Enduring legacy
My father, Russell Byers, a beloved Daily News columnist, believed deeply that the greatest gift we can offer a child is “roots to grow and wings to fly.” He believed in high-quality public education to transform lives. When his life was tragically cut short, our family — his widow, Laurada, my sister, Alison, and me — chose to honor his commitment by founding the Russell Byers Charter School.
The school has grown to serve more than 700 students from 43 neighborhoods. Grounded in expeditionary learning, the school treats the entire city as a living classroom.
As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we know that educating a child in a bustling urban landscape takes a village.
That is why this anniversary must also serve as a profound call to action: We need more mentors.
For a middle schooler navigating the complexities of growing up, having an outside mentor — a caring professional, a retiree, a local artist, or an engineer — can alter their trajectory. You do not need a degree in education to be a mentor; you simply need presence, patience, and a willingness to listen.
As we celebrate our first quarter century of educational excellence, let us honor Russell Byers’ legacy not just with words, but with action.
W. Russell G. Byers Jr., chair, Byers School Foundation
Self-regulation?
Artificial intelligence companies say they can self-regulate. The agreement some Big Tech companies signed at the White House is “morally binding,” says Donald Trump. And we know huge corporations are well known for their morals.
The president may also be naive enough to believe that because the companies want to be successful and profitable, they won’t let anything bad happen. But nothing ever goes wrong in other industries, right? Except we all saw what happened with uncontrolled accelerations in Toyota’s cars, Firestone’s tire tread separations, the many cases of exploding Ford Pintos, the problems with General Motors’ faulty ignition switches, and those emissions-cheating Volkswagen Jettas (I owned one).
And let’s not forget the 1984 to 1996 models of the Ford Bronco, which could tip onto two wheels and possibly roll over, even at low speeds. Ford discovered this design defect during prototyping, but decided it was too expensive to fix.
Government regulation is required.
Mark Driscoll, Philadelphia
Utility surcharges
I was taken aback by the Philadelphia Building Decarbonization Project’s new analysis showing a 67% increase in ratepayer bills since 2012, fueled mainly by utilities’ heavy investments in replacing gas pipes and other delivery infrastructure. Utilities were able to transfer these costs directly to ratepayers due to a little-known state law, Act 11, that gives them broad latitude to impose surcharges. Distressingly, such surcharges now account for about two-thirds of a typical residential gas bill in Pennsylvania. If rates continue to increase, even families that try to conserve energy will end up paying more.
Eliminating Act 11’s perverse incentives to load pipe replacement costs onto ratepayers should be a key part of making Pennsylvania energy more affordable. Utilities should also be required to consider alternative energy sources that avoid harmful emissions — including electrification and thermal networks — before replacing gas pipes. Allowable pipeline investments should focus on safety issues. I have contacted my state representatives to urge reforms along these lines, and I would urge other Inquirer readers to do so, too.
Elaine Fultz, Philadelphia
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