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Bias turned debate into the Brown-Waite show

On Oct. 5, I attended a debate between Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite and challenger John Russell sponsored by the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce at Pasco-Hernando Community College in New Port Richey, and I was appalled. I have continually defended the print press, insisting it maintained its integrity instead of selling out like the rest of the media. But the moderator, Tom Jackson of the Tampa Tribune, proved me wrong. His questions were more like Bush administration policy statements.

In one of his pseudoquestions, Jackson rambled on at great length with statistics proving the wealthy were paying all the taxes while the rest rode free. Russell responded that, because of the Bush tax cuts, we have already achieved the "fair tax" Bush and Brown-Waite advocated, placing the burden on working people, continuing that those deriving income from capital gains and dividends pay 15 percent, which is far less than the working middle class.

Brown-Waite accused Russell of waging class warfare, saying people want lower taxes and more money has come into the federal government and that lower taxes create jobs. Russell said the class warfare is waged on working people because wages haven't kept up with the cost of living. There are taxes other than the income tax, sales tax, gas tax and property tax to which renters contribute. He said the middle class is shrinking into the ranks of the poor and America is on the brink of becoming a feudal state.

Brown-Waite countered that people in this district believe the economy is doing well. For the retired, investments are earning enough money. Cutting capital gains means more money for a second home or a rental home. Russell stated that all retirees are not living off investments. Some are living off their Social Security.

Jackson and Brown-Waite said there were never more Americans employed, the economy and home ownership are at record levels, fuel costs are dipping, retail sales surged. Russell replied the stock market is not the economy and he wondered if gas prices will still be going down on Jan. 15.

In an exchange on the Fairness Doctrine, Russell commented that airtime is dominated by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, and Brown-Waite answered, "Could it be it reflects America?" Russell replied that was laughable.

There were times in the debate when the audience chuckled at some of Jackson's and Brown-Waite's comments and the sponsors stopped the debates and lectured the audience. There were a few supporters of Brown-Waite and perhaps a few more Russell supporters. But from those seated near me I surmised the majority didn't know Russell but knew Brown-Waite by her votes. When filing out, I heard someone ask one of the sponsors about the obvious bias and the answer was, "We have a sitting member of Congress who must be treated with deference."

District 5 is huge and gerrymandered. Russell isn't getting any money from Tallahassee, so this election will be about Brown-Waite, her votes and her fealty to the Bush administration.

Mary B. Gregory, Homosassa

Voters won't forget Brown-Waite's record

Re: Leader is conflicted over war in Iraq, Greg Hamilton column, Sunday.

Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite, I am sure you have heard the term flip-flop, because you have used it before. I now think this term would be properly used for what you have said.

It was eight months ago that you wrote an article in this paper that contained completely different statements than you are now making. Could it be that the election is a month away and you know you are in deep trouble with the voters in your district?

You called the persons who had the beliefs you now say you do "liberals" and un-American. Did you have some great revelation, other than you might lose your seat in Congress?

Please remember that the people in your district read the newspapers and follow what is happening in the Capitol.

Don't think we have forgotten what you have said and the way you have voted in the past.

LaTreetha E. Sharpley, Spring Hill

Brown-Waite has shown she doesn't merit votes

Re: Leader is conflicted over war in Iraq, Greg Hamilton column, Sunday.

Election time must be near. U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, the consummate chicken-hawk squawker, is pretending to change her goose-stepping, hard-line support of the debacle in Iraq. She has, until last week, been a bobbleheaded supporter of every disastrous decision this administration has made.

She has supported every attempt of President Bush and his Congress to weaken the Constitution, to give unprecedented and illegal powers of control to the executive branch of this government. She has sent numerous letters spouting her support of the invasion of Iraq and of her unwavering support of the decisions and preposterous rationale to continue the occupation of Iraq. She has supported the tenets of torture instituted by the administration. She has supported the illegal and immoral detention of "suspects" who have no known or substantiated link to any terrorist organization.

She called for the removal of the buried bodies of military warriors buried in France because that country's government refused to buy the lies of weapons of mass destruction used to start the invasion.

She has vented her vein-popping anger and disdain for those of us in this voting district who disagree with these actions and policies by saying we have "9/11 amnesia" - as though 9/11 had something to do with Iraq.

Now she pretends to change her position. She throws cliches around to indicate how much she supports the troops while doing nothing to stop the carnage they endure. She claims to support veterans by handing out World War II medals rather than trying to stop the flow of broken bodies into military hospitals. Brown-Waite is now fighting for her political life by saying anything and doing nothing.

Brown-Waite deserves neither the respect nor support of voters who support freedom; from voters who support the Constitution of the United States; from voters who value human life; and from voters who demand truth from and in our government.

Bob Dodd, Dade City

Stop the war, divert money to improving education

When is enough, well, enough? As a teacher at Hudson Middle School, I have watched the trials of this war since its inception. U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite has hit the nail straight on its head! Where do we go?

I can only dream. Dream about how all of this wasted money could go into recruiting and retaining excellent colleagues, supplying my administrators with better tools to continue to strive for improvement, and for better community services for the students I care so much about.

Instead of wasting countless billions in an area that has always had conflict, and always will, let us invest in America within its own borders for a change. As we invest in our future, the children I teach, imagine what a country we could develop!

Is it not time, in an ever-changing and conflicting world, to regroup our focus and "take care of our own?" What a wonderful country this could be, and what advantages our children would have to become even better citizens. Let us say enough already.

Gregory Sytch, New Port Richey

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[Last modified October 12, 2006, 06:31:43]