Letters to the Editors

DUI team, and all police officers, deserve respect

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 5, 2001

Re: Arrests rise as DUI team hits road, Dec. 31 story.

I really appreciated your article on the Clearwater Police Department's DUI team. My husband was on this team for the past three years.

One thing that was not mentioned was that each police officer who makes 100 DUI arrests or more in a calendar year receives an award from MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) in Tallahassee. This is the first year that everyone on Clearwater's DUI team will receive this award and the third year my husband is receiving it. Each officer on this team has worked very hard and deserves this recognition.

Until my husband joined the team, I was very naive about drunken driving. I've gone to vigils with him for different organizations such as RID (Remove Intoxicated Drivers) and MADD. I've heard stories from people who have lost family members because of drunken drivers. I've seen my husband arrest drunk after drunk each night. Many times they are repeat offenders and have their licenses revoked.

There is absolutely no reason to get behind the wheel after you've had any alcohol to drink. The police are doing their jobs. So what is the problem? It should not take a drunken driver killing an innocent person for them to change their ways. Some people do change their ways, but there are many who do not.

Most of the time, the media are very quick to criticize police departments. You can very often see articles or news stories on police corruption or allegations of police wrongdoing. While these things happen from time to time, this is not the norm.

I know many Clearwater officers and officers from other departments locally. They are hard-working and honest. They put their lives on the line every day to protect and help our community. When you need them -- and one day you will -- they will be there. Also, their families make many sacrifices.

The next time you see a police officer, smile. If you have the chance to say thank you, say it. These simple gestures will mean so much.

Teach your children that the police are their friends and to respect them. They see your attitudes. It's not the cop's fault you were speeding.

If a police officer helps you, or goes above and beyond, write a letter to their supervisor. Police officers (and firefighters) will never be paid enough for the jobs they do, nor do they get the respect and appreciation they deserve. Yet our communities would crumble without them.
-- Tracie White, Clearwater

More money for consultant was not a good decision

Re: With doubts, city okays $100,000 more for expert, Dec. 20 story.

Enough is enough. Read my lips: No more money from our taxes should be spent on the already overpaid consultant who has to date made no noteworthy contribution to the city of Clearwater.

It seems that there must be qualified professionals on staff or residents with the needed expertise who could guide us to a more realistic conclusion in balancing growth with fiscal responsibility.

The path taken seems to be one devoid of concern for water usage, overpopulation evolving into evacuation concerns, and citizen preference.

It is evident when observing the City Commission meetings that decisions have been made at former workshop meetings and that any input from concerned citizens is after the fact. Maybe, if they listened with open minds, they might find that overpaid consultants are not the only people with ideas of significance.
-- Marilyn Gerrish, Clearwater

Front-page animal coverage is becoming a pet peeve

Re: Care is watchword for holiday pets, Dec. 23 story.

Stop it already! If I see one more front page with a photo or story containing a cute animal either (pick one: winning something, performing somewhere or biting someone), I think I'll have a cow!

I know everyone has a warm, fuzzy spot for darling little animals, but turning the Times into the Animal Planet newspaper is going too far.

As for me, I would rather have the company of (pick one: my wife, my granddaughter or almost any other human being).
-- Donald G. Turnbaugh, Palm Harbor

Yearly tests for drivers would keep roads safer

Re: Crash victim had worried about eyes, Dec. 22 story.

It is very unfortunate that Eileen Paonessa's sister faces such a loss this time of year. However, imagine the guilt that the man who hit her must deal with for the rest of his life, for something that he could not have prevented.

There are many people on our roads, both old and young, driving without licenses and/or the ability to safely operate a car. I worry daily that I will be hit by one of the many uninsured drivers that plague the roadways.

Driving is a privilege, not a right. How about testing drivers every year, at least for vision problems? Most people go to the eye doctor once a year, and amazingly enough, prescriptions for glasses or contacts can change drastically within that period of time. Maybe now that we don't have to do emissions testing once a year, people can take that time to go and have their vision tested.

Furthermore, there are public buses and senior services that run county and statewide to assist people of all ages and financial situations with their transportation needs.
-- Loretta Ann Sullivan, Clearwater

Redevelopment lease deal not as good as it sounds

Re: Commission campaigns off to early start, Jan. 2 story.

In the spirit of the policy of the St. Petersburg Times, "merely to tell the truth," please drop the deceptive phrase "99 years for a $1 lease" from future stories on Clearwater. The truth is not as catchy or simplistic, but, being the truth, deserves our attention.

The length of the lease (proposed in a downtown Clearwater redevelopment plan) was 60 years with an option to extend it, and the length of the lease is pretty standard business practice for a development of that magnitude. The amount of the lease in the 5-inch-thick legal contract, which never materialized, would have been $1 because the developer would have been committed to investing $300-million of his own money in our city. "Sixty years for a $300-million lease" should be the phrase employed by the paper in all future stories.

My hope is that during the campaign, the issue of redevelopment in Clearwater will be discussed honestly and fairly.
-- Jill M. Rommel, Clearwater

Sheriff's Office was impressive after Dec. 20 home burglary

We would like to take this opportunity to inform the residents of Pinellas County of the professional attitude and efficiency extended to us by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office as a result of a burglary of our home Dec. 20.

Deputy Loretta Kassler, Jason Schein, Sandra Phillips and Detective Troy Compton were thorough and sympathetic.

Although we have been residents for almost 25 years, we had not had the opportunity to find out what a great Sheriff's Office we have. We were genuinely impressed.
-- Will and Doris Cantrell, Palm Harbor

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright