Opinion: Water shortage is rooted in greed of politicians

The real cause of our water dilemma is not the paucity of the rainfall. It is the unbridled greed of our politicians. Their only interests lie in new taxes and redistricting for voting purposes. These two "goals" explain the helter-skelter, unchecked, building explosion in "water poor" areas.

It doesn't take an IQ much highter than 32 to understand that every new home equals another drain on our water supplies. We are told that the reservoirs have not been replenished because there is not enough rain. Baloney! Considering the building boom, the reservoirs will never be replenished, because the drain is larger than the input.

We need a moratorium on building until we get all of our ducts (sorry) in order. It is about time that the politicians in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties start thinking about the people who live in these counties, instead of their personal ambitions.
-- Walter Howley, New Port Richey

Existing residents will suffer more

Re: Officials say it's time to live with drought, restrictions, March 22.

This article discusses the Southwest Florida Water Mangement District's emergency order and the requirement to achieve a 5 percent reduction in demand. The proposed 5 percent reduction in demand over last year's levels amounts to water fraud. A plan to decrease water consumption by 5 percent compared to last year's levels will actually require significantly more restrictions to existing residents to achieve this goal.

There are two areas available to reduce water demand over last year's levels: current use and new developments. Not only will the existing residents be required to restrict water use to achieve a 5 percent reduction, they will also need to compensate for the additional demand of new development.

So, while we are all restricting our water use, the same county government is continuing to approved permits for new developments like the Citrus Park Townhouse project. We all believe in doing our part to save water, however, the county must do its part by restricting developments requiring new water demands until adequate supplies become available.
-- Paul Carpinone, Tampa

Linking water supplies and growth

I can remember when children used to sing a song, "Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day." Well, those days are over now, and we need to develop new water supplies. Water supply plays a key role now as our communities have grown and developed. Growth clashes with a limited water resource, centralizing its importance.

It is reasonable to assume the public would accept the investment required to provide a safe, reliable water supply. The report by Times staff writers Jean Heller and Wes Allison (Brief rain helpless against drought) is a much-needed look at our water situation. There will be price increases required to support continued investment in water-utility assets. This goal can only be achieved by aggressively addressing existing source limitations and acting decisively on a timely basis.

In view of the many new homes and families added yearly to our state, the question is often asked, "Can and should growth continue?" The answer may be that water assets strongly influence our strategy for growth, for both residential and commercial development.
-- John R. Shipp, Palm Harbor

How will higher water bills help?

I am confused! I understand all of the new watering rules that were recently imposed by Swiftmud, all of them, except for one. I do not understand how water officials can expect us to believe that raising our water bill will save or reduce water consumption in the Greater Tampa Bay area.

Do they really expect us to believe that raising the water bill by a few pennies, is going to cause the average guy to lower his water consumption. I am a average guy. I am doing all the right things for my community and the ecology. I have forsaken my lawn, until mother nature rights herself and gives us the needed water.

Now I find out that Swiftmud thinks I need to have my water bill raised. All, I can say to the people in charge, is to watch out. I vote, and I do pay attention to the action of my elected officials.
-- Joe Milligan, Holiday

Why are we watering grass?

Re: Wanted: aggressive strategy to solve Florida water woes, March 18.

Having just finished this column and having had my fill of all the other news reports regarding the drought in Florida, I have to ask an inane question. Why is anybody watering their grass in this situation?

Robert Trigaux states in his column that nearly half the water used in the bay area is used on landscaping. When did landscaping become such a priority? Are we really a state that has to measure ourselves by the green in our yards versus the water in our glasses? As more and more wells go dry and our glasses become half full, maybe then the real priority will become clear.

I am a homeowner with 10 acres in Pasco County. I have lived here going on seven years and have yet to waste an ounce of water on grass. I do water my very small garden in which I grow vegetables for my family. This garden measures less than 6 by 8 feet. It gets watered once a week if there has been no rain.

I guess I simply cannot fathom telling my children that they cannot have that glass of water today because it is my day to water my lawn, bushes, etc.

And as for the people who not only water their lawns on their scheduled day, but also do it on the sly, I sincerely hope that their cups runneth dry.
-- Catherine Matthies, Spring Hill

Try using cisterns

We have a water problem in this area that is very serious and could get even worse. There is a relatively simple but initially expensive means for a long-term partial solution.

