Letters to the Editor | Sept. 21, 2026

I will not comment on the veracity of the disputed statements that were allegedly made by Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and staff, which were scrutinized and criticized by a federal judge. I will say it is an unfortunate irony that while courts around the country are abused with baseless charges against defendants, these prominent proceedings in Pennsylvania target attempts to set aside convictions.

Referring the Krasner matter to a federal criminal justice system that has been influenced, abused, and interfered with nationwide by President Donald Trump raises serious questions and poses dangers. It could provide the opportunity for the president to strike back at a strong and prominent critic, Krasner, and, at the same time, hobble or even eliminate one local official who has the ability and the expressed intent to protect Philadelphia polling places from unlawful interference by private and government actors alike. Trump could be hard-pressed to resist a chance to abuse the federal legal process to neutralize the district attorney by bogging him down in a federal investigation, let alone an indictment.

Just as the Krasner statements have been closely scrutinized, so should the highly unusual manner that seeks to subject the DA to a sadly suspect criminal process.

Michael Carroll, Philadelphia

Artificial intelligence has not been programmed to act ethically, morally, and lawfully.

AI is computer technology that says it is “sorry” when caught making a mistake. AI programs cheat by deceiving their training systems into thinking unfinished tasks were completed successfully. And in at least one case, an AI system hacked into another AI system to steal its data.

Unless Congress acts, AI robots will become the perfect workers the corporate world wants. Besides working 24/7 without pay or complaint, they will never be whistleblowers, never prioritize acting humanely toward people, and will never refuse to obey an illegal order.

Write to your representatives with your concerns.

Joseph Mikuliak, Philadelphia

In 1670, William Penn was arrested for attending a Quaker meeting and charged with unlawful assembly under the English laws restricting the free exercise of religion. The jury refused to return a guilty verdict, and the judge locked the jurors up in the Tower of London. Penn was bound and gagged in the courtroom for telling the jury, “[M]ind your Privilege, give not away your Right!” The jury listened to Penn, did not budge, and were exonerated on appeal in the landmark Bushel’s case. Apparently, the Philadelphia Police Department doesn’t know this history. What else explains its shocking decision to send officers inside the Friends Center during a meeting of No ICE Philly? I encourage the activists of that group to continue to be courageous and remember the words of Penn: “give not away your Right!”

Joe Mariani, Philadelphia

Pennsylvania offers a sales and use tax exemption for computer data center equipment, pursuant to provisions contained in Act 25 of 2021.

This tax break allows certified owners, operators, and qualified tenants to avoid paying the state’s 6% sales tax on servers, cooling systems, routers, and other data center qualifying infrastructure.

It does not appear to me that the taxpayers of Pennsylvania need to incentivize data center developers and operators.

I understand legislation has been introduced in both chambers of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to repeal this sales and use tax break. I am calling on leadership in both chambers, and both parties, in the General Assembly to support and enact legislation repealing this unnecessary subsidy to wealthy data center developers and operators.

Joseph R. Thomas, Philadelphia

I was disappointed by the content of your Opinion page on Sept. 10, specifically Dave Whamond’s political cartoon and the editorial regarding John Fetterman, “His shiftlessness an insult.” While I, too, am disappointed in Congress and Sen. Fetterman, in particular, I take exception to the mischaracterization of how much our representatives pay for healthcare and the nature of their time off. Generally speaking, members of Congress do not receive free healthcare; they must contribute a portion of the cost, like most federal employees. Just as misleading is the idea that when not in session, members are on vacation. If the member is diligent and worthy of their office, they are attending local and community events, soliciting input from their constituents, and solving problems. Their district staff should have to hustle to keep up with them. Sadly, not all members of Congress are that diligent; some actually are hiding from their constituents.

A paper of The Inquirer’s stature has an obligation to dispel the trite urban legends of free healthcare and publicly funded vacations. Expose them with the facts and let the reputations of our representatives rise or fall accordingly. Some will shine and be elected, some will not, but those will be properly informed decisions.

Richard Arter, Somerdale

The Inquirer is performing a great public service by giving Will Bunch the first three pages of last Sunday’s Opinion section to alert readers to the immigration enforcement-related abuses now taking place under the 287(g) program. In effect, the Trump administration is bribing local law enforcement departments to do the dirty work for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As Bunch reports, hardworking immigrant families are being mercilessly torn apart by the local police in Schuylkill County, Pa.

I would like to hope the state legislature could forbid local police departments from collaborating with ICE in this state. Bunch presents abundant evidence that racial profiling is used to arrest and incarcerate people. This is sadly reminiscent of what happened in Germany during the 1930s, where local officials did the bidding of the Nazi regime. People then were rounded up and ripped away from their homes and jobs. But most Germans looked the other way and made no effort to complain about what was happening to their neighbors.

I hope patriotic members of the state legislature step up and stop allowing ICE to seduce local police departments into behaving like the Gestapo. Our state should not allow such abuses to continue.

Daniel W. Crofts, Southampton

State Rep. David Maloney should perhaps spend less time worrying about Lake Erie’s name and more time worrying about lakes and rivers within Pennsylvania, which account for about 80% of Pennsylvania recreational fishing. Most of those lakes and rivers, about 80%, are lined by the eastern hemlock tree, and it’s possible that 90% of those eastern hemlocks are infested with the hemlock woolly adelgid. This insect causes tree defoliation and death. Who cares, you ask? Well, the hemlocks shade rivers, streams, and lakes, perhaps keeping them cool enough for the brook trout to survive in their waters. Funny how everything is connected. Forget the name of Lake Erie; it’s a fine name. Spend more time trying to save the fish, rivers, lakes, and trees within Pennsylvania. Caring about the ecology of the commonwealth is good unto itself, but also, as of 2025, recreational fishing provides over 30,000 jobs and puts about $5 billion into the economy of the commonwealth.

Nancy Davis, Philadelphia

Today’s political parties are exerting too much control over our constitutional processes. Political action committees are dumping large amounts of money to influence our elections, often with extreme misinformation to drown out the voice of everyday Americans.

We, the people, must reclaim our voice. Congress is currently considering H.J.Res. 191, a constitutional amendment that would restore our ability to regulate outside spending in our elections. Reach out to your congressional representative and urge them to support this critical legislation. Exert your right to have your voice heard over the loud clamor of dark money.

Michael K. Reitz, Holland

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