What in particular has gone awry with our democracy? The fact is that people in California, being not pleased with the job done by a person elected to office on promises, and failing to fulfill said promises, are about to correct a wrong. Just because it involves a Democrat is no reason to play "Chicken Little" and cry "The sky is falling."
We need more recall initiatives, just to keep these so-called professional politicians on their toes. If we don't like the job they're doing, we the people should be able to fire them. Some 51 percent of the people polled would vote to recall Davis. And the liberal press cries "foul." Were only Republicans polled?
Terry McAuliff cries "right wing conspiracy" and the "Republicans stole Florida, but it won't happen here." Maybe he should get out his 49 percent and overrule the public.
The next initiative on the California ballot should be whether we the people should be able not only to recall our elected officials, but also to sue them for breach of promise. Now that would really set the pols on their ears - and make Democracy better.
-- Don Dickson, St. Petersburg
We need a new way to select leaders
Re: Democracy gone awry.
One of my college professors, who taught a course called History of American Political Parties, said that politics is like a highway: Stay near the middle and don't drive off either the left or right shoulder into the ditch. Both are bad. California Gov. Gray Davis says he has been elected to five statewide offices and has the most experience. There is also the problem of being promoted to the level of your incompetence, and many believe Davis has reached that level.
The editorial pointed out the problems of direct democracy, but there is a larger one. We don't get to pick the candidates. Of course, we chose between two or more in the primaries and between two in the general election. This is a choice between professional politicians that benefits only them and the political parties. There are tens of thousands of men and women in this country who have the intelligence and skills to be governors and presidents. Never do we have the opportunity to select who will lead us from this large pool.
I don't have any quick answer, but the intensive scrutiny by the press is part of the problem. Not that I advocate blindly choosing a person, but it is obvious we are scaring away people like Colin Powell. After ascending to the presidency, Lyndon Johnson was quoted as saying that after all his time in Congress and as vice president, he had no idea what the job was like until he had it. In a speech at my university, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas in answer to a question said that to be qualified to sit on the court you had to have eight years sitting on the court. My point is that leadership does not necessarily come from political experience. Governorships and presidencies are too important for that. We have people from industry, businesses of all sorts, union leaders, the military and many others.
What we need is a selection system that bypasses the current system, which needs party support and money, lots of money. People who are truly interested in the job for unselfish reasons can toss their names into the hat for consideration. The idea is, of course, revolutionary.
Our present system of having political parties choose candidates has no authority in law and was developed to fill a need. Today the need for qualified candidates is far different from what it was in rural 19th century America. Can we change for the better?
-- Arnold C. Jones, Dunedin
Backing Byrd's efforts
Re: Byrd puts abortion letters on public tab, July 26.
We support House Speaker Johnnie Byrd's efforts to restore sound public policy and make sure Florida parents have the right to be involved in their children's lives. Even if the cost of these efforts was put on the "public tab," it is money well spent!
-- The Joseph A. Blum family, Largo
Speaker's mailing is an outrage
Every Florida citizen, regardless of political affiliation or persuasion, should be outraged at the conduct of House Speaker Johnnie Byrd. First, his mailings violate House rules, which prohibit lawmakers from producing newsletters that advocate a ballot initiative or seek political support. The mailing on the abortion issue clearly violates that rule. Second, there is the matter of using taxpayer funds for his political purposes in mass mailings.
In an era when the Legislature can't find adequate funds to support education and other important functions, it is interesting that the speaker of the Florida House finds state funds for his political purposes.
Finally, I have a question: If the chief lawmaker of the Florida House is misusing taxpayer funds (for whatever purpose) shouldn't the Florida attorney general remind him of his responsibilities and compel him to pay back every cent of those funds?
-- Norman Howard, Clearwater
Where does he get the chutzpah?
Re: Byrd puts abortion letters on public tab.
Where does Speaker of the House Johnnie Byrd get his chutzpah? How dare he use the public's money to write letters supporting a cause that is not favored by everyone. Speaker Byrd has shown a lack of understanding of House rules by using public funds to support his private cause. I am utterly incensed by the speaker's actions.
-- Judith B. Elkin, Clearwater
Serious offenses
Re: Byrd puts abortion letters on public tab.
The Constitution of Florida is taking a bashing.
-- Johnny Byrd violates his own legislative rules to pursue a personal agenda against abortion rights, using the weight and money of his elected office. And what was Sandra Murman thinking to allow her name to be attached to this blatant crime against the taxpayers?
