Letters | HEY, DAILY NEWS, NUTTER'S NOT MAYOR. . .YET

RE YOUR recent front-page picture and article on the mayor's race (

"Taubenberger's Long Shot," June 9

):

Nothing is more important for the future of the city than the election of the man who will be running it for the next four years. Issues like our murder rate, homelessness, unemployment, education, our relationship with Harrisburg and jobs for our youth are critical issues that need to be addressed.

You have basically crowned Mr. Nutter as the next mayor (which you did early in the Democratic primary season with another candidate and were wrong) and managed to take a cheap shot at one of the most dedicated, professional and just plain nice guys you could ever meet - Al Taubenberger.

Your staff should be as dedicated to this city as Al is, and from what I can tell about Mr. Nutter, I'm sure he wouldn't agree with your article.

You even used the front page for this on a day when hundreds of Philadelphians were put out of work by the budget situation, which received a small box at the bottom of the page.

Reese Hartey, Philadelphia

Surely I'm not alone in thinking that the piece belittling Republican mayoral nominee Al Taubenberger was one of the most pathetic examples of non-news propaganda the Daily News has ever published.

I happen to like Michael Nutter. But he's not the mayor. And he's not the mayor-elect. He's the Democratic nominee. The article's attempt to crown him now reduces the paper's credibility as a nonpartisan, independent source of news. Certainly, demeaning Mr. Taubenberger by calling him "little more than a place-holder, a formality for Nutter to pass by" diminishes the writer's integrity as a fair political reporter.

Instead of a "feel-good" piece about Mr. Nutter, you, Lucey, should produce an article that discusses the mayoral candidates' competing ideas for turning this into a world-class city.

John Featherman, Republican Nominee

Clerk of Quarter Sessions

Philadelphia

Great performance, Phillies!

Watching the Phillies hustle to help the Rockies ground crew when they were out there was the highlight of a great sports weekend.

After golf, tennis and baseball, nothing will stay with me longer than the memory of watching Philadelphia's players help the Coors Field ground crew at a fairly dangerous time in the storm.

The ground crew was in serious trouble, but the Phillies players and coaches never hesitated to rush onto the field and help out guys who could have been injured in that situation.

Philadelphians should be extra proud of their team, and the Phillies have a new fan in the Rocky Mountains! Actually, I'm sure they have a lot of new fans in the region these days.

Jim Hadley, Colorado Springs, Colo.