Todays letters: Glades expert ousted

Richard Harvey, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "top water quality expert in Florida," will no longer work on restoring the Everglades. Naturally, he was let go for speaking out against the Army Corps of Engineers' plan to pipe polluted overflow water into canals that drain into Biscayne National Park.

The corps does not exactly have a great track record in protecting our environment. In fact, I can't remember a single project that didn't cause or threaten to cause environmental havoc in our state - or others. Does the Cross-Florida Barge Canal ring any bells? How about New Orleans and those failed levees? And what about the decimation of Lake Lanier and Atlanta's water woes? If there's an environmental problem, the corps was there first - and I don't mean as a responder.

Poor, honest Richard Harvey. The St. Petersburg Times article pointed out that he was quoted in the Washington Post with regard to the Everglades cleanup project and said the plan "looked like a massive urban and agricultural water-supply project" that was aimed at boosting South Florida growth, rather than restoring the River of Grass.

If the president really wanted to punish the Middle East, and save us some grief, he'd send the Army Corps of Engineers over there to shore up the environment. That would teach them!

Sharon Graham, Brandon

Sad state of affairs

I can barely read any thing involving the Army Corps of Engineers. Everything they touch seems to be an environmental nightmare. They ruined the Everglades, but we are supposed to trust them to bring it back to life? What a joke!

They are bought and paid for just like our politicians. When someone does the right thing and tries to help the restoration project, they lose their job. A federal judge was even removed from the Everglades case. What does this say? This should be investigated. The whole thing smells funny to me. But as usual nothing will be done. What a sad state of affairs.

Kathleen Jones, New Port Richey

Supreme Court to hear gun-control argumentNov. 21, story

Court ruling on guns could be good for Democrats

Instead of dreading the outcome, Democrats should be lining up to file briefs in favor of the Second Amendment. A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that de-fangs the issue of gun control can only benefit the Democrats by depriving Republicans of a key wedge issue.

Even a half loaf that leaves some federal and most state laws on the books could serve as the perfect compromise that keeps both sides happy. In the back of their minds, the justices might be afraid that a repeat of the Roe vs. Wade scenario might leave the country politically divided over gun rights.

Making the perfect the enemy of the good is the error both sides can make. The gun laws of New York and those of Florida or Idaho need not be the same. It is all a matter of local and state self-government, and a limited federal role.

Leonard Martino, Tampa

Bob Hite

He's only human

I've been watching Bob Hite for the last 25 years and have always enjoyed his excellence and professionalism. He made an unfortunate mistake a few nights ago and drove his car after drinking too much. Luckily, no one was injured. It was a sad blemish at the end of a long career in the spotlight of Tampa Bay media.

He made a very emotional and classy apology in the place of one of the triumphant retrospectives on his career that Channel 8 has been running. He made no bones about the fact that he made a terrible mistake, asked for forgiveness and complimented the arresting officers.

I'm glad Channel 8 isn't taking any disciplinary action against Bob. I think he's probably been harder on himself than anything they could do to him. Bob Hite is a human being, a very fine human being. We've been lucky to have him in our community for the past three decades. I hope we'll see more of him in the future in the special reports he's so good at.

Jeff Cutting, Brandon

Fasano targeted in ethics complaint Nov. 19, story

Fasano doing his job

There seems to be much fascination regarding the case of Ronald Rice and state Sen. Mike Fasano. Yet every time I read about this topic in most publications, it appears that the finger is pointing at Fasano for taking a leadership role in what could be classified as a textbook Florida political game that screams, at a minimum, ethics violations.

Your article implies that National Safety Commission secured a contract in 2005 by an uncontested public bid. During the time that this bid was posted, the wife of the then-director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Fred Dickenson, was lobbying for the only and eventually the successful bidder.

Then Gov. Jeb Bush stated that this contract was at a minimum a perceived ethical issue; Fred Dickenson resigned his post. This contract caused agencies and businesses who offered training for first-time drivers in Florida serious decreases in business as a result of unfair advertising in a driver's manual that should contain information only on the rules of the road. Many small businesses that were paying local taxes and employing dedicated people were forced to close because of this ethical violation in which they were victims of insider politics.

Sen. Fasano noted that the motor vehicles department was not following Gov. Bush's intent in stopping the contract with National Safety Commission and attempted in the Legislature to assure that the state would publish its own driver's manual and remove misleading advertising from the manual.

My agency has been adversely affected by the Driver Safety Handbook contract that had been awarded to one company. Sen. Mike Fasano has shown that a politician's real job is to protect the interests of our citizens. He should be commended and not hounded by the "smoked filled room politicians."

John Sim, DUI program supervisor, Lakeland

Plans for a new Rays stadium

Too many disruptions

The bright idea of building a new waterfront stadium is not bright at all. Why should the taxpayers spend any part of the $450-million this will cost? Tropicana Field could be modified for a lot less.

The waterfront is crowded enough, but its unhurried peace and quiet are what attracted many upscale condo buyers to the area. A new stadium would disrupt their quiet life and create a parking and traffic nightmare.

Even the safety around the USF campus, the airport, the new All Children's Hospital, and the historic yacht club would be affected. And how about increased water pollution and trash strewn about?

Will this also bring even higher ticket prices or guarantee an improved team that will stay here forever? "Take me out to the ball game" is already out of reach for many. Bad idea.

Frank Gual, St. Petersburg

[Last modified November 26, 2007, 21:55:20]