Letters: Two explanations why the Eagles 'stink so bad'

DEAR CITIZENS OF PHILADELPHIA:

I owe you an apology.

As a recent newspaper story reported, my family failed to pay our real-estate tax bills on time. Because my husband, Michael Masch, is the chief financial officer of the Philadelphia School District, this failure received special attention.

I know that our family's failure to pay our taxes on time is inexcusable. I know that every citizen needs to pay his or her fair share to support the public services that promote the common good.

I have lived in Philadelphia my entire life and never, ever have I neglected to pay my taxes, until now.

I feel terrible about this. But what makes me feel even worse is knowing that some of you are going to blame Michael for my mistake. I want the public to understand that I am the one who takes care of all the bills and the mail in our household. I am the one who got overwhelmed and didn't realize that I failed to get this done. Michael did not know. If he had, he would have acted immediately to get our taxes paid, in full and with all penalties and interest - which is exactly what he did once he found out what had happened.

This mistake was mine, not his. In all his years of public service, Michael has never compromised his ethics or his professionalism. Throughout his career, Michael has worked so hard, often to the detriment of his own personal health and well-being, to serve the public and try to make our government more accountable, more efficient and more effective. That's what I admire and love most about my husband. He has a positive, can-do attitude about almost everything, including government. He believes - despite a challenging economic environment and a cynical, distrusting world - that government and the bureaucracy that goes along with it can promote honesty, improve critical public services, reduce waste and inefficiency, and make our society a better place.

I truly am sorry that I failed my responsibility as a citizen. And I am devastated that I violated Michael's trust in me.

In this season of good will, I hope I can have an opportunity to make amends to him and to you, my neighbors and fellow Philadelphians.

Rachel Falkove

Philadelphia