I can think of one person in particular. The man I’m thinking of didn’t think his daughter should have to wait until she was 16 to learn how to drive.
Kristine Owens
Normandy
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