Today's Letters: Let's cut our dependence on oil

While I agree somewhat with the points made in your Nov. 7 article, I do have to add some more relevant and revealing things about the average American.

While we have sent our fighting men and women overseas to preserve the flow of oil to our country and the world, we Americans at home are not being asked to sacrifice anything in any way. Yes, the war was and is about oil, but not for the reasons many have suggested. If that were the case, we would be paying less per gallon.

I suggest the following to take speculation and greed out of the equation:

Our government and private public service companies should mount a campaign of education to ask us and show us ways to reduce our consumption and dependence on oil. If such a campaign were in place, we could reduce our need by at least 10 to 15 percent overnight. It would be as effective as the campaigns against smoking and drunken driving, and would definitely have an impact on the global warming situation as well. So why isn't it being done already? You cannot just blame our government leaders.

Whether you know it or not, those who have IRAs or 401(k) accounts could be contributing to the market speculation, if they are investing in any funds that invest in oil companies. Take a detailed look at your funds, and transfer that portion into a tech company or into funds dealing in development of alternative energy sources.

Let's demand that the slow-moving development on alternative sources of energy be accelerated. The energy companies profiteering from the instability of oil supply have no incentive to develop anything in a meaningful, significant way under current conditions.

Be a part of the solution. Sacrifice a little, and it may even allow our troops to come home sooner.

Frank Kregler, Tarpon Springs  

We need to wise upabout our water use

We can't keep consuming water the way we have been. Look what our greed for oil is doing to us. Water could be the next thing to go through the roof in price.

Most people do not realize that a good portion of our potable water in Pinellas County goes to watering grass. Yes, grass! There should have been laws in place long ago to prevent this foolishness. New developments, homes and businesses should only be allowed to use xeriscaping. No one should have grass on more than 20 percent of their yard. We should give some sort of monetary rebate to any homeowners who convert their lawns into yards with native plants that are water, sun and salt tolerant.

Simple things like this can help. Get on board before it's to late.

Connie Bailey, Largo

Owners race to develop parcels Nov. 5, story

Developing to excess

The landowners are in a big hurry to develop their properties - of course. At the moment, the politicians are the ones with control, and more voters are very desirable to those in office - all offices.

These parcels look like somewhere around 750,000 acres - that's three-quarters of a million! How many people can you squeeze into that much space? Maybe 2- or 3-million?

We already have water woes. Once they get paid, they don't care. Are we going to go on the three-hour-a-day water allowance like folks in Tennessee?

Joe Brickman, Largo

Biden stretches COPS success Nov. 5, PolitiFact

COPS is effective strategy

This article missed the mark on how the 1994 Crime Bill and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program have been critical in fighting crime. The article is wrong on two counts.

First, the COPS program contributed significantly to falling crime rates in the 1990s. The GAO report cited in the article found that COPS hiring grants contributed 2.5 percent to the drop in violent crime rate between 1993 and 2001 (At current crime rates, a 2.5 percent drop represents more than 425 murders, more than 2,300 forcible rapes, and more than 11,000 robberies per year). A half dozen other studies have also found that the COPS program helped drive crime down in the 1990s.

The author dismisses these studies, noting critics' claims that COPS doesn't realize a good return on the investment. But a Brookings Institution study this spring found that every $1.4-billion invested in COPS results in a benefit to society of $6-billion to $12-billion. These studies confirm the commonsense intuition that if you have an intersection with four street corners, and you have cops on three of the four corners, a crime is more likely to be committed on the fourth.

Second, the COPS program was not the only innovation of the 1994 Crime Bill that contributed to falling crime rates. The principle innovation of the 1994 Crime Bill was its recognition that to effectively fight crime you need an approach that coordinates prevention, enforcement and rehabilitation. The Crime Bill's three-part strategy helped reduce crime in the 1990s in New York City and in cities nationwide. And it's the strategy we need to continue fighting crime in our country.

Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., Wilmington, Del.

