Letters to the Editor | Aug. 4, 2023

Over the last six years, I have followed the rising tide of gun crime in Philadelphia, watching criminals flourish where they see opportunity. Right now, they see opportunity in Philadelphia. Inevitably, that crime spills into other municipalities. Recently, a Philadelphia man was charged with the murder of a South Jersey resident in a brutal slaying committed in broad daylight in Camden. In a brazen act of mayhem, he stepped out of his vehicle and executed another man at one of the city’s busiest intersections. We will not accept the lawlessness that has been on display at times in Philadelphia, where a contingent continues to call for defunding the police.

In Camden County, we have invested in law enforcement and salute and support our men and women in public safety. As evidenced in the mayoral primary election, the people of Philadelphia are fed up with crime and are demanding change. The Inquirer Editorial Board has taken issue with me and others because I spoke out and gave a voice to a victim of gun violence in our region. The board did not like the words I used, but I believed then, as I do now, that they were salient and continue to be relevant. Columnist Helen Ubiñas and the board miss the fact that while we’ve watched the rise in gun crime in Philadelphia, Camden City has been on the opposite trajectory. As of today, homicides are down more than 74% since 2012, and we’ve managed to bring down violent crime by almost 50%.

The board’s recommendation for Philadelphia to reach out has been done many times in the past. We’ve hosted Council President Darrell L. Clarke and a group of councilmembers on three different occasions; the latest meeting took place in 2022. We have worked with members of the Philadelphia governing body to show them how we do things and what initiatives and programs have been beneficial for us in Camden City. The one thing I know, without a shadow of a doubt, is that as a community, when we work together, we are stronger, and regional crime does not adhere to borders.

Louis Cappelli Jr., Camden County commissioner director

How ridiculous is it that there are no laws in place preventing anyone indicted or convicted or even serving jail time from running as president and winning the presidency? If the roles were reversed, you best believe the Republicans would be ramrodding legislation preventing a Democratic candidate in Donald Trump’s shoes from being a presidential contender. What are the Democrats waiting for?

K. Mayes, Philadelphia

. . .

Donald Trump will probably win the GOP presidential nomination, but the convention will be a doozy, with no party platform other than rant and rage. How many Republicans will stay away? Trump’s campaign is clear: He will claim that he won in 2020 and will win in 2024 unless the election is rigged again. If elected, he will wreak retaliatory havoc on the federal government and install sycophants in his cabinet as acting secretaries to avoid Senate confirmation.

His first presidential act will be to try to pardon himself for all the crimes he will likely be convicted of. He will order the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute his political opponents. He will withdraw from NATO and kill support for Ukraine. After that, it will be an open schedule with lots of TV time. Will Melania stay in Florida? If there is any sanity left among a majority of voters in this country, Trump will not come close to winning the general election, and there will be a backlash against Republican candidates for office who support him. One can only hope. Fingers crossed.

George Magakis Jr., Norristown

The recent op-ed on medical debt was informative and frightening. While I do not favor pitting one class of debtors against another, i.e., student loan borrowers vs. medical debtors, I do believe that medical debt needs public attention. Medical debt, like other debt, can have a disastrous effect on a person’s life. A judgment based on the debt can result in home foreclosure, garnished wages, and other terrible outcomes. I have seen neighbors and coworkers suffer these consequences. Do not think that a kindly physician or a seemingly caring hospital will not sell off their claim to a third party, who will stop at nothing to collect the money. Thanks to the writer for shedding light on this problem and abuse.

Mike Carroll, Philadelphia

Becky Corbin’s recent op-ed on why Pennsylvania should lead on liquefied natural gas exports states that she is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, served on the Environmental Resources Committee, and has a background in chemistry. It does not, however, state who is funding her now. I find this very frightening.

Norma Van Dyke, Philadelphia

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Becky Corbin’s op-ed says nothing about the risks involved in putting a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on our riverfront. But a rupture in a tanker or a pipeline taking the LNG to dockside could cause a huge explosion. Never happen? Tell that to the people in Freeport, Texas, where last year a rupture in an LNG pipeline caused an explosion and fire. It’s not just the risk of a rupture. Natural gas use, while less toxic than coal and oil, is still a fossil fuel that gives off methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. Corbin claims that having an LNG terminal would bring thousands of jobs with it. That was the argument in favor of having Covanta’s trash incinerators in Chester. Turns out, however, that most of those jobs have gone to people living elsewhere. An LNG terminal in our midst is a problem Chester doesn’t need. We’ve got better uses for our riverfront, thank you.

Will Richan, Chester

Central Bucks School District Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh deserves a 40% raise? After his district was cited by the American Civil Liberties Union for creating a hostile environment for LGBTQ students? After the district paid more than a million dollars for a report that said this was untrue? After it banned books and suspended a teacher who advocated on behalf of LGBTQ students who were being harassed? In voting for this raise, the school board cited Lucabaugh’s “clear educational vision.” Someone needs their eyes checked.

Jean Burke, Havertown

I keep reading in the press that the Knesset judicial reform law was passed by the smallest possible vote. Not true. There are 120 members in the Israeli parliament. The smallest majority would have been 61. However, the reform passed 64 to zero. Why? All members of the opposition walked out and refused to vote. Had they chosen to vote, the reform would have passed 64 to 56. I suspect the opposition walked out because that vote would have signified the defeat they did not want to face. Rather than accept their loss, they continue to support the undemocratic demonstrations in the streets. As for the press, let go of the distortions and get the numbers right.

Katryn Aslanian, Philadelphia

Pennsylvania has joined 11 Northeastern states, from Virginia to Maine, in the cooperative cap-and-invest agreement known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The state stands to gain $930 million in federal green energy funding as well as an estimated economic benefit of nearly $2 billion and 30,000 jobs. Data from several institutions, including Synapse Energy Economics, show that participation in RGGI would decrease residential electricity bills while helping to cut the state’s carbon emissions. A report by the Arcadia Center confirms the economic benefits enjoyed by other states resulting from their participation in RGGI. Unfortunately, the fossil fuel industry and Republican lawmakers have hung up its implementation in the courts. It’s time for Pennsylvania to realize the economic gains seen by the other Northeastern states. Pennsylvania lawmakers need to put their constituents ahead of Big Oil and expedite the state’s entrance into RGGI.

Blake Wells, Yardley

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