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We’re victims

of a buddy system

I am writing in response to a recent letter by Joe Harkins of Bustleton (The mayor and his pals should pay their bills, Oct. 18 edition). I just have to say kudos to you!
I too am part of that middle class that has been kicked to the curb. I moved into my apartment about two years ago. I didn’t receive a gas bill for two months, so when they decided to bill me, it was over $700. Well, needless to say, I was livid and you know the response you get when you call PGW, so I decided to file a complaint with the Public Utility Commission. They basically told me that’s the way PGW does their billing and the bill was correct!
I am curious myself if the mayor receives shut-off notices on his unpaid PGW bills. And yes, once again we the hard-working middle-class people that work every day are paying for those that choose not to work, but that’s because our mayor makes it so easy for his "pals" to get everything handed to them.
I’ve read several letters from people complaining about their PGW bill and how the rates are increasing again this winter and to file complaints with the Public Utility Commission. Well, I’m here to tell you it will not make a difference. They all stick together!
Michelle Martin
Mayfair



Fly the flag!

It’s that time of year again to display our support of our troops and our veterans of military service. Please, on Nov. 11 and 12, display your American flag outside your home. Especially think of the men and women that gave their lives for our freedom.
Joe Gilmore Sr.
Mayfair



Scouting makes all

the difference in the world

Too much crime, violence and disrespect occurs in our cities. The Boy Scouts of America is a vibrant organization uniquely positioned to help heal our society’s apathy and hopelessness. The Boy Scouts deserves the enthusiastic support of every American who cares about the welfare and future of our nation.
Philadelphia City Council voted 16-1 to renege on a 79-year-old agreement with the Boy Scouts that had allowed their headquarters to be located on public land "in perpetuity" at a cost of $1 per year. The Boy Scouts must now evacuate their headquarters or start paying fair market rent, which will cost $200,000 per year.
City Council broke Philadelphia’s pledge to the Boy Scouts in the name of political correctness. Gay activist organizations wanted the Boy Scouts to change their policy of not allowing homosexuals in leadership positions. City Council caved in and broke the agreement.
By attacking Boy Scouts, the city is ironically hurting one of the organizations that is uniquely positioned to serve as a medicine to help cure our society.
Scouting activities include going on overnight camping trips, often without parents. We wouldn’t want our daughters to go on overnight trips with male leaders who might be attracted to them. Why would we want our sons to be camping with male leaders who might be attracted to them? This is a practical issue, not one of discrimination. The Boy Scouts are being punished for being proactive in attempting to avoid sexual harassment cases, and trying to protect our sons rather than waiting until someone has had a traumatic experience.
Tell City Council and Mayor Street to reverse their decision. Ask them to give the Boy Scout headquarters back to the Scouts. We have a dire need for boys to grow into men that can be productive members of our society. Together we can all work to re-create a society of which we can once again be proud.
Ken Patkin
Former Scout and father of a current Scout

• • •

The print and TV news have spent a lot of time telling us that to keep the Boy Scouts in Philadelphia, the city and the Fairmount Park Commission would charge the Boy Scouts $200,000 a year to stay in the building that the Scouts built and have maintained since 1928. In a year when the homicide rate is out of control, it was really sad to see the city spending their time trying to make it harder for the Cradle of Liberty Boy Scout Council to operate their programs that have, for almost 100 years, developed leaders out of the boys and girls who are involved in the program.
If we need yet another example of this, just look at Boy Scout Troop 226 from Northeast Philadelphia, whose members recently saved a life. This troop and Venturing Crew, filled with young men and women, was hiking on a trail during their weekend camping trip when they found a woman in trouble. Quickly, they sprung into action, using skills that they would not have had if they were not Boy Scouts, and enacted first aid and lifesaving procedures that saved her life.
I visited Troop 226 to give them thanks and tell them how proud they made us all. Ironically, they didn’t look at themselves as heroes. In their minds, they just did what Scouting taught them they were supposed to do, because these are the values that Scouting really teaches young people.
The young men and women in the city of Philadelphia deserve every chance to take part in these programs, and the city administration should be celebrating their accomplishments instead of trying to kick them out of their office building.
I am extremely proud of the Scouts and Venturers from Troop 226. They made me proud to be a Scout, and their actions should serve as a strong reminder to the City Council just how much we need Scouting — more today than ever.
Mark Chilutti
Vice chairman, Cradle of Liberty Council board Eagle Scout Class of 1982



