Letters to the Editor | June 19, 2023

As parents of a 4-year-old, my husband and I have been working to enroll our child in kindergarten in Philadelphia since the early fall. We participated in three separate processes: the out-of-catchment school lottery (which allows you to apply to other traditional public schools outside of your neighborhood), the standard charter school lottery via Apply Philly Charter, and the lottery for a charter school with its own process. That meant three different websites, three different deadlines, and three different systems to keep up with throughout the year. In addition, our local public school has its own registration forms and deadlines. It could have been worse, since 19 charter schools run their own lotteries. What reasonable parent can spend their time researching each school, going to seldom-held 10 a.m. open houses, or keeping track of all the deadlines?

Parents should be able to go to one website that allows them to do everything — like the Common App for college. There should be one deadline to sign up for lotteries and one single lottery, or at least one day of lotteries. I’m sure these separate lottery and enrollment systems are complex, and were developed over many years and with good intentions, but what is the point of having all these options if parents can’t access them? This unorganized approach serves wealthier parents who have the time and resources to keep up with the processes, or who can afford to live in neighborhoods where they are guaranteed a great school. The purpose of public education is to give every child a fair and equal shot, but the current “system” serves as another barrier to that goal. A better, easier user experience would simplify the system and ensure that our tax dollars are being spent in a more equitable way.

Nikka Landau, Philadelphia

In the June 1 article, “PGW, Peco gas customers to see lower bills soon,” the utilities announced decreases to their gas supply charges and suggested that residential customers would see their gas bills go down about $8 a month on average. This is fancy gas industry spin: Their cost for gas has decreased recently, after a large increase in 2021 and 2022, and they are required to pass the savings to their customers. Philadelphia Gas Works executives have also proposed to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission a 10% hike for distribution costs. That proposal would increase an average residential customer’s bill by nearly $150 per year. That rate increase will hurt Philadelphians, particularly Black Philadelphians, who are more likely to be overburdened with utility bills. The reason for the increase? PGW says it will use the money to accelerate replacing the aging gas pipes under our streets. PGW should reduce expensive investments in soon-to-be-defunct fossil fuel infrastructure and instead invest our money in hastening a safe, equitable transition to affordable, sustainable energy.

Pamela Darville, Philadelphia

I have always been proud of my sense of timing. It only makes sense that I would decide to explore a lifelong passion for writing in the same year that many fear artificial intelligence may take over the writing profession in the wake of the spread of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot. But will AI take away our creative expression? Not a chance. Take opinion writing, for example. The best op-eds need a clear voice, a point that is easily identifiable to most readers, a hook to bring readers into the piece, and a link to a current news story. Most importantly, op-ed pieces require originality — originality that can only derive from the depths of the human brain.

Although ChatGPT generates “original” content, its results may closely resemble content that has already been created because that’s how it has learned. It’s a tool that processes language, and can utilize prompts to define parameters, subject, and essay structure to generate text — but it cannot replicate (so far) truly original thinking. It is almost certain that technological developments will assist with writing in the next quarter-century, but the opinions expressed in this section — in editorials, letters, columns, and op-eds — will continue to be fueled by the power of human emotion composed into well-written pieces.

Michael Thomas Leibrandt, Abington

Bob Brady has been the chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee since 1986. He has done little to welcome every politically active Philadelphia Democrat, including me and other members of Reclaim Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Working Families Party, Philadelphia Neighborhood Networks, and other local Democratic grassroots organizations. Instead of being welcoming, the PDCC actively alienates thousands of progressive Democrats who are fighting for Philadelphia’s economically disenfranchised residents. Brady rules over the city’s wards with an iron fist. He fights tooth and nail to prevent wards from becoming open. An open ward allows each ward’s committeepersons to vote on which candidates are endorsed in each election, then they educate voters within their wards about those candidates. Allowing each ward’s committeepersons to endorse their own slate of candidates is true democracy, yet the PDCC stands in their way.

Voter participation in Philly has fallen significantly under Brady’s leadership, with the number of registered Democrats losing ground to the number of unaffiliated voters. This dire situation has been true for many years, and has cost Democrats statewide. In my opinion, Brady is ineffective at doing the most important job he has: maximizing Philadelphia Democrats’ voter turnout every election. Philadelphia Democrats deserve better. Brady should resign as chairman. I, for one, will no longer align myself with the Democratic Party. If the PDCC’s leadership wants me back, they need new leadership to open all wards to true democracy.

Stan Horwitz, Philadelphia

I hope others join me in being outraged at Kyle Sammin’s column calling Sen. John Fetterman a “show horse” in Washington because he refused to vote for a debt ceiling deal that would place new restrictions on food aid for those who need it, and raise work requirements for adults over 50 to receive food and other benefits. Sammin does not mention Joe Manchin. The West Virginia senator single-handedly secured a provision in the same deal that would approve the methane gas Mountain Valley Pipeline.

It appears that Fetterman cares about needy people getting food to eat, while Manchin doesn’t seem to care at all about poisoning the air his constituents breathe or damaging the climate his descendants will inherit. Sammin defines a show horse as someone who likes to parade in front of a TV camera and attract fanatical followings, while workhorses get things done because they are willing to build coalitions and work with others. Joe Manchin, a true “my way or the highway” legislator, gets my vote for the true show horse.

Jean Haskell, Philadelphia, jean.haskell205@gmail.com

After Donald Trump’s indictment, which is not a determination of guilt or innocence, the former president has taken to referring with derogatory terms to the special counsel and those who don’t support him. He also refers to himself as innocent — which he is, until proven guilty. This is a basic tenet of our constitutional rights. He also has the right to appear in court, testify under oath, and state his case about his innocence.

Once the testimony of all the witnesses is heard, including his, a jury of his peers — not the special counsel, nor the judge — will decide his fate. The jury will decide if any of this is a hoax or a sham, or if the charges have substance. In the meantime, Trump would be wise to heed the advice of his legal team and refrain from damaging rhetoric that really has little purpose except to inflame his followers. It might also be wise for the judge to impose a gag order with penalties for continuing to speak about the case except in the courtroom when the trial begins.

Frank Herron, Cinnaminson

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