Letters - March 4

ISSUE | PA. BUDGET

Tax hike, honestly

The last thing homeowners need is the hand of some left-wing Harrisburg bureaucrat on an unconstrained stealth-tax switch - also known as real estate reassessment - so that other people's bills can get paid ("Pa. is in dire need of property-tax reform," Feb. 26).

If more revenue is needed - and there are legitimate needs - then get it via an income-tax hike that is clearly visible to voters and will not drive some to sell their houses, likely at a reduced price.

|Frank Lynch, Exton

ISSUE | CHARTERS

Not so appealing

Barely 30 days after serving as spokesman in the Corbett-era Department of Education, Tim Eller has landed as head of an advocacy group that will be working to influence Eller's former colleagues on the state Charter Appeal Board.

Eller's new employer is committed to "excellence and accountability" for charters, but Eller's statements belie this mission. While acknowledging that he hadn't read the School District reports on 34 proposed charters that were denied by the School Reform Commission, Eller urged all unsuccessful applicants to appeal.

Were Eller truly concerned with charter school quality, he would be advocating commonsense reforms and additional oversight capacity for the state and School District.

|Debra Weiner, Quakertown

ISSUE | FORFEITURE

Takings shouldn't benefit the takers

I'm with District Attorney Seth Williams in favor of keeping Pennsylvania's civil forfeiture laws, but I'm against allowing forfeited property to fund prosecutors' offices or law enforcement agencies involved in forfeiture actions ("City must keep forfeiture laws," March 1). It creates a takers-keepers conflict of interest.

If forfeited property instead went to the School District or some third party not involved in decision-making regarding forfeiture, the conflict would be minimized or eliminated. Williams can serve justice by advocating a fair and efficient amendment of forfeiture law. Improve it to keep it.

|Don DeMarco, Philadelphia, Donald.demarco@verizon.net

ISSUE | NOTRE DAME'S HESBURGH

Towering achievements worthy of note

My father, Harris Wofford, served as general counsel to Father Theodore Hesburgh on the first U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in the late 1950s. So it was particularly disappointing that the Hesburgh obituary barely captured his vast contributions to human and civil rights, religion, and higher education ("Theodore Hesburgh of Notre Dame," Feb. 28).

It's also a shame that Father Ted died during the same news cycle as Leonard Nimoy - a gifted man whose Star Trek character became iconic. When a figure of popular culture pushes a giant like Hesburgh - a go-to man for presidents and popes - off the front pages, it is a sad day. Perhaps the penalty for living during a time when social media and the 24/7 news cycle clutter our vision is that even great newspapers lose sight of the qualities and accomplishments that are so deserving of national reverence.

|Daniel Wofford, Malvern, dwofford@comcast.net

ISSUE | PHILADELPHIA GAS WORKS

Press 1 for Spanish, city gas customers?

As a Philadelphia Gas Works retiree, I was concerned about the possible sale last year to UIL Holdings Corp. ("Spanish energy company buys UIL," Feb. 27). Now a Spanish utility is buying UIL to expand and offset falling profits at home. This is reminiscent of the possible entry into the region's power grid of Enron, which later went bankrupt.

We are fortunate that the PGW sale did not go through. With proper management, PGW will continue to improve and be an asset.

|Rochelle Hassis, Cinnaminson

ISSUE | CRAIG LABAN'S REVIEWS

Helpful advice in a great restaurant town

I've lost track of how many times I've reached a decision on a restaurant, one way or the other, based on Craig LaBan's reviews ("Fed up with negative eatery reviews," Feb. 25).

|John W. Jones, Solebury

ISSUE | EXERCISE

Sidestep the pain in pursuit of the gain

Affecting far more people than just musicians, exercise holds hidden dangers for virtually everyone if practiced improperly ("Exercising from a new score," March 1). The problem lies in perception: Most of us cannot imagine an activity that carries so many benefits can actually be a threat.

This is especially true as we age. As noted, you don't need to be a 65-year-old baby boomer to hurt yourself. Even a 26-year-old millennial can do so. Unfortunately, most who exercise don't have access to personal trainers or professional therapists to guide our exercise routines, as are provided to the artists of Juilliard and Curtis and to professional athletes. (And when I bought an expensive treadmill, the salesperson never mentioned the possibility of injury.)

In my book Exercise Will Hurt You, I go into detail about the injuries associated with everyday exercise and sports. I explain the mechanism of injury and, importantly, what can be done to avoid or mitigate injuries.

|Steven J. Barrer, M.D., director, Neurosciences Institute, Abington Memorial Hospital, Huntingdon Valley, sjbarrer@gmail.com