Protecting Pinellas' treasured places

This editorial was right on target. We, the citizens of Pinellas County, cannot trust our elected officials to protect our natural areas, the lands that belong to us as citizens and taxpayers in this county. The county commissioners do not want us to tie their hands in making future land- use decisions, but that is exactly what I want to do. They cannot be trusted with undeveloped land that is "lying idle" or not "generating income."

I am so disappointed in those commissioners who talked the talk but did not walk the walk when it came to protecting these lands. And my greatest thank-you goes to Commissioners Ken Welch and Calvin Harris, who stood up for what is the right thing to do.

It becomes more and more apparent that the only way to protect our parks and preserves is to strip the power to alter them away from the commissioners, who have grossly misused those powers, and give it to the people, who would vote on any proposed changes. This means a charter amendment. The ordinance being considered to protect parks and preserves is a joke and will do nothing to protect these lands in the next couple of years when the next set of commissioners meets a developer eager to run a four-lane highway up to Keystone Road right through the preserve. We would be right back, fighting the fight again just the way we did over the ballfields and the pumping.

The county-proposed ordinance does not provide adequate protection for our public lands; it is as simple as that.

Jane Williams, Clearwater

Amend the charter

The Times editorial on Monday was an excellent article about protecting our valuable nature preserves.

In light of past and present action taken by county commissioners, it indeed makes it clear that a county charter amendment is necessary to put more control into the hands of the people of Pinellas County.

It is unfortunate that the members of the present commission (except for two) have opposed putting this subject on the ballot as a question to all constituents. I agree with your statement: "Only Commissioners Calvin Harris and Ken Welch have supported a charter referendum. Other commissioners should join them."

Walter Etheridge, Palm Harbor

St. Pete's gay shame parade and festival July 1, advertisement

A damaging ad

Sunday morning I got a call from a friend who asked me if I had seen the advertisement the Times printed opposite part of the article about the gay pride parade in St. Petersburg. I hadn't gotten to that part of the paper, but when I looked at it I was surprised.

I don't think I would have been surprised if the ad's comments had been printed in letters to the editor along with other letters, positive and negative, about the event, but it didn't seem appropriate as an advertisement.

I wonder if the Times would have accepted a similar ads against Jews, blacks or any other minority groups. I do hope the person or persons responsible for deciding which advertisements are acceptable to print in the paper will review this and consider why they thought that this ad was acceptable.

Probably the excuse will involve respect for free speech. If so, are there any advertisements that you have refused, and why were these decisions different?

For many years I worked for a community mental health program that went into the New York state schools to discuss various issues with students. I know firsthand the damage the ideas expressed in this advertisement can do.

Robert Shoales, St. Petersburg

St. Pete's gay shame parade and festival July 1, advertisement

Beyond balanced

I can't believe that the management would allow this ad in the Times, let alone next to part of an article about the gay pride parade.

I've always thought of the Times as doing a good job in regard to the diversity of its readers. However, this gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "fair and balanced reporting."

I think the editor of the Times should print a public apology for this grievous error in judgment. Or perhaps the next time you write an article about Martin Luther King Jr., you'll place a KKK recruitment ad next to it.

Brian Connolly, St. Petersburg

St. Pete's gay shame parade and festival July 1, advertisement

A bully's ways

How sad that Ron Sanders, in his paid advertisement, chooses to reduce the office of ministry to one of schoolyard bully. It is even sadder that he and his 30-member church choose to spend their limited financial resources on public vitriol, rather than helping the ill, or the poor, or the suffering.

Curiously, for one who has claimed, on multiple occasions, to personally know the will of Jesus, Sanders does not once refer in the ad to any of Jesus' actual teachings.

Let me offer one he may want to note: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10).

The Rev. Manish K. Mishra, Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg

Fourth of July fireworks

Holiday folly

How long will this go on? How long will "illegal" fireworks be easily and readily available for anyone with a lighter to purchase and detonate in our city streets and neighborhoods?

Every year, holidays are used as excuses to drink and, in the case of the Fourth of July, to set off explosives dangerously close to homes and people. These "fun" fireworks scare our pets and cause dozens of injuries, and yet they are still readily available for easy purchase. The loopholes in the law allowing the sale of these explosives need to be closed.

Erika Fant, St. Petersburg

Fourth's festivities end on a scary note July 5, story

Disaster downplayed

Why did you take such a low-key approach to the tragedy in St. Pete Beach in your newspaper? I noticed that on your Web site you did a better job.

The story in the newspaper sounded as though one firework malfunctioned. Half of the grand finale went off on the ground! It's a wonder no one was killed. This should have been a headline story. I was very disappointed in your coverage.

Gordon Parsons, St. Petersburg

Michael Moore's 'Sicko'

A profound film

I used to own a walk-in clinic in Tampa, so I pretty much knew how broken our health care system was in this country. But I've just come from seeing Sicko, the new Michael Moore film, and I'm afraid I was blind to how corrupt, tragic and criminal - yes, criminal - our health care really is.

I urge everyone to see Sicko. It will make you laugh, cry and get angry. At the end of the showing I attended, people laughed, stood and applauded the film. I saw a man next to me wipe away tears. Sicko is really profound, in that it shows us many ways to end the insanity Richard Nixon created, by saving money while providing health care to every American, without deductibles, monthly charges and co-pays.

Don Hayes, Tampa

A dream stolen

The new movie Sicko by Michael Moore should be required viewing for all Americans. After showing countless examples of people dying because their health insurance companies refuse to cover them, Moore asks, "Who are we?"

Who are we indeed? We have been willing to let insured men, women and children die from withheld treatment so that CEOs and lobbied politicians can walk off with millions of dollars in profits from health insurance companies.

The American dream of the underdog using ingenuity and passion to succeed is now completely defunct: The dream was bought and sold by lobbyists and the politicians who love them, and the CEOs retiring as multimillionaires.

Who will stop the lobbyists and the corrupt CEOs? The government is not afraid of us. We are sheep and sheep do not think critically. Sheep do not say, "This sounds immoral. I wonder who is really profiting here?" The American dream dies not with a bang, nor with a whimper. The American dream was stolen quietly away when we slept.

Amy Sauers, St. Petersburg

One bright spot

I used to look at the headlines of the paper first until the news became so scary and heartbreaking. Now I turn first to the pictures taken by the public on the front of the classified section. I enjoy the beauty and originality of Florida fauna and flora. Thank you for one bright spot every day.

Shirley A. Steel, St. Petersburg

[Last modified July 5, 2007, 21:58:16]