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Letters To The Editor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 29, 2007

Image Is Everything

It is no longer enough to be honorable, truthful and reliable. The next presidential election is going to be won or lost on the television screen.

The candidate must have an impeccable camera presence and must have the 'presidential' credentials and a broad, inclusive political philosophy. But he or she must also be able to articulate and persuade more than just the large block vote of one party.

He or she must be able to convince minorities, labor, feminists and all the other single agenda groups that he or she is the 'chosen one' for their cause. It is not enough to be honest anymore. You have to sell the product.

C.F. SCHRAMM

Brandon

It's Not Going To Happen

Regarding 'Draft Would Help' (Letters, Oct. 22):

There will never be another draft in America for one reason and one reason only: women. We will never draft women and it would be grossly unfair to draft men and force them to do something they did not want to do and allow women the option of doing whatever they want. Not even militant women could agree to that.

Drafting men and not women would only set back equality. The injustice of drafting men and not women would only point out that women should not be in combat roles. And no one has the nerve to say that in today's world of political correctness at any and all costs.

LES RAYBURN

Dade City

Justice Biting The Hand

Regarding 'Thomas Says Affirmative Action Hurt His Worth' (Nation/World, Oct. 22):

The honorable Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas comments that he felt he was only in that prestigious college because of his race. Well, for whatever reason he got there, he certainly misses the overall picture for one so knowledgeable in a position that, according to the U.S. Constitution, rates right along in importance to the other two branches of our government.

He has a job for life, and when he steps down, the pay still comes. He fails to remember if it hadn't been for affirmative action, he wouldn't have been there.

JERRY C. HIERS

Tampa

Liberal Bias Detected

Regarding 'Sparks Fly At GOP Debate' (Metro, Oct. 22):

William March's already obvious left-wing bias is showing more and more lately in his articles. He's now resorting to being plain dishonest and misleading - calling Rudy Giuliani's record on gun control 'moderate' is a good example. He then goes on to accuse Republican candidates of using Hillary Clinton 'as a bogeywoman to scare their supporters' during the last debate.

It would be OK for him to state his opinions, no matter how questionable, if he was signing a column, but he's supposed to be writing as a reporter. I wonder how hard it would be for The Tampa Tribune to find a professional journalist who would simply state the facts and let the readers come to their own conclusions, as opposed to blatantly pushing an agenda like March does.

LEO DAHER

Tampa

Owners Already Paying

Regarding 'Dredging Through Murky Details Found Good Canal-Cleaning Plan' (Our Opinion, Oct. 24):

After reading your editorial concerning the government's proposal to charge waterfront owners $8,000 to dredge their canals that are silted in by land runoff, I would like to point out the error of your logic.

Waterfront owners already pay a premium on their real estate taxes every year. For example, on a 3,300-square-foot house on the Alafia River, the market value is assessed by the county in 2007 at $813,004 - down from $828,649 in 2006. Obviously they have a reluctance to lower to what the true market conditions are presently in Hillsborough County real estate, but that's another issue. The same house not on the river is assessed at roughly half that price. The house on the river receives no extra benefits from the government.

They charge double forever with no extra services and then charge when an extra service is required, even though the waterfront owners did not cause the problem. Waterfront property has always been the county's and city's gravy train. It's time to keep the train rolling without an extra fee.

BRIAN MacKAY

Riverview

Stop Stacking Gypsum

Being a former resident of Polk County, the phosphate capital of the world, I am very reluctant to write this letter. However, their recent commercials have gone too far. While I support the industry and all they do, their recent advertising blitz about making references to wonderful communities, beautiful parks and being environmental friendly is anything but.

All one needs to do is drive down east into Polk County and south in Hardee and Manatee counties to witness the environmental devastation. We can start with the complete bulldozing and drag-lining of pastures, groves and forested areas, endless freight trains clogging traffic from Brandon down to Ruskin and bring it full circle to the radioactive leftover gypsum stacks dotting our landscape. While it may be true that they do eventually get around to reclaiming the land, it takes years to complete and even longer for the area to look anything like it once was. In the meantime, nothing is being done to eliminate the gypsum stacks.

I believe it's time for the industry, local and government leaders to get their arms around this problem and not approve any more requests for expansion of these mountains of radioactive waste and instead demand the product somehow be reused for other efforts such as road bed.

TIM PIPES

Riverview

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