Letters to the Editors

Bush is on track with plan to cut state government

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 12, 2000

Just when I was losing faith in our governor, he comes back strong.

One of his main campaign platforms was to put a school voucher system in place. Eventually, we wound up with a watered-down version, which is all but extinct now. People voted for this man because of this issue, but the "powers that be" have been able to side-step the will of the people again.

When I read that Gov. Bush would like to downsize the state government by 25 percent, I was ecstatic. It's about time that someone at some level of government addressed the problem of duplication, inefficiency and waste. The bloated bureaucracies reach deeper and deeper into our pockets each year. I do not see the results of more and more government spending.

Hopefully, Bush will not cave in to the unions, special interests and self-serving legislators.
-- Robert Stegmann, Clearwater

Governor's motivations are questionable

Two recent news reports regarding Gov. Jeb Bush gave me insight into his motivation and style of management.

In the first report, Gov. Bush uses arm-bending "suggestions" to his assistants to read and follow his pet booklet (A Message to Garcia). The underlying message of it seems to be: "I will create the message -- you are my messengers. Do not question the message. Just deliver it."

In the second report, Gov. Bush commented on the sterling success of our students, teachers, parents and administrators on the recent Florida Comprehensive Achievement tests. Rather than thank and praise the people who, with much effort, actually made the program work, he appropriated the credit to himself, stating that it proves our program works.

A true leader does not have to intimidate nor does he bask in the glory of the accomplishments of others.

Our governor, I fear, is motivated more by power and glory than he is by service to the people.
-- Roberta Redding, Tampa

An explanation, please

Gov. Jeb Bush owes Florida residents (especially dumb ones like me, who can't understand) an explanation of why, with the severe shortage of qualified teachers and the surplus of lawyers (see your Yellow Pages), he advocates two new law schools instead of any new teachers colleges.
-- James Wilkins, St. Petersburg

Ronda Storms responds

While I have many flaws, racism is not among them. I work very hard to remain honest and authentic in what is an inherently dishonest and unauthentic business, so when my character and integrity are intentionally attacked, I cannot let the attack go unrebutted.

Lest anyone forget, Florida A&M University fans and supporters approached the Hillsborough County Commission and asked for $1-million in local tax dollars to support a state law school. In support of that request, Doug Jamerson, current candidate and former public official, offered two reasons to give the $1-million: Our society needs more minority attorneys and judges for the preservation of justice, and FAMU deserves a minority law school to rectify past injustice. I rebutted Jamerson's points with two counterpoints, only one of which is pertinent here.

Experts all agree that the first major roadblock to more minority judges and attorneys is not a lack of access to law schools. Rather, the problem rests with the state Bar exams, which minorities are not passing at disproportionate levels. Naming the problem the "unsolved riddle," the NAACP filed a brief before the Florida Supreme Court two months ago wherein it argued against the Florida Bar's proposal to raise the passing Bar exam score because of the disproportionate failure rate of minorities at the current level. Thus, the most effective way to increase the number of minority attorneys and judges in Florida is to increase minorities' Bar exam passage rate. It will not be achieved by Hillsborough County taxpayers giving $1-million to FAMU'S law school.

I believe your reporter intentionally misled your readers by crafting the FAMU law school story in such a way as to cast me in the most inflammatory light possible and to give his story the greater probability of achieving front page status. "C'mon commissioner," your reporter asked in a conspiratorially lowered voice, "did you pass the Bar on the first try?" The answer to your reporter's question appeared in the story in such a way as to make me appear as though I arrogantly and boastfully volunteered the information, as though I feel superior to folks who do not pass the bar. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I am routinely treated unfairly or incompetently by the Times reporter who covers my office, so I was surprised to find myself the subject of a fair and balanced editorial (Good point, poor choice of words, July 2) which discussed the issue rather equitably. Though I cannot agree with all of your comments about me, I can agree that the public can fairly chastise me for insensitivity. I can only say again, I am trying very hard to preserve my authenticity and honesty, which sometimes comes at the cost of words ungently spoken. I would never, repeat, never, intentionally hurt anyone on matters of race.
-- Ronda R. Storms, Hillsborough County Commissioner, District 4

A dangerous trend

Re: Monarchy to oligarchy? editorial, July 4.

