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The high cost
of freedom
I live in Philadelphia but I order a pizza and fries for pickup every Saturday from a shop in Bensalem. They cook the fries in trans fats. The clerk sits in the reception area and lights up a cigarette.
Now that’s freedom!
Sue O’Brien
Parkwood
Fighting cancer
is only human
Regarding your fantastic editorial last week (Stop the nonsense), I completely agree with everything that you have written, not just as a Fox Chase Cancer Center employee, but as a responsible human being.
It astounds me that people would put the lives of others in jeopardy for their own entertainment. The fact is that, even when FCCC does expand into the park, it will be into a section that is rarely used, even in the nice weather. I ride by that area every day before and after work, and sometimes during my lunch hour, and it is empty. Even on the weekends, there is only the occasional picnic, which can easily be moved to another area of the park, or to Tookany Creek Park (which is huge, underutilized and about 10 blocks away).
This should not even be an issue at this time, as the current expansion is on FCCC property! This is the same attitude that people adopt about every important issue, until somebody that is close to them is affected.
I wonder how quickly these malcontents would change their opinion if a member of their family, or a close friend, were to need FCCC to save their life.
Michael Oldfield
Regulatory coordinator
Fox Chase Cancer Center
Protocol Management Office
They disagree with
anti-cancer editorial
This is in response to last week’s Stop the Nonsense editorial. What the author fails to realize is that there are two separate and distinct issues at hand. The first is Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) expanding on its own land. The second and more important issue is FCCC trying to take over Burholme Park and expand on parkland that was willed "to the citizens of Philadelphia for their enjoyment" by Robert Waln Ryerss almost 100 years ago. Neither FCCC nor the Fairmount Park Commission has any legal right to that land.
The Fox Chase Homeowners Association "approved" FCCC building a new parking garage and patient care facility on its own land. I, myself, did not see any reason to oppose this matter. However, I certainly oppose them taking over part of Burholme Park that would destroy the picnic groves, playground and golf course. The increased traffic in the area, of almost 10,000 additional vehicles that FCCC proposed, would most certainly add to the congestion that already exists on Township Line Road and Cottman and Oxford avenues, especially during rush hours. This fact was proved in the traffic study that was done.
The author also describes the golf course, small restaurant, driving range and batting cages as an "entertainment complex."
I am not sure if he has ever been to the golf course, but I do not know anyone in the community that would refer to it as an "entertainment complex." A small restaurant? I would hardly consider a snack bar a restaurant. It does provide an area for the adults and children in the community to gather and have fun, but it is certainly no Dave & Buster’s.
FCCC has other options where it can expand. However, the children and communities that enjoy the park for recreation and enjoyment do not have the luxury of just finding another location. It does not exist. If it did, FCCC would have proposed it long ago as a suitable land swap.
Denise Kirk
Fox Chase
• • •
Your editorial criticizing the opponents of Fox Chase Cancer Center’s expansion program was despicable. All the activists want is to preserve the integrity of Philadelphia’s zoning process. In furtherance of that objective, they are taking advantage of their First Amendment rights to ensure the Zoning Board of Adjustment is following the law.
Just because they are fighting the project does not mean that they are against cancer patients or cancer research. It is outrageous for you to suggest otherwise.
Michael L. Bane
Frankford
Hail to a reasonable
primary calendar
It seems every state wants to be the first to have a presidential primary. Imagine this:
Dateline: Nov. 10, 2008. The governors and secretaries of state of all 50 states have struck a remarkable and bold agreement today. They have decided to hold all presidential primaries on the day after the inauguration this coming January. Wee First, Wyoming’s secretary of state, said, "This is an historic day. We have given the American public and the major political parties a full four years to hear from the nominees of their respective parties. The Democratic and Republican National Party chairs have just told us they plan to hold their conventions in March 2009. Just as soon as the primary winners and delegates are certified they will decide their presidential nominees. We can now subject the American people to a four-year general election campaign instead of having so many candidates posturing about whether or not they are going to run for several years and then having a long primary season."
If everyone keeps moving up their primaries, this scenario can’t be far off. How about instead all states agree not to have their presidential primaries any earlier than March 1 of the presidential year? That way we won’t be forced into making a wrong decision on our next president just because some people want to be early in the process.
Ross Schriftman
Maple Glen, Pa.
I have two buddies
on my side
To the mayor and City Council, especially former Councilman Michael Nutter: I want to thank you for caring about my health by banning smoking. But that is only 1 percent of me.