For solutions, see

the man in the mirror

We all need to look in the mirror, fellow Philadelphians. It seems crime, hopelessness and despair are plaguing our city, the birthplace of our great nation, the United States of America.
Philadelphia seems to be on a downward spiral. How we can remove this dark, dreary cloud that seems to loom over our city? What can be done to brighten our spirits and bring joy and hope to our once-great city? Who is going to lead this charge and change our course of action? Who can change our doom-and-gloom attitude?
You, the person who gets up and goes to work every day, can instill a sense of values and pride in youngsters around you. Whether they are family, friends or neighborhood children, show them a sense of accomplishment and self- worth.
You, the person that is down on your luck, you can remove self-pity and provide a positive attitude and can volunteer for a neighborhood organization, organize a cleanup in your community, assist activities at a local school, make your day productive.
You, our seniors, the ones who truly know what it is like to work tirelessly — no appliances to assist you back in the day, living through a depression — you know what it is like to truly fight for freedom, fight for your rights. We need your wisdom and experience to help educate us on how to rise up from despair and move on with a positive attitude to enrich our lives.
You, our youth, the silent, positive ones that care about your community, family, friends and your future to stand up for all things good in our communities, show us that you are not the bad apples of society, that you can bring about positive change.
You, our civic leaders, put aside the bickering, rich, snobby attitudes and lead by example. Get your hands dirty, put the public’s agenda before your own, help those that are less fortunate.
You, the one in the mirror, you are the future leader that we are looking for, the one that will make a positive difference in our city, a city where freedom was born, a city where our forefathers and mothers would never stand for our current shortfalls, a city that will rise above, conquer our problems and once again lead this great nation.
Only you, the one in the mirror, can do it!
Tom Conway
Torresdale



Philadelphia has become

a living gravesite

As I open another newspaper or turn my television on it happened again just like so many times before. One more senseless killing and another shallow grave to dig. The bodies seem to be piling up and the excuses seem to be endless. Those in charge have lost any control they might have had over our dying city, and there’s no end in sight. All we can do is just sit around and wait for the next bullet with our name or a loved one’s name on it to hit its target. Right? Wrong!
Wake up, Philadelphia, and take your city back before it’s too late. News flash: I’ve never seen a gun shoot by itself, have you? We don’t just need gun control, we need animal control! These cowards wake up every day with the intention of committing a crime or murder. They must be stopped and we must stop them before they stop us!
Our city must be put in lockdown and we must clean up all the garbage. The state must come in and involve our National Guard and other law enforcement entities. What would you rather do, cry about your rights being violated or cry at a loved one’s funeral!
The choice is simple, isn’t it? It’s time to let the punishment fit the crime. If someone takes a life then they serve their life out in solitary confinement. If people know they can be searched at any time, they’ll be less likely to carry an instrument of crime on them. We’re in an extreme stage right now, and this calls for extreme measures allowed by law.
I urge Philadelphians to contact their city and state representatives and let them know we need action now! We need to let these scumbag criminals know we’re not waiting for them to come to us because we’re coming to them first! Our great city was built on freedom, and now that freedom is being threatened. Let us band together and fight as one before we fall as many.
John J. Ruppert
Mayfair



“Stop and search”

gets results

Goodbye to Bad News Johnson. Stop-and-search is the best thing that can be done. It works in jails most of the time. A few weapons may slip through, but not many. The night that fine officer was killed, the police stopped six cars and searched each. They found five guns, and not one had a permit to carry. The folks in Philly should be informed of that.
Anthony J. Porta (retired Philadelphia correctional officer)
Sebring, Fla.



The folks in the ’hood

deserve some blame

Having read the article Teen to be tried as adult in dirt-bike murder case in the Oct. 25 edition of the Northeast Times, I was upset by the behavior of those who tried to protect the defendant, Eric Smith, from prosecution.
It seems every day I hear "get the guns off the streets" and "there are too many guns." I find it hard to agree with that kind of reasoning, trying to blame an inanimate object for the misdeeds of the actors in these cases. That’s like a person blaming their spoon for their being overweight or making their pencil responsible for misspelled words.
Let’s keep it real here and look at how the folks in the neighborhood handled this killing. The article states that the accused was seen on the dirt bike that same night by neighbors. One of the kid’s own mother knew the bike was being sought by police and told him to get rid of it. It took two days for the police to find out.
I can’t help but think how it would have gone if there was a reward offered for the murderer. Would they wait till the kitty fattened up? These events seem to indicate that this behavior is viewed as acceptable. No wonder we have problems keeping people living in this fair city. Our community is suffering from this new morality and lack of respect for one another. My heart goes out to the victim’s families, who deserve so much more than what is being fed to them by neighbors who should be helping.
Andrew Jardel
Fox Chase