Associated Industries' effort to create a separate corporation to funnel massive donations from large business to support and oppose candidates continues a dangerous trend that's been operating below the radar screen.

Associated Industries' new entity creates the fourth group like this representing large business in Florida. Three are new since the last election cycle. This is all in addition to their political action committees.

Reasonable legislators who balance consumer interests against big business and who score less than 100 percent on the Associated Industries annual legislative scorecard are the ones targeted for removal.

As a small business owner and a longtime Chamber of Commerce member and director, I know that Associated Industries does not represent my best interests or those of the general public. These efforts create a mockery of the campaign finance laws and should be investigated vigorously.
-- Mary Brennan, Pinellas Park

Greens' concerns are basic

Re: Green Party is far from mainstream, letter,
-- July 7.
The letter writer's opinion regarding the Green Party as being an extreme leftist organization is convoluted.
Is it radical to deplore corrupt politicians and unethical conduct of certain corporations? Is it too extreme to expose the dire problems that we have regarding air and water pollution? Or how about the appearance of genetically altered food. Does that sound palatable? How about child poverty, destruction of our ecosystems, inadequate health care and much more?
I think that being an arrogant apologist for the status quo is more out of the mainstream than Ralph Nader and the Green Party -- and unconstructive as well. If we don't have an environment that is clean and healthy, we won't need a defense policy, because none of us will be here.
Karen Weibel Burton, Dunedin

Making more votes matter

Re: Green Party is far from mainstream, letter.

As a spokesman for the political mainstream, the letter writer would do better by articulating a defense of our current repulsive money politics. Instead, non-adherents or those who favor a more vital mainstream are branded looney and less than American.

The writer lambasts the Green Party for its advocacy of proportional representation on the grounds that this in some way (no rationale is supplied, as none exists) in violation of the democratic standard of one man, one vote.

Very much to the contrary, proportional systems of representation are closer to the idea of one man, one vote, by representing all votes -- not many or most votes exclusively. Our current winner-take-all system inflates the power of the voters who vote for candidates based on their prospects of finishing first in a poll and diminishes the voting power of those voters who vote their politics.

There are millions in this country who would be a part of an emerging political mainstream if their votes, their politics, counted for anything. Millions of others would be liberated from voting against the lesser of two evils.

The bottom line is the mainstream will take care of itself. The quest is for a greater democracy.
-- Larry Allred, Largo

We are governed by the self-serving

The contrast between those who signed the Declaration of Independence and those who profess to be their successors today is dramatic. The congressional vote for "emergency funding" of all the pork bills that paid for re-election votes back home with our money demonstrates clearly that the attitude now is not "what I can do for my country," but "what can I do to get re-elected."

Rulers in the Middle Ages were determined by blood lines, heredity. Today they are determined by wealth. All you need is a Buddhist temple, a 527 group, a Lincoln bedroom or a few million dollars and you are allowed access to power.

So we have gone from being ruled by royalty to being ruled by the rich, thanks to the politicians and the masses that feel disenfranchised and refuse to care as long as the economy rolls on. The signers of the Declaration risked -- and many gave -- everything they had for their country. All we see now from Washington is "What can my country keep giving me?"

We find it traitorous to democracy that we are not represented because we do not meet the requirement of wealth. Some day, when it gets so rotten the odor is unbearable, the public will wake up. As long as politicians' votes are being sold -- and to think otherwise is to be a fool -- there is no democracy.
-- W.L. Head, Clearwater

Impressive chickens

I can't imagine how anyone can chew on a drumstick again after watching the animated movie Chicken Run which opened last week to great critical acclaim. (The 1995 screening of Babe, the talking pig, led a number of people to drop pork from their diet.)

The delightful British film recounts the story of a group of brave hens plotting to escape from a factory farm. The story is both poignant and funny, and the characters quickly earn our empathy.

I was impressed how these animals that we view as food share our quest for life and liberty as well as most of our feelings of joy, affection, frustration, sadness and pain.

Thankfully, my local supermarket carries a selection of delicious "mock chicken" foods, which unlike dead chicken flesh are free of saturated fat, cholesterol and salmonella. I look forward to exploring the many cruelty-free, healthful dietary options that are available.
-- Suzanne House, Tampa

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