I have been reading almost on a daily basis all the crackdowns on what our government would call "indecency." I, personally, do not need or want anyone deciding what I can listen to and/or what I can watch. I think that I'm old enough to decide those things for myself without "Big Brother" becoming part of my life.
I occasionally listened to Howard Stern and also Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. While at times I thought that they were both very funny and hitting the nail squarely on the head, there were times when I didn't care for the subject that they were on. I have never been offended by either of them. If I didn't like what was on, I would change the station. I wish all these hypocrites out there who want to keep the children safe would mind their own business. I definitely don't need their distorted values imposed on me.
Now I see that St. Petersburg wants to have concert promoters post $10,000 bond for a performer. It's bad enough that most of the performers that I like never even come to Florida, but now this will certainly ensure that I will have to go out of the state to see my heroes. It doesn't make any sense to me to do this, as the people who go to these concerts already know what they are going to see and hear.
-- Steve Oromaner, St. Petersburg
Amendment is worth saving
Re: Concert cursing fee: $500 a word.
I guess I could ask, "Who decides which words are vulgar?" or "When is that spoken word deemed vulgar, before or after it is uttered?" or "Why is the promoter fined?"
But my real concern is: When did elected officials in the United States begin feeling comfortable - or worse, justified - going on the record as the source of a quote like, ". . . we can't be the constant saviors of the First Amendment"?
Council member Bill Foster, make your apologies quickly and sincerely or find a new line of work. It's hard to be a politician without constituents.
-- Jon Behrend, St. Petersburg
Don't lose the Florida Orchestra
One shining light in the Tampa Bay area is the Florida Orchestra, which seems to be treated as though it were some poor relative looking for a place to hang its hat.
Culturally, the Florida Orchestra brings a major asset to our community and must be supported, as the jewel it is.
It is important that it survive to play another day - to be a positive force in the St. Petersburg, Tampa and Bradenton/Sarasota triangle.
It offers first-class music by professionals, internationally known artists and recognition the area so desperately strives for.
Once lost, it can never be replaced. The best musicians and conductors go - and are looking now - for places that love and appreciate fine artistry. We have been successful in other endeavors. Don't let this one slip away.
-- Art Moore, Pinellas Park
Computer fiasco at Bay Pines
Re: Bay Pines computer testing slammed, March 18.
As a U.S. Navy Vietnam War veteran, I am appalled by the fiasco at the Bay Pines VA Medical Center concerning this $472-million computer system called CoreFLS created basically just to order supplies.
VA budgets are sliced and diced each year along with downsizing of staff and closing VA facilities throughout the country. Hiring freezes are initiated denying veteran and civilian employment, creating severe nursing, housekeeping and other support staff shortages (laundry, kitchen, etc.).
Yet the VA (so far revealed) has spent $472-million for a computer system that not only is not working but is also not really needed. High tech may be important but is it crucial in ordering supplies? What really fries me is the fact that no VA official could answer who gave the order to install CoreFLS at Bay Pines.
I hope with all these investigations by Sen. Bob Graham, Rep. Bill Young and Rep. Michael Bilirakis, the right questions will be answered to the satisfaction of veterans needing health care and the supporting staff who provide it.
$472-million! I just hope and pray these investigations bring back priorities to the VA health care system in giving my fellow veterans the care they deserve and earned with more emphasis on the people who provide their care and comfort every day.
-- Jack Burlakos, Kenneth City
A way for Bush to find the time
White House spokesman Scott McClellan promises us that President Bush will respond to all of the 9/11 commission's questions but hopes to abide by the one-hour time limit for the interview which he believes is "a reasonable period of time to set aside for a sitting president of the United States." (Bush to answer all questions from 9/11 panel, March 10.)
President Bush may really believe he is so busy as a sitting president that he cannot afford to give the 9/11 commission the time that it needs. I suggest that he could make more time available by simply eliminating a single all-day fundraising junket.
-- Palmer O. Hanson Jr., Largo
School bus drivers are not the Gestapo
Re: Don Addis cartoon, March 12.
Don Addis owes a formal apology to all the school bus drivers everywhere.
It is very insensitive to compare school bus drivers to the Gestapo! Many school bus drivers have parents, aunts and uncles who fought in World War II to free the world of the type of tyranny Don Addis is now comparing us to.
