Letters to the Editor | Jan. 7, 2024

Samantha Melamed’s thorough reporting on the “Crumbling City” series should be applauded. But something was missing from Melamed’s most recent piece on the dangers of subcontracting. She writes that “Construction is among the most dangerous industries in America, with more than 1,000 on-the-job fatalities last year,” but that figure is primarily the result of nonunion construction, which unfortunately accounts for the vast majority of residential construction in Philadelphia.

Union construction workers go through a rigorous, multiyear apprenticeship program where they learn the ins and outs of their trade. Because of this intensive training, union worksites are 19% less likely to have an Occupational Safety and Health Administration violation and had 34% fewer violations per OSHA inspection than nonunion worksites.

Construction doesn’t need to be such a dangerous industry — the way we allow poorly registered, unlicensed, and underinsured corporations to occupy the industry is what makes it so. The industry needs more regulation around worker safety, which some may refer to as red tape. But that “red tape” might be what’s keeping someone from falling to their death from shoddy scaffolding. In nonunion construction, cutting corners too often means injury or death — not to mention huge issues with the builds themselves. This should be unacceptable in Philadelphia.

Mindy Isser, Philadelphia, mindy.isser@gmail.com

Pennsylvania’s Republican legislators have long advanced the ability of wealthy families to send their children to religious and private schools on the taxpayer dime, and their efforts have just ballooned. In the recent state budget, these voucher programs which are disguised as “scholarships” were increased to $150 million — adding to the already $230 million being spent on these programs. Republicans like to fabricate the myth that these programs were devised to aid low-income families to escape poor schools, but a closer look at the provisions reveals the reality. A family of four with a household income of $146,600 can apply for this money. Where in our state is that considered low-income, especially in view of the fact that the median household income in Philadelphia is $57,500? These voucher programs are the dream of Republicans because they divert money from public schools, thereby weakening them, help big businesses soften or eliminate significant taxes, and make it easier for their donor-class friends to send their children to their schools of choice. It’s too bad Democrats gave in to this giveaway for a few crumbs of transparency.

Beverly Hahn, Lansdale

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