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© St. Petersburg Times, published November 27, 2002
Re: County to reshape mangrove rules, Nov. 14.
I am completely amazed at the comments made by County Commissioner Calvin Harris on the issue of cutting mangroves so a few wealthy individual can have views of the water. It only shows the arrogance that comes with wealth. Mangroves are one of the most important ecosystems in our state, yet they have become as rare as a proenvironment Republican. When mangroves are trimmed, what's left is a mess of sticks with no leaf cover -- which defies the purpose of this incredible type of vegetation.
In every instance, the mangroves were there before these white elephants that keep popping up on our shores and should not be cut at all, let alone just so someone can get a view of the water. I say climb the roof if it's that important.
Attorney Pat Maguire displays his ignorance by asserting that "for Pinellas County to assume it has better insight than Tallahassee is a bit presumptuous."
It's presumptuous of him to assume that Tallahassee knows better. After all there are no mangroves -- and for that matter, no beaches -- in Tallahassee.
-- Carlos Milan, St. Petersburg
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority bus drivers continue to provide countless miles and years of safe driving despite facing many obstacles such as Pinellas County traffic, storms, ongoing construction and detours. Our day also includes running to the bathroom, choking down something to eat or drink, working on tight schedules, having our health and bodies jeopardized, along with some other undesirable situations.
Through the bus drivers' individual safety awards, PSTA has also received many transit awards, lower liability insurance rates and other financial savings.
Unfortunately, as our contract has expired and negotiations are at a virtual standstill, it appears that PSTA proposals only address how quickly drivers can be disciplined or terminated. Retraining new drivers continuously causes an enormous expense and possibly threatens our safety record. This could lead to higher liability insurance rates and possibly lead to a lower confidence level among our ridership, while possibly adding thousands of dollars in additional expenses for PSTA and taxpayers.
With a tight labor market, you would think that PSTA would want to retain its outstanding work force. Perhaps what is more puzzling is what the content of PSTA's offer would be if bus drivers did not exhibit good job performance!
-- Danny Di Nicolantonio, St. Petersburg
My three-week stay with a very dear friend in Treasure Island is coming to an end.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the wonderful people I have met during my stay, including the immigration officer at the airport who took a quick look at my passport and said: "Welcome to America, John;" and the customs officer who said with a smile, "Hi, how are you?" and showed me the exit.
All the nice people in the shopping malls, restaurants, bars. And lastbut not least, the nice people in the neighborhood I met when taking my morning walk. "Hello, how are you?" "Good morning, sir," are the greetings I get every morning from complete strangers.
I certainly will share all these good memories with friends and relatives back home.
-- John Aug. Knudsen, Mandal, Norway
Re: John's Pass parking meters.
What a disappointment for both shop owners and shoppers.
I, along with many friends and family members, am a regular tourist in the area. We have always loved to walk the Pass, looking in the shops and often making purchases.
Since the city made the decision to install parking meters, we no longer spend time meandering along the walk as it is not enjoyable running back and forth putting money in the meters and worrying whether we are going to get a parking ticket if the time on it expires. The meters took all the enjoyment out of shopping at the Pass.
With economic times the way they are, I think it was a foolish decision to try to get a few more dollars out of tourists by making them pay for parking in an area where many dollars are (were) being spent -- which increases the amount of tax money the state is receiving.
There is nothing being sold in John's Pass that cannot be bought someplace else. It was the atmosphere and free parking that were the attractions. I feel sorry for all those dedicated shop owners who live through the off season and remain open only to lose regular shoppers because of a city's greediness.
-- Bonita Westfall, West Des Moines, Iowa
Re: A modest proposal to preserve tranquility on our Treasure Island.
In order to preserve the rights of our residents to a quiet and peaceful habitat, as well as allowing progress of our fair city in the 21st century, I propose the following suggestion as a compromise:
Apply the new land development regulations only to the downtown areas and exempt the residential districts on the north and Sunshine Beach from the new LDRs, as Sunset Beach has been treated. The nonresidential portion of Sunshine Beach, i.e., north beyond Gators, should be allowed the benefits of the new LDRs.
Adoption of this suggestion would allow the vision of a quiet community in which one would like to live and avoid the decrepit stagnation of years of legal battles.
-- George B. Greenfield, Treasure Island
When attending the Veterans Day memorial service on Nov. 11 at Largo Central Park, I experienced an unexpected emotion. In the back of the crowd was a man with a sign protesting the service and its meaning. While he was within his rights to do this, I must admit that as a veteran of the Vietnam War, I felt a deep sense of frustration that this man would show such disrespect for all the veterans who were there.
But the unsung hero of this story was the woman who walked right up to this protester, stood not more than 2 feet in front of him, face to face, and refused to leave. She stood there and faced off with this man for what appeared to be almost half an hour, not saying a word, until he got so frustrated that he left. She also was within her rights.
Only in America can you experience such extreme examples of the rights that we are fortunate to have, and only in America can two such opposite people openly express what they believe in without fear of recrimination. God bless our veterans, and God bless America.
-- Tom Robbins, Largo