Additionally, the representation of the students boarding the bus as "perfect little angels" does not reflect reality. Addis should ride on a school bus to experience what really goes on. I've only been driving a school bus for four months, and so far I've had two stink bombs go off on my bus, had a sheriff's deputy remove a student to prevent a riot, experienced a gun scare, removed nun-chucks from a student, seen numerous food fights and mass disturbances resulting in having to pull the bus onto the side of the road until things quieted down.
We school bus drivers are entrusted with the most valuable cargo in the universe, your children. If you will entrust your children to the Gestapo, you had better review your outlook on life.
-- Joe Lynn, Holiday
High-speed rail makes no sense
Let's see. If I want to take the "high-speed" rail to visit Disney World, I'll have to drive my car to the train station, either park it or have someone drive it back home. Then, I'll have to wait for the next train out. By that time, I've already spent about an hour of time or more.
Upon arrival, I'll either have to take a cab to Disney World, rent a car or take a shuttle - another hour. Why not just drive straight there, which takes, at most, the same amount of time? On top of that, I don't have to hassle with switching cars.
Even if I were a tourist, I could still just rent a car in Tampa and drive there without bothering with all the rigamarole. That is why "high speed rail" makes no sense. Of course, Disney World is free to build whatever transportation system it wants.
Leonard Martino, Tampa
Separate tests for bigger motorcycles
Over the past few years I have observed reported motorcycle accidents in the various media, and I would like to make a suggestion. Much like automobile/truck driver licenses that require further testing for driving vehicles that demand an increased skill level, I would like to recommend that the same is done with motorcycles.
As many "bike riders" like myself know, the larger, heavier, faster and more popular motorcycles are much more difficult to handle than the smaller bikes. Because of this, many new large-bike owners take their road tests with much smaller and more nimble bikes, making passing the road test much easier. However, this makes these riders ill-prepared to drive the much larger bikes, leading to accidents. I would like to recommend that a "CC and/or weight" level be established that would identify the more qualified riders on their licenses, determined by actual large bike road testing, to drive these larger bikes. I believe that enforcement of this procedure would lead to fewer accidents.
-- Chip Guarino, Seminole
Choking on the spam
Re: Users say law's no help as they drown in spam flood, March 18.
I just finished reading your article about the spam e-mail. I can fully understand anyone's discontinuing use of the e-mail system due to clutter created by unsolicited e-mail. I have no sympathy for the porn industry. I am now on the edge of discontinuing even my DSL service. It seems that pop-ups are now doing their own dialing and I am getting long-distance phone calls charged to my DSL account with no comment from the provider except "you have to pay."
Spam blockers. Pop-up blockers. I am even getting loads of junk in my fax and my fax at work. I guess I have to pay for a fax blocker. I wish I could spend less time and money buying software to stop all this. This is more than annoying. I am ready to go back to snail mail and the telephone. Thanks for a great article.
-- Karen Conley, Clearwater
Check the label closely
For those of you who diligently try to purchase items made in America, this is an alert. I saw an item with the typical red, white and blue tag normally associated with Made In America. Only this one said Proudly American or some such slogan. Intrigued, I inspected the item and found a small tag inserted in an obscure place: "Made in China."
So do not just go by the colored tag anymore and assume it means made in America. Make sure you actually read what it says. If it doesn't say Made in America or Proudly Made in America, or in some other words indicating that it is made in the USA, look further to see where it was really made! These tags are a low, deceptive ploy to get you to buy un-American.
-- Caro Goodlin-Couture, New Port Richey
Observing economic activity
Just a few random observations I have made lately:
I can't seem to be able to find a parking space at the malls, strip malls, grocery, drugstore, etc. It would seem that people have money to spend: They are carrying out packages.
I saw a Sears service truck in my neighborhood the other day with a sign on the back, "Sears is now hiring techs, call . . ." I got an estimate for paving my driveway last week. The man said that he had more work than he could get to. Maybe paving is an opportunity for some entrepreneur. Ever try to find a salesperson? I guess there are job opportunities out there for the unemployed.
The roads are clogged with tourists, snow birds, and us. Were you trying to get to the beach on a recent Sunday? I guess the high price of gasoline isn't keeping everyone at home.
Oh yeah, I get an income tax refund this year.
-- Dana M. Dooley, Palm Harbor
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