The use of cisterns is customary and necessary in many parts of the world. In my early days of living in south Louisiana, everyone, including businesses, had to have a cistern for all their water needs. There was no municipal water and the well water was so mixed with sulfur as to be totally unpalatable. We relied on the rains and were never without adequate water. Just using the broad estimates of average roofs covering 2,000 square feet, average rainfalls of 42 inches and 200,000 homes participating, there should be water savings of approximately 28-million gallons per day in this area.

Of course, this is under optimum conditions. There could be times when the cisterns would be full and the rainfall would be wasted. Some municipalities may be reluctant to allow participation with cisterns, but the potential for a partial solution is within our grasp.

Cisterns can work, it does work in other areas and it should be allowed to work here!
-- David S. Swan Jr., Clearwater

Business wins out over lives

Re: EPA halts lowered arsenic standard for drinking water, March 21.

Once again President Bush shows that people are less important to him than big business. At the behest of the mining industry, he has ordered the EPA to allow more arsenic in drinking water. At high levels, arsenic is a deadly poison. At lower levels, it merely causes cancer. The increased arsenic levels in drinking water will increase the risk of cancer, but it will save the mining industry millions.

If only one person dies because of this increase, it will be too many. The money saved by the mining industry would be scant comfort to the dead person's family, but they aren't the one's getting the money. I hope I'm not one of the people who will die because of this decision. I know I won't be one of the people who makes money form it.
-- Philipp Michel Reichold, Largo

Bill is bad for free speech

In order for a citizen to make an informed decision on a given issue, he or she must be made aware of the arguments for and against that particular issue. In order to be informed, the citizen will often seek information from the media. But the majority of the media, including print media such as the Times, are so biased to the left that they will often present only the liberal side of any issue.

The only recourse conservatives have is to purchase ad space or TV ads to communicate for the other side. Most of this money comes from so-called "soft money" contributions, which are about to be undermined by the McCain-Feingold campaign reform bill.

This bill will do more to chill freedom of speech than any other action I know. I urge you to contact your Sens. Bob Graham and Bill Nelson and urge them to vote against McCain-Feingold.
-- David Manning, Dunedin

Credibility is suffering

Re: Articles by: Adam Smith, Waveny Ann Moore and Lennie Bennet, Bryan Gilmer and Leonora LaPeter, as well as St. Petersburg lawyer Thomas Churchill Dunn.

It's getting to the point that if the St. Petersburg Times is backing a certain candidate in a political election, we cannot believe anything it writes about the other candidates. How are people supposed to make an intelligent decision if they can't believe what is printed in the newspapers?

The diatribe the Times is laying on Kathleen Ford is atrocious. The election is so close that the Times will have elected the mayor, not the voters of St. Petersburg.

It's a shame what this once-great newspaper has allowed itself to become. I'm a 42-year subscriber, and I know what I see and read.

Common sense tells me: If this election is as close as I am certain it will be, it will be a sure indication -- one the Times should heed -- that the residents of St. Petersburg do not believe what it is printing and a change in direction is needed.
-- Donald F. Kelly, St. Petersburg

How we shape ourselves

Re: Talking about motherhood and careers, by Geneva Overholser, March 23.

I have a response to the woman who asked her pregnant friend, "Have you picked out a name for your career obstacle yet?"

It is: "Are you still imprisoned both mentally and physically by narrowly defining who you are in terms of commerce?"
-- Daniel P. Quinn, St. Petersburg

Is the kickoff far off?

Now that St. Petersburg Junior College will become a four-year college, where will it build its football stadium?
-- Ed McSweeney, St. Petersburg

Share your opinions

We invite readers to write to us. Letters for publication should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. They also can be sent by fax to (727) 893-8675.

They should be brief and must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Please include a handwritten signature when possible.

Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length. We regret that not all letters can be published.

For e-mail users: Letters can be sent by e-mail to letters@sptimes.com. E-mail messages must be text only and cannot include attachments. If you're using a word processing program to write the message, you must use its ''Save as'' function to save it as a text file, then import it into your e-mail program. Please include your return e-mail address, as well as your name, mailing address and phone number, in the text of the message.

Back to Opinion

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

From the Times
Opinion page