News

NAACP can find better things to do in St. Petersburg

Letters to the Editor
Published June 11, 2005

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Re: NAACP will ponder Midtown secession, June 9.

Darryl Rouson and the NAACP should forget about a Midtown secession from St. Petersburg. They shouldn't have even wasted time and energy considering studying such an idea. Midtown does not have the tax base and other resources available in order to operate on its own, let alone provide the types of incentives needed to attract developers to such a "risky" area. Essentially, in an effort to "control (its) own destiny," it would become an even poorer enclave surrounded by a prosperous city.

While I understand frustrations with the lack of development, strong-arming the city through threats of secession is not the way to go. If Rouson and company are really concerned about "the advancement of colored people" in St. Petersburg, why don't they put political pressure on the city to allow the Job Corps to build its center in the Dome Industrial Park to provide convenient access to job training, thus creating more human capital to attract and/or create jobs? Why don't they advocate for an improved transit system so Midtown residents can have better access to the good jobs in Gateway, central Pinellas and Tampa? Why aren't they encouraging the city to be more aggressive in its new Land Development Regulations to allow for more intense development in Midtown? Why aren't they vigorously and vocally encouraging entrepreneurship as a viable option for economic development? This is where the NAACP should be putting its efforts as opposed to this political game Darryl Rouson wants to play.

-- Ashon Nesbitt, St. Petersburg

Secession makes sense

Re: NAACP will ponder Midtown secession.

For once I agree with the NAACP. I think Midtown should secede from St Petersburg. It would be best for both areas.

St. Petersburg would not have to listen to all the complaining coming from the area. And Midtown residents could govern themselves. That way their own police could take care of the drug dealers, etc. They could be assured of black participation in all events, as well as assuring that black contractors and builders would be employing black men.

What more could they wish for? I'm sure their tax base can handle the expenses. If not, they can just raise the taxes to cover any shortages. Black teachers, lawyers, doctors, store owners, etc., would be happy to move into the area, I'm sure.

Good luck, and more power to you.

-- James Bardsley, Madeira Beach

Rouson should speak for himself

Re: Rouson speech takes turn as old foe shows up, June 10.

I agree with St. Petersburg City Council member Earnest Williams' comments about local NAACP president Darryl Rouson taking it upon himself to speak on behalf of all residents in Midtown. I have lived in Midtown (South St. Petersburg) for the past 12 years and I have never given him or anyone permission to speak on my behalf.

It's odd that Rouson, who lives in a posh neighborhood, comes to Midtown to feed on the social issues we're having. He then returns to his upscale home and doesn't have to deal with the near rioting effects he helped create. His idea of having Midtown as its own township is "ludicrous," and I feel that it's for his personal gratification. Mr. Darryl Rouson, please speak for yourself.

-- Antionette Harris, St. Petersburg

Pressuring the sheriff isn't helpful

Re: Sheriff should be open to public, May 27, and More action needed from sheriff, June 9.

These two editorials both seek to force Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats into acquiescing to the demands of the St. Petersburg Times rather than the needs and concerns of the entire county at large.

The May 27 editorial alludes to turning over the Sheriff's Office to civilian oversight, weakening the role of effective law enforcement at the expense of those who follow society's laws.

As you pointed out quite correctly, Cpl. Chris Taylor has been cleared by the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office, cleared through a thorough and separate criminal investigation and cleared in a subsequent Shooting Review Board. Members of the community were welcomed by Sheriff Coats to watch the proceedings in an effort to inform the community as suggested by State Attorney Bernie McCabe. I believe a subsequent FBI examination will conclude as well that the Sheriff's Office was forthright in its investigation of the matter.

I sincerely hope the sheriff continues to look to alternative ways to educate and inform the community of his policies and procedures. However, political pressure, emotion and outrage are influences that are not germane to an impartial review.

On June 9, you demand the sheriff remove Cpl. Taylor from his assignment as a SWAT team member, although he has done nothing illegal or contrary to department policy, but merely because you find his service there distasteful.

You state further that the sheriff should look to the St. Petersburg Police Department for guidance in regard to its use of deadly force policies and its Civilian Police Review Committee, which provides constructive criticism and input. I am well aware of the constructive criticism ongoing within the department. Let's examine and scrutinize other important facts about the city of St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg currently leads the state in violent homicides per capita. Rampant drug dealing, auto theft, larceny and assault plague the city, specifically the Midtown area, where the city is attempting to rebuild and reinvigorate economic development. What businesses or potential new residents will want to relocate to an area where their personal safety is at risk and their property is in jeopardy?