Property taxes

Neighbor vs. neighbor

Several of your recent letter writers, I believe, proved a point regarding property taxes. The Legislature has again created a situation where neighbor is pitted against neighbor, newer residents against older residents. The newer residents just want a fair shake with their tax bills and some of the older residents say if you don't like the way it is, take a hike.

Now what kind of Southern hospitality is that? I've never lived in a state where there is such a mishmash of property taxes and homeowner's insurance. The logical method for computing property taxes should be a certain tax rate applied to the actual assessed value of everyone's property; most states do that. You pay what it's worth.

The governments would probably realize more income, and the property owner would pay an affordable amount. It would also help the real estate market. Right now, it's keeping growth stagnant. Think about it.

Tom DuLaney, Tarpon Springs

Senator digs for church finances Nov. 7

Reconsider exemptions

The article regarding Sen. Charles Grassley's investigations into nationally known "megachurches" and televangelists should inspire some state, county and local administrations to ask the very same questions that Grassley's committee will be asking.

In these times when most people's property taxes are becoming a burden, perhaps it is time to revisit the question of the tax exemptions that religious organizations enjoy.

In times past, church property usually included a place of worship, maybe a Sunday school building and, if the church was affluent, a pastorium. Today, we see sanctuary buildings that rival any performing arts center, Sunday school facilities that could double as a university and parking lots that could accommodate the attendance at a Bucs game.

Of course there are many small churches that don't fit into the above category. Those are not the ones that need scrutiny.

Perhaps these churches should be asked to justify their tax-exempt status. What portion of their income goes to benevolence? How much income do they enjoy from ancillary ventures? Exactly what have they done lately to comply with the Bible's admonition to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and give shelter to the homeless?

Can these inquiries be accomplished without infringing on the churches' right to separation from the state? I'm certain there are ways to do it without violating anyone's rights. Sen. Grassley is going to do it!

Michael P. Catalano, Palm Harbor

Belgium builds case against ScientologyNov. 4, story

Scientology overload

Once again we got the pleasure of waking up on a Sunday morning to see another story on the cult of Scientology on the front page. Anyone who has lived in Clearwater for any length of time is well aware of the 600-pound gorilla controlling downtown Clearwater.

Unfortunately, Clearwater is a little more tolerant of the cult than Belgium. The longer this organization exists, the more negative information comes out. Can you be a member of Scientology if you're poor or homeless?

If we want to know about Scientology, we can go downtown and learn about it on our own. We don't need the paper providing free publicity or throwing it in our face every time we read the paper.

I thought the most interesting comment in this story was the last line, "Some people may be interested in Scientology because of Tom Cruise or John Travolta, two famous church members, and that's it." I always found it ironic that so many famous people who make millions of dollars for acting like someone they're not belong to a cult that keeps acting like a religion.

James Devine, Clearwater

Tap our own resources

Helen Huntley's analysis of the cause of high gas prices in this article was accurate and refreshingly free of the liberal social and environmental agenda that often colors the Times' reporting on the topic. She correctly identified high demand coupled with dwindling supplies and unstable local politics in producer regions as the cause of rising gasoline prices at the pump. She also pointed out that high gas prices also result from a weakened dollar. But her analysis falls short in identifying the obvious conclusion to which it logically leads.

There isn't a lot that we can do in the short term to strengthen the dollar. But we can immediately address the oil supply and unreliable supplier issues by intelligently using our own abundant resources. As consumers and our economy stagger under the burden of ever-rising fuel costs, huge domestic oil reserves from Alaska to the Gulf Coast go untapped due to frivolous and often unsubstantiated environmental concerns.

We should immediately reconsider prohibitions against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. With the price of oil now more than $95 a barrel, exploiting our oil shale reserves in our Western states also becomes an economically viable alternative. Given the volatile, speculative nature of the crude oil futures market, simply announcing our intention to pursue these options would likely result in an immediate, significant reduction in the cost per barrel of crude. Moreover, utilization of these resources would also enhance national security by reducing our dependence on foreign suppliers.

