Todays's Letters: School officials' use of suspensions is misguided

Action takes kids out of class Nov. 1, story 

Denying a child a right to her education, even for one day, for any reason other than discipline or health and safety, is one day too many.

Do Hillsborough County school officials think that if the parents are so uninterested that they won't communicate with the school, that the child is not being put at further risk by denying the child the access to reasonable adults?

Or on the flip side, if the parent is unable to miss work for a reasonable amount of time, but is forced to do so for reasons other than absolute necessity, do the school officials think that jeopardizing a single mother's job will in some way be helpful to the development of that child?

Maybe the school officials should be "suspended pending conference," for failing to listen to this child's concerns, for denying her the right to an education and for forcing this mother to jeopardize her job. I think the equivalent number of days that the child was forced to miss would be appropriate - without pay.

Mary Taylor, St. Petersburg  

We're not so rich

Periodically, I read someone writing a letter to the editor which includes a statement justifying a demand for some benefit by noting that the United States is the richest country in the world. I would propose the opposite, that the United States is the biggest debtor nation in the world.

Consider this: The current national debt is more than $9-trillion, and U.S. government liabilities are estimated at $59.1-trillion. Every household in the United States is on the hook for more than $500,000.

Now there are proposals by several presidential candidates for universal health care paid for by our government. This is at a time of tremendously accelerating government debt, an eroding manufacturing base, a war, extremely expensive social programs, a devaluation of the dollar against other currencies, millions of baby boomers heading into retirement, rampant illegal immigration, overpopulation and global warming.

Are Americans so venal or delusional that we will vote for the biggest panderer? Well, I guess we'll see. But I beg you to spare me "the richest nation in the world" stuff.

Christopher Dowling, Largo

Health care trickery

The phrase "socialized medicine" now seems to be code for referring to a national health care system for all Americans. In my mind, this is the latest tactic in a long line of straw men, phony arguments that conjure up emotional imagery intended to discredit an idea. The word "socialized" links any talk of a national health care system to the 1940s and '50s, when Americans were conditioned to hate and fear communism or "socialism."

Now we are being conditioned to fear the loss of a something not everyone in this country can enjoy: the right to decent health care.

When asked, most doctors readily agree that the most efficient, reliable and well-managed supplier of health insurance is the government's Medicare system now providing coverage to millions of senior citizens. In this system there is no middleman. With Medicare experiencing an overhead of 3 percent compared to the overhead for insurance companies of 25-28 percent, it seems to me that a single-payer system would be a "no brainer."

I have heard all the anecdotal stories of long waiting times for doctor appointments and hospital beds in some countries with national health care, but does that mean that national health care is a worse choice? It would seem that if the lines for health care are long, there must be a shortage of doctors. If so, I would presume the compensation for doctors is inadequate and/or there are insufficient institutions to train doctors. But to jump to the conclusion that it is simply the fault of "socialized medicine" is too easy. I have to ask, "Are the American people being set up once again?"

Patricia McIntosh, The Villages

End attacks on VA

The media have been critical of the VA, from inept computer programs to direct patient care. Management is questioned, spending is questioned, benefits are questioned, and every time a VA facility is in the headlines for some negative reason senators and members of Congress call for an investigation. Teams from Washington come down and "investigate," then everything returns to business as usual until the next big issue arises. This has been going on for years.

Is the VA as bad as the media depict? Does Washington get involved in these investigations just to appease the American public and convince them that they will improve VA health care? Or can Washington find no fault with the VA health care system?

In any case, with the ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a growing possibility of an Iranian conflict, there will be an increasing number of veterans in need of medical care and benefits.

I am sick of this continual attack by the media on the VA. Are they right, Washington?

Jack Burlakos, U.S. Navy Vietnam veteran, Kenneth City

VA's resources questioned Nov. 2, story

Holding the purse strings

I wonder if it ever occurred to Rep. Kathy Castor and Rep. C.W. Bill Young that one of the reasons the VA diverts patients is that Congress has failed to appropriate sufficient funds for the operation of VA hospitals and medical centers.

Why do I get the impression that Young and Castor are grandstanding?

Kenneth R. Gilder, St. Petersburg

Real root of the problem Nov. 1, letter

Try the homeless life

The letter writer suggests that he knows already what a homeless person would do with $1,000 if it were given to him. He speaks as if he has lived the life of a homeless person and now knows all the answers. But I would surmise he has not.

There is a saying among farmers: "Will a farmer who has never had his barn burn down criticize one who has, or will he offer his help in rebuilding it."

If the writer is so confident in his convictions, maybe he should walk away from everything he owns, except for that $1,000 of course, and live as a homeless person. Then he could let us know if he still has those same convictions. And by all means he should let us know of the wonderful time he has had. I think we already know the answer to that.

Royce T. Lee, St. Petersburg

Real root of the problem Nov. 1, letter

The homeless need help

One root of the problem is that people like the letter writer do not have any idea of what it is like to be down and out.

He writes, "Give any 'homeless' or chronically poor person $1,000. Then go back in a week and ask that person what he or she did with it. You know the answer."

He thinks he knows the answer, but he would be surprised if the person shared this newfound wealth with his fellow beings. They look after one another - the way Americans are supposed to.

To be down and out is like being in the bottom of a well. You are stuck there until someone gives you a ladder. You can't get out by yourself.

Donald F. Kelly, St. Petersburg

A better system

I have a solution for school districts that have a problem with chronically deviant students whose parents do not respond to suspensions. As an assistant principal and principal, I employed a policy in the Buffalo, N.Y., public high schools which we developed because we could not contact parents or guardians for recalcitrant, deviant students. Also we used this procedure with students whose parents, once found, were worse than the student.

This policy employed an "Intensified Learning Room." This room was supervised by a large, muscular male teacher who volunteered for the position (which had some perks). Deviant students spent all day in this room. Lunch was brought in and their individual subject teachers sent their assignments to the large Intensified Learning teacher who required their completion.

Almost always such students produced a parent formerly unavailable and behaved when they returned to their normal schedule. I urge school districts to adopt this system; it works.

Charles L. Sodaro, Tarpon Springs

[Last modified November 4, 2007, 20:34:55]