Letters: November 27

Posted 11/27/13

Righting the city’s wayward ship

Repeated mistakes are made over and over in Philadelphia because the dominance of one political party steers us off away from the center. Our city needs …

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Letters: November 27

Posted

Righting the city’s wayward ship

Repeated mistakes are made over and over in Philadelphia because the dominance of one political party steers us off away from the center. Our city needs someone to turn the city's rudder to a straight course ahead.

We plod a hackneyed path every year about raising taxes, schools, teachers, crime, the courts, patronage, elections, city versus state, public housing vs charity housing, raising taxes, union monopolies, lack of true bid competition, too many overlapping city departments, "lifetime" members of city council, the damage of councilmanic "privilege," expense of city government, paying twice and three times to do a job once, abandoned housing, vacant land and did I say raising taxes, because we have no powerful diplomatic leader with better ideas, more logical ideas and different opinions to bring the rudder around to the center.

We have been doomed to our own municipal groundhog day by being off course when there is a much better future for all of us.

Peter Dobrin's recent article in the Inquirer about the foundations that support much that is very good and brilliant in our city, suggests that the William Penn Foundation should be the special one to instigate, advocate, inspire and lead citizens to reposition our city's rudder. Who else has had the city's best interests focused as their mission, so thoughtfully, so earnestly and for so long?

Wm. Penn's search for a new leader is their chance and our city's hope to select a new leader who will be an inspiring catalyst, advocate, diplomat and optimist to turn our city's rudder around to midships.

Gardner A. Cadwalader

Philadelphia

 

Rain barrel classes a success

The Chestnut Hill Community Association and Green In Chestnut Hill would like to thank the over 70 people who attended the rain barrel workshops on October 12 and 26 and who will now be a part of Philadelphia's visionary storm water management program. A big thank you to the Chestnut Hill Library for the use of their space and to Noreen Spota for organizing the workshops. Thanks also to the presenters, Aaron Slater and Jerry Bennett from the Energy Coordinating Agency, for showing us the amazing video about the storm water management program and providing so much valuable info about rain barrels.

Because of the tremendous interest in rain barrels, the CHCA and GRinCH will organize another workshop in the spring. Look for notices in 2014!

Amy Edelman (GRinCH) and Julie Byrne (CHCA Board of Directors)

 

Loves article on ‘Toybrary’

I love the article you did on us (“New ‘Toybrary’ in Wyndmoor lends lots of fun to kids,” Nov. 21 issue)! And even better was my kids’ reaction. To be a cool mom for a time was fabulous! I appreciate it greatly! I got new phone calls today and three new Toybrary members! I can't thank Carole Verona (who wrote the article) and the Local enough for supporting a community business this way.

Melissa Delaney-Doliner

Wyndmoor

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