Letters to the Editor | Oct. 25, 2024

It is disappointing that the bike lobby reverts to name-calling on a serious issue that has multiple competing concerns. This is not a “rich person” issue, as some would claim. An absolute prohibition on stopping in bike lanes will directly impact the elderly and those with diminished physical abilities on the bike lane side of the street. For people with other impairments who have learned how to use an Uber to come to their house, they will now have to learn how to get a car to an address not at their house. As a parent of an adult son with autism, I know this will be difficult for people like him to navigate.

When bike lanes were brought in, then-Mayor Michael Nutter promised flexibility with parking in bike lanes for pickup and drop-off. I’m not opposed to low-rise curbs. I think they are a good compromise (assuming snow removal is not hampered). If we can enforce “no stopping,” then we should have the ability to enforce speed and safe driving restrictions. The most unsafe driving on Spruce Street is by illegal slingshots, motorcycles, and cars that roar and race down the street. Speed and safety enforcement (including cyclists who blow through red lights and stop signs) would be welcomed and would be the best cure to the safety problem. The compromise position is: curb separation, no driving in bike lanes (strictly enforced — maybe with cameras?), but no ticketing for drop-off/pickup (10-minute grace period before ticketing).

Matthew A. White, Philadelphia

The street that runs from the Philadelphia Zoo into University City is the designated detour for bicycles during the MLK bridge renovation. I ride this road to work every day, and every day I face danger from vehicles that drive in a bike lane that is so poorly marked as to be invisible. Drivers double park in it, make right-hand turns across it, and open their car doors into it. I am reminded daily of how unsafe our streets are for cyclists and pedestrians. I encourage City Council and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker to take a spin on an Indigo bike from the beginning of the MLK detour into University City. If they manage to emerge from the intersection at Girard Bridge unscathed, they will surely see that the bike lanes are in desperate need. A little care and some paint would make this detour safer while city officials debate how to make all bike lanes in Philadelphia safe.

Alice Gallagher, Philadelphia

City Councilmember Mark Squilla has been quoted as saying that the 76ers could face consequences if they do not keep their promises with respect to the planned Chinatown arena. This is a great idea, and Squilla is on the right track. The wealthy Sixers organization needs to answer for unmet promises. That’s a great start, but let’s move on from the 76ers to elected politicians. City Council, for example. They have promised us multiple times that the drink tax would save Philadelphia schools and usher in an Athenian-style golden age of education. Let’s hold them to that. They have failed at numerous other promises, and there need to be consequences. How about the promises of the district attorney? His failures will require an additional team. The mayor? Despite her short tenure, she has multiple failures for which to answer. Thank you for an excellent idea, Councilmember Squilla. Time to scour The Inquirer archives to find all the failed promises for which elected officeholders must be held accountable.

Tom McCourt, Las Vegas

An article about developers cutting rents in Philly’s recently gentrified neighborhoods quoted not one developer as saying they were afraid. Why? Real estate investors accumulate fortunes by selling their buildings, not renting apartments. There’s a tax loophole where they pay no taxes on reinvested capital gains. The taxes are deferred under Internal Revenue Code Section 1031, but they can reinvest those profits indefinitely. Accumulating wealth using IRC 1031 is also a big reason for the gobbling up of single-family homes by flippers, driving home prices beyond the reach of most Americans. Accumulating wealth tax-free encourages investing in real estate and discourages investing in industry, health, and other commercial businesses.

Joe Mikuliak, Philadelphia

When the House returns to session in November, one of the first bills it will consider is HR 82, the Social Security Fairness Act, which will repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset. This is the No. 1 issue for the 377,000 Fraternal Order of Police members in every region of the country, and this will be at the forefront of our officers’ minds when they cast their vote.

Current law penalizes millions of retired public employees — police officers, teachers, and firefighters — and strips them of up to 60% of the Social Security benefits they earned during their working lives. For 40 years, retired public employees have been treated differently than every other retired American worker. This is wrong, unfair, and dishonest, and it’s time for Congress to address this injustice. These retirees, more than 35,000 right here in Pennsylvania, paid into Social Security and rightfully earned these benefits.

The Social Security Fairness Act has 329 House cosponsors and 60 in the Senate, making it one of the most bipartisan and widely supported bills in Congress. There are a handful of representatives and senators who don’t want to stop this organized theft from retired public employees because it will make it more difficult for them to figure out how to extend the solvency of the Social Security Trust Fund. Congress has used this as an excuse to perpetuate this injustice and treat public employees differently. Enough is enough. It’s time to put fairness first.

Patrick Yoes, president, National Fraternal Order of Police

A recent Inquirer article focusing on text scams targeting voters during the upcoming election requires some clarification. A Pennsylvania Department of State spokesperson is quoted as saying the department “will never send voters information about their specific voting record,” but if a voter makes a mistake on their mail-in ballot, that voter will get an email informing them of the error as long as the voter included their email on their mail-in ballot application, and the county board of elections records the error on the state voter registry, as Philadelphia does. Also, most communications that voters receive are not scams. Many groups are contacting voters by phone or text encouraging them to register to vote and will be following up with voters to encourage them to return their mail-in ballots, go to the polls, or fix errors on their returned mail-in ballots. Voters should be cautious but should be aware that there are many legitimate calls they might receive that are not scams.

Victor Thuronyi, Sandy Spring, Md., vthuronyi@gmail.com

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