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We must take a stand against the rising cost of gasoline

I am writing about the cost of gasoline. I know a lot of people like myself who depend on gasoline for our jobs. We are the truck drivers and delivery drivers who make sure products of all kinds get to your homes and offices. The jump in fuel prices is affecting all of us.

The present oil squeeze is being caused not by war or famine but by the greed of OPEC. It is affecting the mother trying to take her kids to school, the father who is commuting on Interstate 275, sitting in rush-hour traffic as he watches the fuel gauge drop.

The price of groceries is climbing. The cost of doing business rises with the price of oil. Heating and air conditioning, everything is getting costlier. We, the average American citizen must write to our senators and representatives and demand that they stop giving money to OPEC nations. Our government must make those countries realize that by squeezing the United States, they will only stop the supply of money and handouts that we give them.

We must also demand that our government end this vicious circle by developing other forms of energy. If America grabbed this issue the way we grabbed the race to the moon, we could be energy self-sufficient in a decade or so.

I ask every citizen to take a moment, pick up a pen and write our leaders. They must respond because we hired them to do our bidding.

At the administration's service

Re: Senate opens door to drilling, March 17.

In his short time in office, Florida's freshman U.S. senator, Mel Martinez, has already shown he can sway in the wind as well as some of the state's palm trees in a hurricane. First, to pander to the right-to-lifers, he helps introduce a bill to "save Terri." Then, after he "fought hard" to protect Florida from the evils of drilling off our coast, he caves in to cast a critical vote to threaten our pristine Alaskan wilderness by giving the go-ahead to allow oil fields there.

That tells me whenever Bush comes to shove, no matter the issue, I'm sure good soldier Mel will say, "Of course, Mr. President, your wish is my command. Anything else I can help you with? Anything at all?"

Martinez reveals his values

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez again showed his true colors when he voted to drill for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It proves he and George Bush's corporate contributors are more important than Americans and their values.

When his corporate buddies want to drill off Florida's coasts, will Sen. Martinez roll over on the American people and Florida residents again the way he did this week? Sen. Martinez has yet to stand up for Floridians, and we can be quite sure that when it comes to our coasts, our opinions will once again be brushed aside.

Wal-Mart deserves some praise

Re: Wal-Mart pledges $5-million to hospital, March 4.

This article concerning Wal-Mart's pledging $5-million to All Children's Hospital is truly another reason I get very annoyed when people seem to be so upset when a Wal-Mart wants to come into their area.

I personally know someone who has worked for Wal-Mart in another state since the day it was opened more than 14 years ago. She stated that they are a fantastic company. The workers are so community-spirited and bond with each other.

Let's start giving them more credit and less criticism. Competition is good! If you had ever lived, as I have, in a small town with one store and were expected to pay any ridiculous price the owners asked, because they had no competition for miles, many of you might understand.

My hat goes off to Wal-Mart, its employees and its many worthwhile projects.

Wal-Mart generosity is an illusion

Re: Wal-Mart pledges $5-million to hospital.

Is there no end to the white-washing and green-washing that Wal-Mart will stoop to? After what was reported about the corporate giant's supposed pledge of $5-million, all I can say is that All Children's Hospital should be more correctly renaming its emergency center the "People of West Central Florida Emergency Center."

The public is really making the donation possible. The corporate giant is not digging deep into its own profits to make a generous donation - it is simply organizing events in its parking lots to raise the money from the local shoppers who grace their doors.

Wal-Mart is using smoke and mirrors to appear to be charitable, rather than actually being charitable. Although the St. Petersburg Times reported what will actually occur regarding the source of the funds half-way into the article, the headline is completely misleading.

There is no truth to Wal-Mart's generosity. Rather than supporting communities, Wal-Mart doesn't buy American or offer good-paying jobs. Instead, it fights labor unions, keeps wages low, strong-arms its merchants to source products overseas more cheaply, and bulldozes its way into communities where it is not wanted.

Persistent detective work

Re: Police arrest suspect in 1987 Largo slaying, March 10.

Almost 18 years ago Susan Heyliger, a bartender at a Largo lounge, was closing for the night when someone hiding in the bar attacked and brutally murdered her, leaving in his wake a grief-stricken husband and a devastated family and friends. To know Susan - or "Red" as she was commonly known - was to like her; to know her well was to love, appreciate and admire a giving and hard-working person. I was one who knew her well, and a piece of my heart was lost forever in this senseless act of violence.

Now comes news of the arrest of the suspected killer, a cold-case success story achieved by the caring and relentless police work of Largo detectives, and in particular Detective Joseph Coyle. All too often, the men and women of law enforcement are maligned and underappreciated.

Thank you, Detective Coyle, for starting the closure process for the husband, my lifelong friend, and the children and family of Susan.

Seems like a long landing

Re: Boom echoes with a question, March 16.

The story said: "Dennis McGrath, a spokesman at the Naval Air Station Lemore in California, where the Navy jets that landed at MacDill are based, said the aircraft are loud when they land. He said people often mistake the landing of an F-18 to a sonic boom."

I wonder if they were landing up in the Countryside area.

[Last modified March 18, 2005, 00:42:17]