July 29-August 4, 2004

mailbag

Letters to the Editor

by the Readers

Growing Pains

I was struck by the irony of the message about neighborhoods growing together over a "common cause" [Cityspace, "Building Bridges," W. Kyle Gradinger, July 22, 2004]. The Chinatown community, which has been working on the viaduct problem for many years, was treated as an afterthought while planners jumped on the "fashionable" bandwagon of reuse. Just before the exercise, when some Chinatown leaders learned of it, a request was made to have the planning students meet at the offices of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. to get a fuller understanding of the views and vision of Chinatown. It was stated that there was not enough time to meet, yet there was a plan for students to meet and tour the viaduct with proponents of the park reuse. Chinatown, led by PCDC, has been heading a comprehensive planning process for a year now. The future of the viaduct has been a contentious subject because of its critical implications to the future of Chinatown. The Chinatown community has been sliced and diced by all types of government-sponsored developments. Even as it was under siege, it was resilient and improved tremendously, with little government help.

PCDC has tried to take a compromise position with neighbors in Callowhill. But some in Callowhill do not appreciate the struggle that has gone on for years to find land opportunities for growth and are unwilling to compromise. This land is our best opportunity to mitigate the effects of a quickly gentrifying area.

Andrew Toy, Board Vice President,
Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp.

Unfair, Unbalanced

There are several important reasons why WHYY is lacking funding from local Philadelphians [Cover story, "The Cost to Know WHYY," Amy L. Webb, July 8, 2004]. Many of us who are pro-Israel, pro-American foreign policy in the war on terror, for American intervention in Iran and Afghanistan, anti-U.N. duplicity and anti-Old Europe whining, are tired of and turned off by the unbalanced, left-leaning coverage. There has been an ongoing boycott of NPR and its sponsors, which won't change until its coverage of events becomes more fair and balanced, which is doubtful any time soon.

Lee Bender
Ardmore

Fools and Goblins

Gov. Ed Rendell's single-minded obsession with slots and gambling revenue [Slant, "Crapping Out," July 15, 2004] in lieu of required state funding parallels George Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy (a foolish consistency that is the hobgoblin of small minds). Both mindsets fly in the face of expected adverse economic and social ramifications. Businesses will be discouraged from relocating to Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania lottery that funds services for the elderly will experience revenue losses as the very popular slot machines take a substantial slice of the gambling pie that has only so many dollars.

A.Z. Hamburg
Philadelphia

Corrections

Last week's cover story ["Lethal Direction," Susan Phillips] stated Stanford Shmukler represented James Jones at his murder trial. Shmukler did so at Jones' post-verdict hearings; O. Robert Silverstein represented Jones at trial. The Court of Common Pleas found that Silverstein, not Shmukler, failed to adequately interview witnesses and prepare for trial.

John Timoney called to say he hasn't been in Bar Noir in more than a year. [Icepack, A.D. Amorosi, July 22, 2004].