Mom gives charter

school a great grade

My son plays for Franklin Towne Charter and they recently lost to Northeast in soccer. It was a tough loss for us but I was nothing but proud of my son, his teammates, the teachers and staff of our school.
I am a former Catholic school parent and my older children went to Catholic school from kindergarten to college, but faced with an economic challenge, I sent my younger children to Franklin Towne Charter, and the experience has been wonderful! I use soccer as an example, because I read in the paper about a horrible experience between Bartram High School and Northeast in the soccer playoffs.
This would not have happened at Franklin Towne! Our staff demands respect for all, and there are rules that must be followed for the privilege to attend our school. Charter school is an option and a good one. I am a proud parent of charter school children. I thank all of the children, parents, teachers, staff and all of Philadelphia that voted to keep us alive!
Jean McGuigan
Holmesburg



A big scary thanks

for a spooky success

The second annual Warehouse of Horror (Oct. 26 to 29) sponsored by Aztec Signs, MARC and a number of local businesses was a great success.
The "Warehouse" had over 35 live "spooks" who had volunteered for the event. There were more than 400 visitors in all and the event raised more than $1,500 for the Sunshine Foundation, an organization for terminally ill children. We would like to thank all who volunteered and all who came out to support this fun event.
John Nolen and staff
Aztec Signs



Comcast the monopoly

evades the FCC rule

Regarding Anthony Dorwart’s letter in the Oct. 18 edition, do you like paying $35 or $40 per month to "protect" the cable inside your home? When was the last time you had a problem with the cable inside your home?
I was a Comcast customer for 17 years and never had a problem with the cable inside my home.
The company had to dig up my sidewalk to fix a short in the underground junction after they tried to convince me the problem was inside my home. You’re paying for nothing.
As for his fellow letter writer Bill McDevitt, he works for them; we can’t very well expect him to be critical of Comcast, can we? So yes, Mr. Dorwart, Comcast is a monopoly, and an unfriendly one at that. Executive vice president David Cohen was recently quoted as saying that "Comcast will not soak its customers."
Yeah, right.
When I switched to satellite TV, my bill for essentially the same service dropped over $19 a month. After two-and--a-half years, it’s still $11 less than my Comcast bill was then, and would be even less if I hadn’t chosen to have TiVo service. All I had to do was give up watching three sports teams I wasn’t really watching much anyway.
I estimate that my cable bill would now be near $120 per month, based on the $8 to $9 twice-yearly increases I was getting, which means that I’m saving more than $30 each month now. All I had was HBO and three extra boxes, and I never ordered pay-per-view. I’ve probably saved nearly $500 since I switched.
If Comcast were to ever allow satellite services to carry SportsNet in this market, you would likely see a mass exodus from Comcast. This is the monopoly stranglehold that Comcast uses to keep its unhappy customers, not On Demand, or "great" service.
So yes, Mr. Dorwart and Mr. McDevitt, Comcast is a monopoly, and does force many of us to subscribe by withholding their sports programming from competing providers, which the FCC normally requires in the case of unique programming, but somehow Comcast has evaded that FCC rule.
David Schwartz
Bustleton



All aboard the SEPTA

rip-off express!

I feel the pain of Janice Jakubowitcz regarding the parking meters at Fox Chase Station (Fox Chase station is a ticket to frustration, Oct. 25 letters).
When the meters are out of order, you shouldn’t have to pay. Period. What I think is even worse, however, is that Fox Chase (and perhaps Ryers) is the only station on that line where you have to pay to park! Why don’t the people who park at the Olney station parking lot have to pay? Why are we the only stop whose lot is owned by the city? Is this another example of charging just because you think we can afford it? It’s bad enough the SEPTA fares are so high. And that lot is NOT maintained in bad weather. You take your life in your hands in icy weather, driving OR walking.
Also, the recent stories about collecting fare penalties if you buy your ticket on the train state that this is a new development. I beg to differ. I have seen R-8 conductors over the past years charge that penalty even when the ticket office was closed. I told one conductor that he’s only supposed to charge that when the ticket office is open and he disagreed with me. So who’s telling the truth here?
Finally, if a cop was posted outside this station on Oxford Avenue, he could make a fortune ticketing the people who use the shoulder as a lane! We were turning into the station and a car came right up the shoulder and hit us as he tried to bypass the backup and the light at Rhawn and Oxford in order to turn into the Rite Aid parking lot and cut through to Rhawn Street. He told the officer that WE were wrong, that it was a two-lane highway and WE turned from the outer lane!
The cop told him it most certainly was a two-lane highway — one lane going north and one lane going south. News flash, people: The shoulder is NOT a lane!
Patricia Sicilia
Fox Chase



