Letters to the Editor | Nov. 13, 2025

How on earth could The Inquirer publish a long analysis titled, “Why did Jack Ciattarelli do so much worse than everyone expected?” and not once mention the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids terrorizing immigrants and their communities throughout the country? New Jersey is a state of immigrants — more than 24% of the state’s population is immigrants. Maybe those who have become citizens and their citizen family members and neighbors don’t like masked thugs snatching people off the streets, dragging them from cars, terrorizing them in front of their children. Maybe they’re appalled by a national regime (one wholeheartedly endorsed by the GOP gubernatorial candidate) going to the U.S. Supreme Court to get permission to abduct people just because they’re brown or they’re speaking Spanish. Surely these are massively energizing issues for many Jersey residents of all ethnicities and political persuasions.

Sarah Browning, Philadelphia

As Lydia Kulina-Washburn wrote in her recent op-ed, there is definitely a need for transparency on how the beverage tax is being spent.

We should all know the answers to these questions: How much tax was raised each year, and how much was spent on the three intended purposes — PHLpreK, the Community Schools program, and the Rebuild initiative? How much “left over” was just being sent to the general fund for discretionary spending. Did the city keep track of how “extra” was being spent?

Year by year, how many children were in the PHLpreK program? How many schools were involved?

In the past, the Kenney administration just didn’t want to provide this basic information, so it’s no wonder these questions persist.

Tom Elsasser, Philadelphia, elsasser64@aol.com

The Trump administration has a soft spot for racists, antisemites, felons, and sexual predators.

Racism is prevalent as President Donald Trump tries to erase the history of slavery, because it offends his white MAGA supporters. Any specific mention of Black people’s contribution to America is being censored. As far as Trump is concerned, white, heterosexual male is the default position in American politics, and their racial grievances should be given top priority.

Antisemitism is prevalent in the 2,900 pages of texts exchanged by Young Republicans that were reported on by Politico. Those bigoted views were representative of the party and not some kids posting edgy comments, as Vice President JD Vance claims. Trump also wants to grant refugee status to white South Africans, and is considering an asylum request by a German neo-Nazi. And then there is Trump’s dinner with Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. And, of course, the Tucker Carlson interview with Fuentes that was condoned by the president of the Heritage Foundation.

It is clear that Republican felons are getting in line and requesting pardons and commutations from Trump and are succeeding. Don’t forget the 1,200 felons he pardoned that were rioters on Jan. 6, 2021.

There’s more: the Epstein files that Trump won’t release, Mike Johnson’s refusal to swear in an elected Arizona representative, and the very likely commutation of Ghislaine Maxwell’s sentence.

Republicans who try to distance themselves from these egregious acts may struggle to put any daylight between themselves and the leader of the party.

George Magakis Jr., Norristown

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