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By Times Staff
Published February 24, 2008
Want to be a nurse? Florida needs you, Working Feb. 17 Time to speak up for the nurses The easy solution is to pay them what they deserve. They work long hours at all times of day and night. All you hear about is the teachers, the teachers - they need more money. Let's speak up for the nurses. Thomas V. Scullu, Gulfport Companies don't use profits to help Trickle-down just doesn't work Recent economic numbers continue to show the elimination of high-paying jobs by manufacturing and the service sector through outsourcing and the replacement by workers earning significantly less. See recent attempts by GM to offer buyouts and replacement of employees with new ones earning half the wages. This graphically illustrates the failure of trickle-down economics. When companies earn more, they tend to use it for expansion or to pay out profits to the shareholders. A few benefit, but not many. When they expand, they tend to do so by seeking ways of reducing cost in manpower through outsourcing or reducing benefits. The only thing trickling down is increased debt to the middle class as it struggles to maintain a lifestyle no longer sustainable with the available jobs. Michael Jenness, Palm Harbor Payday lenders have huge interest in these reliable folks Feb. 18 Lenders should be ashamed These "payday" lenders should be arrested, closed and put of business. It is despicable that this behavior was known to our government and nothing was done about it! Siphoning 400 percent in interest from poor, elderly and disabled is what? Private industry, free market, dog-eat-dog, survival of the fittest? This is capitalism at its lowest. Disgusting! If our government won't or can't do anything, I think we the people should do something to help these unfortunate people. Any ideas? John Culkin, St. Petersburg
Food prices jump by most in 11 months Feb. 21 Grocery stores need to feel pain You better believe that food prices have jumped. The sky seems to be the limit. And since I eat a lot of healthy food, I've certainly noticed that the price of produce has really spiked. As a result, lots of people (myself included) are looking for ways to get the most for our money. I mean really - why pay $1.79 for Romaine lettuce when you can by it at a local produce stand for 89 to 99 cents? And why pay $2.99 to $3.99 or even $2.50 for a pound for strawberries, when you can pay $1.29 to $1.59 at a local produce stand for homegrown berries from Plant City? Instead of paying $2.99 per pound for red seedless grapes or on sale for $1.49 per pound - you can get the same for 99 cents per pound. Even bananas are less at 39 cents per pound, instead of 55 cents. And the list goes on. It's time for our local grocery stores to feel the pinch, just as we consumers do. JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater TO WRITE US - By mail: Business News Letters, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. - By fax: (727) 893-8939 - By e-mail: biznews@tampabay.com (Please indicate the word"Letter" in the subject field.) - On the Web: www.tampabay.com/letters (Choose the "Business" option.)
[Last modified February 22, 2008, 22:08:59]
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