Letters to the Editors

Voters: Ignore the mudslinging, elect best man

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 16, 2000

Re: Candidate defends military role, Aug. 13

Editor: I was truly upset by the article about Rod Neal.

Looking back a few years I seem to recall a lot of men who moved to Canada to keep from serving their country. Here is a man who served his country. He enlisted, then he joined the National Guard. He did not run away. The people who are doing the nit-picking here need to get real. What is the real reason for this uncalled for mudslinging? I wonder if he was involved in selling real estate or he could be controlled by the good old boys, if they would be so quick to find fault? I think not.

We as voters need to take a real good look at what is really going on in Pasco County. Let us not allow others who want to be in control make our decision for us when we vote. I intend to vote for the man I feel will do the best job for us no matter what party he belongs to. The day of good old boys hopefully will be over soon. Rod Neal is a good man. If nothing else, the mudslinging ought to prove that to you.

I am really surprised the St. Petersburg Times even gave space to this silly nit-picking.
Joyce B. Dozier, Odessa

Article on candidate Ron Neal biased, based on one's beliefs

Editor: In view of and consideration of the fact that today everything is a matter of interpretation. The article regarding commission candidate Rod Neal was a biased presentation based on the remarks of an individual conducting his beliefs. The Constitution provides Mr. Puls the right to express his opinion. However, the entire issue is printed out of context, and unfortunately degrades Rod Neal's reputation.

Having served in the Marine Corps, and having made the landing on Guadalcanal 58 years ago, I would like to see this character assassination end.

Having been involved with Rod Neal, I admire his flamboyant character and feel that he would not misrepresent himself to people he associates and deals with.

As a fellow member of the Pasco Republican Executive committee, and serving as chairman of the ethics committee, it grieves me to see members defame other members to pursue their beliefs, and losing sight of the adage -- united we stand, divided we fall.
-- Carl E. Jasinski, Odessa

Perhaps Mr. Neal should wear asterisk with military emblem

Editor: If you see a person wearing a police badge you might assume he or she is in law enforcement. A battle ribbon usually indicates that the person wearing it was in that battle or theater of war. The same goes for any other military decoration. Personally, I was with the 1st Marine Division and I assume that any person displaying the patch or a replica was also with 1st Marine Division.

If Mr. Neal wants to display an Airborne/Special Forces emblem, perhaps he should also have a large asterisk and a footnote stating, "I really wasn't on active duty with Airborne, just attached."
Joseph King, Hudson

Young woman is alive because of a readily available handgun

Editor: One can't help but wonder if that brave woman would be alive today if she had been a good gun owner and had her handgun in a locked box, unloaded, with a trigger guard in place and with the bullets locked in a different box!

Since her attacker was a neighbor and a "good man" according to those who knew him, perhaps he would have given her a few minutes, before using the knife at her throat, so that she could find the gun, unlock the box, take off the trigger guard, find and unlock the bullets, load the gun, then give the guy a fair chance by saying, "If you try to cut my throat I will shoot you!" Yeah, right.

I am not a member of any gun club nor do I consider myself a "gun nut," but I really think that those people who think up our gun laws and gun safety suggestions should stop going off half-cocked (pardon the pun) as it were, and give the subject some deep analytical thought.

That young lady is alive today because of a readily available handgun and the ability to use it, and we don't have to house and feed another rapist for the rest of his life.
Charles T. Cyphert, Hudson

Weekend shopping trip shows service is dead to one customer

Editor: Thanks to this past weekend's lovely weather, I spent the majority of my time shopping in the Port Richey area. One thing has become very apparent to me: Customer service is dead. The service industry has reached a level where I am actually inconveniencing a store employee should I need customer service. Three stores in particular distinguished themselves this weekend. Circuit City and Sports Authority treated me with disdain. It would be hard to have felt less welcome in these two establishments.

The winner for killing customer service, though, is Montgomery Ward. In one weekend at this store, I was ignored by one employee and told by another that a product was not in stock and that I could "check back in a week or so and maybe they would have more."

The final blow came when I was prepared to make a purchase and a store employee would not honor a price quote I had in writing from another Montgomery Ward employee until store management intervened.

With this consistent level of bad customer service, online shopping is more appealing than ever.
-- Ron Kwiat, Port Richey

Beautifying highway medians makes it tough to see other guy

Re: Drivers, not trees in median, are at the root of problem, Aug. 11 letter

Editor: As someone who recently survived an accident because a careless driver ran me into a treeless median, I couldn't disagree more with the letter written by C. L. White. "Beautification" programs will not eliminate poor drivers, they will only make life more dangerous for those of us trying to dodge them.

Roads are for driving. They are no gardens; trees, flowers, bushes or anything else that potentially blocks someone's view should be verboten. They also are not cemeteries, so the same goes for crosses and wreathes and similar memorials: Do you really want to be responsible for another tragedy in that same place?

Same goes for in-car "beautification": people hanging CDs and similar junk from car mirrors or puting statues or air fresheners on their dash should be cited for diminished vision. Don't even get me started on cell phones!
-- Brent Yaciw, Wesley Chapel

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