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Exercising power

The seven stages of Helm, 10/13

Exercising power

Ed Helm is strengthening the Pinellas Democratic Party — almost tripling its membership (around 120 to more than over 300 now) — in the few months he has been its chairman. The Pinellas Democratic Party now has more members than the Pinellas Republican Party. A small fraternity or sorority values unity; a political party values effectiveness — recruiting and electing candidates. Unlike his critics, Helm knows the difference.

When George Bush was elected, he promised to unify the country — apparently to his view that one uniform, school prayer, party line and flag fits all. When Helm was elected chair, he said it was his job to elect Democrats, not unify the Pinellas Democratic Party. Part of his job is to recruit candidates, and Helm’s success in doing this is well known to officials at the St. Petersburg Times.

While previous officers of the Pinellas Democratic Party failed to recruit candidates (the Libertarian Party brags that it has run more candidates in Pinellas over the last few elections than the Democratic Party) and even tried to talk candidates whom Helm recruited out of running, the high number of Democratic candidates running in this election is unprecedented. More significantly for the party, most of these candidates have joined the Democratic Party, which means they bring the seriousness of candidates and campaigning with them.

While the Times might enjoy letting certain preferred people like Republican Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark get free rides and not face a Democratic opponent (or pick other Pinellas offices like state attorney, public defender, sheriff, etc.), no Democratic leader should ever accept that. Parties are like muscles — you have to exercise them or they become weak and atrophy.

Ed Helm, chair of Pinellas Democratic Party, St. Petersburg

Advancing city sends homeless in retreat, 10/18

Consider necessities

Think about it: When nature calls in the night or when you are sick, you retreat to your bathroom. When these things happen to homeless people living on the street, that’s not possible. So where do they go? My observation is that they go pretty much where they sleep.

Those who took up nightly residence at the entrance to our office building in downtown St. Petersburg relieved themselves in the once-landscaped area next to our entry steps. Imagine coming to work in the morning and being met with a view and stench similar to an unflushed toilet. So it’s not simply the presence of the homeless that many business people are objecting to, but rather what the homeless do in inappropriate places.

Yes, the problems of the homeless are many and complex, and solutions must include sensitivity to their plight. But it’s not unreasonable for property owners and those who use downtown facilities — both public and private — to want them litter-free and sanitary. The good folks at churches and other organizations who feed the homeless and allow them to sleep outside their facilities would do everyone a great favor by letting them sleep inside those facilities, where bathrooms are available.

Mary Sue Beeler, Clearwater

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Advancing city sends homeless in retreatInvite them over

Another commentary about “homeless” people (we used to call them “bums,” but that is not politically correct) and how we should feel sorry for them losing their place to retire after a hard day of panhandling. Certainly I can see that holding a cardboard sign at an intersection can be tiring, although their net income (tax-free, I might add) is probably greater than that of minimum-wage earners who actually do some sort of work.

I assume that Sue Carlton feels strongly about this (having devoted an entire column to it) and, luckily, can help out this group of individuals right away by publishing her personal address as a place where outdoor living is okay. 

Michael Shear, St. Petersburg

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Economic slant

The media have a mind-set, and the mind-set is that the United States is in the midst of economic hardship. In the ’90s, the run-up to record high Dow closings were celebrated as a wonder of the Clinton economy. Now, the Dow reaching 12,000 is nothing more than a quick mention here and there. What has changed?The fact is the Bush economy outpaces the Clinton economy in just about every category. But I bet most consumers of news don’t even know that.

K.C. Jones, Tampa

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State says newspaper (or is it?) breaks law, 10/20.

Attack on newspaper is a threat to us all

What arrogance the Florida Elections Commission has to try to shut down the Wakulla Independent Reporter because it doesn’t “meet the definition of a newspaper.”

The real reason is that publisher Julia Hanway cares enough about what is going on in her community that she publishes stories about local government representatives whenever they fail to act in the best interest of the electorate. These are stories that make craven elected officials queasy when they think of the effect upon their moneyed supporters.

This brazen attack on the First Amendment isn’t just about what qualifies as a free press. The First Amendment is more about protecting the rights of individual citizens such as Hanway (and you and me) to freely speak and publish our opinions without fear of government reprisal. Of course this constitutional guarantee does not protect libel.

So long as Hanway is publishing the truth without defamation or malice, she should be supported by all of us. The simple truth is that if she loses her public voice, we all face losing ours as well.

Fred Jacobsen, Apollo Beach 

[Last modified October 25, 2006, 18:03:15]