Your headline and story of this incident are very misleading. I would like your readers to know that we contacted the St. Petersburg Times and brought this to your attention. Knowing this to be true, why does this article spend more time talking about the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and quoting Pinellas County Sheriff Everett Rice than it does reporting the facts? No one would know that I spent several hours talking to your reporter and gathering information she wanted for the story. Since it is apparent that the Times is going to continue to write slanted stories on this issue, I am asking you to print this letter so that the Tarpon Springs Police Department has a fair chance to set the record straight.
It would appear our public defender, Bob Dillinger, uses subterfuge to get his clients off. Apparently he does not care whose reputation he harms nor is he interested in justice or truth. In this case, his office phones in a complaint that their client passed a polygraph and they want an investigation. We attempt to do this; however, Dillinger refuses us access to the complainant. Investigation 101 is: Interview the victim. Dillinger also expects us to rely on the polygraph his office administered. He refuses to let us do a polygraph on his client. Dillinger knows polygraphs are not admissible in court because they are not 100 percent accurate.
From the time that Bob Dillinger was elected to office, he started reviewing officer personnel files. It appears he looks for any adverse information he can use to take the spotlight off his clients. This takes "slinging mud" to a whole new level!
Police officers have specific rights when it comes to allegations against them. They are codified in both federal and state laws. These laws were created because of tactics used by people like Bob Dillinger. Regardless of this, I would not have done an investigation under these terms regardless of whom the allegations were against. All our citizens should know that we would not put their reputations in jeopardy under these circumstances.
Lastly, I have a great deal of respect for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. However, regardless of Sheriff Rice's opinion, he cannot police Tarpon Springs better than we do. This Police Department has many things to brag about. Recently we placed first in both the state and the nation for innovative public education, traffic enforcement and safety programs for our population category.
Our Cops & Kids program, led by Chief Mark LeCouris, has been a success for many years. It was a model used around the state by former Gov. Lawton Chiles. It has been greatly supported by the residents of Tarpon Springs.
We have been involved in neighborhood revitalization which has included tearing down dilapidated buildings and replacing them with new affordable housing. This effort has changed the face of this neighborhood and improved the quality of life for our entire community. I do not know of any programs the sheriff is involved in that have been this successful.
In 1996, Chief LeCouris placed a challenge to Sheriff Rice and the St. Petersburg Times to compare the services provided by the sheriff to East Lake, Palm Harbor, Oldsmar, Safety Harbor and Dunedin to those we provide to Tarpon Springs residents. We believe an unbiased comparison would clearly show the services we provided in 1996 and today are not even closely matched by the sheriff.
Ronnie H. Holt, captain, Tarpon Springs Police Department
Put the paper to better use
Re: Fringe candidates clutch wispy White House dreams, June 21.
I am guessing the article was an attempt at humor. If so, it failed. The only positive thing about the article was to put a scam artist's name on public display. If that was your intent, why did you wrap it up in a nice, soft story?
If we are ever going to elect a president who actually wants to make America better, instead of fulfilling his own personal agenda, the media have to make the public aware of their realistic choices.
The prominent space used by this story could have been used to enlighten the public on established candidates from the smaller independent parties. People who have a proven track record of public service and a documented agenda.
You also could use your power and resources to expose the corrupt individuals already in office. You are a big-time, big city paper. Act like it.
Mike Martin, Tampa
Focus on real political activists
Re: Fringe candidates clutch wispy White House dreams.
I'm a young politically active Floridian, and this article on Adam Lipner deeply disturbed me. I have had the opportunity to work on political campaigns throughout Florida and elsewhere and have met dedicated and motivated young Floridians from all backgrounds and political beliefs. Instead of writing an article on someone who is involved in politics because "girls love this," perhaps the Times should instead focus on the new generation of political activists who are fighting to change the season of cynicism that turns off so many young people from entering public service.
While it may be more colorful to write about someone who runs "red lights, curses like a sailor and wrestles a cocktail of mental problems," there are people in their 20s across Florida bringing fresh ideas and optimism to our political system by working on political campaigns, for elected officials, and seeking local office. In an era when society is trying to motivate youth to vote and get active in politics, this article mocks a generation with enormous potential.
