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Upscale plans snub tourists of moderate means

Re: Work to begin on Hyatt project, story, Nov. 24.

As I read the article in Thursday's Times, the first words that came to my mind were, "You snobs!" All through the article, phrases such as "will lure upscale tourists," "a key to luring higher-spending tourists," "we're certainly upscaling the beach and giving people lots of great choices," and "sales prices will range from $500,000 to $2-million" just made me sick.

Our kids who live in Minnesota and Wisconsin have visited Clearwater Beach for several years, staying in small motels on the beach where it was clean, decent and within the price range of young families who work hard to save enough to come here on vacation. We own our home in Clearwater, but with only two bedrooms, our considerate children choose to stay where all the little kids can run and play on the beach.

I'm afraid that will not be possible when the "upscale and higher-spending tourists" take over the "upscale condos and hotel rooms" out on beautiful Clearwater Beach. Too bad, isn't it?

I bet those upscale tourists won't be able to patronize the area merchants very much after spending all their money buying condos. Also, they most likely will have purchased their diamonds and furs up north where they live eight or nine months a year. They will come here for three or four months, then close up the place for the hot, humid summers and spend the rest of their money where they live "full time."

That leaves no opportunity for the young low- to middle-income families that work hard all year to vacation on Clearwater Beach.

I think those merchants might miss the dollars of the residents who bought homes in Clearwater, pay taxes here and live here year-round. Maybe they don't need the constant customers; maybe they will make enough money from the "upscale, higher-spending tourists" that will come.

Too bad, isn't it? There will be no mom-and-pop motels to cater to regular visitors, just hotels for the rich and famous. Good-bye, Clearwater Beach!

Days of common sense gone, so just stay home

Re: Habitat of senior citizens needs protection, too, letter, Nov. 18.

The senior letter writer lamented that we cared more about eagles than his trailer park.

Free advice: Times have changed. Do not grow old dreaming about living in Florida on the cheap. It won't happen.

Frankly, I would rather see an eagle than another trailer. Stay in Illinois or Michigan and turn up the heat. The days of corporations keeping people from cradle to grave, the days of citizens being selfless and looking at the greater good, the days of common sense: gone.

Stay home.

Like railroad time, daylight saving time is laughable

Re: We should let the sun set on daylight saving time, letter, Nov. 10.

I enjoyed the letter writer's dissertation about "sunsetting" daylight saving time. Previous agitation about changing times has been about moving all of Florida into the Central time zone, primarily because some Floridians in the Panhandle would prefer to be on Chicago time. Those reasons are fun to read, too.

The writer may remember when rail travel was far greater than air travel and much of the country was hornswoggled into boarding trains according to "railroad time." That was a fiasco!

The New York Central Railroad went through our small village on its way between Toledo (Eastern time) and Chicago (Central time), with arrivals, departures and the clock in the train station set on railroad time - and the station master couldn't (or wouldn't) say why or by how much railroad time differed from Eastern or Central or even "local" time.

I had to meet the arriving trains twice a day (one eastbound, one westbound) to haul incoming mail to the post office. Forget the clocks. I headed for the train station when I heard the incoming train whistle at the crossings east and west of town.

I think that daylight saving time was a wartime ploy to conserve energy, and I also think that the airlines invented the concept of "local" time. That is, you leave here at 5 p.m., our local time, and you arrive there at 9 p.m., their local time. That made sense, particularly to the people looking at their clocks as they awaited your arrival.

I can also remember when President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to change Thanksgiving Day to the third (not the fourth) Thursday in November. Some states changed, others did not. Well, we could visit most of our relatives in Wisconsin on their Thanksgiving Day, and a week later have our Thanksgiving Day in Michigan. A lot of days-off juggling and miles to drive for parents, but we kids absolutely loved the whole bit.

I can adjust to almost any time-zone changes, so I will wait for changes to be actually put on paper before I vote.

Calendar just isn't very useful for scheduling

At first glance at my new Clearwater calendar for 2006, which arrived with the Nov. 16 St. Petersburg Times, I thought: What a dumb idea to print a large calendar and cover each date with photo images.

Am I the only person who writes doctor appointments and dates to remember on those pages?

I can't help but wonder what my cost was to process this, when most of the information is at my finger tips in the telephone book located in my kitchen drawer.

Do as much for fellow humans as for animals

During this festive season of giving, all should ponder what we do for our animals and compare it to how much we do for our own species.

A good way to measure the balance between the two would be to add up the personal resources we've expended on feeding and providing medical care for our animals as opposed to how much of our personal resources we were willing to part with to help the victims of our own species during hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, mudslides and wildfires.

It also never ceases to amaze me how willing we are to pull over to the shoulder of the road and put our lives at risk to help a turtle cross to safety, while we drive right by an abortion clinic and never question why two people walked in and only one walked out, or to drive by a soup kitchen and not question why so many human beings go without the basic necessities of life and not respond. Putting together baskets of cheer during holidays does not meet the needs of the recipient for the whole year.

While it is true that God loved animals and saved two of each kind in the account of Noah's Ark, the people boarded the Ark first, then came the animals. It seems in today's society, animals come before people as we meet their needs all the year through regardless of cost.

After all the disasters and human suffering we witnessed this past year, we need to put life into perspective and priorities in order by focusing more on God's good counsel of loving one another and doing unto others as we would have others do unto us.

Only then will it ever truly be a Merry Christmas for all and "Peace on Earth and good will toward men."

YOUR VOICE COUNTS

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[Last modified November 30, 2005, 02:15:38]