If you really care, what about the drunken drivers, rapists, druggies, car thieves, purse snatchers, etc. What about the other 99 percent of me? No, I can’t afford a Slomin’s Shield or a bodyguard. I have my own protection. It’s called Smith & Wesson.
Vera J. Marshall
Somerton
Article shows
Bush’s failures . . .
Staff writer Tom Waring’s article last week about Ryan Bowman’s re-deployment to Iraq (Duty calls . . . going back to Iraq) is a perfect illustration of the misguided war policies of George Bush.
Like the patriot he is, Ryan reacted to the 9/11 attacks and wanted to become involved in the war against terror. But was he sent to Afghanistan, where al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden were known to be? No. He was sent to Kuwait and then Iraq. The terrorists were not there, but George Bush’s and Dick Cheney’s prime objectives were — Saddam Hussein and oil and big business opportunities.
By twisting the facts about 9/11, Bush and Cheney shifted the war from Afghanistan to Iraq, convincing much of the American public to see it their way. The results are that Osama bin Laden has not been caught, and Iraq, which did not harbor terrorists before our attack in 2003, is now a dangerous place for all who live and serve there. And now we just look forward to Ryan’s safe return.
Darlene Finch
Somerton
. . . Article is right
on target
I served in Operation Iraqi Freedom with Ryan Bowman and was fortunate enough to be his platoon leader. I recently contacted Ryan Bowman regarding his return to Iraq and he directed me to your article. I must say, you did a very fine job. You hit the nail on the head: Ryan was (and still is) an outstanding solider, full of patriotism, devotion, and obviously a higher level of dedication.
As the comments in your article effectively relay, those in his hometown community certainly regard him as an excellent person, and they too are right on point. He is a great person, and he, along with my other soldiers in our platoon, helped me keep my sanity during the onset of the Iraqi campaign.
Thank you for giving some much deserved attention to a much deserving soldier! Ryan deserved that, and you and your newspaper did a fine job!
CPT Gary Bartels Jr.
• • •
Just read your article of an outstanding combat troop. Why do I say that? Well, Ryan was my machine gunner during the first year of war.
From the article, and a great one at that, nothing that he has done surprises me. That is one squared-away man, with a patriotic heart and values most can only dream of.
SSG De La Garza, Arturo Jr.
G-3 TACEX (PKO-South Ecuador)
United States Army South
Fort Sam Houston, Texas
We’re doing what we need
to survive, says Jeanes chief . . .
Several weeks ago, Jeanes Hospital announced that maternity services would close on May 31, 2007. This difficult decision was made after serious consideration for the needs of the community and the mission of Jeanes Hospital.
Quite simply, our facility cannot meet the growing demand for maternity services in this region. Once, Jeanes Hospital delivered 800 babies each year. Demand in the region grew, so Jeanes doubled the size of the department. But we can’t keep pace with demand. As a result of other area hospital closures, the number jumped to 1,200 births last year. By 2009, analysts predict an increase to 2,200 births. Jeanes Hospital simply does not have the space to handle that volume.
Coupled with that challenge is the shrinking reimbursement we receive from insurers, who pay most hospital bills. In many cases, hospitals like Jeanes spend more to provide maternity care than they receive in payment.
Therefore, Jeanes Hospital was faced with a decision to close maternity services or sacrifice other clinical programs. The choice was difficult, as I said. But faced with the idea of scaling back emergency services, life-saving cardiac interventions, cancer treatments, geriatric services and other programs, the choice was clear.
Have we done everything to keep the maternity unit open? Yes, we have. Management and staff positions have been eliminated, salaries have been frozen, new employee benefits have been postponed, and all discretionary spending has been eliminated in an effort to devote more resources to our healthcare mission.
In the meantime, Jeanes physicians will continue to work with patients and community physicians to ensue that uninterrupted care is provided. Jeanes will continue to offer a wide range of gynecological services to women in our community, including 24-hour emergency childbirth capability for patients in labor who come to our emergency department. We will continue working with regional hospitals to transition maternity care to Temple University Hospital and Northeastern Hospital, among others.
By closing maternity, Jeanes Hospital is taking steps to ensure that this community has a strong and vibrant hospital, now and in the future.
Linda J. Grass
Executive director/CEO
. . . How about starting by
firing the Jeanes executives?
Regarding last week’s article about maternity nurse Kathie Babiarz (Bad news delivered to maternity crew), having worked in a hospital, I can understand what the young lady went through.
