Letters to the Editor | Feb. 8, 2024

I’m a lifelong Philadelphian who loves this city, and I’m very concerned about its recent decline in population. According to the 2020 Census, Philly had 1.6 million residents. In the latest official estimate, taken in 2022, that figure was 1,570,000 — a net loss of about 34,000 people, or 2.1%. That doesn’t seem like much, but if the city’s population continues to decline at the same rate, by the end of 2024, we will have lost about 67,000 residents in four years. The distressing question is, of course, why are so many people leaving?

One of the more obvious reasons is our high crime rate (although shootings in the city are thankfully down). Poverty is another. We continue to be the poorest big city in America. We need to tackle the root causes of these major factors, a daunting task. Also, the burdensome business tax structure has caused small businesses to close and prevented large companies from locating here. The limited number of available high-paying jobs has forced many Philly college grads to look for work elsewhere. Last, but certainly not least, are quality-of-life issues, such as cleaning and greening blighted neighborhoods. The new mayoral administration surely has its work cut out for it, and time will tell if Cherelle L. Parker can turn this city around. It’s a monumental responsibility.

Jack Butler, Philadelphia

The Republicans used to talk about saving taxpayers’ money. Some of them still make this claim. Well, this taxpayer is disgusted by the enormous waste of money (and time and energy) involved in the totally unjustified effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for the “crime” of carrying out the administration’s policies.

Henry Maurer, Cherry Hill

In U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick’s latest ad, he states he is leading the fight along with his party to defend the border. Where was the GOP on the border when it controlled Congress and the White House? Then there’s the fact that in his first term, President Barack Obama kicked out more immigrants who were in the country illegally than Donald Trump did. Unlike Trump, Obama was tough on immigration without kidnapping immigrant children. Fitzpatrick’s party is still listening to Trump and will not vote on any measure on immigration to protect all of us. Instead, they choose to stand by a rapist, a tax evader, and a fraud who added about $8 trillion to the national debt in one term. Time for a change. We deserve someone in Congress who helps the working and poor people, not the rich.

Jesse E. Hare, Jamison, Pa.

When are parents going to start taking accountability for parenting their children? I am disgusted watching the news and seeing all the grandstanding and finger-pointing toward social media companies from elected officials and parents. Blaming social media for “harming their children.” Most notable was an interview with a mother and her teen daughter, who had gotten nude pictures sent to her. Mom admitted to sitting together watching TV while daughter types away on her phone. Why wasn’t the mother monitoring her daughter’s online activity? It’s a parent’s responsibility to surveil their kid’s phone. There are too many monsters, hackers, and miscreants in the tech world to expect laws to control the mayhem. Step up parents, take control of your kids! Curtail their social media activity and talk with them. The monsters are no longer only under the bed.

Michele Guerin, Media

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