Letters to the Editor | Sept. 22, 2022

If the 76ers wanted to take “great care to first build meaningful relationships with community leaders” (Sept. 14), they would’ve consulted adjacent neighborhoods before deciding to site their arena. They would’ve asked small businesses, who struggled through the pandemic, how turning the area into a construction site for several years would help their recovery efforts.

Meaningful engagement would’ve meant working with neighbors to conduct robust traffic and parking studies before making their decision. Prove that 18,000-person events won’t lead to gridlock.

If the 76ers wanted to uphold their “rich history” by “focusing on the future generations of fans,” they would’ve asked fans how they’d feel about being trapped in a parking garage with one exit ramp before proclaiming that no new parking is needed.

Philadelphians can tell the difference between decisions based on the arrogance and greed of billionaires and those based on concern for our city’s people.

Ellen Somekawa, executive director, Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures Charter School, Philadelphia

How touching that Republicans, who control the Pennsylvania House and profess that they are concerned about the safety of Philadelphia’s residents, are going forward with impeaching the city’s duly reelected district attorney. Who would have guessed they cared? Their long history of protecting guns over people does not evince an “I heart Philly” moment. Since 85% of the 562 homicides in the city last year were caused by guns, if Republicans in Harrisburg did care about this uncontrolled rise in gun murders, they could enact laws to curb the proliferation of firearms. Instead, House Republicans are quite content producing theater while the killing, which they could help stem, goes unabated.

Beverly Hahn, Blue Bell

Judge Raymond Dearie is no pushover and told Donald Trump’s lawyers that they cannot have their cake and eat it too. It is a matter of time before Trump turns on the special master and accuses him of being part of the deep state conspiracy. It is clear that Trump’s lawyers are engaged in legal tactics to draw out the case and have no real defense for Trump’s handling of the documents. It is highly unlikely that the appeals court will side with Trump. It is not a good sign when conservative legal experts argue that Trump has no case and that his claims about declassifying documents, owning documents, and executive privilege are fallacious. Trump’s case will very likely reach the supreme Court, and the court will likely decline to hear it. Trump’s last desperate act may be to declare that he is running for president in 2024, mistakenly arguing that this grants him some type of legal immunity and furthers his claims of a conspiracy against him. Sen. Lindsey Graham will probably support such delusional thinking, but not many others.

George Magakis Jr., Norristown

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