Then Jeb Bush vetoes money for high-speed rail even though the Constitution requires the state to begin construction in November. Gov. Bush has stated that the voters did not understand what they were doing when they voted for this amendment.
These are serious offenses. I would hope that we can rely on the checks and balances of our government to examine the law, the actions of our politicians, and let the punishment fit their crime. If not, then we might as well burn the Constitution.
-- Terry Neal, Tampa
Driving and the elderly
Re: Florida leads with elderly fatalities, July 25.
This topic has been in the news a lot recently. I would like to point out a few things.
One reason for the high number of fatalities among the elderly is that their bodies are more frail and they are more likely to be killed in accidents that might very well not be fatal to a younger person. It is too bad that was not a part of the article.
As the article pointed out, many seniors monitor their own driving habits and give up night driving as well as high-speed driving on highways or driving in inclement weather.
I have no problem with driving tests. I think the very young and the very old should be tested more frequently. But just as a beginner driver has a provisional license, there are also states that allow a senior to have a restricted license that allows him/her to drive only in their own neighborhood and only at certain hours.
Of course, seniors value their independence, and the car is a very big part of that. Most of us are very aware of our aging process and are not against curtailing our driving for the good of all.
No one, not even (or maybe especially) seniors want to share the road with a bunch of old geezers who don't know the brake pedal from the accelerator. But we don't want to be stereotyped en masse.
-- Doris Whelan, St. Petersburg
Worrisome indications
Re: Danger at the wheel, editorial, July 22.
Why am I not surprised? Now there is another reason to get senior drivers off the road. In the recent case of the 60-year-old who plowed into a bunch of bicyclists, police learned that he was ailing and taking prescription medicine. Oh, boy. I suppose "Don't drink and drive" will soon be followed by, "Don't medicate and motor."
In the more tragic case of the 86-year-old who killed 10 people, however, there was no evidence of alcohol or drugs in his blood. Yet, the Times feels that, like the 60-year-old, he did not belong behind the wheel. Isn't that nice. If medication wasn't the cause of that accident, it was probably the poor guy's age. We still can't win.
As a senior driver who takes medications, these stories make me more nervous than the traffic on U.S. 19. Editorials like this one confirm my fears. "A study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety," states the Times, "reports that, per miles driven, drivers 75 and older have more fatal accidents than any other group except teenagers." Excuse me? What an unfair and misleading interpretation of those statistics. I would read those numbers and report that teenagers were responsible for more driving fatalities than any other age group. No wonder I'm paranoid.
At the risk of sounding like a worry wart, I'm convinced it won't be long before I'm pulled over for whatever reason, and the officer asks, "license, registration, list of medications, please."
-- Jack Bray, Dunedin
More testing for older drivers
Re: Driver plows into market, July 26.
I am appalled by what I read in the "Florida News" section Saturday regarding a 79-year old driver injuring three people at a farmer's market at Flagler Beach, days after a similar (and more tragic) incident occurred in California. Let's not forget our own St. Petersburg bicyclists who were mowed down a couple of weeks ago.
The Flagler Beach driver made the statements that "It wasn't my fault," denied any comparisons to the California driver by saying, "I've got my wits about me" and that "Once in a while a car will let you down."
A driver's license in any state is a permit to operate a motor vehicle, a machine. That requires you to have your wits about you at all times while operating. Obviously, neither of these men had the wits about them to press the emergency brake or throw their transmissions into park or neutral.
Louis Nirenstein, the driver in the Flagler Beach incident, also stated that he'd had new brakes and tires added to his car, but a witness said he never braked. A car will let you down mechanically, but the responsibility for the operation of those mechanisms is all on the operator of that machine, and you can't deny that.
I am in favor of a more comprehensive testing of drivers 60 and older before their licenses are renewed. I am not 60 yet, but if something like this ever happened to me, and God forbid it does, I would be beside myself with guilt - and not denying my responsibility.
-- Timothy M. Armstrong, Clearwater
Share your opinions
Letters for publication should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. They also can be sent by fax to (727) 893-8675.
They should be brief and must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Please include a handwritten signature when possible.
Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length. We regret that not all letters can be published.
For e-mail users: Letters can be sent by e-mail to letters@sptimes.com E-mail messages must be text only and cannot include attachments. If you're using a word processing program to write the message, use the cut and paste functions to place it into your e-mail program. Please include your return e-mail address, as well as your name, mailing address and phone number, in the text of the message.
