Letters: To Pennsylvania Gov. Corbett: College, not prison, is the way to go
AS A RECOVERING career criminal, I no longer choose a life of crime. And as a mentor to troubled youth, I let them know that the difference between spending your life in a jail cell or on a college campus (or in a reputable profession) is one bad decision. I encourage the youth with alternatives to a criminal lifestyle and prison by first thinking about the benefits and consequences of their actions before they act, and seeking a college education, or at least some type of vocation.
AS A RECOVERING career criminal, I no longer choose a life of crime. And as a mentor to troubled youth, I let them know that the difference between spending your life in a jail cell or on a college campus (or in a reputable profession) is one bad decision. I encourage the youth with alternatives to a criminal lifestyle and prison by first thinking about the benefits and consequences of their actions before they act, and seeking a college education, or at least some type of vocation.
So why is the governor encouraging the youth of Pennsylvania with his 50 percent cut in state support for higher education? I foresee an immense increase in the prison population as a result of the drastic decrease in college enrollment.
I'd rather my tax dollars be spent on a child's education than on an inmate's incarceration and the building of prisons. Gov. Corbett, I implore you to educate before you opt to incarcerate.
Baxter "Bashir" White
Mercer (Pa.) State Prison
Our state's in a crisis, and the governor is handpicking his tax cuts. To hell with medical marijuana! I want some of the dope this guy's using!
Jim Lynch, Langhorne
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Voice of experience
Re Andrew Tull's letter:
You waited a week to hear a response to Marc Lamont Hill's "blatantly racist" column and you read a "wonderful" response by Police Officer William Giulian? What did you read that was so wonderful? The name-calling?
You told Hill that if he didn't want to be pulled over, don't stop to let his friend out, especially in a known drug neighborhood? What do you know of Logan, Mr. Tull? Other than what you may hear or read in a newspaper.
You live in Glenside, and from what I know, the Abington police tend to be a little more professional, and, yes, I do know because I live in Roslyn, but I am from Logan and do know what Hill is talking about.
Ever been patted down for sitting on the steps in front of YOUR house, Mr. Tull? I have. You people kill me with your the-police-can-do-no-wrong attitudes. Yes, there are a lot of good officers out there, and I'm thankful for them, but you also have some that are nothing more than thugs with guns and badges.
Wake up. WE voted for an African-American mayor. And the African- American president YOU voted for, I'm not impressed. By the way, I'm African-American.
Michael A. Graves, Roslyn
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Despite errors, DUI fight goes on
AAA credits the Philadelphia Police Department for admitting that human error had compromised more than 1,100 DUI cases due to improper Breathalyzer readings. We sympathize with innocent drivers who may have been cited, but are concerned over the prospect that guilty parties may escape the law.
Every day, alcohol-related accidents account for one death and 35 injuries on state highways, according to state statistics. In fact, alcohol consistently plays a role in more than a third of all highway deaths in the state, and in Philadelphia accounted for 34 fatalities in 2009.
Rick Remington, Manager
Philadelphia Public & Government Affairs
AAA Mid-Atlantic