New meat warnings are tough to stomach

ISSUE | CITY COUNCIL

Strickland is better

for the Ninth District

I disagree with an editorial's assessment that State Rep. Cherelle Parker faces only "token opposition" for the Ninth District seat on City Council ("Best choices for Council," Wednesday). Kevin Strickland is a true grassroots candidate who reaches out to neighbors to hear their concerns. He is a leader and should be viewed as a legitimate candidate.

I saw Strickland and Parker at a community meeting a month ago. Both had their moments. But my personal perspective was that Strickland is the better candidate to represent the Ninth District with accountability and leadership. As his campaign motto says, he will put "principle over politics."

Unlike current Council members, he won't be afraid to stand up to Council President Darrell Clarke. He won't become, to use the words of the editorial, "an office plant that silently waits to be watered."

|Anthony Steele, Philadelphia

ISSUE | PA. SUPREME COURT

Process is flawed

Timothy K. Lewis properly decried a PAC-sponsored smear ad against Superior Court Judge Judy Olson ("Lawyers' ad against court candidate is disgraceful," Monday). He might have also mentioned a similarly scurrilous attack against Court of Common Pleas Judge Kevin Dougherty, in which an opposite-minded PAC misleadingly described one of the thousands of cases he has handled to imply that he is soft on crime.

Like Lewis, I am supporting Superior Court Judge Christine Donohue for state Supreme Court. However, the unfair attacks on two other good judges reflect disgracefully on the process by which judges are selected in Pennsylvania.

|John W. Morris, Philadelphia, jomosr1945@comcast.net

ISSUE | SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME

Take precautions to reduce risk of tragedy

The article on the wonderful way in which the Cohen family has chosen to turn the devastating tragedy of the death of their infant boy, Noah, into something so tremendously positive was inspiring ("Play goes on," Friday). However, the writer failed to mention that parents can take steps to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS.

Since the early 1990s, doctors have known that improving an infant's sleep environment and sleep position can significantly reduce the likelihood of sudden, unexpected death. Readers wanting details on the specific recommendations should visit the American Academy of Pediatrics' website, www.aap.org, and search for SIDS.

|Dr. Kenneth L. Wible, Phoenixville

ISSUE | PHILADELPHIA INSPECTIONS

City's rejuvenation requires safety

Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections apparently is failing to enforce new regulations and keep up with demolition and construction projects ("Nutter launches probe of L&I," Tuesday).

The city is undergoing a renaissance not seen since after World War II. For the first time since 1970, we are gaining population. Millennials are moving here in droves, and empty nesters are moving back.

For far too long, the only way to make money in real estate in this city was to buy cheap and hold on for as long as possible. Now the demand for residential and commercial space is so strong, and the rents so compelling, that the math actually works to demolish structures and build new.

This represents a tremendous opportunity to renovate and rejuvenate our city. The Department of License and Inspections needs to be efficient, smart, and safe. It cannot hinder progress, but as witnessed in the fatal building collapse on Market Street, mistakes can be deadly.

The city needs to address inadequacies in the department immediately and add qualified staff if necessary. This is an opportunity we can't afford to miss.

|Todd C. Monahan, Wayne