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Letters To The Editor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 12, 2008

Loss Of Ruth's Wit

While I am truly sorry that the Tampa Tribune is experiencing such trying times, this latest job cut involving Daniel Ruth is just about the last straw. I have been a faithful reader of the Tribune even with all of the changes in your format. I appreciated Daniel Ruth's wit and wisdom and, yes, sometimes the controversy about whatever subject he happened to choose.

People either loved him or hated him, but they always read his column. Don't you realize that letting a man of his particular genius go means less people will be interested in reading your paper? Surely there must be some better way of cutting cost than to leave us without our Daniel Ruth.

LINDA BROWN

Tampa

Columnist Will Be Missed

What is wrong with you people? First you change the format of the paper and stop printing news in depth and now you fire Dan Ruth? He is one of the bright lights of the paper and also shines that light on our dysfunctional county commission and other politicos. Does Janet Coats think that the readers are all idiots? How can a cut of Dan Ruth be "...not so obvious to the reader?" This move is less enlightened than a sack of dead batteries.

JAMES GRIFFIN

Valrico

Worse Every Day

What is going on at The Tampa Tribune? Since you designed a new format, every day the paper gets worse and worse. Now you have terminated the man who, in my humble opinion, was the finest columnist in the Trib if not perhaps the finest columnist in all of Florida, Daniel Ruth. I have been a subscriber to the Trib since I moved to Florida in 1994, and Ruth's column was one of my all-time favorites in your newspaper.

Now it is gone, as well as a number of other features which have made your paper go from what was once one of the finest newspapers in Florida, to now one of worst. I can remember spending an hour or more reading the Trib every day, and now I can finish the whole paper in about 15 minutes.

HOWARD NEWMARK

Sebring

Won't Miss Ruth
Sorry about news staff cuts except for Dan Ruth, for whom I say "Good riddance." His only claim to fame was his extensive list of nasty names he applied to anyone with whom he disagreed. I suspect his motive in so doing was to make readers so mad that they wouldn't focus on his mediocre journalistic capability.

TOM TURPIN

Sun City Center

Bright Stars Gone

The latest layoffs by the Tampa Tribune call into question just what kind of institution this newspaper wants to be. The names of the people terminated by this paper - men and women like Daniel Ruth, Rosemary Goudreau and Joe Brown - are not only the Tribune, but they are, frankly, Tampa. To the extent that the Tribune wanted to speak to the people of this city, it would have done so through thoughtful, talented and original people like this.

My thoughts and prayers are with these talented writers, who have enriched this great city. As for The Tampa Tribune, by terminating these bright stars of Tampa, it has sold its birthright for the ultimate mess of pottage in journalism: short-term economic viability and an existence without its writing heart and soul. No amount of corporate restructuring, or reorganization of this paper, can make up for what a shallow, short-sighted act this is.

LUIS VIERA

Tampa

Personal Attacks

With Daniel Ruth and Rosemary Goudreau, both who made personal attacks a hallmark of their work, now gone, Brian Blair and Buddy Johnson must now have some piece of mind.

I'd like to see the video of those four in the unemployment line. We might even catch a tag team match with Blair giving someone a body slam.

DAVID SCHMIDT

Tampa

Goodbye, My Captain

I am 16, so it may shock you to learn that I am a regular reader of The Tampa Tribune. Among the satirical greats such as Jonathan Swift and Mel Brooks, I place Daniel Ruth, whose entertaining, acerbic wit never failed to produce a grin.

So to the management of the Tribune, I must say you have lost my respect and admiration by tossing aside without so much as an editorial epitaph the one man who had the courage to write what we all are thinking.

And to Mr. Ruth I have only to say, "Oh captain, my captain."

ANDREW GOLDEN

Lithia

Where Were The Bands?

The annual Veterans Day Parade was held this past Saturday in the Town 'N Country area. My husband and I walked the entire parade route and the crowds were there, but the parade had one very noticeable difference this year. There was not one of the county's high school marching bands present.

We know the high schools were aware of the parade, because ROTCs from many of them were present. I am not sure who is to blame for this lack of participation , but it was a shame and it was noticed.

KAREN RUTHERFORD

Tampa

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