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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 11, 2008

Energy Independence

The next time you cuss out the gas pump, stop and think of those who have caused this problem.
Nancy Pelosi said the Democrats had an energy plan when they took over two years ago. They have been derelict in doing nothing but trying to help make oil more costly, for political advantage and not for your pocketbook.

The danger with oil pollution is not the drilling but the ships that transport oil. With new drilling methods and pipelines extending under water to our shores, reliance on ships is markedly reduced. Build more oil refineries, drill for the plentiful fuel in the Gulf and elsewhere around us, drill in ANWR in that remote spot in Alaska and build nuclear plants.

France has produced 80 percent of its electricity with nuclear power for the last 25 years! Much of the building of its plants was done by Westinghouse! It stores all of its high-level nuclear waste in a single room in the city of Le Havre. Nuclear reactors are making so much energy - and money - in Connecticut that, wouldn't you know, the attorney general has proposed a "windfall profits" tax.

Can you imagine the shock and grief in the other oil-producing countries when they see that we in the United States will become so much more energy independent that they will have to drink their excess oil?

FRED IONATA

Dunedin

Supply Being Depleted

As oil becomes more precious, eyes begin to look toward the Gulf of Mexico off of Florida's shores.

Within someone's lifetime the Earth's oil supply will be depleted. When that time is upon us we could still be arguing the pluses and minuses of tapping that source. The scene will then be set for the most powerful to scrounge for oil anywhere they can. At that point we may not be the most powerful and may have to defend that bit of oil with battle. I foresee gun placements on the shores between our condominiums. So let's drill into that bed now and get on with our existence.

Unreal? Who, 50 years ago would have dared predict the mess the world is in today?

HARTLEY STEEVES

Tampa

The French Get It

It's time for America to step back and take a hard look at its future. We have candidates promising all sorts of wonderful benefits to our people, but have no means to pay for anything. Our country is gaining speed as it slides backward. Our better-paying jobs are being outsourced. Costs for everything are going up, and we are dependent on foreign oil. We buy everything overseas. How can we prosper with everything going out? We will soon be on empty.

The French get it. We need to convert to nuclear power and electric cars within 10 years. Build our internal strength so that we can compete because we cannot survive otherwise. We need to tighten our belts and put in place an energy plan that eliminates oil dependency now!

ROBERT BRUSH

Ruskin

An Electric Experience

Fifty years ago I drove an electric-powered step van eight hours a day delivering laundry. For the seven months that I worked for Brunswick Laundry in New Jersey, my van never broke down. Every night the maintenance department plugged it in and every morning when I came to work it started right up and ran all day.

At that time the world had just gone from candlelight to atomic power in a span of 50 years. Although electric golf carts can be seen replacing gas-powered carts at golf courses all across this nation, electric cars and trucks have not been replacing their gas-guzzling counterparts in the streets of our environmentally challenged cities.

I can only imagine what kind of progress could have been made in the development of electric vehicles if our engineers had applied themselves. How many lives would we have saved by not having to go to war over oil in the Middle East?

ROBERT E. McCALLION

St. Petersburg

An I-4 Corridor Train

Regarding commuter trains between Orlando and Haines City, commuter trains between Tampa and Lakeland and Amtrak passenger service:

An elevated track should be built in the median of Interstate 4 similar to the Crosstown Expressway. This should run from St. Petersburg to Orlando. It should be paid for by a half-cent sales tax on the counties involved. It should be started immediately.

By the way, we're going have the same problem when we start trying to use the CSX rail line between Tampa and Bradenton for commuter service.

WILLIAM RICH

Apollo Beach

Thanks, Old Soldier

Regarding "A Day To Remember" (Letters, May 8):

I would like to thank Jack Keller Sr. for helping those of us who were around 63 years ago to remember V-E Day. We lived through the "war to end all wars" and will never forget it. No one should forget those who died protecting us; not only for the past wars, but also our troops who served then and are serving now in all branches of the military.

After reading Keller's letter I looked through The Tampa Tribune and his was the only mention of V-E Day. Thank you, Mr. Keller.

MARY CAULFIELD

Dade City

Voting Rights Denied

My father, a medic in the Army Air Corps during World War II, was sent home sick to the Holleran General Hospital on Staten Island, New York. I was 11 years old and remember him taking my hand and making me promise to never miss voting when I reached voting age, "because that is why I and my men fought and died: for your right to vote."

Now, I am wondering what happened to our right to vote in Florida and why didn't the government step in if they thought the state had overstepped its bounds before we, in all good conscience, voted thinking "our vote counts"?

I also thought "We, the people" counted. It seems the entire election primary system is skewed. I would think that we should all get to vote at the same time. Further, we will not have another Supreme Court decision overriding the people's choice.

Where are our "equal rights"?

ANITA KNIGHT

St. Petersburg

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