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By Times Staff
Published September 2, 2007

Pearl on the strand reinvigorates beach Aug. 27

Locals won't pay high room rates

The writer goes to great length in explaining and extolling this construction, location, appeal and the benefit it can be to the Clearwater Beach area. The closing paragraph includes a statement by developer Michael Cheezem: "This is something we're long overdue for" and that more than 5-million people within an hour's drive will support it.

This reader wonders where these 5-million work, play, socialize and lead their everyday life in an earning environment to support room prices from $160 to $950 a night. I would like to know from those who are working within the hour's drive how much their wages are to allow them to visit this place. It is difficult from an economic standpoint to see whether the many residents in this hour's drive can support this complex.

Citizens living in Florida whom I know do not spend vacations on the beach. Maybe in off-peak rate periods but not during the December-to-May months. I guess many have money. Why not share the wealth with the local, state governments that are crying the tax blues and spread some into the direct benefit of homeless, people without health care and others?

Donald Kreis, Largo

Oil companies' record profits

Media needs to investigate Big Oil

I just wanted to comment on how the oil companies have made record profits over the past year, how they are all patting themselves on the back and advertising about how they are "making gas better." Why is it that last year when they made almost $30-billion in profits in the third quarter we heard only a little in the news, and how the first quarter of this year we heard a little bit about how they had to go before Congress and defend their prices, but no extensive news or commentary on how much money they have made? It's like it's being hushed up by politics throughout the industries.

I wish your paper could do some in-depth investigative reporting and quit hiding the facts that the oil companies are making huge amounts of money off everyday people. Did you ever notice how fast the prices of gas go up when there are hints of oil problems and it seems to take forever for the prices to come back down? Somebody is taking advantage of pricing policies big time.

Also, have you ever noticed that you can travel around the St. Pete, Pinellas Park, Largo, Kenneth City, Seminole and beach areas and you can see almost 20-cent differences per gallon between gas stations, even of the same company? Who wouldn't want to travel maybe two or three more minutes to save $2, $3 or $4 or maybe even more for a full tank of gas?

William Wands, St. Petersburg

A housing benefit that works, Working column Aug. 26

Realtors' whines over lack of intervention

Christina Rexrode has it all wrong in this article regarding the reaction of Realtors to today's housing market. Most of my real estate friends are not "whining" about falling home prices, but they are "whining" about the lack of government intervention in this eroding housing market.

If our politicians had done something meaningful about the homeowners insurance and property tax crises, we wouldn't be seeing these huge drops in housing prices.

Plus the tightening of mortgage availability has compounded the problems.

Contrary to her opinion, we Realtors welcome housing affordability, as that means we will have buyers to sell houses to! But unfortunately, making a home affordable is not just the price, but the amount of taxes, insurance and mortgage interest rates that the buyer must pay. We will not see affordable housing in this area until we see changes in all these areas.

So, unfortunately, we Realtors must sit, wait and "whine" until someone in power does something to help make homes affordable again and bring the buyers out of hiding.

Susan Horan, New Port Richey

We don't show off tattoos at work Aug. 26

Job success goes beyond tattoo

The column states: "85 percent said tattoos or piercing hindered one's chances of finding a job." I don't think tattoos or piercing themselves hinder a person's chance of getting a job. I believe the size of a tattoo, the area and the makeup of the tattoo and piercings show the mentality of the person. That is the cause of getting or not getting a job. And, of course, the type of job offered makes a great difference.

Donald F. Kelly,St. Petersburg

Nationwide to drop 39,000 Aug. 29

Take auto business to another insurer

After reading how (Nationwide is) about to drop many thousands of loyal customers, I wonder how many of those dropped will be smart enough to switch their auto insurance from the droppers who have raked them over the coals. If they do not take their auto business elsewhere, in my opinion, they are aiding the people who have hurt them the most.

Jack King, New Port Richey

Long term? I'm worried about our economists, column Aug. 27

Pawnbroker has better grasp of term

I'm just a regular guy, certainly not an economist, but I may be able to help with CDOs (collateralized debt obligations).

When you think CDOs, think pawn shops. They are full of collateralized debt. The pawn ticket is a CDO in the most basic form.

Now, the reason there are not lots of pawn shops going under is because no pawnbroker would advance more cash than the collateral's value, and I guess they do a pretty good job of knowing what that collateral's value is to them. Not so with Wall Street "financial engineers." They think it is prudent to advance more cash than the collateral is worth to essentially the same demographic the pawn shop serves.

Perhaps the pawnbroker is a better financial engineer than the economist.

Frank Grande, Tampa

Beware your role in wills

Charges can mount after death

Don't be anyone's personal representative on a will. My friend passed away and I am in charge of his will. My expenses began: hire a lawyer and pay for paperwork for the court. Although the will states "no bond," the judge overrode the will and made me post bond and pay $212 to an insurance company, which I have now paid twice. Keeping the house up and in condition has cost me more than $2,000.

Now the biggest blow of all: His taxes have been around $1,800, but since he passed away the house taxes go back to the original, which are now more than $4,300. If I can't pay they will put a lien on the house, which I'm trying to sell. I was proud that he trusted me to handle his estate and I know he had no idea what it would cost me, as he knew I couldn't afford this. I'm 70, on fixed income and I'm having to come up with all this money. I'm afraid of what's next. It's still his house and the taxes should remain the same until sold. My view is: If you care about someone, don't do this to them.

Sara Cauthorn, Palm Harbor

Two to blame for housing market fiasco

Loaner, borrower are to blame

The housing market fiasco can only be blamed on two people: the one who made the loan and the customer who took out the loan. In real estate, the terms of the contract must be read and explained to the customer. The customer is informed of such things as higher rates for higher payments and insurance costs, which may be increased from time to time. The biggest portion of the foreclosed loans were made for people who had a champagne taste for a house but had a beer budget. And with 1 or 2 percent down, the loans should have not been made.

They were made, though, for greedy reasons for the lender and pure stupidity on the part of the customer. This part of the market must be borne by the lender and the customer, and no one else. The U.S. government was not intended to be a bailing-out program for poor lending and loans.

John Lallemand, Dade City

U.S. faces decline in skilled workers Aug. 23

We can't compete vs. cheap labor

The worker problem is not based on a lack of immigrants getting green cards. It's based primarily on two things. First, the desire on the part of employers to pay as little as possible to skilled workers. Immigrants accept the least, so they are the cheapest labor.

Second, a lack of commitment to provide superior education in this country. Such commitment would give us all the skilled labor we need, just as it did decades ago.

Whether the skilled worker is an electrician or a doctor, employers prefer the immigrant. To work and earn a living, the immigrant will cut corners, use cheaper and inferior tools, etc. That's why the U.S. skilled worker is either downsized at a certain age or driven out by ridiculous working conditions. We are lowering the quality of life, especially for the American worker. Intentionally. We can't support our families because we can't compete against cheap foreign labor. So why bother getting skills?

Shelley Mitchell, New York City (visiting Pasco County)

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[Last modified August 31, 2007, 22:36:49]