Letters to the Editor

What You Say

Broad Street Banter

Philadelphia has had a Democratic mayor since 1952 and this city has turned into one of the most unsafe places to live in America [Slant, "What About Broad Street?" David Faris, Oct. 9, 2008]. Its school system needs desperate help. Mr. Faris is blaming this on the Republicans; what fantasy world is he living in?

Mr. Faris, please don't use my son's death as an anecdote to your city's Democratic leadership's failure to do their job for the last 56 years.

You would be more of an asset to your friends and neighbors in Philadelphia if you would bring to light the failure of the Democrats in this city for the last 56 years.

Terry Zabel
Via citypaper.net

[In response to above letter on citypaper.net] Terry Zabel is correct. The Democrats control this city and the unions and school district are one corrupt ball of failure. The school district doesn't deserve a penny. Most parts of the city are dangerous to walk in outside of Center City and the Northeast and Manayunk.

Keep electing "See-No-Evil Nutter" who has the nerve to talk about ethics in the city and yet cannot utter the name "Wilson Goode, Jr." Nutter is a lot of talk, little walk.

Mr. Zabel: Amen, amen, amen to your comments.

Jan Sklaroff
Via citypaper.net

Editor's Note: Just so we're clear, Jan, you're saying that the public school system should be liquidated completely. Not a penny? And to your claim that the only safe places to walk in Philadelphia are Center City, Manayunk and the Northeast; have you been to the city in the last 15 years?

Steph Hayes is my personal Joe Strummer [Music, "No Problems," M.J. Fine, Oct. 9, 2008]. She tells the truth and doesn't mind if you dance while you listen. What more do you need? The line forms to the left ...

Larry Berthold
Via citypaper.net

I went to West Catholic High School for four years and I graduated in 1959. So during my four years at West I would occasionally go to Bandstand [Naked City, "The All-Spin Zone," A.D. Amorosi, Oct. 9, 2008]. The El platform was right there. I was not one of the famous crowd like "Bandstand Foley." In 1960 I joined the Army and spent 1960 to 1963 in Germany. I came home in 1963 and remember reading about the payola. The papers named a lot of people but they did not implicate Dick Clark.

In my sophomore year I was friends with a South Philly boy who hung with Danny and the Juniors. They were just a bunch of cocky greaseballs, but decent guys who hung on the corner. Fabian was a pretty boy plucked off the streets of South Philly who could not sing to save his ass. He sounded like somebody was squeezing his nuts.

George J. Walton
Upper Darby

Correction

Last week's story on a proposed casino in Chinatown [News, "It's Chinatown," Isaiah Thompson, Oct. 9, 2008] misidentified state Rep. Michael O'Brien as state Rep. Dennis O'Brien. It was Michael O'Brien who said: "It's in a process. ... I don't mean to be grossly insensitive, but certainly it's not a question of whether the casino goes into Philadelphia or not. There will be two casinos in Philadelphia." City Paper regrets the error.

Due to an error in publicity materials given to City Paper, a photo from "Future Perfect" [Arts, Mark Cofta, Oct. 9, 2008] was captioned incorrectly. The photo features Sarah Milici as Claire and Jen Jaynes as Zoey 2, not Amanda Schoonover as Rachel and Kate Brennan as Zoey as originally stated.