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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 13, 2008

No More Torturing

Regarding "Waterboarding Legal, White House Argues" (Nation/World, Feb. 7):

The White House at last has come clean regarding their use of torture and their intent to use torture in the future.

Now is the time to end this charade, and I call on everyone to now stand and say no more! The deceit we have lived with over the past seven years is intolerable and must end now.

JOHN BROWN

Dade City

Just A Scare Tactic
So the CIA used waterboarding to get information from al-Qaida members that were planning to attack America and some people here are upset with these tactics.

Let's see if I understand this correctly. Al-Qaida has declared war on Western civilization; they are responsible for thousands of murders of innocent people in the name of their religion; and the CIA used waterboarding to get the information that saved thousands of lives.

Waterboarding makes the person think he is going to drown. It scares them; it's not beheading. No one actually dies from waterboarding. They are "frightened" into giving up the information. Using "scare" tactics to save lives is thought to be torture by some in this country. Those against waterboarding are not willing to "frighten" our enemies to win the war on terror.

GREGORY W. FRICK

Tampa

U.S. In 'Imperialist Mode'

Regarding "Time For Our Allies To Pony Up On War Bills" (Other Views, Feb. 11):

To quote Cal Thomas, "This is beyond outrageous."

In a preemptive move we invade a country based on 100 percent inaccurate intelligence. For over four years we occupy that county, we bomb it back to the Stone Age, we wage war against its citizens. Seeing how there is no other invading army and the Iraq army is on our side; this means we are at war with Iraq citizens. To even suggest that we should bill Iraq for our invasion and expect them to pay us to wage war against them is outrageous.

Our allies have wisely come to the conclusion that spending massive amounts of money waging a war in Iraq will only accomplish bankruptcy at home. The world will be a free and safer place if the United States gets out of the imperialist mode of building nations in our own image. Instead we should rebuild our industrial base.

JANICE JOSEPHINE CARNEY

Tampa

Stimulus Plan Unfair

What is fair about an economic stimulus plan that penalizes an individual or couple for being successful? Under the plan to be signed by President Bush if, as a couple or individual, you make more than $150,000 per year you get zip as to the $600 and $1,200 checks soon to be sent out.

Those who make $150,000 per year paid the maximum amount into Social Security and Medicare in 2007 and in all likelihood account for a percentage of entrepreneurs who believed in their abilities and had the guts to go out on their own and endure the sacrifices and hard times to make their companies successful.

As one who started a successful business 18 years ago, I have a hard time believing "all men are created equal" when it comes to the U.S. economic policies. If you are successful, you are continually penalized.

DICK POWERS

Tampa

Costs Still Going Up

Isn't it ironic that during a time of economic stress several entities have decided to raise rates, such as the utility companies, insurance companies and the Tampa Bay Bucs? The Federal Reserve decided to lower the prime lending rate, but that will do very little to improve the economy. As an example, most people think by the Fed lowering the rate, home loan rates will go down. Wrong.

Let's lower fees, rates on Bucs tickets and our energy bills. Let's also support U.S.-made goods and services to improve job opportunities and rescind the new property tax bill which will cost homeowners more in the long run.

SALVATORE M. PONTILLO

Valrico

Investigate Other Sports

I am genuinely perplexed. Please help me understand why Congress will pursue Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, etc. for supposed use of illegal steroids, yet other sports and entertainment venues - wrestling, for example - are exempt from scrutiny. Are we to interpret from Congress' disregard that we don't care about the supposed illegalities that may occur in other venues due to their lack of national status in the sports arena?

I, for one, see a witch hunt that was chosen based on national popularity.

CHARLES TRUJILLO

Lake Placid

Another Machine Change

Regarding "House Panel Votes To Close Election Probe" (Metro, Feb. 9):

First we had the punch-card machines that worked extremely well until 2000 in which, instead of accepting the results, a circus of challenges trying to find "the intentions of the voters" resulted in a decision to change the machines to touch screen. This change cost millions of dollars.

The touch-screen machines record your vote and ask several times if you did what you wanted to do, but that was not enough for some candidates who blamed the machines for losing the election in Sarasota and challenged the results. Of course the solution was to change the machines again to optical scanners because they leave a paper trail.

Politicians on both sides apparently cannot understand that sometimes what they say and do causes a rejection by the voters that shows they do not vote for any them.

ANTONIO SUAREZ

Tampa

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