Fritz Brogan, Fort Lauderdale
Poor judgment used in arrest of widow
Re: Widow, 80, spends night in jail, June 25.
I am outraged to learn that an 80-year-old widow spent the night in jail due to the arrest made by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. I feel that the Sheriff's Office should be spending its time and efforts arresting those people who are truly a threat to society. Certainly a bad check for $145.93 written almost 19 years ago does not warrant arresting an 80-year-old widow!
It may be true that, according to the law, the deputy was correct in arresting Elizabeth Milton. However, I believe that extremely poor judgment was used by the arresting officer. I believe that an arrest was not necessary and that common sense should have prevailed.
As a registered nurse, I feel that the Orient Road Jail should have paid attention to the need for medication and consulted with a registered nurse to ensure Ms. Milton was taken care of. This, I believe, should have been the standard of care.
Sharon Baker R.N., Largo
Keeping us safe?
Re: Widow, 80, spends night in jail.
How comforting for all of us elderly, widowed grandmothers to know that the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is keeping us safe from all the criminals cruising the roads at night. There's no telling what might have happened if one of their deputies hadn't jailed Elizabeth Milton, the 80-year-old great-grandmother returning home from her son's 31st wedding anniversary party. All they need to do now is post her picture in all the post offices so that we can watch out for this dangerous criminal.
Joan Betner, Pinellas Park
An off-pitch editorial
Re: The musical genius, June 22.
Times editorials usually present educated opinions and well-developed perspectives. This one fails to meet your standards. It is not worthy of your editorial page. The writer made a couple of good points, but relied on petty sarcasm to get them across.
Music students score significantly higher on the SAT in verbal and math than students who have little or no experience in music or the other arts. Educators have known that for years. Even so, responsible educators do not use the higher SAT scores to justify the study of music. Music is important to our culture and civilization. It is a legitimate part of a good education and helps make the difference between education and training.
The writer cites accurately one predictor of academic success - that the parent reads to the child regularly from infancy on. It is also true that singing, playing and moving with music benefit both emotion and intellect. Children whose parents interactively engage them in these experiences are more likely to reach school age ready to learn.
Is the phrase "endless afternoons of playing the scales" the writer's attempt to reduce music to something mindless and mechanical? By its nature, music is dynamic and active. The study of music involves listening, responding, interpreting and performing. It requires concurrent command of mental and physical resources. Music, in all its richness and depth, is also fun! Ask any student in band, chorus or orchestra.
Finally, the writer's self-labeling was just sad: "tone-deaf word people." My 30-plus years in music education taught me that tone deafness is rare, perhaps nonexistent. A more accurate description of this condition is Melodic Experiential Deprivation. (I made that up.)
Claudia Davidsen, Ruskin
It's not too late to learn
Re: The musical genius.
This editorial paints a rather pessimistic picture of the research that provides data regarding the positive benefits of arts education. Unfortunately, the author continues to promote the myth that those who excel in music and the other arts do so because of genetic talents or gifts.
The editor missed the point! A high quality sequential music education, along with education in all areas of the arts, is an important part of the intellectual development for all children. Current research shows that students who participate in the arts love learning, embrace diversity, cope with complexity, excel academically and become deeper, richer people. All children have the potential to achieve in the arts. The development of this potential is the right of every child.
The good news is that every child has the opportunity for arts education within our schools.
The editorial writer speaks of "us tone deaf word people." I've heard other people on occasion use similar phrases to describe their low achievement in music. Often this is the result of lack of opportunity to learn how to sing and match pitch rather than the extremely rare condition of tone deafness. The good news is that singing is a developmental skill and you, too, can learn to do this at any age. I encourage you to join your musical community: community choir, church choir, or even private lessons if you are able to afford them. I promise you will not have to spend "endless afternoons of playing the scales" in order to feel successful in music.
Margaret Griffin, Belleair
More partisan stomach problems
Re: Enough to make a person ill, letter, June 25.
To the reader who must take "antacids or something with chalk in it to sop up the bile" because of Bill Clinton's book signings:
Join the club! I have been doing the same thing since the 2000 elections. Perhaps I can stop after George Bush is defeated again in November.
Greg Colvin, Odessa
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