Letters to the Editors

Everglades bill won't hamper Floridians' rights

Re: Everglades bill's dirty tradeoff, editorial, May 20.

On May 15, Gov. Jeb Bush signed the Everglades funding bill that will fully fund restoration activities through 2010. By that time, the state will have provided its share of the costs to the tune of $1-billion. The partnership with the federal government will remain intact, producing another $1-billion. It is a near certainty that the latter would not occur without the former.

Yet, the editorial writers for the Times continue to market the notion that the governor should have taken the very real risk of shattering that partnership by vetoing this funding bill. Gov. Bush correctly decided that moving ahead with restoration trumped the greatly exaggerated claims from non-Florida corporations (who cannot currently initiate these actions) that citizens would be denied the right to file lawsuits.

The editorial correctly quoted my comments about the lack of understanding of the bill's true contents by opponents. Somehow, the writer forgot to mention the part where I called him and laid out the case that out of more than 26,000 permits handled by the DEP in 2001, only four might have been affected. This is 15 one-thousandths of 1 percent of the permits.

Subsequent research has determined that of those four, only two would have been truly affected. Of the other two cases, one was voluntarily dismissed by the petitioner, and the other is in an administrative hearing process.

We are proud that Gov. Bush stood by his strong supporters at the Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Florida Wildlife Federation, 1,000 Friends of Florida, the Everglades Foundation, Florida Audubon and the Trust for Public Land. We are restoring America's Everglades without hampering the rights of Florida citizens.
-- David B. Struhs, secretary, Department of Environmental Protection, Tallahassee

An ugly substitute for democracy

It is completely unconscionable that Gov. Jeb Bush has defied the will of the people of the state of Florida, and signed the fatally flawed Everglades legislation, HB 813, with its anticitizen provision. This action, in concert with so many others, demonstrates that both the Bushes leading our state and federal governments want to purposefully dismantle citizens' rights, piece by piece.

Never before have we witnessed so many citizen groups -- well over 100 of all types -- joined together in a single mission: to urge a gubernatorial veto on HB 813. This unprecedented, multipartisan coalition represented neighborhood, community, human rights, environmental, garden, outdoor recreation, Native American, African-American, religious, legal, political, and sustainable growth entities and associations. The governor's office has been flooded with calls, faxes, letters and e-mails against HB 813. And every major and smaller newspaper around the state, including the St. Petersburg Times, had one or more editorials opposing HB 813.

How can the governor justifiably support it? He only can when he chooses to put the rights of a very few -- wealthy and powerful developers and corporate entities -- above the rights of the rest of us, individual citizens. This is not democracy at work. It is a very ugly substitute -- one that we need to fear and actively work to dismantle, before all our rights are reduced to meaningless words.
-- Heidi Lovett, St. Petersburg

Lands fund was looted

Re: Hands off the Preservation 2000 funds, by Bill Maxwell, May 15.

I, too, was happy when the state established Preservation 2000. By selling bonds, a large fund was created only for the purpose of buying environmentally sensitive properties. As of today, 1-million acres have been protected.

Well, last year and this year our "noble" lawmakers have stolen money from the fund to pay for other projects, projects that would have been covered were it not for the $262-million corporate tax cut. Not only have lawmakers lied to us and stolen from us, they have also thumbed their noses at us. I can't wait for Election Day to get here!
-- Beth Stiles, St. Petersburg

A disappointing defensiveness

Re: Tax relief and a drug benefit can go together, May 17 letter from Rep. Mike Bilirakis in response to Tax cut getting top priority over drug benefit for seniors, by Sara Fritz, April 22.

I am a senior citizen attempting to survive on a small monthly income. I am very disappointed at Rep. Mike Bilirakis' defensiveness over the issue of failing to pass a prescription drug benefit for seniors. He's been squawking for 20 years; what is he waiting for? At this rate, I'll be 6 feet under before he gets moving! It appears that Sara Fritz's comment regarding Bilirakis' vote on permanent tax cuts (which are too large) is accurate, not "disingenuous," as Bilirakis suggests. If voting "yes" on such a large tax cut (more than a trillion dollars over 10 years!) keeps Congress from passing a meaningful comprehensive prescription drug benefits plan for seniors, because there is no money left over to pay for it, then it would appear that Bilirakis himself is disingenuous, not Fritz!

He makes it sound as though he cares for seniors, when it is obvious from his letter that his real priority is making sure the chambers of commerce are taken care of first. Then, if there is any money left over, he will throw us a bone by "crafting" a prescription drug coverage bill for seniors. If it weren't such a serious issue, I'd be laughing!