Members of the St. Petersburg Police Department continue to speak out that they need the support of police administration and City Hall rather than continued pandering to those who advocate dissent and distrust.

Your effort to force the sheriff to adopt civilian oversight in his office is ill-conceived and can only have a detrimental effect on his agency. Your continued defamation of Cpl. Taylor is equally inexcusable. While some positive changes will be made by Sheriff Coats, who continues to fully explore all options, civilian review committees and interference by the Times in the business of running his office is unwelcome.

-- Tim Ingold, president, FOP Pinellas Lodge 43, Largo

Putting blame on the police

Re: The disenchantment of Brandon, June 6.

We are told that part of the reason for this disenchantment is "in the long, contentious relationship between black Americans and the police."

Now it's the police's fault for crime? This is a common attitude among today's young blacks. I fail to understand how black Americans can rationalize their problems by blaming the police for the behavior of their own neglected youth. Who did the crime? Perhaps we need a good dose of law enforcement for those who feel exempt from the rules.

-- Angelo J. Anello, Land O'Lakes

We remain far from racial equality

Re: The disenchantment of Brandon.

I have been privileged to work with a large number of inner city African-American males over the last five years. I applaud your choice of Brandon as a spokesman as he has not chosen to get into a negative lifestyle at this time.

Unfortunately, the June 8 letters in response to the article were as predictable coming from white writers as were Brandon's beliefs. Most of the white majority is not aware that we are very far from equality indeed. Law officers are needed, of course, but the long shadow of Jim Crow still affects relationships with the black community.

When the most visible signs of success for young black males are the cars, money and "bling-bling" that are available on the streets, it is not surprising that this seems to be a valid vocational choice for youths to whom many doors are closed.

And our yuppie attitudes, which permit us not to see the pain and frustrations in hundreds of Brandons, only exacerbate the problem.

-- Donna Fish, Clearwater

Brandon, provide a good example

Re: The disenchantment of Brandon.

Brandon Hutchinson sees police officers as "nasty, snotty, mean crackers." If the good people in the black community do not become police officers, then you get what you get. The June 3 St. Petersburg Times article bemoaned the lack of black male teachers (Needed to teach: black men). Who will stand up and give the good example?

A well-known quote says: "Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil by being good." Being good is not easy, and speaking out for the good is difficult. But nothing worthwhile has ever been accomplished without some risk. Go for it, Brandon! Become a police officer, teacher or preacher. It beats rioting any day of the week.

-- Frank Donahue, South Pasadena

Don't diminish real heroes

Re: A good mystery is solved at last, editorial, June 2.

I am unable to understand how you can see W. Mark Felt as a hero. When I think of a hero, I consider the firefighter running up the stairs of the World Trade Center as it is burning and falling to the ground. A hero to me is Pat Tillman and the other soldiers across the globe who fight each day to protect our freedoms and way of life.

If Felt really thought he needed to save the independence and integrity of the FBI, he should have gone to the U.S. attorney and provided all the information he knew to a grand jury. There, the information would have been made public for all to see. To consider W. Mark Felt a hero diminishes the acts real heroes have done.

-- James Carboni, Clearwater

The challenges of exposing corruption

Listening to the right-leaning talking heads who were part of the Watergate scandal, speaking about how W. Mark Felt is a "traitor" and a "toady" and a villain and not a hero for what he did reminds me of the story of Frank Serpico.

Serpico was a New York plain clothes officer who outed vast corruption in the New York City Police Department through the press, after having previous attempts to out corruption swept under the rug by the powers that be. The reaction by the force was death threats and then ultimately a gunshot wound to the face.

Why do I compare W. Mark Felt with Frank Serpico? Because they both aired dirty laundry of certain institutions and both were vilified unjustly for their actions. Would someone claim that Serpico was a traitor to the police department for spilling the beans on wrongdoing on the police force?

Corruption is corruption, and those who out it aren't the villains.

-- John Fontana, Palm Harbor

Sell horses, don't slaughter them

Re: Stop the slaughtering of horses.

On June 8, the St. Petersburg Times published an editorial that mischaracterized my position on the slaughter of wild horses. I am opposed to the slaughter of America's wild and domestic horses and support the Sweeney-Spratt amendment to end this practice, but I support allowing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to sell wild horses to responsible owners to prevent starvation and disease among overpopulated herds.

