It isn't just policing, it's poverty

Missing in a letter Tuesday, "Don't blame the police for fear," were the words "poverty" and "jobs." Many youths in the inner city do not believe they will live to see age 25. Why? Because too many don't. The police are also victims in a society that has many ills and is dominated by an elite class that prefers simple answers to complex issues.

I lived in the inner city and have witnessed suburban "conservatives" turning their backs on the fact that the money in our society comes from the cities, and when the cities are not supported or maintained — and when jobs go overseas — people will do anything they can to survive. Crime lords know this and offer high returns to hopeless people.

There will always be the poor and the rich. But today, a mere 400 people on the Forbes list earn more money than half of America. That's not progressive or liberal talk. It's a fact that contributes to the largest per-capita prison population of any nation on the planet. And most of those prisoners come from the ranks of the poor.

I'm sure Tuesday's letter writer sleeps well at night after deluding himself by blaming the victims and newspapers that report the facts. But he isn't making the world a better place. He is part of the problem.

It's unfortunate that your editorial ("No need to rush red-light camera decisions," July 15) questions the benefits of red-light cameras when, plain and simple, cameras are a success at deterring dangerous red-light running, preventing serious accidents, and saving lives.

The Inquirer's own analysis found accidents had increased at most intersections monitored by cameras. But traffic offenses have actually decreased by an average of nearly 60 percent at intersections with cameras. Take Roosevelt Boulevard, which used to be known as the "kill zone." It was the site of the city's first cameras, and since the program began in 2005, there hasn't been a single fatality as a result of a T-bone crash or pedestrian strike.

In fact, according to a 2011 Philadelphia Parking Authority report, there are fewer rear-end crashes on Roosevelt Boulevard today than there were even before cameras were installed. This is proof that drivers are changing their behavior because of the cameras' presence.

It is also incorrect to call red-light cameras a revenue scheme for needy towns. In Philadelphia, after the cost of the program is paid, the revenue is sent to the state Department of Transportation for distribution among communities throughout the commonwealth.

A July 13 letter, "Government needs to do less," said "the role of government, as the founders clearly understood, is to protect individual rights — period." I've a question. Whose rights were the founders trying to protect? As far as I know, African Americans, Native Americans, the dispossessed, and women were barred from participating in the democratic process by simply denying them the right to vote.

An article Thursday, "Outsiders to help DHS with oversight," said the city Department of Human Services will contract 10 outside agencies to help with families in need. This might be a good idea, except that DHS staff will oversee the outsiders. If DHS needs more staff, it should hire them. If it wants to outsource services, that would work. But to keep the same people who have been unable to handle problems and have them supervise outside agencies is ludicrous.