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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 2, 2008

Insult To Floridians

Regarding "Can State Spare A Dime At Pump?" (front page, April 29):

Let me see if I understand this latest insult to the intelligence of Floridians. Gov. Charlie Crist and state Sen. Mike Fasano are touting a bill that would reduce the gas tax on a gallon by 10 cents for a period of two weeks in July. It must be a coincidence that John McCain is pushing a similar idea on the national level.

I can hardly wait to save $2 a tank one or two times. This will make all the difference in the world!

Let's tally up the actions of our elected officials over the past year: Negotiating the equitable CSX corridor deal; the wildly successful property tax "reform," the amazing property insurance "reform," the much needed truck "nutz" ban and the ad nauseum "academic freedom" bill debate.

Is it too much to ask that the voters of Florida be respected as intelligent and thoughtful people? I suppose so.

PAULA DAVIS

Dade City

Proposal Is A Joke

What a joke! Ten cents will save a person who owns a 13.2-gallon tank $1.32 on a tankful. What the hell are they going to do with $1.32? How much time is taken in the Senate over such foolishness?

How long will the country sit back and let the oil companies cripple this nation? Yes, this is the greatest country on the verge of self-destruction.

BOB PELLERIN

Wesley Chapel

Increase The Supply

The hysteria over gasoline prices and the complete stonewalling by the politicians to help correct the problem never ceases to amaze me.

The oil and gas companies are our "friends" and they need high profits to "drill" in more remote and difficult places.

The only answer to this situation is to increase the supply side and the ultimate answer is to open more places for drilling and exploration and to remove artificial political and judicial barriers that prevent this from happening.

Drill off the coasts of Pensacola in the Gulf and in the Florida Straights near Cuba. Take the oil royalties from this business and use it to help correct budget issues in Florida. Reduce the foreign oil and reduce the need to fight wars in the Middle East and Africa. Think of how many other issues we could correct with this strategy.

Open up ANWR in Alaska and drill off of North Carolina or wherever the promising oil and gas fields are located in the United States. Drill, drill, drill.

TOM POTTS

Odessa

Synchronize Stop Lights

The single most effective and cost-efficient way to conserve fuel and reduce pollution would be to time the traffic lights on major roads so that vehicles going at the speed limit will hit all green lights.

Thousands of cars constantly stopping and accelerating spew out tons of raw fuel and pollution. Cars typically get two miles per gallon during acceleration.

On highways 60 and 39, it's almost impossible to avoid stopping at every light. It would cost nothing to time these lights and post signs that, if you maintained a steady 45 mph, would mostly have green lights in the direction of heavy traffic. Isn't this worth a try?

JERRY SNAPER

Plant City

A Sign Of Productivity

Regarding "Cars Aren't The Problem" (Letters, April 29):

The letter writer argues that Americans need to "truly wake up" and "cut back our energy consumption." How ridiculous! That's like arguing that Americans need to stop breathing so much.

There is a direct relationship between a nation's energy consumption and its productivity, health and wealth. It's not coincidence that the nations with the smallest "carbon footprint" are also the least productive, unhealthiest and poorest - e.g., Somalia.

Indeed, former Greenpeace member Bjorn Lomborg pointed out in 2004 that for the same cost of enacting such energy-capping treaties as Kyoto, we could instead "buy clean drinking water, sanitation, basic health care and education to every single person in the world."

I don't drive an SUV, but I understand why some families would find them appealing. And, frankly, the more I hear irrational arguments from pompous advocates of what is actually a debatable and politically hijacked science, the more I'll fight to ensure that people have the individual liberty to purchase one.

GREG BUETE

Palmetto

The World's Policemen

The United States has essentially designated itself the police for the world. We're mainly liberating major oil-producing countries.

This "world police force" is funded solely by American taxpayers. If this liberation is desired by its recipients, they should fund their "policing."

An easy repayment policy would be for these countries to provide oil to the United States, at cost, until the debt to the American taxpayer is reconciled. This savings for the American public would be exponential if all "middle men" and tax collectors kept their markup percentage the same.

Those who have already benefited from this liberation would also be welcome to participate out of good faith.

JONATHAN GROOT

Tampa

General A Team Player

Regarding "The Face Of Iraq Policy To Lead Centcom" (front page, April 24):

Gen. David Petraeus was not promoted as a result of outstanding performance. He has earned his new job the same way he earned his last job: He is willing to argue that the 2007 escalation of troop levels in Iraq was a good idea.

This is in spite of the fact that no political reconciliation has actually occurred in Iraq, the Iraqi military is sill a mess after five years, and the situation on the ground is too dire to allow the previously planned U.S. troop withdrawals to continue.

The previous commander of the U.S. Central Command was Admiral William Fallon, who was open about the fact that the Iraq war has been a disaster. Fallon was forced out earlier this year.

But Petraeus has always toed the party line. A politician is a politician - some just happen to be wearing uniforms.

SCOTT COCHRAN

Tampa

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