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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 18, 2008

Opportunity In Slowdown

Victoria Tschinkel misses a key point in advocating sustainable urban development for Florida (Views, Dec. 14). Indeed, she discounts one of the critical ingredients to further this goal. She argues for the preservation of growth management laws that inhibit and render more expensive the urban growth she seeks to promote.

For example, Florida's concurrency law, which requires that public infrastructure be in place at the time new development occurs, penalizes urban growth while promoting sprawl. There are numerous other examples of state and local laws that must be revisited, such as minimum parking requirements, which encourage automobile usage.

As a member of Hillsborough County's Regional Transit Authority Board, I share the goal of promoting public transit; however, if we don't revamp our growth management laws, the only public transit we will be promoting is the train wreck that will happen when demand for less expensive rural land increases as the economy improves.

Let's use the slowdown as an opportunity to make the growth management laws actually encourage the quality development that Tschinkel desires.

DAVID M. MECHANIK

Tampa

Poor Choices
Re "This Newspaper Is Fighting Back" (View, Dec. 14):

I think the management of The Tampa Tribune has made some poor choices in the last few months. We live in a global world now. What we do impacts the world, and what the world does impacts upon us in Florida. So what has the management of the paper decided? Instead of helping us to understand the changes taking place, they have emphasized our tiny little corner of West-Central Florida.

Of course I want local news, but I do not want to hear about every pedophile in town and every sexual assault that takes place. I want sports news to stay on the sports pages and not invade page one of the first section.

I want to know as much pertinent business and economic news as possible, and I want to understand the complexities of modern life in this country and throughout the world. I used to read The Tampa Tribune seven days a week; now I read it only on Sunday. There's simply too little news of value.

LORNA MICHAELSON

Tampa

Undeserving Placement

Re: "Mom's Ideal Gift Is Wife For Son" (Front page, Dec. 15): This story has to be the most undeserving front page article the Trib has ever published. It belongs in a rag next to the grocery store check-out line.

If the son is as great as Mommie thinks he is, he should be able to accomplish the mission on his own.

RICHARD GINGRICH

Sun City Center

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