DEAR MICHAEL KELLY,
Thanks a lot for nothing.
Your affair with a female co-worker that led to your resignation this week was just about the worst miscalculation that a PHA boss could make, especially one whose job was to clean up and restore integrity following the Carl Greene scandal.
We're sure this is a trauma for you and your family, but we thought it fair to remind you just how much damage this indiscretion has created for those you left behind:
In case you're not aware, public housing is not exactly on the top-10 lists of popular public institutions. It's a lightening rod for those who think poor people get free everything, including housing, because the government coddles their laziness. Public housing can also be a stalking horse that some homogeneous neighborhoods hide behind to mask racism. And that's before even getting to the real problems of the agency. So you've done no favors for the honest poor people who live in public housing.
You've just given ammunition to those who love to hate on Philadelphia — including many state lawmakers, who like to write us off as corrupt, inept, and a hopeless and expensive mess. Never mind that we drive a big part of the state's economy. Never mind that "corrupt, etc." can apply equally to Harrisburg and other parts of the state (hello, Bonusgate! Hello, Senator Orie! Hello, Luzerne County judges!) So, no, the people of our fair city are not big fans of yours right now.
We just want to know one thing: What the hell were you thinking?
