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Black-on-white murder
is a hate crime
Where is the justice? A white male is jumped by four black males at 13th and Market streets for no apparent reason and dies from this attack. The news media and police call this a random act of violence. Call it what it really is — a hate crime.
If four white males jumped a black male and he died, the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson would be having rallies and marches all over calling this a race-related crime and calling for "no peace, no justice." But since this was a white male, we have to call it a random act.
Come on liberals, let’s hear your response. If this makes me a racist, so be it. Wake up people, the race war is coming.
James Kelley
Torresdale
• • •
The recent beating death of Sean Patrick Conroy by four black males is a hate crime. The police are saying "there was no reason." The reason was the victim is white. One of the local cowardly 11 p.m. newscasts entitled the story as "a deadly fight."
How about "hate crime murder" instead? Hopefully, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Jeremiah Wright will offer to help heal our community as they would if this was a murder committed by white males.
Lately, there has been much rhetoric by politicians about talking honestly regarding race issues. We can start here by being honest about this horrible tragedy.
P.J. Vickers
Port Richmond
Rockledge Fire Company
board explains hall policy
Recently the Northeast Times has printed three letters that regrettably are a result of miscommunication on our part and a misunderstanding of the policy of the Hook and Ladder Room. For this misunderstanding and any hurtful feelings this has caused, we are truly apologetic.
The Hook and Ladder Room, with few exceptions, does not rent to teen parties where the majority of the guests are teens who are not attending the party with their families.
We have found that parties of this nature tend to be detrimental to the facility we operate and are not conducive to our business. The party types that the previous authors have mentioned are just this type, as well as sweet 16’s and other teen parties, none of which we rent to. Please note that this policy applies not only to outside renters but to our own members who want to rent the hall.
Our rental policy is not based on religious beliefs; we do not discriminate against any person or group of people. We must, however, do what is best for our business; the revenue from our hall supports our firefighting operations.
We are aware of the sensitive nature of the issues that have risen from this unfortunate situation. In recognition, our leadership has recently met with a representative of the Anti Defamation League. The meeting was enlightening, helpful and positive.
Thank you for your understanding and it is the hope of the Rockledge Volunteer Fire Company that this information helps to clarify the issue.
The board of directors of the Rockledge Volunteer Fire Company
It will be very easy
to get in on the cleanup act . . .
In response to Mayor Nutter’s call to "Love Where You Live," the Major Artery Revitalization Committee (MARC) fully supports the Philly Spring Cleanup.
We encourage neighbors to join us as we plan to clean Cottman Avenue from State Road to Roosevelt Boulevard, including Russo Park at Cottman and Torresdale avenues, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 5. That’s a two-mile stretch of road and a 10-acre park in five hours.
If you live along the corridor, simply sweeping your front steps makes this effort all the more meaningful. Those on the surrounding streets can create a ripple effect by doing the same. It’s our hope that this cleanup will inspire local residents to keep this area and the rest of their neighborhoods clean throughout the year. Appearance means a lot, and if we each took just a couple of minutes to sweep our sidewalks, our city would sparkle.
So if you take pride in saying you’re from Philadelphia, if you take pride in your neighborhood, if you "Love Where You Live" — show it by taking the time to clean it.
Thank you to every neighbor that lends their broom to this effort. For more information on MARC, visit www.marc-cleansweep.com
Edward J. Vassallo
Director of media and public relations
Major Artery Revitalization Committee
. . . Give the slobs a dose
of their own medicine
Our new mayor has asked us to clean up our city. A couple of years ago, I wrote to the Northeast Times about all the trash that lands in my driveway. I do not work for the Streets Department. I’m tired of picking up and buying bags for neighbors’ trash.
Here are a few examples: Beer cartons, huge pizza boxes, Dunkin’ Donuts cups, napkins, sandwich containers, menus from every fast-food shop within a five-mile radius, beer and soda cans tossed from cars, newspaper plastic sleeves, plastic peanuts and too-many-to-count packing foam and boxes, women’s medicine cartons, cigarettes, market bags, plastic spoons, etc.
What kind of homes do these careless, thoughtless people come from? I am seriously considering gathering all this and dumping it on their driveways. Sooner or later, I’ll hit the right ones.
Christine Burke
Somerton
Don’t bash
low-income housing
I am writing in response to Camille Capobianco’s letter last week in reference to low-income housing. I do not agree with her, as I am a disabled citizen who gets rental assistance because I really need it as a source of living!
Anyway, I would love to see Camille homeless and on the streets, with nothing to eat or drink, and then see what she would say about low-income housing, as if it would be the only source of living for her. She sounds like a selfish Republican who does not care about anyone or anything.
