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Published: Sep 24, 2008

Driving Change

God Bless Mr. Ron Blount and all of the taxicab driver's in Philadelphia [Cover Story, "The Driver," Isaiah Thompson, Sept. 18, 2008]. They are not alone. All across the country, driver associations and unions are forming. Mr. Blount has advised and consulted many of them. He is a true leader. The drivers in Philly have had a ripple effect that can't be stopped. United they bargain — divided they beg.

Jim Szekely Sr.
International Taxi Driver's Safety Council
West Virginia

Denise Ellis, a teacher in the Philly School District, says her three children succeeded in the Philly School District and went on to professions such as law [Feedback, "School Daze," Sept. 18, 2008]. Wow. I guess that means that the Philly schools are doing a fine job. Parents should now feel comfortable to send their children to the Philly public schools. I guess that means that all the charter and parochial schools will close up because Denise Ellis' kids are successful ... and got a good Philly public school education.

She takes umbrage to Ms. Amy Quinn's reference to the 20 out of 270 "persistently dangerous schools." Knifings, attacks on teachers, rapes, constant disruption ... no big deal. At least 250 of the Philly schools are doing a fine job.

With a 50 percent dropout rate, the district will need more defenders like Denise Ellis for the public to even think of sending their children to one of the 250 schools that didn't make it on the Pennsylvania Department of Education list. I would suggest that Ms. Ellis enter a neighborhood school — not a Masterman or Central High School — but a neighborhood school; may I suggest Simon Gratz or Germantown, and see what conditions are like.

I say, let parents decide which school is best for their children: Give Philly parents vouchers.

Jan Sklaroff
Philadelphia

It is the job of our government to make sure things run smoothly [responding to an online post about Slant, "Time to McPanic?" David Faris, Sept. 11, 2008]. It is the job of Congress and the president to intelligently and selectively poke, prod, push and block the forces of the free market. So, yeah, the Republican Party is not entirely responsible for the [financial] mess we're in, but if they weren't busy doing whatever they've been doing for the past eight years, they could have done their job and prevented this mess. But no, the Republican ideals are less government, less oversight, less intervention. These are the consequences. Live it up, right-wing nutjobs — this is your dream manifested.

And, of course, it's not just the Republican Party — it's all of our leaders. No one has the balls anymore to step up and do something for fear that it won't work and then they'll be responsible. Prime example? The government cake that came in the mail months ago. The press release of what it was? "We believe in your ability to do the right thing with your money, so here you go." Reality? "We have no idea how to fix shit, so we'll give you the money, and if this doesn't fix shit, it isn't our fault. We gave you the money." So instead of investing in things like infrastructure, which everyone agrees this country desperately needs, and which time and time again has proven to stimulate a country, these little piddly sums of money went out to taxpayers pockets and right into Big Oil, the credit card companies or whatever. Not your crumbling highway or your city's ancient water infrastructure. A complete farce executed by a bunch of wimpy gutless pricks that are scared as shit to do anything monumental with their power.

The past eight years have taught us that ideologues with power are incredibly dangerous, while at the same time lazy unimaginative careerist fucks are equally unhealthy.

Martilias S. Farrell
Via citypaper.net

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