Unfortunately, even if Congress shuts down America's three slaughterhouses, wild horses will continue to suffer as a result of overpopulation. The large majority of America's wild horses reside on federal lands in Nevada, where there is a limited food supply. To prevent wild horses from suffering from drought and starvation, BLM gathers thousands of these animals each year and cares for them in holding facilities.

While BLM attempts to find good homes for these horses, their adoption program cannot keep up with the supply, and thousands of horses are forced to remain in long-term holding pens. Thus, BLM has begun selling some horses, which allows those who wish to rescue a large number of horses to avoid the adoption program's restrictions on the number of horses one person can adopt.

Last month, the House of Representatives voted on an amendment to prohibit BLM from selling or slaughtering wild horses. BLM had just implemented new policies to ensure wild horses that are sold do not go to slaughter; therefore, contrary to the editorial, the slaughter of wild horses was no longer an issue. I voted against the amendment because, while I oppose the slaughter of horses, I think BLM should have the flexibility to sell horses to those interested in providing them good homes.

Saving America's wild horses requires more than just shutting down slaughterhouses. I hope the Times will encourage its readers who are concerned about the welfare of these beautiful animals to consider participating in BLM's adoption program. For more information, call 1-866-4MUSTANGS or visit http://www.doi.gov/horse/

-- Jim Davis, U.S. representative, Florida's 11th Congressional District

What about other animals?

Re: Stop the slaughtering of horses.

I was very interested to read an editorial criticizing the practice of slaughtering horses for food, even going as far as to mention the unimaginable horrors that the horses endure during transport and finally slaughter. I applaud the St. Petersburg Times for publishing it.

While I commend the author for writing such a piece, I wonder why the same attention could not be given to other animals that share the same fate, or worse, such as cows, pigs, chicken and fish. Just because our culture does not see horses as "food," we tend to forget that the suffering they experience is no worse than the suffering experienced by animals that the majority of people eat without a second thought. All these animals suffer horrible deaths, just so we can eat their flesh, drink their milk, eat their eggs, and wear their skin.

As a vegetarian for nine years and a vegan (one who does not eat or use any animal-derived products) for nearly eight, I have never felt better. I hope that one day we can extend the compassion that we have for horses to other needlessly abused animals.

-- Justin Grant, St. Petersburg

Paying the price of preserving land

Re: Vanishing wetlands articles and subsequent letters to the editor.

I have not heard anyone address just who should bear the cost of retaining the woods, pastures and wetlands that we all need and enjoy. Most people think that someone else should pay for these benefits. I do not.

I have a rather unique perspective in that I was born in northeast Pasco County and my family has lived in west central Florida since before the Civil War. Also, after retiring from the agricultural banking business, I was a developer of rural home sites, mostly 5- and 10-acre tracts. We frequently read comments such as, "This used to be a nice, quiet, rural area before people started moving in." What most people don't realize is that by their moving there, they helped to destroy the very thing that attracted them in the first place.

Although I have not lived anywhere but Florida, I certainly cannot blame anyone for wanting to come to Florida. Certainly the farmers and ranchers who want to sell their land for development should be able to do so.

In Pasco County we are now seeing unprecedented growth, and many people are wanting green areas preserved. This is good! Let the people buy them and preserve them. This could be done through conservation easements (as the water management districts are doing) or outright purchase by a government entity (such as St. Petersburg's buying the Cross Bar ranch for the water rights).

I believe in individual property rights. If the property is needed for public use, we should use eminent domain to obtain it and pay the owner a fair price for it. Don't penalize the current owner.

-- Earl Tyer, Trilby

Humans need a healthy planet

Re: Humans should have priority, letter, June 4.

The letter writer poses the question: "Why do we place what is best for "nature' above what is best for human beings?" Like too many others, he fails to recognize the enormous interconnectedness of all life, the intricate web that binds all of us human beings to the natural world. Singing the praises of golf courses and attractive communities of homes, the writer doesn't stop and think about what will become of Florida's beautiful green golf courses and the lush landscaping in our suburbs when the wetlands are destroyed and the aquifer damaged to the point that Florida has a major water shortage.

In the big picture, what is best for nature is best for humans, since we are dependent on a healthy planet for the very survival of our species.

-- Janet Wolin, New Port Richey

[Last modified June 11, 2005, 00:25:17]

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