Opinion: Objective facts needed for Social Security solution

Your July 29 editorial entitled Social Security untruths levels an inaccurate charge against the President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security that warrants correction.

You state that the Social Security Trust Fund has been credited with $1.1-trillion in Treasury bonds, which is money the federal government has borrowed from Social Security and must begin to repay in 2016. But then you say, "One of the commission's most nefarious findings is that the federal government might not feel compelled to repay the debt when comes due because that could raise taxes." That statement is untrue. We came to no such finding, and nowhere does the report even hint that the government would default on these bonds.

The commission report simply notes that the money needed to repay the debt owed to Social Security starting in 2016 must come from somewhere. That important point is supported by the Congressional Budget Office, General Accounting Office, Congressional Research Service and Social Security Public Trustees, all of which are nonpartisan and quoted in the report. To accuse us of suggesting that the government not make good on its obligation to Social Security is a distortion of the commission's report, which we urge people to read for themselves (www.csss.gov/reports).

In truth, it is those who say no changes can be made to Social Security who are putting Americans' retirement security at risk. The current Social Security system is on an unsustainable course. The members of this commission -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- are meeting their responsibility to lay out the objective facts about Social Security, and we will need the same spirit from others if we are to develop a bipartisan solution.
-- Sam Beard, member, President's Commission to Strengthen Social Security, Washington

Protect our wild places

Recently the Bush administration began a process to weaken protections for the last pristine wilderness areas in our national forests. At stake in Florida are 42,000 acres of roadless, wild forests. The administration proposes to allow forest managers to open up these wild areas to logging, mining and development, returning us to the days when timber interests ruled in our nation's publicly owned national forests.

The Bush administration is ignoring an exhaustive two-year rulemaking period and a broad public mandate to protect what's left of these wilderness areas. Out of a record 1.6-million comments submitted during three separate public comment periods over the last two years, more than 95 percent called for the strongest possible protection for these wilderness areas.

If President Bush is truly serious about preserving our natural heritage for future generations, he should implement the Roadless Area Conservation Rule as it is currently written. We need to protect wild places. Once they're gone, they're gone forever.
-- John Griffith, Florida Public Interest Research Group, Tampa

Consider this rebate a loan

I was not surprised to read a short article (Treasury must borrow to pay for tax rebates, July 31) stating how, in order to pay for the tax rebates going out right now, the government will have to sell Treasury securities. This, we are told, is due to a "cash-flow squeeze, not a budget deficit."

Whatever the cause, we clearly do not have the money needed to pay for George W. Bush's pandering rebate. This leaves Congress and the Bush administration perilously close to breaking their promise not to touch the Social Security surplus. Imagine how odd it seemed to read, a few pages later, a letter (One more reason to vote Republican, July 31) praising the rebates and concluding with the statement that the rebate was "Just one more reason I'm so glad I voted Republican."

Well, I hope the gentleman enjoys his $600. Consider it a loan. We'll pay for it later, and then some, which is precisely the reason I'm so glad I didn't vote Republican.
-- John L. Perry, Tampa

Give your rebate for education

Re: One more reason to vote Republican, letter, July 31.

What conveniently short memories some Republicans have! If the author wants to thank anyone for his tax rebate he should thank its source.

The original Republican tax plan did not contain any rebate. This was first brought up by the vice presidential candidate who received the majority of popular votes in this country, Joe Lieberman. "W" and his comrades only included the Democrat's rebate idea so they could get their plan passed.

I challenge the author and all Republicans and Democrats to do what my wife and I are doing. Our entire tax rebate will be divided between my daughter's middle school, my son's high school and our university alma mater. I dare all of you to put your money where your pens are and donate your rebate to education. Talk is cheap, get serious about education.
-- William D. Carter, Palm Harbor

Haven't we learned?

Re: A refund for some needed research, letter, July 31.

I cannot understand why the Times would publish this letter, other than the Times' obvious disdain for anyone in the Bush administration, especially the president himself. The writer opines the same old tired, pointless and utterly useless drivel that is so characteristic of the left-wing side.

