Letters to the Editor | July 2, 2023

As the proud representative for Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional District, home of the unrivaled Chinook helicopter, I read with particular interest the recent op-ed expressing concern about the program’s future. I’m honored to lead bipartisan efforts with our regional delegation, including U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, to save the Chinook program, and am heartened to see people take an interest in its long-term success. I want to share an update on our work to reassure any doubters that the region’s representatives are “paying attention.”

First, a recap on why we’re here: In 2019, the Trump administration nixed the Chinook program, a decision that U.S. Army leadership has unfortunately stood by in subsequent budgets without identifying an adequate replacement. Since that decision, I’ve led a multifaceted congressional effort to sustain this regional economic engine. I’m proud of our work pushing back on the Army’s decision and assuring funding. Over the past four years, we’ve secured nearly $1 billion for continued Chinook procurement. And in March, the first Block II Chinook came off the assembly line in Ridley Park. Our region’s representatives will continue working to save this program critical to our regional economy and national security.

Mary Gay Scanlon, U.S. representative, 5th Congressional District

Hats off to Dan Hilferty. He is rightfully expressing his desire to have the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, and 76ers all play their home games at the sports complex in South Philadelphia. In an excellent article by Inquirer reporter Jeff Gammage, Hilferty, chairman of Comcast Spectacor, makes it clear that the 76ers should stay where they are and not move to an area with numerous shortcomings. Not the least of which are an infringement on Chinatown, highly limited parking, and the need to walk Philly’s streets in an era when shootings have become routine.

It needs to be added that the sports complex should not only feature the four teams but also the Philadelphia Museum of Sports. Given Philadelphia’s tremendous sports history, this museum should be a part of the complex. Led by the relentless efforts of Lou Scheinfeld, the search for a location has been going on for several years. That search should end now, coinciding with what should be one of the greatest sports complexes in the country.

Rich Westcott, Springfield

In my 19 years as a U.S. district judge, I paid careful attention to the Code of Conduct for United States Judges. I did not find it difficult to comply. Indeed, it was my duty to do so. That’s why I am mystified by the behavior emanating from the U.S. Supreme Court. In the past year, we have all read about the personal hospitality extended to Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. We have also learned about the activities of Justice Thomas’ spouse, Ginni, in connection with the 2020 presidential election. The court must do something — and quickly — or I fear we may be on the brink of a constitutional crisis.

The court must adopt either the same code applied to U.S. District and Court of Appeals judges, or one that is grounded in the same ethical standards. The code is both general and specific in its enumerated canons and can be used both as a guidepost for judges as well as a basis for discipline. My bet is that Chief Justice John Roberts, a man whom I admire greatly and who clearly takes to heart his role in preserving the reputation of his court, is having an incredibly difficult time achieving a consensus that will result in a distinct set of rules that apply to him and his colleagues. But if he cannot do so, Congress will step in and fill the void, which may well lead to a crisis if the court considers the imposition of any rules upon it as an unconstitutional intrusion and violation of the separation of powers doctrine.

As a former member and strong supporter of our federal judiciary, I urge the court to enact strong and viable rules that govern its members’ conduct. No less than the public’s faith in this coequal branch is at risk if it fails to do so.

John E. Jones III, president, Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa.

How nice it would be if pouring money into charter and private schools would solve Philadelphia’s education problems. Private and charter schools pull the best-behaved and brightest out of the public school population, leaving other students, many of whom have difficulties, behind. Have you driven past Overbrook High School recently? A hundred years ago, its architecture was lovely. Now it’s one of the many behemoths that the district must pay to maintain.

Over the past decades, we have seen many reforms initiated: underfunded, poorly planned, understaffed, and abruptly stopped and soon replaced with the next reform. Money is wasted; children lose. What would happen if the money put into charters and vouchers was put into an attendance program for every Philadelphia school? What if enough teachers were available for all students? What if disruptive students were placed in specialized programs immediately? There are many commonsense reforms that can make every school a good school.

Mardys Leeper, Villanova

ESP — education, sacrifice, present — is my idea to uplift, over time, our downtrodden Philadelphia neighborhoods. Education starts with schools and the local tax base that they depend on. We need to strongly encourage successful people to stay in and/or move back to the inner-city communities they hail from. In turn, communities will benefit from higher tax revenues to pay for better schools. Understandably, this is a hard sell for anyone wanting to leave for a “better life,” but it is a must to execute on. Talent flight must stop. It leads to decay.

Sacrifice by all in the inner-city community is necessary to improve livability conditions, so upwardly mobile people will want to stay. This is crucial. It means everyone must try to reduce crime, graffiti, and litter. Indeed, it’s the foundation for a real community partnership. Not materially, but humanly. Lastly, let’s acknowledge and live in the present. Our future is the sum total of each day we live, after all. We are beautiful. Let ESP be our new road to a better future.

R. Brent Byrne, Gladwyne, brent@divi-vest.com

Elected government officials who deliberately mishandle classified materials should be disqualified from serving on any committee that would require access to these types of materials. Defending the deliberate mishandling of classified materials by another official should also be disqualifying. This shows a clear lack of understanding of associated national security issues. In addition, previous deliberate acts of mishandling classified materials should be an automatic disqualifier for holding an executive-level position in government.

It is past time elected officials be held to the same standards as civilians when handling classified materials. They should be subjected to the same rigorous background screenings and nondisclosure agreements that civilian personnel must go through before being permitted access to highly sensitive materials. Elected officials who choose to go through this process should be made to face the same consequences if they violate the rules governing the handling of these materials.

Fred Shapiro, Margate

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