Letters to the Editors

Voters admire a politician who has principles

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 13, 2000

Re: No 1 stands out more, May 8.

I would like to thank the Times for the story on Rep. Ron Paul and his impressive record in Congress. Poll after poll seems to suggest that voters are sick and tired of politicians pandering to special interests and want to be represented by someone who stands on principles, even if they may disagree with one or two of those principles. We have just such a person in Ron Paul, and it's great to see him finally get some recognition for that.

A lot of us Libertarians are especially proud of him and -- though he left the party and returned to the Republicans -- still like to claim him as one of our own. Anyone who read the article would agree that his record reflects that of a Libertarian much more than that of a right-wing Republican. He does not contradict himself like most elected officials: He voted against awarding congressional medals to both Rosa Parks and Ronald Reagan, not because he necessarily thought that either was not deserving of the recognition, but because the $30,000 cost was a waste of taxpayer money. That's the kind of representative I want in government -- someone who will stick up for the taxpayer every time.

As a Libertarian, I am well trained in preaching the gospel of libertarianism and have always had an answer for almost every argument. However, there was always one criticism I could not answer: If Libertarians got into office, they would act just like Republicans and Democrats, forget their principles and begin to sell their votes to the highest bidder. I now have the answer. When someone gives me that myth again, all I have to do is show them a copy of your article on Ron Paul. He is what you get when you vote for a Libertarian.
-- James Bennett, Safety Harbor

Ethics make him stand out

Re: No 1 stands out more, about Rep. Ron Paul.

This was a great article and well suited for the front page. If more of our elected representatives would vote their conscience instead of their pocket books, this country would be a lot better off.

Ron Paul is alone in his voting record for one reason. Ethics. It would be great to read about other politicians who have the same problem, but I'm afraid that you would be hard pressed to find others.
-- Mike Kirkpatrick, Indian Rocks Beach

Party prevails over people

The endorsement of George Bush by John McCain has shown me how phony our politicians really are. McCain had no love for Bush throughout the campaign, yet now that he has lost, he has turned his back on us, his followers.

He led us to believe that Bush was unfit to be president, and some of us backed McCain 100 percent. Now he cuts our throats just for the party.

The trouble with politicians is they are more interested in the party than the people. It's time voters stop being used. It's time to forget the party and vote for the person. In other words, it is time voters smartened up. Let's help clean up politics!
-- Roger G. Parmenter, Seminole

Cable companies have rights

Re: Media elephants trample the public, by William Safire, May 6.

I disagree with William Safire that the dispute between Time-Warner and ABC concerning programing on ABC-owned stations is a danger to democracy. The only way such a dispute could have happened in the first place is in a democracy. Time-Warner has the right if it so desires to remove any stations from any cable systems. This is not an overbearing media! This is democracy! If we don't like it, we have the option of contacting our cable company; we should not be challenging whether the cable company has the right to do what it does.

Have we read George Orwell's 1984, where there was state-controlled media? Maybe living in Cuba with all its controls would be a better choice! Regardless of what we think, America gives the most choice and the most freedom of any nation in the world.

I well remember what it was like before cable TV. I remember needing to live near a station in order to get any TV reception at all. Computers have improved our society just as cable TV has improved television. If ABC had been taken away, it could still have been picked up by putting up rabbit ears!

This is a testimony to today's world. The more improvements, the more we get complaints.
-- Barry Sleesman, Spring Hill

Quints bring joy, too

Re: No easier -- just different with quints, April 30.

I wanted to thank you for the article that Twila Decker wrote about my family, the Nelson-Folkersens. It was a well-written, truthful article. We always enjoy visiting with Twila.

While the article was truthful, however there were some things Twila and I talked about that she omitted and which I believe are very important if a complete picture of where we are now is to be given to your readers. Our life is not as bleak as it appeared in the story. Yes, life is very hard with quintuplets. Everything from starting to get them ready to go "bye-bye" and finally getting them loaded up in the van two to three hours later to doing something as simple as coloring or taking a bath requires much time and patience from all involved.

There is one thing, however that comes so very easy and that is loving them. That part is effortless. Naomi, Ethan, Rebekah, Seth and Arielle are the greatest joys in Jeff's and my lives. There is no amount of money that can buy the happiness we feel when we wake up with them or come home and hear them shouting "Mommy!" or "Daddy!" while 10 arms surround us with love.

Their laughter and giggles echo in my mind throughout the hard days, make my heart smile and keep me going. They are the most awesome people I know. It is a privilege and great delight to be part of their lives.

