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'Excellence' at USF St. Petersburg is all but ignored

The University of South Florida St. Petersburg is celebrating its 40th anniversary, with a theme of "Excellence." It is thus more than ironic that both USFSP and Tampa have never announced or released public information about the recent designation of the MBA program at USFSP as the "Top Small MBA Program for 2005" by the Business and Society Program of the Aspen Institute.

Is their hesitation because the person who provided the academic vision, energy and commitment resulting in this prestigious award, Ron Hill, is being demoted from the deanship of the College of Business? Thank goodness Mary Jane Park covered the story in the Business section on Oct. 24 (A week of awards for USF dean) or no one in the community would know of this achievement of "excellence" at USFSP.

A tale of irresponsibility

I am writing to protest your series, The race to save the Mary Lynn. While I agree that the the Coast Guard rescuers are heroic and their bravery spared the lives of the crew of the Mary Lynn, that crew was irresponsible, greedy and plain stupid to be in the path of Hurricane Katrina.

Any captain who plans to be away from home for over two weeks should carry a VHF radio capable of receiving weather updates. Further, a captain who risks the lives of his crew and leaves a safe harbor like Key West while a large hurricane threatens the state is at best irresponsible. The fact that captain Mark Gutek shipped out in these conditions to slaughter another ton of grouper also makes him greedy.

The environmental impact of five miles of baited longline drifting unattended in the Gulf of Mexico is tremendous. This equipment will slaughter thousands of pounds of fish, turtles, sea birds and finally damage the reef once it sinks to the bottom.

The Coast Guard was forced to rescue Gutek and his crew from a situation that could have been easily avoided had Gutek followed common-sense precautions and monitored the weather while at sea.

Longlining is a wasteful and environmentally damaging method of fishing and should be eliminated to preserve the gulf fishery for the benefit of all Floridians. Captains like Gutek - that exhibit a complete lack of common sense, put their crew at risk for a quick buck, have a history of criminal behavior and drug abuse and expect the Coast Guard to risk men and equipment while saving them from their own stupidity - should not be allowed to profit by destroying the gulf fishery with miles of longlines.

We need health care help here

Re: Every minute, a pregnant woman dies - and we could prevent it, by Nicholas Kristof, Oct. 25.

President Bush doesn't have to visit Niger to see people dying because they are unable to fund medical care. He should take a good look around this country. As a nurse I've seen many people who can not afford their prescribed medications and they often die because of that. Stand in line at any drug store and witness the cost. At one pharmacy, Mobic (given for pain/inflammation) costs $161 for one month's supply. Surgical care is for some also impossible to fund. While they were performing that woman's C-section, they should have included a tubal ligation.

Yes, there is a problem in Niger, and a need for help, and perhaps the president should look into it. But first I think he needs to take a good look at medical care here, in the United States, before bopping off to every other country, attempting to solve their problems.

High gas taxes are worth it

Re: What should you pay for gas? Oct. 22.

This article compared the prices paid for gas around the world to America. In every case, America was cheaper. The conclusion was gas was taxed higher to reduce demand. That's only part of the story.

The higher taxes pay for health care so that when you see the doctor or visit a hospital there is no bill. The higher taxes pay for university education so that when you complete your education you are not lumbered with a huge student loan to repay.

The higher gas taxes are a type of enforced savings for major expenses that often leave people in America bankrupt.

Given a choice, I believe an extra $2 per gallon is preferable to the average $8,000 per year for our health insurance.

We don't need higher gas taxes

Re: What should you pay for gas?

Canada, $4.44; France, $5.47; Germany, $6.70; Spain, $4.92. Yes they all conserve, but at what cost? Oh I don't mean at the gas station, I mean at the grocery store! Don't you people realize that everything, that's everything folks, we buy moves by motor vehicle? Sure, higher gas prices will get us to conserve, but it will also make those things we take for granted at Wal-Mart into unaffordable luxury items.

Sure those countries have great things like socialized medicine. It's great as long as you have a neighbor to the south like the United States so you can get an appointment with a doctor. And what can we say about Spain and France? Their high taxes pay for socialist labor policies making it impossible to lose a job, even if you never go to work! And they still have 13 to 18 percent unemployment. Our economy is too healthy and is making Gerhard Schroeder and Jacques Chirac look foolish with the way they manage their national economies. Wake up people! The last thing we need are higher taxes on anything. The last thing we need is to take money out of a healthy economy and slow it down.

Get a handle on your spending, Congress, and leave gas taxes alone (unless you'd like to cancel them). The best thing you could do for poverty in this country would be to allow prices to fall by lowering the cost of delivery of goods to the marketplace.

A frustrating ordeal

The letters about GM and its problems and the difficulty in buying a car was interesting since I just went through the ordeal. At one agency, I spent almost six hours off and on over three days and still couldn't get a firm price and a trade-in value. At another agency, it took three visits and I didn't get a firm price from them either, just a refusal of my offer. Another agency wanted me to come back with my wife and then they would talk to me about price and trade-in. And, it seems that it takes anywhere from two to five people you have to talk to at a car dealer and still no firm price and trade-in value. It was such a waste of time and frustrating ordeal that I have given up.

When our warranty is about to expire and I get up enough energy to pursue it, I may try again. But I'm not looking forward to it.

[Last modified October 27, 2005, 01:28:19]