The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page A10

A10 www.phillyj THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER Wednesday, December 31, 2008 Jeff Danziger Letters JEFF DANZIGER Cartoon Arts International (Tony Auth has the day off.) Library Closures Keeping the doors open Until a city judge ordered a temporary halt yesterday to Mayor Nutter's planned closure of 11 city library branches, the mayor was groping toward a better strategy for trimming library costs to help plug a growing budget gap. Whatever happens in the courts, Nutter's evolving plan could become the basis for an agreement on the fate of the branches. That would resolve an issue that, without good reason, has struck a decidedly downbeat note in an otherwise impressive first year in office. Nutter's surprise announcement Monday that he hoped to line up private operators to reopen all 11 libraries slated for closure was a distinct improvement over any plan to turn out the lights for good. In addition, the mayor delivered on his pledge to save and relocate after-school programs held at the branches slated for reuse.

Nutter even took time on Saturday to pace off the distance to the various recreation centers, schools and other facilities where the programs will move, assuring himself that the few blocks' walk was doable for chil dren and other patrons. At the threatened branches, the mayor hopes to keep the lights on by converting the libraries to what he describes as community "knowledge centers," leasing them to community groups, foundations, corporations and others to run. If library users were able to find similar services at the centers, including books, reference materials Mayor Nutter's evolving plan could become the basis for an agreement on the fate of the branches. and Internet access, as the mayor envisions, that certainly would cushion the blow for patrons who face losing full library services at their nearest branch. Even under the leasing plan, though, the buildings would go dark for some time while the city lined up the leases.

So far, five organizations have offered to take branches, leaving six branches up for adoption. Turning the lights out for a day is a loss for library users, particularly children and schoolteachers who use the branches as de facto school libraries. So a delay in the closures set for today still makes sense. That appears to be the immediate impact of the ruling by Common Pleas Court Judge Idee C. Fox, who said the mayor needed City Council approval before closing any library branches.

In an interview, Nutter said the city would appeal a decision that flouted the powers vested in the mayor by the City Charter. Here's a prediction that Nutter wins the legal battle. And perhaps he should; City Council has shown its inability to eschew politics and be the final arbiter on budgetary matters. But that doesn't mean Nutter will win the war for hearts and minds in this controversy. What the mayor yesterday called "the issue of the month for the past couple of months" continues to consume undue political capital.

Short of making alternative budget cuts, he has to hope that his proposal to preserve community use of the branches will prove to be a positive, if belated, step. IPfulaMpftia jhtqmrer BRIAN ETIERNEY Publisher WILLIAM MARMOW Editor and Executive Vice President MIKE LEARY Managing Editor VERNON LOEB TOMMcNAMARA STANWISCHNOWSKI Deputy Managing Editors GABRIEL ESCOBAR Metropolitan Editor ACEL MOORE Associate Editor Emeritus HAROLD JACKSON Editorial Page Editor PAULDAVIES Deputy Editor of the Editorial Page Philadelphia Media Holdings BRIAN ETIERNEY Chief Executive Officer BRUCE TOLL Chairman Student-loan crisis Congress must do something to help bail out those of us who are drowning in the next big financial meltdown to hit America student-loan indebtedness I am 62 years old, facing retirement, and still must pay my student-loan debt until the year 2028 at high interest. This will make it impossible for me to live on my retirement income. I have made a good-faith effort to repay; however, the predatory student-loan lenders have made it impossible for me to pay off the debt in my lifetime if I live to be 100. And I am not alone.

Mortgage foreclosures and predatory student-loan debt are destroying the American dream for an entire generation. Something must be done. If Congress can bail out GM and Ford, it can help those of us who cannot repay our student-loan debt without going homeless in the bargain. Jack H. Markowitz Philadelphia jckmrkwtzaol.com What took so long? Re: "Charter schools: Problems surfacing," Monday: None of this should be a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention.

Since Gov. Tom Ridge signed the first charter-school bill, there has been an incestuous relationship between politicians and charter schools. It is sickeningly similar to the self-regulation of the banking industry, which caused so much corruption and a final implosion. Thanks to your reporters for exposing the many conflicts of interest coming from Harrisburg that make graft so easy. The main question is: What took the auditor general so long to find out? Gloria C.

Endres Retired teacher Philadelphia Boycotting Warren My partner and I were planning to attend the inauguration with our twin 2-year-old sons and deal with travel, crowd and weather obstacles as they presented themselves. Now, however, I'm so angry that Rick Warren has been included in the ceremony that we've decided to stay home instead of turning our backs when he gives the invocation. If President Obama wants to invite people to the White House who don't share his views, great! But to stand up next to him feels like an endorsement of his views and gives Warren's antigay attitudes credence. Once again, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender folks are thrown under the bus and expected to get up and tag along anyway. Not this lesbian, not this time.

Stephanie Haynes Philadelphia hayneskresgegmail.com Al-Qaeda and Rush The meaning of words changes over time. For example, in the early 1960s, Negro was the respectable word used to describe African Americans; it replaced the earlier term colored people. By the late 1960s, however, Negro had passed from general use, and today it is most often used either sarcastically or as a term of contempt. I find it interesting that only two groups have used this word in reference to our next president: al-Qaeda (which termed Barack Obama a "house and Republicans, notably Rush Limbaugh, who aired the offensive song "Barack the Magic Negro," and aspiring RNC chairman Chip Saltsman, who disseminated it on CD. It seems, then, that al-Qaeda and some leading Republicans have a common view of the next leader of the free world.