The writer states that we need to find a brain for the president. Anyone who buys into that garbage that our president is not intelligent is not doing his own thinking. Look at his background. They don't turn idiots loose in tactical military aircraft. Anyone who thinks that the man is not sharp because he is not the best public speaker or because he's not smooth at schmoozing the press should check his or her own credentials before continuing the bashing.

Remember that some of the most notorious crooks and swindlers were poised and masterful public orators. Haven't we learned enough from the last administration?
-- P. Roberts, St. Petersburg

Commission should be ashamed

Regarding the Hillsborough County Commission vote to reduce spending for indigent health care and the General Assistance Fund, I find it appalling that an area that can find tax dollars to support an NFL team cannot find the heart to continue these two programs in their current forms.

I suggest that all those who will be affected contact Commissioner Ronda Storms and ask her for directions to the churches she feels should be more responsible than the government for helping the poor. If she can't come up with any, maybe she could convince those trying to bring the Olympics to the area to come up with some money. They certainly don't seem to be having any problems coming up with millions Except for Commissioners Platt, Scott and Frank, our County Commission should be ashamed of itself. I know I am.
-- Lois Robertson, Odessa

Better education funding

Increase public school funding without raising taxes: Shut down the U.S. Department of Education, which consumes $35-billion per year producing dubious results. Send the money directly to schools based on enrollment. With 56-million K-12 students in public schools in the United States, that's $625 per student every year. A typical middle school of 1,600 students would receive $1-million every year to spend on teacher salaries, facilities and technology.
-- Mark Techler, Belleair

The unjustifiable cost of drugs

Re: Merck CEO defends industry's pricing of drugs, Aug. 1.

I am very surprised that after so many days of your exclusive publication of such a big lie, there is not a single reaction from the thousands of intelligent people who have read your report.

It is impossible to believe that no commentaries have been received by you, but it is possible that they are not fit to print, because the media are direct beneficiaries of the scandalous, unjustifiable high cost of drugs.

Who can explain that drugs that the general public cannot buy over the counter, but only by physicians' prescriptions, have to be advertised in newspapers, and on radio and television, spending millions of dollars daily on unnecessary advertisements. These drugs cannot be bought unless a physician prescribes them in accordance with his knowledge of diseases. He makes the choice, not the viewer of television, readers of papers or listeners of radios.

Drugs could be cheaper if government and public opinion, guided by the "fourth power," the press, act against unnecessary waste of money by the drug companies. Then the poor and the elderly could afford medications.
-- Salvador Beris, Tampa

Increased injuries were expected

Re: Despite helmets, head injuries rise, July 29.

Here's a story that tries to illuminate some great mystery, but instead shines light on a question that college students have asked for years. The question they ask when sitting in some history or sociology class is why they have to know this stuff as they pursue a degree in mathematics, science, law, medicine or journalism.

Perhaps if those experts quoted in the story had paid attention in history class, they would have known instantly that the increase in head injuries along with the increase in wearing of the bicycle helmet is good and to be expected. They would have known that during World War I the British broke tradition and started putting metal helmets on their soldiers. The British medical experts, like our current crop of experts, were confounded as to why the helmets caused such a rise in head injuries. Finally one of them figured out that before the helmets, most of the head injuries they were now seeing were being left dead on the field of combat.

These experts are only more confounded by the fact that bicycle fatalities have decreased while head injuries have risen. Looks like a clear case of not being able to put two and two together.
-- David Horning, St. Petersburg

What's wrong with MTV

Thank you for printing the Michael Ramirez editorial cartoon, Great Moments in the History of Trash Receptacles (Aug. 6).

While living in New Jersey back in the mid 1980s, I foolishly called my cable provider to ask how I could prevent my two teenage boys from accessing the MTV channel. "What's wrong with MTV?" the representative asked before informing me that as a basic cable channel, MTV could not be blocked out.

I realize that many of my age (52) grew up with and encourage their children and grandchildren to view MTV. I currently work with teens who have been involved with the juvenile justice system -- definite MTVers for the most part. Very few can cite one of the Ten Commandments or name five U.S. presidents, yet can rattle off verbatim today's lyrics of lunacy. While I'm all for the freedom of expression, a more honest moniker for Music Television would be "Mutes Traditional Values!"
-- Kenn Sidorewich, Oldsmar

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