Letters to the Editor

After all of The Inquirer's admirable efforts to get Philadelphians to think positively about the city's new administration and the possibilities for the future, shame on you for highlighting every negative criticism you could dig up about our incoming managing director ("If she spouts fire, it gets action," Dec. 23).

Reading and rereading Patrick Kerkstra's article, I counted at least twice as many negative comments as positive ones. If I were Mayor-elect Michael Nutter, I would rip the paper to shreds. If I were a worker in City Hall, I would be shivering in my boots, afraid of what would become of me under this tough-sounding managing director. If I were the press, I would be waiting to pounce on her every time she lives up (or down) to one of the criticisms.

And "Dragon Lady"? Camille Cates Barnett appears to be a competent and accomplished professional who knows how to get things done.

Jean Haskell

Philadelphia

» READ MORE: Jeanhaskell@comcast.net

It is unconscionable that Pennsylvania will foist hormone-polluted milk on consumers without their knowledge ("Hormone labeling of Pa. milk to end," Dec. 23).

Scientists have shown that when cows are injected with recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST), they produce milk that contains between two and 10 times as much insulin-like growth factor as regular milk. That has been shown to cause cancer in humans.

Recombinant bovine growth hormone forces cows to produce milk in quantities that are unnatural and detrimental to their bodies. The result: Hormone-injected cows suffer from increased susceptibility to infection such as mastitis, requiring additional antibiotics and other drugs, which can be passed on to consumers.

Would you drink hormone-polluted milk? It is pertinent to know that we do not need more milk production. There is already an existing milk surplus costing taxpayers millions annually in dairy subsidies.

Gloria S. Feldscher

Plymouth Meeting

The scariest thing about Sandy Bauers' Dec. 24 article, "Big wake-up to global warming," is the impact it and similar pieces have on the minds of our young people who will grow up thinking the hype is real science.

Many real scientists, physicists and engineers are afraid to speak out against the ideas of Al Gore and his acolytes for fear of being deemed politically incorrect and, worse, losing their jobs.

Fortunately, our government did not make a serious commitment of resources at the Bali conference. Fifty years from now, people will look back at the hysteria of 2007 in amazement. Global warming may be occurring, but man's contribution is minor in comparison to the impact of the sun and its cycles on our long-term climate.

Robert McAuliffe

Philadelphia

It used to be said that there is not a dime's worth of difference between the Democratic and the Republican parties. Perhaps the recently concluded session of the U.S. Congress exemplifies that adage.

There is no end in sight to the occupation in Iraq; the budget deficit continues to bloat; the commander in chief wields his powerful (veto) pen and demands obedience; the Democrats smartly salute and give him whatever he wants and more.

With this level of subservience by the "loyal" opposition, is it any wonder that a large percentage of Americans do not go to the polls or vote?

M.M. Subramaniam

East Norriton