Letters to the Editors

Caruso explains absences: Brazil mugging, illness

Re: Caruso could have avoided mess, editorial, Oct. 4.

For the fourth time in a week, the Times has focused either a story or editorial on the "controversy" surrounding my absence from a pair of recent Oldsmar City Council meetings and one council workshop.

While I am flattered that my colleagues on the council -- and your editorial writer -- are apparently concerned about my welfare and miss me so much, I can't help wondering why the Times has chosen, once again, to sensationalize what is, in fact, a fairly routine matter. Perhaps your newspaper is still stinging from the fact that all three of the candidates it endorsed in the last City Council election were overwhelmingly defeated by the voters of Oldsmar.

Perhaps your professional egos are bruised by the realization that the majority of the current Oldsmar City Council takes its marching orders from the people of our great city, and not from the editorial writers of the all-knowing and all-seeing St. Petersburg Times.

But no matter how your newspaper tries to spin this one, the facts are clear:

In July, while vacationing in Brazil, I was mugged by a group of men who beat me, stole my wallet and left me for dead on the sidewalk. Despite the fact that I could barely walk, was partially paralyzed on one side of my body and had difficulty seeing and speaking, I returned to Oldsmar and attended a City Council meeting the very next week.

In late August, the physician who treated me in Brazil (Dr. Luiz Dacosta) requested that I return to make certain that the grave injuries I had received were healing properly. An appointment was made for Wednesday, Sept. 18.

Though this appointment conflicted with the City Council meeting scheduled for Sept. 17, both my doctor and I felt it was wise to be rechecked by the physician who gave me my initial treatment. I informed Mayor Beverland and the city clerk's office that I would be out of the country for the meeting. Neither indicated that this would be a problem.

I decided to travel to Brazil via Belize, purchasing a ticket on a cruise to that country, then boarding a friend's chartered plane for the final leg of my trip. While I certainly took advantage of the opportunity to vacation while en route to Brazil, my primary reason for making the trip was my appointment with Dr. Dacosta.

The council member who initiated this whole witch hunt, David Tilki, earlier this year intentionally scheduled a personal vacation that conflicted with a scheduled City Council meeting. In addition to missing that meeting, Mr. Tilki asked the rest of the council to postpone making a decision on an important issue and we agreed.

Did the Times blast Mr. Tilki for intentionally missing a meeting and postponing city business? No, but none of his colleagues on the City Council attempted to politicize the issue, nor did we run to the newspapers to whine and complain.

None of this would be important had it not been for the events of Aug. 31. After volunteering at the city's rain-plagued Celebrate Oldsmar festival, I came down with a serious cold and was forced to miss the City Council meeting of Sept. 3. I called both the mayor and the city clerk's office to let them know.

I am not the reckless, uncaring, irresponsible person that Mr. Tilki and the Times have painted me to be. I take my job very seriously.

It's time to stop the political posturing, the premature campaigning and self-serving rhetoric and start working together for the betterment of the city of Oldsmar and all its residents.
-- Marcelo Caruso, Oldsmar City Council member

Clearwater's goal should be quality of life as well as growth

Re: Plotting Clearwater's future, a tale of two visions, column, Sept. 22.

Cheers for Clearwater Commissioner Bill Jonson for emphasizing livable neighborhoods and aesthetics in the city redevelopment debate. If other commissioners are moving full speed ahead to bring new business and industry to Clearwater, Jonson's voice is even more important to ensure those changes truly improve the quality of life in the city for all residents, as well as expand the tax base.

Several claims made by other commissioners and cited in the editorial cannot withstand close examination. First, the arrival of new business does not always result in infrastructure improvements, particularly in less affluent neighborhoods.

Furthermore, it is hard to see how an influx of new businesses will not increase traffic and crowds. For example, if an abandoned property is replaced by a new multistory office building, workers filling that building will be driving to work and will have to park somewhere.

Finally, the arrival of new business does not always make a community more attractive; the strip malls that line U.S. 19 or State Road 580 demonstrate this.

Hopefully, Clearwater officials have studied other small cities with prosperous, attractive and affordable downtowns in formulating a redevelopment plan. Economic expansion should be only one of the goals for the city of Clearwater.
-- Elizabeth Drayer, Clearwater

Build a multiplex movie theater when other theaters have shut?

I read the story about the Calvary Baptist Church property becoming available soon in downtown Clearwater, which will be a dead end after the bridge is finished, and part of the plan is to look at a couple of locations for a multiplex movie theater.

I must be missing something here. I noticed that most of the theaters around Clearwater have closed. Maybe the planners know something we don't.
-- Ray Perry, Clearwater

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