Guns 'R' Us club settles in
Letters to the EditorPublished November 4, 2004
Re: E-mail goof leaves party red-faced, Oct. 31 C.T. Bowen column.
Editor: Bill Bunting was not after state Rep. Tom Anderson because he didn't want to drop mail for the president. Bunting is angry at Anderson because he was one of the very few Republican House delegates in Pasco who abstained from voting on one of Bunting's high priority gun lobby bills, House Bill 149, now enshrined as section 790.333 of Florida statutes. It makes us, the people, pay to clean the lead pollution from the gun ranges in Florida.
Anderson, to his credit, told me at a candidates debate that he thought people should clean up their own mess. Except for Anderson, our entire legislative delegation - Ken Littlefield, Victor Crist, Mike Fasano and Heather Fiorentino - voted to stick us with the bill.
The e-mail comments of Alan Levine ("I don't know what is going on, but Bill is capable of sometimes being fairly extreme and it worries me that he may do something that draws attention") and Karen Unger, spokeswoman for Gov. Bush ("Oh, yeah, Bill can be bit nutty") are hardly a revelation to those of us who have watched Bunting turn the Pasco County Republican Party into his own private Guns "R" Us club. He uses the party to support whatever the gun lobby in Florida wants, regardless if it diminishes public safety or makes us pay for it.
-- Arthur Hayhoe, Wesley Chapel
Voters did some things right
Editor: Thankfully, there is one bright spot in Tuesday's elections: Cynthia Newton's election as Pinellas-Pasco circuit judge, Group 22.
Her election, the support for teachers in Pinellas and the raising of the state's minimum wage show that Florida voters can vote their self-interest after all!
-- Mike Shu, Holiday
Next time, do more research
Re: The road to discombobulated ballots, Oct. 30 Barbara Fredricksen column.
Editor: I'm sure you're old enough to have voted on paper ballots when you placed an X in the box by the candidate of your choice or in boxes marked "Yes" and "No" for issues. Did you receive a printed receipt? Each vote on a machine where you moved little levers and then pulled down a big one that finished your vote and opened the curtain - did you receive a printed receipt? The electronic machines in Pasco County are not computers.
From the rest of the article it sounds as if you should have done a little more preparation. Was the written ballot you requested an absentee ballot? If so, you could have had it mailed to you and you would have had more time to read the instructions in the privacy of your own home. For your sake I hope your ballot is counted, but also hope you do a little more research before 2008.
-- Pat Gorecki, New Port Richey
Motorcyclists terrified driver
Editor: I would like to report an incident that happened on our streets in Port Richey.
A young lady visiting from the other coast was leaving after visiting her terminally ill father. She inadvertently cut off a motorcyclist going north on Rowan Road.
She became aware of this when he began harassing her. Before long, two other bikers joined him and continued along Massachusetts Avenue. When she turned left onto Little Road, they got on each side of her and one in front, demanding that she pull over. When she refused, they stopped the motorcycles so she could not proceed. They got off their motorcycles and wanted her to roll down her window. She, of course, refused. They finally go tired of their silly game, got on their motorcycles and sped away, leaving her terrified.
I know there are a lot of wonderful people who ride motorcycles. It's a shame that these three give them a bad name.
-- JoAnn Kelly, Port Richey
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