Onward Christian Soldier

Listen up moron, instead of bashing the Catholic clergy [Philly Blunt, "Bearing True Witness," Brian Hickey, Jan. 12, 2006], why don't you go after the crooked Jewish Rabbis or the violent Black Clergy? Oh, you cannot because you are too damn scared.

I guess you still think Mumia [Abu Jamal], O.J. [Simpson] and Rodney [King] are still innocent, you piece of inhuman garbage.

Use your real Yiddish name instead of hiding behind some Goiam term.

"Irish" Jimmy Sullivan
South Philadelphia

I find myself flummoxed by what the criteria could be for Jonathan Saidel being "out" [News, Political Notebook, "Who's In and Who's Out in '06," Mary Patel, Jan. 5, 2006]. If it's because he's no longer in office, I concede that point. Otherwise, help me out.

Saidel has stood up for the land value tax, one of the most progressive ideas for tax reform that doesn't cut revenue and helps the poorest neighborhoods. By doing so, he has defied, among others, the Zuritsky parking empire and their allies, and Sunoco—two malign forces that dominate our cash-swamped Philly political culture.

If being too cozy to the [Democratic] party means he's "out," how's he going to win a primary to clean things up? Is that not politics?

Saidel has flaws, to be sure, but [he's] in essence positive, someone who would like to know and lead all the disparate sectors of the city and seems to enjoy political life rather than being [one of] the usual resentful and guilt-ridden phonies that fill City Hall now. If that's out, show me the door.

Joshua Vincent
Via E-mail

Thank you for shedding some light on the troubled juvenile justice system in Philadelphia [Cover, "Custody Battle," Doron Taussig, Jan. 12, 2006]. My son was adjudicated delinquent in August 2004 and was scheduled to be sent to the Pines. But, the day before sentencing, his placement at Westmeade was accepted and he was kept in Philadelphia. He experienced much the same trouble with staff at this facility as Jerry Edwards did at the Pines. Home passes and his release were held over his head. We would take his laundry home and do it and bring it back and they would throw it all over when we left, doing a "search" of the "spoiled white bastard's" things. Finally, in February 2004, he was "set up" by staff, [given a] Failure to Adjust [review] and sent back to the Youth Study Center for placement in another facility.

Six to eight weeks later, I was informed that my son was being sent to Utah. I was hysterical in the courtroom and, upon further discussion with the judge, was told that the only other option was the Pines. The judge proceeded to tell me that "you don't want your son there, trust me." Don't let anyone in the system tell you the Pines is a placement they are happy with. [There, and at other facilities,] they treat these kids like dogs in this system. Even when they try so hard to allow these programs to help them and to better themselves, they have to deal with scum that they have to call their "counselors" or "monitors," who blackmail them, call them names and abuse them.

Name Withheld
Philadelphia