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Hold the coverage on Allains until they're captured

Re: Times' coverage of the Allains:

Enough already! The repeated stories relating to the telephone conversations with these two narcissistic cretins only add fuel to the imaginary fire these fugitives are attempting to create.

It appears fairly obvious the pair has fled Hernando County, thereby making the local stories less about apprehending them, but more about their paranoid demands and delusions. It also may jeopardize their impending jury selection and trial process.

The only informative press about these two would read: "Fugitives Captured." Possibly with a followup story after the trial that tells how Lori Allain has added to her "Only God can judge me" tattoo the words "and Judge Springstead."

Gambling can be recreation

Re: Put kibosh on game rooms before gambling spreads, Jan. 6 Times:

First, let me say how glad I am to be living in America, where people are "free to disagree."

Having said that, I must disagree with Andrew Skerritt's column in the Jan. 6 Times. I enjoy casino gambling! I go on Suncruz from Port Richey several times a week. My average loss for the five years I have been living in Florida is $15.61. I can hardly go out to dinner for that. In addition, I get free drinks, free food, a free cruise with many friends, free parking and they pay me $5!

I have been on the Sterling out of Port Canaveral, the Ocean Jewel, the Sea Escape, the West Palm Princess, Stardancer, La Cruz, and other casino ships operating out of our lovely state. I have been to Las Vegas three times; Atlantic City more than 100 times. I've been on 30 Carnival cruises, and enjoy spending time in the casino. I realize the odds are always with the casino, but I go for enjoyment, not necessarily to win. The most I have ever won is $682; the most I have ever lost is $385.

I have read enough books on gambling to know you don't gamble with the rent money, nor the kid's dental money. You gamble with money you can afford to lose.

When I lived in New York and was making a nice salary, I would bring $2,000 to Atlantic City. Now, being retired, I bring $200. And I don't buy in for the entire $200. I play blackjack, and only buy in for $40. If necessary, I reach into my wallet for another $40. I am not happy about that, but I am prepared to do so. More often than not, I play all day on $40, and I am tipping the cocktail waitress $1 a drink.

I don't play golf. How much would a round of golf cost me four times a week?

Gambling is recreation. Many people enjoy it. The state of Connecticut gets at least $100-million a year guaranteed from Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, or 50 percent of the slot drop, whichever is more. (Last year, Connecticut received $240-million.) Do you think Florida could use some of that, to keep taxes down?

Skerritt makes the argument, "Not everyone likes the social life of a dog track, casino or bingo hall." Well, not everyone likes the social life of beaches and amusement parks. And his final thoughts about a "gaming room springing up on every corner" is similar to the domino effect logic back in the '70s that if Vietnam falls, then Communism will take over all Southeast Asia. It's just not going to happen.

Let people gamble if they want to. They will, anyway, and let Tallahassee gain some revenue from it.

Subdivision missing the trees

Re: Spring Hill's future stirs in Sterling, Jan. 8 Times:

When I looked at the picture of Sterling Hill subdivision and read the start of the article "Escape to Perfection," and "Enjoy your family in a quiet countryside parklike setting," I thought, "What is wrong with this picture?" I never saw a countryside or park or perfection like that.

Why, you ask? Where are the trees?

Most of the people buying there must come from the concrete cities and never even missed the fact they were really missing something important. This piece of property was very heavily wooded before the wholesale clearing began. No wonder I had more than 50 squirrels move onto my property: They don't have any trees to live in anymore.

Call me a tree hugger, but they are vital to our survival.

Brown-Waite's ironic pamphlet

I would like to share the letter I wrote in response to a pamphlet I received recently from U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite that she titled "Key Accomplishments of 2005."

Dear Ms. Brown-Waite:

Thanks for your pamphlet expounding on yours and the Republican-controlled Congress' many accomplishments this last year.

Yes, I'm sure you have much to be proud of. Aligning yourself with the likes of Rep. Tom Delay and Sen. Bill Frist has certainly been a source of pride for many. Their tactics have led to the tightest of discipline amongst your colleagues, and the most thorough and far-reaching control this country has ever seen. Congratulations! You helped make all that possible.

The economy is certainly chugging along, as you point out. Economic figures you use are the result of the measures that have benefited corporate bottom lines. Meanwhile, the struggling middle class has seen wages actually decline, while fuel and health care costs are skyrocketing. But CEOs, I'm sure, will spread their wealth eventually.

And those extra people (they have increased an average of 1-million a year in the past five) that are in poverty aren't really anything to be concerned about.

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 is another example of your proud accomplishments. You expound on its accountability, efficiency and competence. Wow, that sounds so cool! All that money the government saved by cutting social services such as school lunches for poor kids was well worth being overshadowed by further tax cuts for the wealthy. Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back again.

And the Energy Policy Act of 2005 is another example of our local pols working hard for the average American. The "streamlined permit process" that was included in this act, I'm sure, had nothing to do with the loosening of environmental policies that protect our precious natural resources. And "promoting greater energy conservation" by changing Daylight Saving Time was just what this country needed. Those skeptics calling for better fuel efficiency are really off the mark!

And I can't thank you guys enough for passing that Medicaid Prescription Drug Plan. A plan, like the Veterans Administration has, which negotiates for lower prices, would have been way too much of a burden for the drug companies. And those who have been dreaming of clever ways for decades to facilitate the collapse of social evils like Medicaid are certainly giggling with delight! They realize that the enormous number of baby boomers who are retiring this decade will make their dream that much closer to fruition. And cheers to Grover Norquist (whose behind-the-scenes influence on policymaking in the White House is seldom reported.)

Thanks again for all your hard work. Have a happy - and indictment-free - new year!

Against the war, not the troops

Re: Local activists meet with Brown-Waite, Jan. 4 Times:

The article quoted the congresswoman as seeing "little difference between disparaging the troops and criticizing the war."

Ms. Brown-Waite's manipulation of what she thinks both the American troops and the antiwar demonstrators think, and what motivates them, is a caustic example of a desperate spin on words to make herself look good. If anything, the congresswoman continues to pander to the military, and she disparages the demonstrators, believing both statements make her look more patriotic and, thus, re-electable.

Must we remind Brown-Waite that the all-volunteer U.S. military is committed to implementing our country's military policy established by the U.S. president, his administration and the U.S. Congress? American soldiers do not have to agree with that policy to serve their country; they just have to be loyal to their commitment to be good soldiers when called upon by its government.

Brown-Waite is presumptuous, if not out of touch, of what the troops think about this war, much less our older veterans, and just as importantly, what motivates antiwar demonstrators.

We demonstrators against the Iraq war are opposed to our government's foreign policy on Iraq, and not against our troops. Our opposition, and constitutional dissent, which we consider a civic responsibility and very patriotic, is against a policy we believe is based on lies and unethical and illegal actions of this administration, and not of the American military.

If anything, we can say confidently that we actually support the troops more because we want to take them out of harm's way immediately and bring them home We wish to protect them from fighting and unnecessarily dying for a flawed policy and for something we see as in vain and unjustifiable.

Death penalty column praised

No more defending the death penalty, Jan. 9 Times:

I wholeheartedly salute Jan Glidewell for his courage to re-evaluate old convictions concerning the death penalty, and his very articulate column explaining his conversion.

I hope a lot of people read it and that at least a few were provoked to some personal introspection.

[Last modified January 12, 2006, 01:23:25]