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Today's Letters: Building more highways only feeds sprawl monster

Towns crop up in plans along rural toll road (March 18, story)

I am a native Floridian, 60 years old. I have watched the growth of Florida from a rural, agricultural and tourist backwater into one of the largest and fastest growing population centers in the country. I lived in Tampa before there was an Interstate 4 and when Dale Mabry didn't reach Highway 41.

Building roads to fight sprawl and relieve congestion is like filling your fire extinguisher with gasoline. There is no region in the state where a major road has been built where there are not now sprawling suburban centers growing together into centers of congestion.

When you then build beltways around the congestion, at all the major intersections, like ant colonies, other retail centers begin to pop up, and then housing and office centers creep out from the center. Then you can build another beltway around that.

When you have a finite resource, if you want to keep any of it as it is, there is only one way to do it: At some point you simply must begin to say, "No!" Failure to do so will result in the bit-by-bit consumption of the resource. There is simply no other possible outcome.

We in Florida are nearing that point. There is no conjecture as to whether more roads will ease congestion and prevent sprawl. They are actually seedbeds for the sprawl that blossoms into the congestion. I don't know how to remedy the situation, but I can tell you one thing for certain: Doing more of what we already know doesn't work will not fix the problem.

John Gillmore, Tampa

Why I opposed Penny for Pinellas March 18, commentary by Bishop Robert N. Lynch

Bishop is right

I want to thank Bishop Lynch for his commentary and the St. Petersburg Times for publishing it. Despite your paper's endorsement of the Penny for Pinellas, it was nice to read that you are not stifling those who oppose this self-imposed tax.

As a non-Catholic, I find myself surprisingly impressed by the candidness and correctness of Bishop Lynch's article. He explained his reasons for not supporting the tax extension based not only on his faith, but also on how the $2-billion would be spent. He correctly pointed out that the county could direct as much as 15 percent of this revenue to projects for economic development and related expenses, as opposed to a paltry 1.5 percent.

I have said it before and I will say it again, this county does not need another park in a remote location that no one will use. We need affordable housing and better social services. Thank God for Bishop Lynch and for the next elections.

Carl Thompson, St. Petersburg

Why I opposed Penny for Pinellas March 18, commentary by Bishop Robert N. Lynch

Stay out of politics

I have the deepest respect for Bishop Lynch as a religious leader, but politics and religion don't mix very well. The bishop's regrets that he was unable to "sway enough voters" confirms that he was using his pulpit to attempt to influence an election.

I am a Catholic who has curtailed my involvement with the church because of its mixing of politics and religion. Like many, I consider this nation's religious leaders, including the Catholic bishops, to be largely responsible for the election of George W. Bush. Therefore I consider those religious leaders to be largely responsible for an unnecessary and costly war, attacks on our civil liberties, and a "take from the poor and give to the rich" administration. They should have stayed out of politics.

As for the Penny for Pinellas, I was prepared to vote against it as part of an antitax protest. But then the bishop decided to use it as leverage over the County Commission, and I found it more imperative to support the tax.

As a business owner who has attempted to help the downtrodden in the past, I have learned the lesson that St. Petersburg is now learning. The more you give and try to help the homeless, the more demanding they become.

We do need social programs for those who fell upon hard times and need a boost. But it helps me neither financially nor spiritually to use taxation to force me to "give" to those who chose not to contribute to society.

Jesus said, "give unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar, and give unto God that which belongs to God." The bishop should focus on our spiritual well-being, and leave the taxes to the politicians.

Paul Starr, Treasure Island

Anti-Semitism is alive in U.N. resolutions March 18, Robyn Blumner column

An overused charge

In the Security Council, most of the vetoes cast by the United States dealt with the support of Israel, right or wrong. In the current General Assembly (which represents world opinion without any undemocratic vetoes) there were, according to Blumner, "22 anti-Israel resolutions" that won approval. That magic number merited for the assembly the ubiquitous label of anti-Semitism by Blumner.

In our country, the label has been used so often by Zionists against those who support Palestine's right to exist that the cry of "anti-Semitism" is losing its force, as explained in the book The Politics of Anti-Semitism. Seymour Hersh, professor Norman Finkelstein, professor Noam Chomsky, Amy Goodman and others condemn the political usage of that label.

Blumner ignores the occupation of Palestine by Israel, "the only true democracy in the Middle East." Two-thirds of her column defends actions taken by the state of Israel. As for the word, "anti-Semitism," let us all use it judiciously and not in a punitive manner.

Arthur Hebert, Largo

Anti-Semitism is alive in U.N. resolutions March 18, Robyn Blumner column

Spread the scrutiny

Robyn Blumner has done her research well. She wakes us up as to the way the United Nations, an organization that supposedly promotes human rights and freedom, repeatedly charges one country (a democracy, Israel) with human rights abuses while turning a blind eye to terrorist dictatorships that commit worse abuses.

Her column is a call for promoters of democracy and human rights to call on the United Nations to spread its surveillance equally on offenders everywhere, not just on one country. Focusing too much attention on one country's abuses suspiciously does point to anti-Semitism, as Blumner indicated.

Claudette Hay, Madeira Beach

A hospice for babies March 18, Perspective story

When life is brief

Thank you for sharing the New York Times story about the growth of perinatal hospices throughout America. Five years ago our daughter received a fatal diagnosis of Trisomy 18 concerning our third grandchild. This is the same chromosomal abnormality the infant featured in the story had.

Ann Arbor, Mich., did not have a perinatal hospice then, but its does now. However, the entire staff of doctors, nurses and administrators created what amounted to a private perinatal hospice for our extended family right there in the hospital.

Just like the couple in the story, our daughter and son-in-law view life as sacred and chose to carry rather than terminate the pregnancy. Our granddaughter was born alive and was with us for three short, precious hours. Family and friends were able to see her and hold her.

Her other grandfather is a retired pastor, so we all witnessed as he administered the Sacrament of Holy Baptism for this all-too-brief life. You've done a great service to the community by sharing this information.

Paul and Carolyn Cooper, St. Petersburg

Edwards goes awry

Elizabeth Edwards has incurable cancer. Her husband, John, has decided to continue running for president. Shame on him.

Hopefully, those who fund his candidacy will pull the plug on this misadventure so he can return to where he belongs: by her side.

Meyer Baron, St. Petersburg

[Last modified March 25, 2007, 07:48:53]