Letters to the Editor

What You Say

How to Keep Your Home

You have done an excellent job in pointing out the [foreclosure] problem as well as the unfortunate circumstances surrounding it [Cover, "Betting the House," Ted Hesson, Oct. 11, 2007]. However, I rarely read any solutions presentedto homeowners. There are more than 25 housing counseling agencies in Philadelphia to assist homeowners who are about to lose their home. Furthermore, the state requires all lenders doing business in Pennsylvania to send mortgagors who are 90 days in default on their mortgages an ACT 91 Notice; it gives the homeowner 30 days to see one of the agencies on the list provided to them and seek assistance to get their mortgage caught up. Homeowners may qualify for up to $60,000 in back payments — no credit score or income requirement. However, very few homeowners take that step. We want to help as many homeowners as possible to obtain their house right and keep it safely. We are organizing an event on Oct. 19in order to make people aware of the options available to them.

Jean W. Lans
Housing coordinator, United Communities Southeast Philadelphia

A property owner of Port Richmond and a business owner of South Philadelphia came into the office this morning with [City Paper, "Cityguide: 2007-2008"]. As residents of Port Richmond, we find it very disturbing that the article and photo is supposed to encourage people to visit and live here in Port Richmond. We do not live like this! You mention Tacconelli's Pizzeria, so why not take a photo of that area? It is clean and well-kept, not like the photo you published.

Lynn Adair
District aide, State Rep. John J. Taylor

As a loyal reader and someone who also decided to place an ad in the "City Guide," I am sending an e-mail to express my disappointment about a poorly written and misguided account about my neighborhood, Northern Liberties. The overall content is outdated. Your editorial department has misinformed the public about our neighborhood. Given that this is our City Paper, our standards are high and we expect an updated andthorough account ofwhat's going on in Philadelphia. Who in their right mind would come and visit Northern Liberties when your magazine lists that it has the highest crime/theft rate in the city? This is a serious comment?Other people would beg to differ. As an active member of this thriving community, I was quite offended by this statement.

Why not point out the positives — perhaps how high Forbes recently ranked this neighborhood? At a time when we the people who live here in Northern Libertiesare making such a concerted effort to create and maintain a new and upcoming area (and might I add, we are a great community), to receive such a write-up in your paper was appalling tosay the least. This is a true letdown by a paper that so many rely on;it was factually wrong, unfair and, simply put, unprofessionally done.

Oron S. Daskal
Spare Time Inc./North Bowl Philly

As a lifelong resident, I want you to know Strawberry Mansion is a welcoming community; however, we are not stupid and know when someone is being propped up [Loose Canon, "Phone Home," Bruce Schimmel, Oct. 4, 2007]! I was among the first to welcome Haile [Johnson] and Tatiana [Garcia-Granados] to the neighborhood, even planned tours for them and friends from University of Pennsylvania. At that time, Strawberry Mansion was considered a prototype area for NTI. We were in the midst of the planning process, and welcomed any new ideas to benefit our community. Haile, Tatiana and all of their friends were welcomed with open arms.

Per your article, all of these agencies have given funding, support or have somehow awarded these newcomers, while people who have been cleaning wherever necessary for years do it free, without any reward! Bonita Cummings, Ernest Hobbs, Mr. McCray and many others have cleaned, cut down trees, hauled all kinds of debris from the streets without one dime from the agencies that are now so eager to assist Haile and Tatiana. To add insult to injury, throughout the election, you journalists were projecting Haile as Johnny Appleseed without mentioning that he had received a no-bid contract from PHS; that was out of order.

The process should have been open and transparent from the beginning. We all know when the money runs out, the people that care about our community will be cleaning and maintaining with no money — as we have for decades. If Haile is sincere, he and his crew should continue to clean area lots even if he does not receive a contract. After all, he was able to buy equipment and supplies from the last (NoBid) contract that his organization now owns. We the people who have lived in Strawberry Mansion for decades deserve no less! If they came to this community to help build, they should get in the circle with the rest of us that use our own resources to clean, fight and do whatever is necessary — and not jump to the front of the line for the benefits, and cry to the media when they do not get their way. You journalists are not going to pull the community into some petty fight, real or perceived, against our councilperson.

Judith Robinson
Strawberry Mansion Civic Association

I applaud Hugs For Puppies who have demonstrated that silence is the enemy of justice [News, "Fowl Play," Doron Taussig, Oct. 4, 2007]. Theirs is an indomitable voice for social justice on behalf of the largest group of disenfranchised beings ever, animals. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." The animals' lives matter to them, period.

The merciless practice of subjecting innocent, powerless and feeling ducks and geese to unspeakable agony for the production of foie gras is outrageous and indefensible. It is considered one of the cruelest of farming practices. It's been said that animals are innocent sufferers in a hell of our making. This is institutional hell.

Making humane choices is the ultimate affirmation of our humanity. Reject foie gras.

Bridget W. Irons
Chestnut Hill

More on the Barnes

Re: [Online Feedback, "A: Nothing but Writing a Story Already Told Ad Nauseam," Oct. 11, 2007] If that's your answer, take two Pepto and fasten your seat belt. The story might be ad nauseam to you, but until the powers-that-be release the Barnes from their nasty jaws, it will go on ad infinitum. We refuse to give up. Why should we and why don't you get that this is a priceless David and Goliath story? The multizillions of Pew and company against a group with zip financial resources but commitment to an ideal, outrage and passion to spare. Sorry, I thought that CP would be our champion, not another whiner about the endlessness of the Barnes saga.

Evelyn Yaari

Bala Cynwyd
More on Foreclosure

As Upton Sinclair wrote in The Jungle, "In matters of business all men are to be held to account as Liars." Very true. After all, Clinton repealed the Glass-Stegal Act which was put in place after the Great Depression and Bush had the lobbyists rewrite mortgage underwriting laws. Al Capone was far fairer and more honest than the American politician. Looks like people are getting seduced all over again in the stock market while they bang the drums of War and have everyone's mind on the Iranians. It's so transparent. Live within your means, save your money and put your trust in God, not mortals!

Anonymous
Via E-mail