By the way, as Election Day will be on April 22, you can rest assured that I am definitely voting for a Democrat, as the Democrats are the only ones for average and poor people, as they are the only ones who really care!
Kelly McCane
Rhawnhurst
Trash men
acted like animals
A few weeks ago, my children experienced quite a terrifying situation with the Philadelphia Streets Department.
It was 7:45 on a Friday morning when my son, 23, came out of his house to venture to work. My 21-year-old was with him also. They were trying to get out of their parking spot when a trash truck pulled up and blocked them in. My one son rolled his window down and asked them to move up a little so they could pull out.
After the trash guy replied with not such a nice answer, my son stepped out of his truck and again began to ask them to please move up.
That’s when the trouble began. The driver of the trash truck leaped at my son and grabbed him by the neck and shoved him against the truck, yelling and screaming.
Another trash worker then approached my son with a knife and baseball bat swinging at him and waving the knife. My son was hit with the bat and has muscle-related injuries in the bottom of his back. The police were called and yes, charges have been pressed, but the one thing that is truly not right is that all of the trash men still have their jobs and are still on the same route.
Is there any punishment for a crime like this? We as innocent people should be able to ask our city workers to move their vehicles without retaliation.
Should we ask kindly or should we act like animals? I would hope that this never has to happen to anyone else, but be careful. Our city is hiring workers who act like animals.
Donna McCorry
Rhawnhurst
Even with a bloody nose,
waiting game continues
In regard to the March 13 letter from Rita Guy about the emergency room at Frankford Hospital-Torresdale (It’s a critical condition at the hospitals), she was 100 percent right.
I am the lady that night on Monday, March 3, who had the bloody nose. I was in the emergency room for more than seven hours and did not get home until 3:15 a.m. It’s a disgrace that with my bloody nose I wasn’t seen until it was my turn.
Anne Fisher
Pine Valley
Don’t fight with
the veterans, Anna Verna
The political appointment of Mr. Edgar Howard as director of the city’s Veterans Advisory Commission has outraged veterans throughout the city.
Edward Lowry (director of the city’s Veterans Outreach Center), acting as the temporary chairman of the Veterans Advisory Commission, recommended to the City Council a unanimously endorsed and highly qualified candidate for the position. He also recommended Mr. Edgar Howard, a ward leader and former city commissioner, as being "also qualified." Guess who City Council chose.
Although Mr. Howard is a veteran, his only qualification seems to be his political connection and the fact that he lost his position as city commissioner in last year’s primary election, leaving him temporarily unemployed.
In a sweeping and magnanimous move, the City Council eliminated the position of deputy director and graciously offered Mr. Howard the combined salaries of the director and the deputy director.
I offer my congratulations to Mr. Howard and to the City Council. They have once again proved that education, training and experience are never required for highly paid city jobs.
Two weeks after Council’s initial action and in response to the outrage in the veteran community, Mr. Anthony Radwanski, director of communications for City Council President Anna Verna, asked to meet with the veterans in an effort to quiet the rumblings of dissent. He suggested that an appointment of a deputy director recommended by the Veterans Advisory Council could be arranged. He also indicated that other recommendations by the council could also be implemented, greatly enhancing the availability of city services to veterans. This seemed like an acceptable solution to all.
It was all smoke.
Council President Verna rejected any compromise and is continuing to ignore the veterans. There are more than 10,000 veterans in this city and we will not be silenced or ignored while our comrades are in need of assistance.
To this end, nearly all of the veterans organizations in the city are circulating a resolution condemning City Council for its actions and its absolute lack of concern for the needs and concerns of the veterans. This resolution will be presented to City Council at an upcoming meeting.
Roney J. Steele
Commander, Philadelphia County Council, The American Legion
• • •
After reading the article about Mr. Politz last week, it goes to show you that City Council is all about taking care of personal/political friends. They do not care what the Veterans Advisory Commission of Philadelphia recommends. It shows that Anna Verna couldn’t care less about the veterans of Philadelphia. She cannot personally respond so she has a staff member respond. This so-called lobbying that Mr. Radwanski states as the determining factor in the final decision is a farce.
If this is the case, then I as a veteran expect Mr. Howard to show us that he is going to lobby for the veterans in the City of Brotherly Love for services, counseling, etc., at the veterans centers.
It is ironic that Mr. Tom Finnerty made $58,000 prior to his retirement. The advertised position was $50,000, then Mr. Howard is hired at $80,000. Try lobbying the city for something and it takes months/years because there are always problems/issues.
Fred Radtke
Burholme
Yo, John Perzel,
take it outside!
