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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 22, 2008

Officers Live Nearby

Regarding "City Should Require Police Officers To Buy Gas For Long Commutes" (Our Opinion, July 17):

It has been obvious for the past year by your editorials that you feel that police officers do a job that is deserving of merit, but certainly not enough to have a take-home car. Your ignorance comes through claiming that former Mayor Sandy Freedman saved the city $2.2 million, but it fails to mention that cars stay in service more than double the time from three years to now seven years.

The majority of officers who live outside Hillsborough live in Pasco, and of those I am willing to bet most live in eastern Pasco which is only a few miles from the Tampa city limit.

I am just wondering when you are going to suggest that everyone who needs a police officer is going to have to burn their own gas and drive to the local station, or maybe there can be an exception for city gas use if there is a violent assault in progress.

LAURA EPPERSON

Tampa

A Privilege, Not A Right

I would like to just let someone know that daily when I travel to work from Tampa to Zephyrhills, I have two Tampa patrol cars that are usually on the road at the same time as me around 6 a.m.

I do not disagree with all of the policy to allow the officers the perk - their salary is not that high for the life they put at stake. Where my gripe comes from and should be looked into and the mayor made aware of is these officers who drive north to their homes are on Interstate 275/75 at over 85 mph.

What the mayor of Tampa and the officers need to know is that having that car is a privilege, and they need to understand that the public watches their every move and they need to be model citizens.

RICHARD MILLER

Tampa

Don't Leave Out Others

When demanding that police officers either drive their own vehicles or pay for their own fuel and maintenance on the taxpayer-owned vehicles that they drive to and from work, let's not leave out county and city employees.

All employees on the taxpayer's dime should have to provide their own transportation or pay for the maintenance and the fuel on these vehicles that they use to commute to their jobs.

Why should they reap the benefits of free transportation when we who are providing it get no relief at all?

GARY KEELER

Plant City

Police Earn Car Commutes

I usually agree with the editors of The Tampa Tribune, but in the case of requiring police officers to buy gas for their commutes home, I think it's ridiculous.

Police officers make a decent wage in Tampa, but they are not millionaires! The high cost of food, insurance, taxes, etc. affects them the same as everybody else. Many officers work off-duty jobs to supplement their incomes because their regular salary will not pay their bills. These officers put their lives at risk every day protecting us.

If we want funds for gasoline, charge the arrested a $50 transport fee to jail.

It is not in the best interest of the Tribune to criticize the Tampa Police Department's wages, perks or anything else, because you are offending your readers who know the dangers they face and appreciate their service.

Mayor Pam Iorio should stick to her guns and not cave in to the media!

BETTY DOBSON

Brooksville

Good In City Only

Regarding "Motorist Running Red Lights Getting Just Due In Port Richey" (Our Opinion, July 16):

The problem is that they aren't, at least not the informed scofflaws.

Because the red-light cameras were installed pursuant to a municipal ordinance instead of a state statute, the "ticket" your editorial referred to is not a uniform traffic citation. Since the offender is not charged by way of a uniform traffic citation, failure to pay the fine can never result in the offender's license being suspended nor can points ever be assessed against the offender's license. The fact that the offender is accused of running a red light can never appear on the offender's Florida driving record.

Bottom line, if a red-light runner doesn't pay up, there is really nothing Port Richey can do about it.

WILLIAM R. MUMBAUER

Brandon

The writer is an attorney.

It's About Money

Port Richey has cameras at certain intersections that track the flow of traffic and snap pictures of each vehicle. The virtue in this is that those running red lights are captured "in the act." The editorial board of the Tribune seems to think that this one more permanent surveillance of the population at large is just the greatest.

The editorial brushes off arguments of invasion of privacy as the antiquated notion that people really do mind having their actions being recorded by the ever-growing infestation of video cameras and the voyeurs behind them. Don't we need cameras in public park restrooms to protect our children from perverts? Just imagine the drop in the crime rate if some branch of government could put the cameras in the vehicles! After all, nobody expects privacy while they are "barreling down the highway."

The editorial excitedly follows that the police now have the ability to sit on their butt, pick out the ne'er-do-wells and let the post office do the legwork.

This project is not here to protect lives; it is here to save money.

BILL DRAKE

Tampa

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