They also share a number of other beliefs, including the roles of religion in society (dominant) and women in society (subordinate). Kenneth Gorelick Newtown Square Deregulation myth In all the analysis of the economy in the media, the most basic of truths is never mentioned: Deregulated capitalism equals crime. Most analysts can't even bring themselves to breathe the word regulation. This is because the myth that deregulation is always good has been cheered, promoted, and even used to terrorize American minds. America was not created as a capitalist nation.

It was not invented by the rich or for the rich; it was invented to ensure the highest quality of life for all its citizens. If we wanted a ruling wealthy class, we wouldn't have had an American revolution in the first place. John Adams said: "There are two ways to enslave a nation: One is by the sword and the other is by debt." Karl Kofoed Drexel Hill kkofoedrcn.com Readers Respond Israel and the Palestinians ft mil Brian Fegely Royersford fegelymontgomery1 9. com Israeli policymakers have another test of the Lyndon Johnson method of tactical bombing versus the Nixo-nian model. As was said many times, President Johnson bombed a little and halted, waiting for the enemy to come to the peace table; President Nixon bombed until they came to the peace table.

Keep bombing until Hamas sues for peace. It is a myth that Gaza is surrounded; it has a border with Egypt, which Israel does not control, and access to the sea. Humanitarian supplies could get in if the Palestinian gunmen had invested some of the resources they put into unguided antipersonnel rockets into infrastructure, ports and airports. It is not Israel's responsibility to assure Palestinian comfort or subsistence. Nina Walls Ridley Park Re: "Scores die in Israeli attacks," Sunday: Your front-page report correctly suggests that the Israeli air strikes could "make it harder for Presidentelect Barack Obama to push new diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East." Is the Israeli government trying to trap the incoming U.S.

administration into supporting yet another Middle East war? Americans voted in November for diplomacy, not more war, and for rescuing the U.S. economy. The United States has poured billions in military aid into Israel. We need that money at home. Peter Crownf ield Bethlehem workforpeaceverizon.net Israel claims the attacks are intended to stop rockets being fired into Israel, but that's nonsense.

To stop them, all Israel would have to do to is stop brutalizing the Palestinians and stop blocking humanitarian relief from around the world. Your headline should have read: "Palestinians kill their own." Ken Kelly West Chester It seems that the United Nations never comments on Hamas' violence, but always calls for a ceasefire when Israel retaliates. The U.N. needs to understand that the 15th century is over, and that every life should be given the same importance. Every violent act, no matter the perpetrator, is wrong.

The alternative is for the U.N. to languish in the backwaters of irrelevance. Moe Salim Norristown moel 970comcast.net The Israeli occupation deliberately makes daily living unbearable, withholding electricity, water, food and medical care, and will make it impossible for Palestinians to find work. In addition to that, there have been thousands of Palestinian fatalities since 1948 that are never reported in the American media. I am angered that our government contributes to this by supplying Israel with weapons and money.

Ahmed Bouzid Herndon, Va. ahmed.bouzidgmail.com Israel seems to have learned nothing from its disastrous invasion of Lebanon in the summer of 2006. Instead of drawing the basic lesson that you cannot massacre your way to a solution, here again is the Israeli air force bombarding civilians in the name of fighting terror. Back in 2006, civilians in Lebanon were massacred in the name of wiping out Hezbollah. But Hezbollah was not wiped out far from it.

This time, civilians caged in captive Gaza are being massacred, again in the name of fighting terror and wiping out Hamas. Is this really the most effective way that an overwhelming nuclear power can reach peace with the captive and dispossessed people of Palestine? Tell us what you think: The Inquirer wants to hear your views. Letters to the Editor are published daily on the Editorial Page and online at www.philly.com. Letters to the Editor: Please limit letters to 200 words. Submissions must include a home address and day and evening phone numbers.

Authors' e-mail addresses are published only with their consent. Letters may be edited for clarity, length and accuracy. Preference for publication goes to letters sent exclusively to The Inquirer. Because of volume, we cannot confirm receipt of each letter. Letters become the property of The Inquirer and may be republished in any medium.

For Letters comments or more information, call 215-854-4543. By Mail: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia 19101 By E-mail: inquirer.letters phillynews.com By Fax: 215-854-4483 Letters and commentaries concerning local issues can be found online and should be sent to metroletters phillynews. com. HATEM MOUSSA Associated Press An Israeli missile struck Hamas-run Islamic University, in Gaza City. Arthur Horn East Windsor, N.J.

The Jerusalem Post reported that "a Hamas spokesman made Israel the following proposal: You keep the stream of humanitarian aid and supplies flowing into Gaza and we will keep launching rockets and mortars at Israeli civilians." The Israeli government had little choice in responding to the terror against its citizens. Southern Israel, adjacent to the Gaza Strip, has long been the victim of ever-increasing violence. Perhaps the clarifying statement by Hamas made it certain what the only reasonable alternative really is. David Horowitz Yardley Once again The Inquirer has shown its anti-Israel bias. A headline Saturday screamed: "2 Palestinian girls killed in attack." The clear implication, based on your history, is that the attack was by Israel.

Nothing could be further from the truth, as one fortunately learns in the first sentence of the story. Rockets were fired by Palestinian extremists intending to hit Israel; instead they hit inside Gaza..