This is in regards to recent events at the John M. Perzel Community Center.
Mr. Perzel (the Al Sharpton of the Northeast) found it necessary to construct that self-serving building over the outdoor basketball courts much to the delight of overprotective soccer moms looking for an overly sanitized safe haven, free from not only conflict but culture as well. Well Mr. Perzel, it appears that "gang activity" has reared its ugly face right inside the walls of your building in what was called into police as a "race riot."
Perhaps the solution to such outbursts would be to tear down that building and replace it with the "John M. Perzel Outdoor Basketball Courts." If there is a skilled opportunist out there with the insight to make it happen, I know it’s you!
Brian Wilson
Mayfair
For many victims, the
culprits are in the mirror
As I see it
By John Scanlon
Just my luck. If I’d known that the implosion of the housing and financial markets would’ve given us Bush and Bernanke and their Great American Bailout, I’d have said to hell with financial responsibility and gone into debt faster than Eliot Spitzer strolling in Vegas with a hooker on each arm.
I’d have pulled the trigger on that $100,000 home-equity loan. I’d have trashed my GE television, rushed into Best Buy, and then rushed out with the coolest, biggest home entertainment center that $4,000 could buy. With no payments till 2075!!
And then there’s that relatively new Mustang on the used-car lot where big banners scream No credit check! Everyone approved! Fair enough. I’ll get that too.
If only these days were still that giddy. But as just about everyone knows by now, we no longer can live life with no money down.
The ongoing money meltdown has exposed the irresponsibility of our financial institutions — mortgage lenders, major banks, investment firms — that have been fretting over billions in loan defaults precipitated by their own willingness, due largely to greed and the heat of competition, to abandon past protocols that determined whether borrowers posed more risk than reliability.
The crisis has shown these institutions to be mind-bogglingly reckless. But what does it say, perhaps even more, about all those people out there who figured they’d just finance the American Dream, went bust, and now expect the federal government to get rid of those nasty debt collectors.
We in the media like to portray these people as the victims. Newspapers, money magazines, financial Web sites, TV reporters . . . all have tracked down their own poster family, typically working couples with modest incomes who live in swank developments, failed to read the fine print of their volatile adjustable-rate mortgages, are mired in credit-card debt, and still borrow to milk every penny of increased equity in their lovely home thanks to the riches of the housing boom.
But now there’s plenty of tears and hand-wringing. The mortgage payments just ballooned. So the SUV has to go. And Billy’s braces will have to wait until the IRS sends that stimulus check next month.
There’s an important distinction here. It’s one thing to be losing your shirt because you’re the frugal type who catches a bad break. You lose a job. Or maybe your in-laws move in. It’s another thing to live dangerously beyond your means, to ride housing booms, to have big bucks on paper, and a lot of economists seemingly agree on one thing. It’s why so many people today are boo-hooing — not laughing — all the way to the bank.
Should we feel bad for these "victims"? I don’t think so. The news stories of their trials and travails merely keep me muttering the same thing — "Whoa, you fool" — and I’d have to believe there are many folks out there who share the view of respondents in some recent polls who think it’s a lousy idea for the government to throw life-preservers to irresponsible banks wallowing in red ink and borrowers who lack restraint or lifestyles built on common sense.
The resuscitation of a woozy Bear Stearns is the latest illustration of this. Jittery Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke felt compelled to step in, lest the nation’s financial structure show cracks, and he likes to remind us that the $30 billion scraped together to sweeten JP Morgan Chase’s interest in acquiring the investment bank was a loan, not a bailout.
It sure smacks of a bailout. But does a loan make this mercy mission more acceptable?
The tsunami from all this, as we’re now realizing, affects us all. The housing market’s a dud. Retirement plans are getting killed, with the nation’s workers losing billions in personal wealth, especially as the stock market endures knee-jerk gyrations and 300-point swings.
The only real sense of justice in recent months is watching the sheepish exodus of high-profile bank CEOs who’ve made it clear that those $5 million bonuses weren’t earned because of innovative products or shrewd asset management. In the end, they were torpedoed by subprime lending and other unconventional loan packages, overlooking the creditworthiness of shaky customers as long as the housing bubble kept growing and growing, delivering happy days.
How did this happen? Answering that question is where government can really perform a service. How wonderful, for example, if Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter could forget about whether the New England Patriots are a bunch of cheaters and instead urge Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, who chairs the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, to convene hearings and probe the dynamics of what gave us this mess.
Economists like to observe that we’re in a "crisis of confidence." That goes without saying. The challenge, considering the startling developments since last summer, is how do you keep the faith? ••
John Scanlon is editor of the Northeast Times.
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