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Published: Aug 18, 2010

SHOCK COMING

This seems shortsighted to me [Cover Story, "Khyber! Last Show Ever!" Brian Howard, July 29]. Yes, they aren't pulling the numbers they used to, but do you really want to compete with "hip food and drink" in Old City? Actual "hip Philadelphians" aren't spending much time doing that in Old City either, are they? They're going to places like Johnny Brenda's for that, too. The majority of the people drawn to that section of Old City are from out of town looking to spend some time being "urban" in Philadelphia, and they're willing to spend money in the Continental to do it. Philadelphians go to Old City for things like First Friday or Khyber shows, and we're the people who don't mind a dirty-looking bar. If the Khyber thinks people who come in from out of town to spend money on food and drink are going to do it in the Khyber, and pee in the Khyber's bathrooms, they have a shock coming. That is, of course, unless they spend money to do some serious renovation, which I can't see.

Jessica
VERY SAD

Sucks that guido nerds in tinfoil-covered Affliction shirts ruined Old City. As someone who's literally been there at least five days a week for the past five years I'm very, very sad.

Kristy Evans
SOCIAL JUSTICE

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Thank you for this article [Cover Story, "Idealists for Hire," Isaiah Thompson, Aug. 12]. I have talked to numerous canvassers to tease out GCI's role, practices and profits in the fundraising business. I am troubled by the lack of transparency: If nonprofits must report their fundraising costs, how can CGI hide that information from their beneficiary nonprofits? After giving this issue a great deal of thought, I have decided this system of exploitation is not advancing social change. A labor organizer who is on the front lines of the union struggle is considered part of the labor movement. Whereas canvassers who give so much physically and emotionally are shut out of the movements they serve. I know past unionization efforts of canvassers have failed, but these young people are workers and deserve fair treatment. That, in itself, is social justice.

Caroline Leopold

Comments

What happened to the crossword? Am I crazy or has it been the same crossword for the last couple weeks? Is it going to change any time soon?
by liza on August 19th 2010 2:22 PM

Free the City Hall 2!

I am writing about the case of Diop Olugbala (Wali Rahman) who is facing trial on false charges of assault from a confrontation with police in Philadelphia City Hall on Thursday, March 19th 2009.

I was present in City Council Chambers at the time, and witnessed how Diop and Shabaka Mnombatha were singled out for brutal physical attack by the police, even as members of many other organizations, who held signs and spoke out against the mayor's budget plan were not similarly targeted

Diop was protesting the 1 billion dollars in the city's budget for police and prisons when what is needed is economic development controlled by the African community themselves, to create job opportunities, decent housing, health care and education. What he provided was a vision for a sustainable, positive future for the black community in Philadelphia. It was his bold advocacy for the rights of African people that made him a target; the real crime is the daily attack by the city of Philadelphia on the African community and on it's representatives like Diop Olugbala.

This is a case vital to the interests of all progressive, freedom loving people in Philadelphia, and I hope you can focus some attention on it.

Drop the false charges.. Reparations to Diop and the African community of Philadelphia. Economic development, not police and prisons.

Pete Yaroschuk
San Francisco, CA
by Pete Yaroschuk on August 23rd 2010 2:20 PM



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