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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 22, 2008

Better Off Under Bush

Regarding "A Bad Comparison" (Letters, May 20):

One of your readers asked if President Bush still had any credibility. I believe he does.

Many people ask if they are better off today. Yes, I am much better off than I was under Clinton. It is simply a matter of being frugal and saving your money.

It seems most people think President Bush tricked us into the Iraq war. My son-in-law, an officer in intelligence, is in Iraq for the third time and has stated he will volunteer for a fourth. He said he wants to continue to work on the hospitals and schools we are helping to build. He said almost every day the people of Iraq come up and thank the soldiers for their liberation. He said the news media tries really hard to find the negative news and always ignore the soldiers playing soccer with the local children daily.

I never disrespect a president. Even though I thought Clinton had the morals of a rattlesnake, I never talked evil of him. Our presidents have information we do not have and agonize over how much to tell the public without risk to national security.

VONNIE DE RICO

Sun City Center

Democrats Are Socialists

I can't believe that all the mail you get is so liberal and anti-Bush. Some of these readers must have been on another planet. Do they not remember how high our taxes were under Clinton and his Democratic Congress? All we will get from Democrats will be more taxes and spending on pet projects. Where have they been the past couple years while we have had a Democratic Congress?

The only hope for us is to have a Republican president or a Republican Congress, or our taxes will go out of sight. We don't need a socialist country, and that is what we will get under the Democrats.

I'm not a great believer in McCain, but he is so much better than the alternatives - Obama or Clinton.

CONNIE M. PERDUE

New Port Richey

Cover Bush Evenhanded

Bush diplomacy has been under fire in the Middle East lately. The truth is that the previous administration was nothing to crow about either.

With unfinished businesses around the globe and the North Korean nuclear fear looming, it took the Bush administration to end the impasse. The Middle East crisis will never end until the Arab-Israeli conflict is resolved.

In the meantime, let the world press be more evenhanded in dealing with the outgoing administration. Constantly pouncing on George W. Bush made him more of a living hero.

JAN G. MUYS

New Port Richey

Reinvent U.S. Economy

Our country is in grave economic trouble. Fingers of blame point in all directions. The weakness of a country's currency is based on selling more products than buying products from others. I am not an educated man, per se, but my simple mind seems to think that a thing called the industrial revolution contributed greatly to our world power.

In a reckless drive to increase profits, our factories were sent overseas. It seems that greed tore our foundation out from under us. Simple math tells me that our economy will not get well again until we reinvent the industrial revolution and build factories in America.

Oh and a short note on greed: Am I the only one that can plainly see that regardless of the price per barrel of oil, it is companies like Exxon that are making billions of dollars profit off the sweat of American citizens?

MICHAEL L. EBERLE

Hudson

Failed By Our Leaders

It is 1973 all over again. We are facing an energy crisis through our own stupidity. We elect officials to represent us and to solve our problems. Well, it has been 35 years and we are truly no closer to being energy self-sufficient. Our representatives at all levels of government have failed us. It is high time to replace all of them.

We need to drill for oil and natural gas, build better power plants and do as Europe has done and use nuclear energy for our electricity needs. At the same time we must do better with solar, wind and wave-action energy. Companies must be encouraged to spend money on research so we can have cheap energy.

It was the industrial revolution of the early 1800s that got us our start in making life better, but it was done with cheap coal prices from the mountains of coal we had in the Appalachians.

Let us elect people with vision, courage and our best interest in their hearts. Cheap energy is what drives growth and makes our lives better. If you don't believe me, read the history of the industrial revolution.

VINCENT D. MURPHY

Valrico

Common Sense Solutions

Congress wants to do everything in its power to alleviate pain at the gas pump - except anything that would actually work, such as domestic drilling and new refinery construction.

Liberals, who see the free market as an obstacle to their power, avoid these options at all cost. The Democrats, who must cater to every niche voting bloc they endear, have backed themselves into a corner by offering no long-term, effective options that are palatable to their base. The methods they have served up so far are either entirely ineffective or are likely to cost taxpayers even more money than now.

It will be decades before we can fully replace oil with viable alternatives; now is the time for common sense energy solutions that include increased domestic drilling, new refineries, more nuclear energy and use of clean coal technology. Increased supply decreases price.

SHARON CALVERT

Lutz

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