Sound of silence

A suggestion to Flyers fans: Philadelphia already has a reputation for throwing snowballs at Santa Claus. If we boo Gov. Sarah Palin when she drops the puck today, we will be playing right into the hands of her supporters, showing no respect for the lady or the opening ceremony of the season.

Rather than being discourteous, we should just be nonresponsive. Sit on your hands and don't shout. This will send a much more serious and decisive message to the country and to whoever thought up this display.

Theodore J. Blinder
Wallingford

Company we keep

Annette John-Hall's partisan bias is continually transparent in her writings, but never so much as in Wednesday's column ("Sarah Palin's negatives grow").

There is no "smear" in informing the people of documented associations that would be construed as outrageous if they were on the other side. The media downplay this, so someone has to bring it up. I would hope John-Hall reiterates to her daughter what all good mothers and grandmothers taught us: that you are known by the company you keep.

Stephen Hanover
Parker Ford

Terminal discomfort

During the past two years, I have become a frequent SEPTA rider, often returning after working hours to Bucks County from Center City via the Market/Frankford El and Route 14 bus. But arrive at Frankford Terminal after 8 p.m. and you will find the public restrooms closed. A custodian told me this was due to problems relating to "street people" congregating in the area.

This situation is unacceptable. The terminal is the largest bus-transportation hub in the region, with routes operating 24 hours a day. The number of riders in the late evening is substantial. Waiting times between connections can easily be 20 to 30 minutes during these hours.

Public restrooms are an essential service for customers, as important as adequate lighting and safety. SEPTA needs to correct this situation immediately if it is truly seeking to enhance services, as it claims.

Michael Olszewski
Levittown
olszewski.michael@gmail.com

Change Congress

There has been much emphasis on "change" this election year, and the executive branch will change regardless of who wins the presidential election. But that will do us no good if we retain this incompetent Congress, which could not resist adding a ton of pork to the bailout bill while claiming to help the American people.

So, I suggest we throw out every incumbent in Congress. Vote for a third party, an independent, or hold your nose and vote for "the other party." There's a war on in Washington, and we, the American people, are the collateral damage.

Richard Holstein
West Chester

Too late

Some politicians are claiming that drilling for oil in coastal waters would be the solution to our energy problems. They speak as if oil will begin gushing next Wednesday. In reality, no benefit will be evident for at least 10 years. Consider offshore rigs, needed to both explore and drill for oil. They rent for $500,000 to $1 million a day. They are in short supply and almost all are now under lease. It takes up to three years to build one. Our legislators missed the boat 20 years ago. That's when they should have been seeking energy alternatives, instead of cozying up with oil interests.

Martin H. Gingold
Warwick

Meltdown blame

Before we start the next round of political parties blaming each other for the economic meltdown, I'd argue that it was the excessive influence corporations exercise on our government - not ideology - that was the real cause of the crisis.

Diane Strano
Secane

Ethics mess

Re: "Ready-made mess," editorial, Wednesday:

The lack of leadership by Mayor Nutter is stunning. Latrice Bryant should be fired and Councilman Wilson Goode Jr. should resign. Or should we just wink at their behavior and avoid confrontation in true Philadelphia style?

The creation of an ethics panel will probably be another joke on the gullible public. We don't need a new ethics panel - we need those in city government to practice good behavior. It's that simple.

Don Koestler
Philadelphia