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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 8, 2009

Find The Money

In reading "Johnson Overspent By $940,000," (Feb. 4), it raised two questions. I spent over 10 years as a federal funds custodian while in the military. The only way to lose money is through "petty" cash, which most organizations limit and control wisely.

As I see it, the bulk of the money was paid by check, and hence a paper trail of where it went should be readily available. If monies were converted to cash, and cash dolled out, then that is a different matter.

Since the office was allotted a budget, how did it come to pass that it "overdrew" this amount of money with no one noticing it? If one has $100,000 in a checking account and spends more, an overdraft notice is sent out. How could this office be allowed to spend over $940,000 more than it was authorized to spend?

FRANK POPELESKI

Seffner

Failure To Communicate

Regarding former Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson:

I figured it out. When Jeb appointed Johnson, it went something like this: The fellow who recommended him to Jeb said he sure has good grits. Jeb thought he heard "he has true grit."

You have to admit Johnson's restaurant did have great grits.

RAYMOND RASMUSSEN

Tampa

Attendants Still Needed

When leaving Poe Garage after seeing "A Chorus Line," the entire line of cars was held up because the first vehicle hadn't paid the parking ticket.

So the attendant took her money and went over to a pay station to pay her ticket.

In the meantime, we sat and cooled our heels.

Since it was 35 degrees, it wasn't hard.

Is this a better system? Attendants are still needed because people will not pay prior to parking or can't figure out how to insert the ticket.

JOAN WINTERS

Tampa

A Refreshing Change
Regarding "Obama Says He Regrets His Errors" (front page, Feb. 4):

Wow, a person of authority, the president of the United States of America, actually admitted that he made a mistake.

How refreshing is that?

I really can't remember that happening before!

There's hope for us yet.

JOHN TARAY

Tampa

Democrats Are To Blame

Regarding "Price To Be Paid" (Letters, Feb. 4):

Michael Celso Gonzalez uses the usual threats Democrats make in stating that those who do not vote for the bloated socialist economic stimulus package will have "hell to pay."

The economy was fine until the Democrats took control of Congress following the 2006 elections.

I don't know why Gonzalez and the mainstream media do not focus on President Bush's and Republican congressional members' push to look into Sen. Chris Dodd's and Congressman Barney Frank's mismanagement of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as far back as 1999 and through 2006.

Add to that the Democratic-led passing of the Community Reinvestment Act, which required "equal access" to housing funds to those who could not act in a responsible manner, and you have a picture painted for economic disaster.

Democrats were the artists of this economic collapse.

And rather than following history in implementing large tax cuts like presidents Kennedy and Reagan did to achieve quick exits from large recessions, Gonzalez prefers to throw money at the problem.

Where have we heard this before?

MARK NEWMAN

Lutz

The Lives Of Elephants

I read the article and looked at the pictures of the Asian elephants in our circuses and quite frankly feel that some of us are making a mountain out of an mole hill ("The Elephant In The Court," Feb. 4).

Are there African pachyderms in our circuses? If not, why not? Also, why does it appear that most, if not all, of these largest of land animals are cows as opposed to bulls? Could it be that cows are more gentle, trainable and even-tempered for circus lives than bulls?

If it is true that elephants have long memories and never forget, would any of them put up with ill treatment, abuse, sedation, etc., for very long? Most humans certainly would not.

If the "antis" are correct, then we should ship all the elephants back to their places of origin, thus breaking the hearts of many children and adults who love to watch them perform at the greatest show on Earth.

JOSEPH P. CORELL

Clearwater

Stay Strong

Regarding the David Brooks and Martin Feldstein columns in last Sunday's Views section:

Hooray! Thank you for printing dissenting opinions about the most disastrous financial package ever to be thrust upon the American people. Is it possible we are starting to wake up to what the Democrats are trying to do?

I've worked and invested for 32 years. Luckily, I am still working but quit investing cold turkey as of two months ago. I've weathered all the ups and downs in the market, stayed positive through the downturns and felt confident in the system.

Yes, the economy will recover, but it will recover on its own. And the government will insist it's because of this bogus stimulus. Hogwash.

Fiscal conservatives - everyday people like me - stay strong. And may the people you voted into office continue to rally against the irresponsibility about to take place.

DEBORAH ARMSTRONG

Carrollwood

Tax Cuts Needed

We start out with the salary cap of $500,000 for executives. Why not cap them at $40,000, because 40k is the average wage for workers in America.

If you have a business that is so poorly run that you need government loans to stay afloat, then top execs shouldn't deserve more than the average wage for their blunders.

When will anyone in Congress push for tax cuts across the board, which has been proven to create jobs and increase tax revenues?

JOHN LALLEMAND

Dade City

Demand-Side Economics

Have Republicans forgotten so quickly that the American people rejected their supply-side "voodoo" economics where the rich get richer and the poor gets poorer? The American people want to give demand-side economics a try.

The Republicans continue to obstruct a good plan rather than working to make it stronger. Have they forgotten that their ratings were lower than George Bush's? Do we have to vote every last Republican out of office to get the nation's work done?

The nation's work is not the Republican ideology. It is getting money in people's hands, food on their tables and jobs to go to. Businesses had eight years of tax cuts, and they did not create more jobs. They used the money to play games on the stock market and let our jobs be shipped overseas.

We know that if we have money to spend and jobs to go to, business will grow. I thank those Republicans who came up with the 4-percent-interest homeowner's program because that is a long-term solution, but it must be in conjunction with a stimulus package.

We trust the president will create a package that is not full of special-interest spending.

WILLIE J. BAILEY

Bradenton

On The Brink

Regarding "Obama's Bay of Pigs" (Letter Of Day, Feb. 6):

The author asserts the Soviets put missiles into Cuba upon thinking Kennedy was weak. This is untrue.

The Soviets installed the missiles after Kennedy put missiles in Turkey on the borders of the Soviet Union. The Soviets matched us by placing missiles in Cuba, making no attempt to hide them. The Soviets wanted us to know the missiles were there.

Consequently, Kennedy had to remove our missiles from Turkey before the Soviets would remove their missiles in Cuba, a fact not revealed at the time to American people. Despite the claims of Kennedy's staff that the other guy "blinked," i.e. caved in, it was, in fact, the U.S. that caved in.

It was Kennedy's aggressive posturing, not his weakness, that brought the world to the brink.

JAMES FRICK

Tampa

JOIN DISCUSSION

The Tribune welcomes letters and e-mails from readers. The text should be original and no longer than 150 words. By making a submission, you agree the Tribune may edit the letter for length and clarity, and publish it in any medium.

Please include your name, address and daytime phone number. Mail to: P.O. Box 191, Tampa, FL 33601-0191. Or e-mail without attachments: tribletters@tampatrib.com.

Also, read and participate in the Tribune editorial board's blog, "Thinking Out Loud," at www.tboblogs.com/index.php/thinkoutloud/categories....

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