Thoughts on Veterans Day

Before the advent of Jacuzzis and cigar clubs, there were public baths and park benches; where old men sat like rocked-out walruses in pork pie hats playing pinochle, at two bits a hand, under blue clouds of cigar smoke from 5 cent Phillies Cigars.
Their wet swimsuits and thin cloth towels draped for drying over bicycle racks nearby, after a "dip" into the rough concrete public pool that emitted eye-twitching amounts of chlorine that mixed silently, yet fraternally, in the afternoon sun with the fumes from nearby chemical plants.
Their bodies were worn by having been at war while young and at work in chemical and auto factories, while growing old too soon for anyone’s liking. But there were labor jobs to be done that paid for small pleasures that did not entirely wreck their hourly wage contract with an employer, who would hold sway over them for most of their adult lives.
Conversations were political in a very local sense. Attitudes were more universal in that they were birthed in foreign lands, whilst young and at war.
Purplish gashes, that the uninitiated would call scars, were marked on every other arm, leg or back.
Tales of battles won and lost were rare. Yet, once broached, they were told in reverent tones with eyes askance and off to a distance. A far distant place, where they were once young and brave and yes, very, very scared.
Dreams were of and for their children or the children of others. Their one great aspiration had been realized — they had come home and were alive and at work.
They slept on clean sheets under their own roof, even if, in fact, the local savings society really owned the title. Their youthful and desperate hopes were realized and it sustained them mostly, except when they spoke of getting off the graveyard shift and working straight day work. Or musing what might have been, if they had moved somewhere out in the mountains of our mythological West.
These musings were truly only park bench wanderings; as all of them were invested by time, and sweat and promise to this workingman’s neighborhood by participation in church, sports and the fellowship in the numerous social clubs that mapped out tidy enclaves for the Irish, the Slavs, the Poles, the Italians and the other disciples of the European Diaspora of the late 19th century.
What the old Chinaman on the Avenue thought of these men was only guessed at on Veterans Day; when he placed a bevy of small immaculately pressed American flags in his laundry shop’s window. He smiled and went to the Catholic church down in the city at the edge of Chinatown.
We children draped him in Steve Canyon and Terry and the Pirates lore that had him escaping South China Sea Pirates with only some magic charms and a willingness to work all day, every day, forever.
Joe Dirvin
Las Vegas, Nev., formerly of Wissinoming



Winterization Day crew

a difference in the war

Guest Opinion
By John B. Getz Jr.

While our troops are fighting the global War on Terror to protect freedom and provide a better way of life for others, many media outlets are waging a battle to rally public and political support against the war.
Let me be crystal clear: war veterans know that armed conflict should be the last resort to accomplish a worthy cause. Preserving freedom and fighting terrorism is such a cause. Stories about the progress on the war front, about the troops’ accomplishments and about why troops volunteer for service should receive equal time in the media’s war coverage.
Our troops continue to support the mission. I recently spoke with a National Guard general who said his troops see the difference they are making in Iraq; many want to go back. His troops want to do the job right and finish the mission. Re-enlistments among Army troops in Iraq remain high and many recruitment goals are being met. One Marine gunner said, "I have never been in a position where I thought I was having a bigger impact."
The signs of progress in the war include less violence in Iraq with more local security forces in position, Iraq’s improving economy, new schools and hospitals, Iraq’s free press, new rights for Afghani women and growing small businesses.
Over three-quarters of al-Qaeda’s known leaders and terrorist associates have been detained or killed. U.S. death toll in Iraq for October was the lowest in nearly two years.
Recently, retired Air Force pilot Scott O’Grady, who was shot down in 1995 enforcing NATO’s No Fly Zone in Bosnia and survived six days before being rescued, addressed state lawmakers and veterans groups.
His friends in the global War on Terrorism believe in their mission and they see the positive effect of their efforts. Apparently none of the local media thought his visit was worth covering.
I am proud of and thankful for everyone who serves in the military. More Americans would know about how troops’ service has strengthened the cause of freedom and hit terror networks hard if the media took a more balanced approach to reporting the War on Terrorism. ••
John B. Getz Jr. is a Vietnam veteran and state commander of the Pennsylvania Department of Veterans of Foreign Wars whose son served two tours in the War on Terror.

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