We can no longer afford to allow our national security and economic well-being to be held hostage by narrow environmental special interests.

Timothy S. McDonnell, St. Petersburg

Find an alternative

I am real concerned that gas prices are as high as they are. This shouldn't be. Like other people, I think we are making the gas companies richer and ask: Why? The only answer I see is: Just because.

I don't believe the truth has come out as to why gas prices keep going up. People can't afford to live now. If gas keeps going up so does everything else, including groceries. How will people be able eat or take care of their children?

This is becoming a bigger and bigger issue, and we are letting it happen. We need to take control and say enough is enough: I won't by your gas. Find an alternative. If we keep on this course, we won't have to worry about wars or terrorism. We will kill ourselves.

John Monti, Beverly Hills

Cap fuel costs

When I filled up the tank in my SUV, I watched as nearly 10 percent of my paycheck disappeared. As a truck driver, I know that it's much worse. I drive a truck with a 200-gallon tank, and it costs nearly $600 to fill it up. Six years ago, it was nearly $200. That extra $400 is going to come out of the people's pockets. The price of our groceries will go up because of the added cost to ship goods. And so will the cost of other household items.

It's time the government issued a cap on the cost of fuel, and it's time the people got together and forced the issue. The government is run for the people, and we seem to have forgotten that. We complain that our property taxes are too high, that insurance is choking us to death, and that gas is taking the food from our children's mouths. We the people dictate the laws, the needs of the people. We vote them in, we can get them out. It's time they did what we wanted and not what the insurance industry and big oil pay them for.

Gregory G. Jarmon Jr., Largo

Slow down

To those of you who are old enough to remember the gas problems in the '70s, you will also remember that the government set a 55 mph speed limit on all interstate highways, and the states followed suit.

And if you don't think this will save you money, consider this: I drive a 2000 Toyota 4Runner. (I have arthritic knees and cannot get in and out of a regular sedan.) At 70 mph, I get 20 miles to the gallon. At 60 mph, I get 28 mpg.

We know that this administration in Washington is too friendly with big oil to do this now, but our governor can do it in the Florida. Want to save money? Reduce your speed.

Henry D. Reiss, Tampa

Hulk Hogan's son charged in crash Nov. 8, story

Let justice be served in the Bollea car crash case

I am happy that the Clearwater police did a thorough investigation and have now charged Nick Bollea in connection with his auto wreck.

It clearly shows how irresponsible and cocky he truly is. And how has he been able to have a license with all the speeding tickets he has accumulated? And how can his parents not be held responsible? I truly hope that justice will be served, as I know that the public is tired of "celebrities" getting away without being punished.

Jennifer Little, Largo

Passing the blame

The Bollea (a.k.a. Hogan) family should be ashamed of themselves. They are now blaming John Graziano for his injuries because he was not wearing his seat belt.

This young man, who was brave and risked his life to serve our country, is lying in the hospital in a coma because of Nick Bollea.

How many people are going to be used as scapegoats by this family due to their son's actions? They blamed Clearwater Central Catholic High School because there were so-called drugs and fights that they heard of.

Then the mother had the nerve to say, "What 17-year-old doesn't get tickets?" Here's one right here. I am 37 years old and have never gotten a ticket in my life.

The family should have left him in Clearwater Central Catholic. They have what you call discipline, something this family apparently doesn't know the meaning of.

People who have money or are famous seem to get away with everything. If I got pulled over as many times as this boy, I would be in jail and I would lose my license for good.

The members of this family should get down on their hands and knees and pray that this young man recovers.

Lisa Gabrelcik, Safety Harbor

A sad commentary

I think it's safe to say that there are several car crashes a day in Pinellas County that involve reckless speeding and result in critical injuries and even death. Yet a second-rate celebrity's son makes front-page headline news? How sad.

Jessica Krajcovic, Tarpon Springs

[Last modified November 9, 2007, 22:30:00]