Letters: Philly teachers deserve back pay; who cares who rebuilds city

Your editorial Wednesday ("Let teachers look at offer") makes the case for why the School District of Philadelphia should start to negotiate in good faith with the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers and stop making negotiations public. Teachers will never get to a signed contract if meddlers such as the Inquirer try to interfere in what are supposed to be private negotiations.

But now that you've asked the question, I'll answer it from one union member's perspective: PFT members will never agree to a contract that results in newly hired teachers with the same experience being paid at a higher rate than their colleagues who have suffered through years of no raises, no contract, and no step increases for experience. This is what is happening now with new hires, and this latest contract offer continues the injustice.

Let's not do this again sometime. Let future negotiations take place in private.

|Wendy Gosfield, Philadelphia

As a taxpayer, I don't care if repairs to our city's sorry infrastructure is done by crews that are all white, all black, or all one-legged Asian women ("Kenney takes on 2-pronged Rebuild," Nov. 28). I want the job done right for a price that reflects efficiency and competence. In a cash-strapped city, any "premium" that we pay to promote politically motivated discriminatory hiring practices will mean fewer repairs to public facilities that are used by all of us, including minorities and women.

|Anthony Galzarano, Philadelphia

I've been a fan for about eight years, but Sunday's Michael Smerconish column just made me angry. ("Trump not my fan, but quite a loyal follower," Nov. 27). So it's all about you, is it Michael?

This monster has been elected president and you are so pleased with the attention he has given you in the last several years. As if Trump is a normal person. You are joining the rest of the disgusting media, intent on normalizing him.

Did I miss something? Sarcasm? Oh, sure, you admitted to not voting for him a few columns ago. But you didn't vote for Hillary Clinton either. You and my son-in-law: neither of you heard Bernie Sanders when he said that this election was not the one to voice your opposition to the system by casting your vote for a third-party candidate.

So Trump is president-elect. We are terrified and grieving, but you, Michael, are so full of yourself. I really don't care that you made fun of Trump back in the day. As far as I'm concerned, you and your colleagues were his greatest asset.

|Micki Goldberg, Cape May Court House

Sadly, Jill Stein is grandstanding ("A recount benefits all," Nov. 29) to benefit her next presidential run - and perhaps prevent another worthy Democrat from the electoral majority that he or she earned and deserved. The Constitution is clear on the compromise that gave us the Electoral College: Small and less populated states get more clout per person than larger states. Donald Trump, of course, never quits grandstanding: His outbursts appear irrational only to the media, which passively reports such tirades as news (rather than evidence of senility, for instance). The candidate and president-elect are the same person, using sensational behavior to gain public attention, and distract from a rational discussion of policy alternatives.

|Ben Burrows, Philadelphia

It's interesting and informative that Jill Stein is getting more coverage for trying to overturn Donald Trump's election than she ever got during her campaign. She actually said with a straight face that she's not trying to overturn the election. If that's true, why focus only on states Trump won? She's just a willing dupe for Hillary Clinton and George Soros.

|Dick Welsh, Blue Bell

Every time I hear someone say we live in a different time, a time of globalization, I want to scream. The history of our species is to globalize. Apparently, that is why we are here; and to survive and procreate. From time immemorial we have produced wealth, spread wealth, and been interconnected. It's so obvious that fear of globalization is just sound and fury, signifying nothing. It's just a lame excuse for politicians who have nothing to offer but fear itself; fear of the other, whether it's far away and exotic, or fear of the other horse in an election.

|James Robison, Philadelphia