Well, I say shame on the congressman for failing to put my needs, and those of my fellow seniors, first! Many of us have to choose whether we want to feel the pain from an empty belly or endure the pain from lack of medication each month because prescription drug costs are ridiculous. It's time to take action! This bill he is supposedly "crafting" -- how is it going to be paid for when there are no leftover funds? I may be old, but I'm not dead.

Who does he think he's kidding? We are already beginning to run enormous deficits once again! I expected better from my government. I expected better from my congressman who has been there for so long that he is now a senior himself. Enough is enough! Deep down in his heart, he must know it's time for a change, even if he is unwilling to admit it. I'm casting my vote for someone else in November. Someone who will think about what the people need.
-- Dorothy Costello, New Port Richey

Facing tough choices

Re: Tax relief and a drug benefit can go together, letter, May 17.

What is Rep. Mike Bilirakis' justification for voting on a permanent tax cut bill (HR 586) and then trying to figure out how to pay for a costly comprehensive Medicare drug benefit plan for seniors? It's like planning a meal without regard to the ability to pay for the ingredients.

Believe me, I know! As a physically challenged senior on a fixed income, I am forced each month to choose between buying food or buying medicine. I don't want defensive rhetoric and a statement of the problem. I want a solution first, based on a sound fiscal plan. Don't force me to choose between my health and food and shelter.
-- James Savino, New Port Richey

Landlord has done much good

It is generally my policy, with rare exception, not to respond to the press. I am a private individual with little interest in the scrutiny of the media, which is often tiresome and frequently inaccurate. However, I would be remiss not to make some brief comments relating to your article of May 13, A dream neighbor, nightmare landlord. I would only ask that you print this letter in its entirety, should you choose to do so.

First, my "past" in New York is not my "past" at all since I currently live and work there, with many close personal friends and business associates. As for violations and fines in New York, your reporters failed to be clear in that those fines relate to buildings that I do not own, and have not owned for years, and are based on violations that date as far back as the early 1960s (prior to my own birth). Fines due on a building that I do not own are rather like parking tickets received on a car that you have sold to someone else.

Second, your reporters made no mention of the condition of my Tampa properties prior to my purchasing them. Most were dilapidated and/or abandoned. One in particular was condemned. It was my renovation (new windows, roofs, paint, lighting, kitchens, bathrooms, etc.) that brought them back to habitability. Not a penny spent for any of these improvements came from grants, credits or any government funds of any kind. Rather than mention the "before" condition of any property, your reporters selectively quoted one resident who is delinquent in rent and another resident of a property that we have only recently purchased. That reeks of biased and unprofessional journalism, and should be seen as an embarrassment to your publication.

Finally, your reporters set about on a two-week "personal investigation" of me, querying my neighbors in both New York and in Tampa. Apparently unable to find a single one of them with anything bad to say about me (how many of us can say that?), the article was slanted to ridicule my "lavish lifestyle." There was no mention of my substantial charitable giving, neighborhood involvement or the good I have done in each community. There was, of course, the now-obligatory reference to my $1.4-million Hyde Park mansion. I might add that I worked hard for the money to buy that house, I spent 1 1/2 years renovating that house, my mortgage is current and my taxes are paid.

The fact that your article completely ignored all the good that I have done, all the jobs created by the massive capital improvements to the Tampa area properties, and all the housing units that I have renovated -- mostly to house lower-income people (a really thankless task) -- well, that's just bad journalism. You really should be ashamed.
-- Steven Green, Tampa

The rich are easily misled

Re: A dream neighbor, nightmare landlord.

The rich are so easily impressed. Throw some fish eggs their way, add some lobster, smile and compliment their hair and soon they will be eating off your hand like little squirrels.

It's obvious that Steven Green has bought all his rich neighbors by throwing insipid parties with has-been celebrities added for good measure. His neighbors' comments show just how out of touch these people really are.

If he cared for his tenants, don't you think he would have fixed the problems from the beginning and avoided all the adverse publicity and fines?
-- Carlos Milan, St. Petersburg

Kindness should earn them hugs

Re: A new love, restored, May 15.

God bless such kind hearted people as Pete Lucadano and Nestor Nazario for their generous actions to replace Dorothy Dalton's Mishi Moto, her 1971 Datsun. People like these two men should be hugged. Thank you for your actions. Only in a beautiful country like America can this happen.
-- Christine Gibbons, Homosassa

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