So while we are experiencing financial and employment woes and are living in a house we have definitely outgrown, these five little people are the ones who keep us going with their love, their laughter, their senses of humor, their dependence as well as their independence and their peanut butter kisses. They are the ones we prayed for, dreamed about and finally were entrusted with by God to care for and nurture. They are the ones who make life fun!

Stressful? Yes. Difficult? Yes. Exhausting? Yes. Expensive? Yes. But please remember that they are also loving, incredible, fun, stress-relieving gifts from God that no material thing or lack thereof can change. They are the best things Jeff and I have ever done together and they are the best things that have ever happened in our lives.
-- Gayle Nelson-Folkersen, St. Petersburg

Artist was needlessly attacked

I recently read the May 4 article by Mary Jo Melone (Art for art's sake -- not art for a buck). I was impressed by the work that Judy Stewart had done with her students and tip my hat to her dedication to art education. I, too, was once an art student and realize the value of her efforts.

I was, however, taken aback by Melone's almost slanderous attack on artist Thomas Kinkade. As marketing/PR manager for Thomas Kinkade Spring Gate Galleries, which owns and operates three galleries in the Southwest Florida area including the Old Hyde Park Village location mentioned in the article, I feel this was unnecessary for an article meant to promote the efforts of art education in school.

I would like to clarify some of the misconceptions in the column. First, Thomas Kinkade is one of America's most collected and popular artists, capturing the people's imaginations much the way Norman Rockwell did years prior. It is his goal as an artist to bring peace and joy to the lives of people through the images he creates, regardless of faith or religion.

Yes, his artwork is mass-produced in forms of collectibles, inspirational prints, stationary, calendars, etc. so that people who cannot necessarily afford a limited edition canvas can still enjoy the beauty and serenity of Thom's work. He believes, again as Norman Rockwell did, that his artwork should reach as many people as possible.

It is true that some people do think his work is "gooey or unreal." Thomas Kinkade, like any other artist, is not for everyone. However, we find that each and every one of our customers takes away something different when viewing his work. Perhaps it reminds them of a childhood memory or a place they once visited -- or maybe it's a salvation from today's troubling times. In any case, to say the man has no imagination is completely untrue. In order to create images that affect so many people and evoke such emotion, surely he must be both creative and imaginative.

Each Thomas Kinkade Gallery is locally owned and operated. Because of this, I feel it crucial to have support from other local businesses, including the St. Petersburg Times. I urge you to check your ledgers and see the thousands of dollars Thomas Kinkade Spring Gate Galleries has spent advertising with you in the past year -- $20,000 to be exact. It infuriates me to think that our advertising dollars are being used to pay the salary of a columnist who feels comfortable in biting the hand that feeds her. May I remind you that there are other media avenues in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area where we can spend our advertising budget for both our two current locations and the two scheduled to open within the next year.

I am a proponent of journalistic integrity and fully aware of a journalist's thirst for news, but I hardly think the statements about Thomas Kinkade and the reference made to our gallery were appropriate or even newsworthy for the type of article Mary Jo Melone was trying to write.
-- Michelle M. Fustino, marketing/PR manager, Thomas Kinkade Spring Gate Galleries, Tampa

Patient safety was protected

Patients across Florida won a significant victory last week when legislative efforts to eliminate important prescription drug protections finally ran out of steam in Tallahassee. Thankfully, concerned legislators listened to doctors, patients and voters and defeated Senate Bill 370, which would have eliminated Florida's negative drug formulary. The formulary prohibits unsupervised switching of potentially dangerous drugs.

Special interests who want to eliminate the formulary claim that it prevents patients from getting low-cost generic drugs. This is false. Today in Florida, our laws encourage the use of less expensive generics, while protecting patients from having certain critical-dose drugs switched without the permission of the prescribing doctor. This simply ensures that doctors are aware of which drug a patient is taking so that doses and therapy can be carefully managed. Eliminating these protections would place many patients -- and particularly, many senior citizens -- in grave danger.

We applaud the Legislature for putting patient safety ahead of the profit-motivated pressure from special interests, and ask for their continued support for Florida's Negative Drug Formulary.
-- Byron Thames, M.D. chairman, Florida Coalition for Patient Safety, Orlando

Just exempt legislative emissions

News reports tell us that the bill to kill emission inspections was based on the objections of our legislators to their having to wait in long lines.

I suggest that Gov. Jeb Bush should veto the bill but help the legislators by directing the emissions offices to exempt the vehicles of all legislators from emissions inspections. This would be in the fine tradition of the "Doc" Myers episode.
-- Palmer O. Hanson Jr., Largo

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