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We need to elect leaders who will serve public's needs

The insurance situation is a crisis for many. However, it is sometimes difficult to feel sympathy for the average homeowner. The political leaders that you as an electorate have been returning to office over and over again have dropped the ball.

My suggestion: Get together with your friends and their friends and start a letter-writing campaign. Query all candidates for public office as to their positions regarding issues that affect you. Forget about those issues that will never affect you. Demand that your legislators develop programs that provide affordable homeowners insurance, affordable health care insurance and that they work on those other issues that affect you intimately.

If the people in office are working to provide those things that affect you, then re-elect them. If not, vote against them even if it requires a change in party. Eventually those politicians who have been neglecting your needs will get the message.

Bob Bucklin, Zephryhills

Let Citizens serve the people

I see that Citizens Property Insurance Corp., by law, has to charge higher rates than private companies. I'm sure the insurance industry had something to do with that. It certainly doesn't benefit the people.

Private insurance companies make huge profits, pay grandiose salaries, have boards of directors and stockholders. Citizens is run by the state and, I presume, does not have the above siphoned out of it. So where is all that extra money?

Why can't working and retired people get a cheaper rate from a (nonprofit) insurance company that is, hopefully, owned and controlled by the people?

John Culkin, St. Petersburg

Remember the student's responsibility

While the teacher accountability debate rages on, I wonder when an extremely important factor, the student, is going to be included. Education is not something that is done to a child. It is an activity in which the child must actively participate to gain the full benefit. Success for the student means a balanced input from the entire team, which is composed of the administrator, teacher, parent and student. It is unfair to place the burden for failure or success on just one of those people. It is a team effort.

In the past 10 years of teaching, I have noticed a decline in respect for the adults on campus and an increasing attitude of entitlement without consequence for individual behavior. I think one of the unfortunate side effects of all of the accountability debates is the unspoken message to students regarding the value and authority of teachers and administrators. The unintentional fallout contributes to student disrespect and the low morale of the educator.

The free education this country offers is being taken for granted instead of being viewed as the gift it really is. I have traveled extensively and have seen the difference in attitudes toward education and educators, particularly in countries where upper-level placement is dependent on performance, or where all education is not free. Perhaps we should seek a solution that clearly maps out and states the student's responsibility and expectations as well as those of the educators in the success of that student's education.

Patricia E. Kelley, St. Pete Beach

A new complex looms

Re: The psychiatric-pharmaceutical complex.

Dwight Eisenhower warned us about the "military-industrial complex," but the American people had no way to avoid that takeover. Now, judging from the June6 reports, Antipsychotic drug care for children soars and Anger disorder affects millions, we are at the edge of a new encroachment by a powerful combination.

The psychiatrists invent new "diseases" and the pharmaceutical companies provide the drugs to "treat" them. What a cozy situation. Not content to get children hooked, they are now going after angry teens and adults. Got any ideas about what to do?

Mortimer Brown, Lutz

Activists judges must be blocked

After perusing the letters on Wednesday it became clear that many of the contributors were choking on the president's support for a constitutional ban on gay marriage. I'm generally not for a ban, but the need to counter activist judges is of paramount importance. Liberal activists around the country have pushed this as a civil rights issue, and a number of like-minded judges are making it cause No. 1 on their agendas.

If liberals in this country had any courage, they would push for a state by state, or national referendum on this issue. Clearly, this won't happen because, by a heavy percentage, American voters would reject gay marriage. Thus, liberal activists have to look to friendly judges to decide this issue in their favor. The president favors a ban to force activist judges to stop pushing a political agenda from the bench.

The African-American struggle for equality in no way equates to the gay American quest for marriage. Marriage is a joining of religious and legal concepts. The legal concept can be addressed through the legal union process; the religious, or moral concept is in the eye of the beholder. Convincing the voter is another matter.

Until the individual states find a way to deal with reciprocal marriage rights for gay couples, the ability of one state to legally codify gay marriage is in question. A ban may be the only way to go unless the Supreme Court makes a ruling.

Jay Johnson, St. Petersburg

Keep track of those who overstay visas

Not all undocumented immigrants enter the United States illegally by crossing a lightly guarded border. Many enter by presenting a lawful visa - often a tourist or visitor's visa. Then, instead of returning to their own countries when their visas expire, they simply disappear into the population, which is easy to do.

Since every visa must be stamped by immigration officials before entry, and recognizing the computer power available to the government, why has no system been developed to track those visa holders?

The United States apparently has no tourist-return policy. Even a small Third World nation like the Bahama Islands handles the problem better. A few years ago when I had to fly there to bring a boat home, I was informed that the Bahamian government required that I buy and present a return ticket or else I would not be allowed to enter. The airline won the ensuing argument and sold me a refundable return ticket. Why cannot our entry officials require such proof of intent and ability to return?

With a data bank of entrants and their scheduled return flights nothing could be simpler than determining if they were actually on those flights, and, if not, whether they had left the country by some other means. If they are found to be still here, an arrest warrant could be automatically issued. It would be helpful if the database contained personal data and a full-length photo of every such visa holder.

Bud Tritschler, Clearwater

Flipping burger names was insulting

Re: A house for a burger king, June 5.

I just had to send a note of disappointment regarding the story on the home purchase in Davis Islands by Blake Casper. Casper deserves an apology here in my opinion. His grandfather built the first ever McDonald's franchise in Tampa, and went on to pass it on to his son and now his grandson, who is also a franchise owner. Since he is a long-time respected business man and owner of McDonald's franchises, how could you headline this story with A house for a burger king? Personally, I would be insulted.

Phil Cousineau, Clearwater

A different way to slice it

Re: Comic strip or advertisement? letter, June 5.

I think that the letter writer has too much time on his hands. Blondie has always been a great cartoon and Dagwood has always eaten sandwiches. Why the big deal about a sandwich shop?

Douglas Lasater, Clearwater

[Last modified June 9, 2006, 10:19:45]