Letters to the Editor | Dec. 22, 2022

Columnist Kyle Sammin is correct that union members are angry at President Joe Biden and Congress for forcing a contract on rail workers. His suggestion that they turn to Republicans for relief, however, is laughable. Republicans have opposed all workers’ rights legislation for decades. When in power, they pack the National Labor Relations Board with anti-worker corporate titans, gut OSHA, and support right-to-work legislation. Also, in response to a letter writer who mistakenly characterizes union members as conservative tradespeople, half of all union members are in the public sector. Millions more are in health care, entertainment and other industries with high percentages of women and people of color who still vote mostly Democratic. We do need to hold elected officials accountable when they betray us, and we need to elect more pro-worker, pro-union candidates. It’s unlikely we will find them in the Republican Party.

Kathy Black, Philadelphia

Cryptocurrencies seemed to offer a shiny new opportunity to grow money outside of traditional financial institutions. Their downfall, however, is wrapped up in old-fashioned greed. That is the same greed that runs the big banks, which can’t be bothered with little loans to small businesses or ordinary homeowners. Instead, they take our deposits and shop around for big investments that will bring their executives and shareholders the highest possible salaries and profits. We need alternative financial institutions that are more solid than cryptocurrencies. One such alternative is a public bank, which holds state or municipal assets for investment in the local community, with affordable loans and interests cycled back into the bank and through it to the community. Last March, Philadelphia City Council overwhelmingly passed a bill to set up an authority that could create such a public bank, but so far Mayor Jim Kenney has refused to act. We need a new mayor who will commit to obeying the law and supporting this commonsense way of using our public money for the public good.

Raymond Torres, Philadelphia

The Biden administration unveiled its plan to end homelessness. This initiative will put people in homes regardless of their willingness to work or get their addictions under control. This is the Democrats’ version of America. No consequences for people who refuse to work or stay sober; a large, unsustainable proportion of the population entirely dependent on the government for their every need and whim; nobody goes to jail; no police; no prisons; meritocracy abandoned in favor of people being able to check the right box for race, gender, or sexual orientation. And all the burden of this Democratic Party insanity is borne by law-abiding, working people.

Fred Hearn, Turnersville

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