Letters to the Editor | March 24, 2023

The recent announcement of the cancellation of the King of Prussia rail project comes as no real surprise. Knowledgeable observers have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. To them, cancellation has, for the last several years, seemed all but inevitable. As the design of the project became more complex and elaborate in response to local political concerns, it became increasingly obvious that the Federal Transit Administration would never agree to bankroll it. The elevated superstructure extending over the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Mall Boulevard was both literally and figuratively pie in the sky. It was certainly a far cry from the original plan of six decades ago for a low-cost extension over the Reading Co.’s Chester Valley Branch, which was then still intact.

Notwithstanding, it is difficult to take pleasure in the demise of the project, especially when we consider that the $53 million already spent could have been used elsewhere. SEPTA might, for example, have applied those funds toward extending the Broad Street Line or to reintroducing streetcars to Routes 6, 23, 47, 56, and 60. All these lines carry a far greater number of daily passengers than the 10,000 passengers whom the proposed extension would have attracted. SEPTA’s priorities, however, have always lain in the suburbs.

Major Sclarenco II, president, Greater Philadelphia Alliance for Public Transportation, Philadelphia

As reported in The Inquirer, there was almost no snow in Philadelphia this winter. Where, then, is the money? How much did the city put aside and not spend for snow removal? Where is it, and where is it going? It certainly won’t be earning any interest by investing. If there is a significant amount of money, may I suggest that it be reappropriated for public safety improvements that benefit the areas that were supposed to be served by plowing? In other words, spend it on new paving, pothole repair, curbs and sidewalks, street lighting, cameras, crosswalks, etc.

Barry Beck, Turnersville

Have we lost all sense of right and wrong? I was taught that it is wrong to break windows, burn buildings, loot businesses, and overturn and bomb police vehicles — no matter how strong and frustrating my personal sense of being wronged. The Inquirer article on the city paying $9.25 million to protesters shows no perspective other than that of the so-called victims of police violence during the 2020 protests. Many of these people are not victims, they are perpetrators. This article echoes the far-right suggestions that the U.S. Capitol insurrection was peaceful. I witnessed the violence and looting on the streets of Philadelphia. These were not peaceful by any means, and the individuals involved for the most part are not victims. Where is the balance in this reporting? While the police could have shown more restraint, to suggest that the people involved are victims is simply not a fair representation of the actual events.

Tom Murphy, Philadelphia

The Constitution provides for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of Congress. Washington, D.C., is not part of any U.S. state and is not one itself. The Residence Act, adopted on July 16, 1790, approved the creation of the capital district. The city was founded in 1791. There have been several unsuccessful efforts to make the city into a state since the 1880s. Now, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) is making another attempt to have Washington become the 51st state. You can add his name to that of all the others who have failed.

David M. Levin, Vineland

I can’t help but contrast the treatment of Kareem Tannous, a former assistant professor at Cabrini University who was fired for tweets on his personal social media account, with the treatment of professor Amy Wax at the University of Pennsylvania. Wax has made numerous comments for years that disparage people of color, immigrants, and women. Students have asked for her to be fired since at least 2017. Last June, the dean of the university’s Carey Law School wrote a 12-page letter to the faculty senate asking for “sanctions” against Wax for offensive remarks both inside and outside the classroom. She remains at Penn. Yet Tannous, who received good reviews for his teaching and who did not share his views regarding the state of Israel in the classroom, was abruptly fired because of complaints from Jewish groups unconnected to Cabrini. It seems clear that criticizing Israel is a “sacred cow,” leading to severe consequences without recourse, but public, ongoing racist remarks get only a slap on the wrist.

Carolyn McCoy, Philadelphia, carolyn.mccoy@outlook.com

. . .

To teach is to impart ideas to others, be a role model, and be free of bias. Based on his tweets, it is doubtful that former Cabrini University assistant professor Kareem Tannous can effectively serve in this capacity. Calling Zionism, the movement for the self-determination and statehood of the Jewish people in their ancestral homeland, a “disease” is antisemitic. Falsely labeling Israel, a country where all citizens of the state have equal rights, “apartheid” is false and an attempt to manipulate facts to serve an intersectional agenda. Calling to dismantle Israel “by any means necessary” is incitement to violence — as is calling Israel a “societal cancer” that needs to be eliminated. Campuses around the world have become hotbeds of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. Acts of violence against Jewish and pro-Israel students are well documented. Measures to ensure safe environments where students are free to learn and grow regardless of identity should be a right of all. Tannous should accept responsibility for his actions, not play the victim.

Arlene Weissman, Huntingdon Valley

The Environmental Protection Agency last updated its soot standards in 2013, and while the agency has recently proposed strengthening the standard, the proposal it released does not go far enough. We need to commit to reducing other harmful pollutants, especially for those disproportionately exposed in communities of color and low-wealth communities. Exposure to particulate matter pollution causes a range of health issues, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, infant mortality, and asthma. The EPA must adopt a series of power and industrial regulations that target hazardous air pollution affecting our most vulnerable communities. This comes in the form of setting strong standards on the transportation sector that are in line with all new vehicles being zero emissions by 2035 and finalizing strong standards to reduce methane pollution from the oil and gas sector. Adopting the most stringent standards could save thousands of lives over the next decade. For people of color, mortality reductions are almost doubled with the most stringent standards. Strengthening soot standards will improve air quality in every part of the country, and will start to address historic inequities and injustices in communities suffering from cumulative exposure to multiple pollutants.

Tim Hayes, Dublin, timothy@conservationpa.org

It is easy to see why Israelis are protesting against proposed changes in the method of selecting judges. If the Benjamin Netanyahu government has its way, judges will become political appointees rather than being selected by a judicial committee. All Israelis have to do is look to the United States to see what happens when judges and justices are chosen by the political party in power. During Donald Trump’s presidency, three U.S. Supreme Court justices (and hundreds of district court and appellate court judges) were nominated by Trump and approved by the Senate. These are lifetime appointments. Our judicial system has taken a sharp turn to the right and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Court decisions now provide the far-right with just about all of its heart’s desires. It’s no wonder why Israelis feel that the proposed changes seriously dilute the checks and balances inherent in their present system. Perhaps the real question is why we in the U.S. are not protesting in the streets for changes in our own system.

Jay Seitchik, Philadelphia, jayseitchik@gmail.com

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