http://www.philly.com/r?19=960&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F Daily News Opinion pages en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:23:10 GMT 2009-11-20T16:23:10Z en-us http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70600917&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091120_A_Daily_News_editorialA_Daily_News_editorial.html OVERSEEING public dollars isn't easy. But when it comes to tracking $787 billion in stimulus funding being spent in 50 states, oversight can be extremely messy. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT 753695f130b9c6651878a665bea956f4 2009-11-20T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70623997&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2FRendells_new_reform_era.html Gov. Rendell called a news conference earlier this week to vow that he would spend the remainder of his term pushing for big reforms. Rendell wants major changes in redistricting, campaign finance and judicial elections. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:23:10 GMT 96dc0143755635bba57cc993b76987e4 Vance Lehmkuhl 2009-11-20T16:23:10Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70600927&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091120_Letters__No_more_free_rides_for_those_bicyclists.html YIPES, BIKES! Up our backsides. To the left and to the right they swagger, sharing the road but not the cost or safety rules. Drivers pay, all the time: The sale taxes of 8 percent for purchase or lease, tank fill-ups at 31 cents a gallon, $36 for registration and driver's licenses. On top of that, putting a big dent in our pockets are the high fees for the right to park on city streets at meters, PPA area permits or $12 to $30 at private lots. It really adds up. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT 51b61fffbba5bd18bb4eb6f43c549181 2009-11-20T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70600942&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091120_Letters__Police_Dept__hellholes.html THE MEN and women of the Philadelphia Police Department are being poisoned, just like the men and women who served in Vietnam. In Vietnam, it was Agent Orange. Here, they are being killed by politicians who refuse to make L&I do its job. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT e2a1dd067a2b39de08b0e5b2d5dce044 2009-11-20T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70600947&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091120_Letters__Commonsense_electronic_surveillance.html RE MICHAEL Smerconish's op-ed "Again, Eavesdropping Makes Sense": There is real "debate" over electronic surveillance, FISA or NSA, because virtually everyone supports spying in some instances, with safeguards. What sparked a debate over surveillance was when the Bush administration authorized warrantless wiretapping of U.S. citizens without any FISA oversight or accountability. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT d89e8a6a2d6710af1de3dd627338296f 2009-11-20T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70600937&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091120_Letters__Teachers___ethnicity.html STOP, STOP, stop! Enough already with the continuous declarations that children will only achieve if their educator and they share the same ethnicity. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT aa5ca1bb2912f63a4e085362713da56f 2009-11-20T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70600932&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091120_Letters__Take_the_test__get_hired.html DOESN'T EVERYONE take a civil-service test to get hired by the city for the Fire Department? Why do they need a consent decree? Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT 1fb6e197d3d69e879c2008b335000734 2009-11-20T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70600922&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091120_Christine_M__Flowers__The_First_Amendment_exorcists.html I FOUND myself smiling when I heard the usual suspects criticizing the Conference of Catholic Bishops for poking its nose into the health-care debate. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT c65bd40585942cec7d3d4c0f267b21bf 2009-11-20T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70444927&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091119_Michael_Smerconish__Sex_offenders__It_s_not_just_Dixie.html THEY grabbed another pair of sex offenders down South this week, but not before they allegedly killed a young girl. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT 77882a6de942c1227cfe7608d11c5d59 2009-11-19T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70444917&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091119_Letters__What_teachers_should_look_like.html IT SOUNDS like to me like letter-writer Jae Ross is promoting segregation. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and so many others fought hard for equal rights for blacks, including equality in education, and now Mr. Ross sounds like he wants to turn back the clock. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT 4d77dc7f7ddb7637a9b3396289ff028a 2009-11-19T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70444912&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091119_Letters__A_few_wrinkles_on_food_stamps.html THANKS for your edit on the alarming number of children who've received food stamps at some point. Many people don't realize just how vital that safety-net program is. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT e142ed1f1c6febc262b5d6688fdbf9b2 2009-11-19T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70444922&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091119_Letters__It_s_not_about_Fort_Hood__it_s_about_bashing_America.html LET'S GET something straight. Op-ed writer John Grant (Nov. 18) isn't interested in "getting the Fort Hood murders right." This is about his favorite pastime, trashing America. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT a518c382da78b17bb24cf33def66d660 2009-11-19T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70444907&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091119_A_bipartisan_health-care_Rx.html THE HOUSE of Representatives has now voted for the largest possible government takeover of health care, despite bipartisan opposition. Thirty-nine House Democrats, including two from Pennsylvania, joined 176 Republicans in opposing this massive $1.2 trillion change in our health-care system. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT 284bfbf649433301181241d8331cad7c 2009-11-19T08:01:00Z http://www.philly.com/r?19=961&43=167751&44=70444902&32=3796&7=195457&40=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.philly.com%2Fdailynews%2Fopinion%2F20091119_The_Charter-School_Pop_Quiz.html WHICH OF THESE statements is true? * Charter schools don't get enough oversight from the state and the various school districts, which has led to so many financial scandals. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:01:00 GMT 8d4e55461c9c90a555c47a81bd6f211c 2009-11-19T08:01:00Z