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Gold star for Progress for taking from poor retirees

Re: Progress Energy Florida's one-quarter profit was: $87,000,000, story, Aug. 10.

As a retiree living in Florida, I want to say how happy we all are that Progress Energy is showing such nice a profit for its last quarter.

How can the corporate leaders sleep at night knowing they are taxing the fixed incomes of all of us? Soon it will be, for even more of us, a decision each month to pay the electric bill or buy food.

Between the electric bills, medication prices, telephone bills and insurance, our comfortable life of retirement, which we all worked years to obtain, has become a nightmare of survival.

Phyllis I. Heinly, Tarpon Springs

It's senseless to send kids to school in hottest, most dangerous month

Can someone explain to me why children go back to school so early here in Pinellas County? Wouldn't it be wiser to wait until after Labor Day and stay until June?

Think about the savings in utilities alone. August is the hottest month of the year; therefore, the air conditioning is working overtime in all of our schools.

Think about the safety of our children. August is a time of violent thunderstorms and heavy rains, not to mention the highest incidences of lightning deaths behind July - and we're sending small children out in this weather?

Think about the disadvantage our children have when they miss out on summer vacations with family in other parts of the country. Our grandkids missed a family wedding last August because they were already back in school.

I understand that teachers need to prepare for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and the like, but couldn't that testing be moved up? Other states have similar testing programs, and they don't go back to school in the hottest and most dangerous part of the summer.

I know we're not known for much in the way of common sense here (i.e., voting), but it doesn't take a genius to figure this one out.

Marilyn Timpanaro, Clearwater

Imagine: Oil spill destroys tourism, meaning tax instead of free ride

Re: Floridians selfish on oil drilling, story, Aug. 13.

People are really fickle. When gas prices were low, almost everyone in Florida did not want any drilling off its coast. Now that gas prices are high, people think we are selfish for not allowing it.

Why not use some common sense? Do they have any conception of what would happen to Florida tourism if there were an oil spill?

Where will the money come from to run the government without tourists? Most likely from everyone in the form of a state tax. We are ex-Wisconsinites, and, believe me, that state tax is high.

Vivian Stanton, Clearwater

Rosalie Manor tired looking, true, but facility, owner gave their all

Re: What took so long to see facilities' problems? editorial, July 21, and Rosalie Manor made good impression on this family, letter, Aug. 9.

My father was a resident of Rosalie Manor in the late 1990s. Because he suffered from extreme dementia, it was a difficult decision to transfer him from a confined facility to one that offered more freedom.

On my initial tour of Rosalie Manor, owner Eric Anderson introduced me to the sincere caring and love that I had never experienced at any other such facility. He knew all of the residents by name and knew what it took to give all faces a smile. He had, I thought, a sincere interest in every resident. He had birthday celebrations for each resident. He held a special Christmas party, as well as theme parties for Halloween, Easter and Thanksgiving. Each year, he arranged transportation for all residents, caregivers and employees to his home in St. Petersburg for a cookout, dance and games.

I will agree with letter writer Geraldine Ross that the facility was tired looking, but it managed to deliver all that it promised. I also know for a fact that Mr. Anderson charged less than he should have for Rosalie Manor services. He housed residents who could not afford to pay more.

His only mistake was that he cared too much. He could not say no. He would not raise prices to drive residents out. I am confident that Mr. Anderson never intentionally neglected a single resident of his facility.

Dave Pauley, Dunedin

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[Last modified August 15, 2006, 06:58:38]