Letters to the Editor
Wow. The writer of the letter entitled "Health-care reform threatens liberty" (Thursday) certainly drank the Kool-Aid, or, more aptly these days, the tea being spewed by the extremists in our country.
Facts, not bias, on health care
Wow. The writer of the letter entitled "Health-care reform threatens liberty" (Thursday) certainly drank the Kool-Aid, or, more aptly these days, the tea being spewed by the extremists in our country.
The writer has clearly not read the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, nor the excellent information available through multiple unbiased sources, such as AARP and other consumer-advocacy organizations.
As a primary-care nurse practitioner, I would like to remind the letter writer that many individuals have had their choice of physician, hospital, and medication limited for years by HMOs. And the uninsured - in my experience, most often the working poor - have been limited even more due to cost, seeking care only when health crises arise that could have been avoided if they had only had access to sound, preventative primary care. It is time for the rhetoric to be rebutted.
Rebecca Hilgen Bryan
Haddonfield
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Donor should be lauded for generosity
Only in the Philadelphia region do people criticize a man for donating $88 million to charity ("Hockey wins out over students," Tuesday). Terrence M. and Kim Pegula were generous enough to fund Penn State hockey in its entirety. This includes a new arena, which will generate many construction jobs in Happy Valley. It funds scholarships for 36 young men and women each year.
You may think that the money can and should be spent in a better way. That is the same arrogant attitude that many in our government have.
In our free society, Pegula was free to come from humble roots and start a successful business. He was free to sell that business for billions of dollars. Now he is free to use that money in any way he wishes. He chose to donate to a hockey program at his alma mater. I am sure he will continue to donate to good causes despite petty criticisms published in The Inquirer.
Rich Holstein
West Chester
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Use bank funds for development
I am very impressed with the job Bart Blatstein has done to revitalize the Northern Liberties neighborhood. The Piazza is a world-class public space that is an incredible contribution to Philadelphia's urban fabric ("Capital budget a developer's boon," Wednesday).
However, I believe that it is inappropriate for the state to provide funding for Blatstein's future projects. If these projects are shovel-ready and projected to be successful, Blatstein should market these projects to banks, not state government.
Instead of writing checks for handpicked, for-profit development, government should adjust tax and labor incentives to make private investment in Philadelphia a sound choice, no matter who the developer may be.
Aaron Wernick
Reading
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Children can't defend themselves
That our elected officials in Washington have trampled upon our nation's hungry children should come as no surprise ("Robbing families to feed kids?" Tuesday). Children have no voice in our electoral process, and too often, the parents of low-income children are disenfranchised as well. By raiding the food-stamp program, Washington is attempting to balance the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable families.
Sydelle Zove
Conshohocken
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Blaming all for acts of a few
A small-minded letter writer says "Damn right I am" anti-Muslim, as he blames all Muslims for the actions of a few un-Islamic terrorists, and implies that since he personally hasn't heard any apologies (for 9/11, etc.) from any Muslims, his venom toward them is justified ("Too many fear Muslim terror," Tuesday).
How would he feel if African Americans blamed all white people, living and dead, for slavery? Would he be understanding of Native Americans if they said they have a legitimate right to be antiwhite because of the near-genocide of Indians at the hands of white settlers and the U.S. government during the early years of our republic? Does he blame all Christians for the murder of abortion doctors by "Christian" fanatics? Would he approve of Jews blaming all Germans, living and dead, for the Holocaust?
There are people who form opinions from emotions and not intellect; use generalizations, innuendo, and stereotypes to describe people different from themselves; let themselves be driven by fear and ignorance; and/or use religion to justify bigotry and intolerance. I consider many of those people to be extremists, but I don't blame all of humanity for the actions of the few.
C. Theodore Lang
Wenonah
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It pays to go to college
It is increasingly trendy to argue that it's better in the long run to put tuition money into certificates of deposit or bonds than to pay for a college education. However, a new study by the College Board, "Education Pays 2010," brings facts to the table.
The study documents that college graduates earn higher wages than high school graduates. For workers older than 25, the data show that median annual earnings are $33,800 for high school graduates; $55,700 for bachelor's degree holders; and $100,000 for those with professional degrees. Bill Gates-style anecdotes about wildly successful college dropouts are colorful. And who hasn't heard the one about the Ph.D. driving a cab? But these examples are not representative and lead to inaccurate generalizations.
Richard G. DiFeliciantonio
Collegeville