I can guarantee you that the people in the HR office knew about the maternity department closing, while the interview process was going on. Employees today are but a number, and nobody in management cares what happens to them.
What has always intrigued me about layoffs at hospitals is that a majority of the time, it is the dedicated employees who take care of the patients that are let go. I have never heard of upper management being led out of the building. All those people care about is keeping their phony baloney jobs and sitting on their butts. Those are the people that manage and steer the hospitals into the ground. Are they fired?
Several years ago I went through several rounds of layoffs at a local hospital I worked at. The decisions made by management and the board led the hospital down the river. When it came time for layoffs/firings, it was those poor, dedicated souls who gave their life for patient care, who got fired. People in some cases were led out of the building. It was cold and heartless.
The truth about things like this is that the higher up you go on the ladder, the farther away from reality you are. A lot of department heads don’t know what goes on in their departments and could not do their employees’ jobs if their lives depended on it. All they can do is read the numbers on a spreadsheet.
After the layoffs occurred at the hospital I worked at, the quality of patient care went way down the tubes, despite what the public relations people at the hospital would tell you. The fact that they have problems at Jeanes does not surprise me. I had to go there for a workers comp injury. I had to take my treatment someplace else.
Jeanes could take all the money they spend on advertisements and keep a few of those nurses on staff, or better yet, how about firing CEO Linda Grass and escorting her out of the building in front of all the employees along with the other execs and department heads? They are the ones who should be fired.
Ron Moskovitz
Oxford Circle
Three cheers for Jack Kelly,
friend of animals
When I read Councilman Jack Kelly’s guest opinion a few weeks back about his outrage on unnecessary euthanizing of stray animals, I thought to myself, it’s about time a city official takes a stand for the rights of the four-legged creatures we share this world with.
I applaud his efforts on trying to help Philadelphia become a no-kill city. It’s about time. And I agree with a lot of your readers on how good Trap/Neuter/Return programs are. And I hope Mr. Kelly would endorse and encourage programs like those.
The following week, a reader wrote in criticizing the councilman for wasting time on animal rights, saying he should be more concerned with problems we people in the city have with the crime rates and more "important" issues. Are people not capable of taking care of themselves, telling you when they are hurt or in pain or when they need medical attention? Yes, they can. Animals cannot. We "two-legged creatures" are quite capable of fending for and helping ourselves, along with the countless number of organizations that are out there specifically just to help people.
There can never be enough organizations to help the "four-legged creatures" who cannot just simply speak and tell us when they are hurt or need medical attention.
I think it’s very selfish and heartless not to care about the animals, who by all means, have more rights to this land that us humans keep taking over and destroying.
So, yes, I applaud you, Councilman Jack Kelly, for not being afraid to take a stand for our furry little friends, when most other politicians wouldn’t think it worthy enough of a cause to get votes. And shame on those who think the animals don’t have rights in this world.
Beth Yarnell
Holmesburg
• • •
Since a letter writer recently castigated Councilman Kelly for wanting to help the animals, I just wanted to say that I applaud Councilman Kelly.
Yes, there will always be many pressing and deserving and desperate issues facing our city politicians and indeed our country. And there are many programs for the children and of course, there must always be more, as children in trouble are one of our most pressing needs, as well as our seniors who can’t afford the medical coverage and prescriptions they need to survive. But that does not mean that protection of animals should be non-existent.
As long as human beings are abusive to each other, and sadly, to innocent children, as well as to innocent pets and animals, all our innocents need as much protection as we can give them.
Can we in this country become so barbarian as to turn our backs on defenseless and abandoned animals who need our help because of cruel people?
President Harry S. Truman once said, "Children and dogs are as necessary to the welfare of the country as Wall Street and the railroads."
Thank you Councilman Kelly.
Gail McSorley
Rhawnhurst
• • •
I commend Councilman Jack Kelly for his interest in a no-kill shelter, and I commend him on his compassion, caring and love of homeless and feral animals. We are all God’s creatures, and it’s humans that cause the overabundance of stray cats and dogs. It’s people that don’t spay and neuter, that throw pets out in the street when they no longer want them, and throw their own babies in Dumpsters.
Jack Kelly wanted to inform Philadelphians how far we’ve come since the 19th century, when unwanted animals were shot, beaten, poisoned or drowned. We now have some caring facilities.
As for criticism that Mr. Kelly should focus on other problems like killings, rapes and robberies, Jack Kelly cares about victims of crime, the homeless and the hungry. As Mr. Kelly stated in his opinion, Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
Pat Poehler
Upper Holmesburg
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