As a 30-year Washington resident with a strong loyalty to the city and its special problems, I applaud Phil Pannell for being the kind of person who prevents us from operating in a major state of denial (“The Queen of Ward 8,” 3/29). He may not be perfect or what others would like him to be, but that’s what makes him able to keep rubbing the smelly stuff in our faces. Ward 8 needs folks like Pannell, since Marion Barry certainly doesn’t have their interests at heart. Keep up the good work!
Chevy Chase
via the Internet