Letters: Clarke: Article was not in good faith

AS Philadelphia's new Council President, I'd hoped to begin the year developing an honest working relationship with the media. I am sorry to learn this good-faith effort was not met in kind by your paper.

In a recent profile, "Shedding light on Council President Darrell Clarke," staff writers Jan Ransom and David Gambacorta reported that I was a "single father" who raised my daughter, Nicole, alone. Had they bothered to run this information by me, they would have learned that Nicole was loved and raised by both parents. They also incorrectly reported the name of Nicole's mother.

While our family might be considered nontraditional by some, Glorious and I raised Nicole in a loving, nurturing environment. Glorious is a wonderful woman and mother who established core moral values in our daughter. Your reporters, citing a secondary source, implied that Glorious was an absentee mother - which not only is patently false but deeply hurtful to our family.

I am happy to report that Nicole today is a medical doctor and a loving mother herself. I would hope that the true story of our family is an example to the thousands of single parents and nontraditional families in the city of Philadelphia.

I agreed to an interview with your reporter Ms. Ransom for this profile. Not once did she attempt to verify what she was told about my family. As a result, your paper published an incomplete and hurtful portrait of Glorious' role in our daughter's life.

Next time, please try to verify facts with the principal source. I still hope to have a good working relationship with your paper, but your reporters must meet me halfway.

Darrell Clarke

City Council president

Fail on 'failed'

In a recent article, reporter Chris Brennan referred to congressional candidate John Featherman as "failed mayoral candidate John Featherman." Featherman was not the ultimate GOP mayoral nominee, so Brennan's reference is technically accurate. But though technically accurate, Brennan's reference is grossly misleading.

Would you call a mayoral candidate who took on the well-entrenched Republican machine and lost to the machine's puppet candidate by very few votes "failed"? Does the Daily News not appreciate an underdog man-of-the-people running against the GOP machine and almost pulling off a huge upset victory? Featherman was not the successful nominee, but he succeeded in shaking up the party, which is really what his campaign was about.

There was never a question that the eventual GOP nominee would ultimately lose to Michael Nutter. So, while technically correct, the general slant of Brennan's writing provides inaccurate information to Daily News readers.

But at least he provides full support and protection to the GOP machine.

See reporter's response on PhillyClout.

Jeff Block

Philadelphia

Respect for McGeehans

Wow! My heart skipped a beat for the McGeehan clan. The motto "Never, ever give up" comes to mind. It makes me feel so good that they would not let their beloved brother stay in that water. It was an unfortunate accident, but the dad had a premonition like most of us parents do. It is a gut feeling that he could not ignore.

How wonderful that the family showed up every day, waited by the water and did all they could do to get their loved one's body retrieved. What a wonderful story of true family bonding and true family love.

Thank you, Ronnie Polaneczky, for writing a touching tribute to a family who only wanted to put their beloved family member to rest. I am sure now that "Babe" is now resting in peace and the family, too, has the comfort of knowing he is.

Ajay Jones

Philadelphia

Fast food, slow parents

In my humble, unbiased opinion, fast-food restaurants should not be blamed for the alarming increase in childhood obesity. Parents rightly deserve the blame laid upon them, for allowing their children to eat themselves into obesity. This is judgment time, parents; your children need you.

Fast-food restaurants, with their enticing commercials and greasy varieties of foods, are the target of blame from parents everywhere. Parents attempt to take out their frustration on fast-food restaurants, because they allowed their children to overeat. In all fairness, fast-food restaurants have added healthy foods to their menus, in an attempt to balance out their food. Instead of encouraging them to eat healthy, parents allow their children to gorge on unhealthy food all day, every day.

Parents are guilty of allowing and encouraging their children to overeat. Fast-food restaurants should not be blamed. But that's just my opinion.

Jason Robbins

Philadelphia

Carrier pigeons

The Navy has 13 aircraft carriers in operation. The war in Iraq is over, Afghanistan will soon follow and nothing is on the horizon that could be considered. We simply do not need 13 aircraft carriers. It is an egregious waste of taxpayers' money to operate 13 carriers merely to keep the unemployment rate from escalating. Small wonder we cannot win wars when the enemy is ourselves.

Ephraim Levin

Philadelphia