October 23, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

From our readers

Not a Republican

Great article on me and my background (“CHCA critic also a 36-year sparkplug in classic car business,” Oct. 16), but with one factual error. I am not now, nor have I ever been registered Republican. I am lifetime registered Independent, with the exception of one recent year when I changed to Democrat in order to participate in the primary election. I then changed back.

My politics certainly run more conservative, particularly when it comes to the use of tax dollars, but Republican and Conservative are not congruent. I have criticized Philadelphia’s Republican leadership strongly for not doing the hard work any minority party should do, and I hold them just as responsible for the corrupt city government as the Democrats who run it.

If you read my political comments over the years, I take on corruption much more than I take on Democrats personally, but I have made  the case that the corrupt Republican Party ran Philadelphia from 1890 to 1952, much in the same way the Democrats have from at least 1968 to the present. (We had about 15 years in the sun.)

Thanks again.

Jim Foster
Mt. Airy

Issue voters should look at big picture

Mr. Richard Taylor of Mt. Airy is quite correct in his position regarding Catholics and their options in this and all elections. There are, if one is to vote intelligently and not just for the “party machine,” many questions which need to be asked before pulling that lever. What Richard in fact did was point out the inherent myopia of “single issue” voting.

If I may, Senator Obama discusses a domestic agenda, which has as its focus the needs of the ever-shrinking middle class, the need to secure social security and the bolstering of the economy to regain some level of stability. The details are sketchy but then, this agenda is huge, to say the least. Senator Biden has been in this arena for a long time. His knowledge and skills are a matter of record and likewise is his commitment to the “every day” folk. And I can personally vouch for his daily train ride to Washington.

On the other hand, Senator McCain, in my opinion, has miserably failed to represent the people of Arizona, actually voting less than 48 percent of the time on the floor of the Senate. His agenda for the privatization of social security ought to make us all nervous. [Neither] he nor his staff has responded to the needs of the vulnerable populations in this state and there is not enough space to discuss, as Chair of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, his failing of the Native American Tribes. Governor Palin — well, let’s just say that anyone who feels strongly that polar bears are a  “barrier to progress” and authorizes bounty hunting of gray wolves is not someone I would like anywhere near Washington.

So, those were some of the elements being factored into my decision-making. I understand that Catholics need to be sensitive to a candidate’s stand on abortion — and for the record, I unequivocally believe that it is murder — but there is that bigger picture and I dare say, one’s propensity for waging wars and continuing domestic policies which wreak havoc on the personal economy of most Americans is not a person to be trusted with the office of president.

Michael P. Saunders Jr.
Higley, Ariz.
(formerly of Mt. Airy)

Please help Avenue Crisis Ministry

I am writing to let the community know about an immediate need at the Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry. This ministry was formed in 1997 by a group of 13 congregations in Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy, and Germantown. It provides both food and assistance to low income families to help them apply for other programs offered by the city and the state. My congregation, Summit Presbyterian Church, sends contributions of non-perishable foods each month, as well as several financial gifts during the year.

In spite of the help of the support congregations, the Crisis Ministry has recently found itself with no food at all to give to those in need. More people are coming for help,due to the higher costs of food and utilities. If any individual would like to donate to this very worthy ministry, they can send a check to the Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry at 35 W. Chelten Ave., Philadelphia 19144. The ministry is located in the First Presbyterian Church of Germantown, and donations of non-perishable food can be brought there, at the same address, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. You can reach them by phone at 215-843-2340.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Peggy MacGregor
Mt. Airy

Teens Inc.: ‘tremendous’

My experience at Teenagers Inc. has had a tremendous effect on me. I remember when I first started going to the Teen Center on Friday nights along with my older brother. I was about 11 years old at the time and just being around people who were a little older than me allowed me to mature very quickly. By the time I was in 7th grade, I had a very large group of friends because I became more involved with Teenagers Inc., which led me to join in other activities such as sports, and attending different social events. I also value my experience at Teenager’s Inc. because it allowed my social skills to develop, and now that I am president of the Teenagers board, I have developed great leadership skills as well.

Tyler J. Perry
Chestnut Hill

Thanks from ¡Cuba!

As the holidays approach, I can’t help but be genuinely grateful for the generosity and trust you have given me and my family by dining at ¡Cuba! Many of you have and continue to offer your heartfelt advice and I want you to know that we have heard you. We are genuinely blessed by your generosity. As a small token of our gratitude, we have adjusted our entrée prices to below $10 for lunch and below $20 for dinner. From all of us at ¡Cuba!, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for giving us the gift of a dream come true!

Miguel, Michael and Justine Castaneda
Owners, ¡Cuba!

Correction

In last week’s letter “The tipping point” by Spencer Doman the last three words of a sentence were accidentally cut making it incomprehensible. The sentence with the last three words reinserted should have read:

“As Mr. Nottingham points out in his article many, many fine volunteers have abandoned the Community Association because they are fed up with the two percent of the Association members who vent their wrong mindedness on the other 98 percent.”