- Health care activists are planning a rally near Arcadia
- From Warren Bloom, Candidate for the PA House of Representatives 195th District, 2010.
- Things that make me want to go . . . . UGH
- Steve Wynn tries to bully Inquirer reporter(VIDEO)
- “We have completed our underwriting review and are sorry to advise that we must decline your request for insurance coverage"
- Trash Fee Doesn't Fit The Bill
- Another missed opportunity: quick thoughts on the Mayor's budget address
- Thanks for last night and for those who couldn't make it my comments are below
- It's time to bring Health Care Reform Home. Join us on March 9
- Revoke the Foxwoods license
Dear Mayor Nutter: Don't Close Our Libraries
Submitted by Dan U-A on Wed, 11/12/2008 - 6:03pm.
These are letters that kids in Fishtown sent to Mayor Nutter, asking him not to close their library.
There really isn't much more to say.
From the mayor's spokesman
Really? That's the city's line--'rightsizing'? Well, we got the business mayor we voted for I guess.
Unreal
That is a totally surreal comment.
(Link to the story here.)
Anyway, highlights of the letters
One writer said, the definition of plaintive, "you are taking everything away from the fishtown kids."
Also, who knew that there were 'High School Musical' books?
This is only a sampling
I sent hundreds of these in this week, this is a sample of what the kids wrote. For what may be the first time in their lives, these kids took part in the process. Their voices are heard. What I didn't include were some of the letters from teachers at our schools who rely on the library, since their schools don't have actual libraries.
Thanks for putting these up there.
One of the saddest and most shocking parts of the article
that I just quoted from, was when it said half the schools in the city don't have libraries at all. And only one is up to proper standards for a school library, Central's.
Thats not the half of it
and Helen gym gets cred for this. Many,many schools in Philadelphia can't afford drinking fountains. They have them, they are just disconnected because the building has lead pipes and the school district can't afford to replace the pipe bringing in the water from the street so they cut off water faucets throughout the school building. Put that under your thinking cap with the patronage BRT "assesor" jobs mysteriously under the school district budgt that Helen Gym also brought up and think a second.
And then think about how schools are one the major reasons the tax base decides to move out of the city and how educational standards in the workforce are a major reason (right up there with bureaucracy, corruption and taxes) why businesses don't move into the city. Thats vicious cycle this city is in.
-Sean
MrLuigi, my cat, actually only types half as badly as I do.
Ok, now I'm starting to get pissed
I've been thinking about the "right-sizing" comment. At first it didn't bother me that much -= and I wasn't clear why the reaction was so strong. But now it's got me incensed. Think about what that comment reflects.
Suppose the Nutter administration didn't realize how much people care about their local libraries. That means that they are completely out of touch with the communities they're representing. Suppose the Nutter administration just doesn't really care about what matters to communities. I'm not sure which would be worse,
But the bottom line is that an administration spokesperson, essentially, said that shuttering libraries is a good thing. I mean if you have any sensitivity whatsoever, or any concept of good public relations, do you tell the parents of schoolkids who rely on a library that the library closing is a good thing from a resource management perspective?
Between Terry Gillan and this guy, I'm starting to have some serious questions about the Nutter administration's much vaunted vetting process.
Welllll
Welllll some portion of what offended me was probably on the level of language.
But I think it reveals a startling dismissiveness of the real lived impact of the proposals he is defending (again, not too far afield from Terry Gillan's 'but putting the casino in the Gallery Mall is just so good urban design principles!').
yeah, I apologize
for doubting you. I get it now (could say something about males and genetic predisposition towards insensitivity, but that would be in poor taste). The language stuff doesn't bother me - sounds a little Safire-ish on your part.
That is a low blow!
After a presidental election where war was peace, slavery was freedom, and ignorance was strength (not to mention clean coal), I am a little senstive to downsizing being 'rightsizing'.
I think my "humor"
is going to get me into big trouble. Again, I missed your point. I thought you were responding to the notion of someone turning an adjective into a verb. The point about "down" = "right." went over my head completely. I'll never doubt you again.
Haha no
Anyone will tell you (paging Dan) that I am happy to make a mishmash of language when it comes to creative use of tenses.