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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 19, 2009

Putting Lenders At Risk

A proposal to allow bankruptcy judges to change the terms of loans if the borrower has asked the lender to modify the loan before filing for bankruptcy raises questions. Let's say the lender offers to give a six-month payment moratorium, and then a lower payment, in exchange for raising the rate, and the borrower turns it down. According to your article, the borrower could ask the bankruptcy judge to modify the loan - including lowering the loan amount.

It would devastate the mortgage industry. Who in their right mind would lend money under such conditions?

ERNEST LANE

Trinity

Obama Still Untested

I nearly choked when I read the letter "Dungy Is Class Act" by Jim Hulls on Jan. 14.

Including Barack Obama's name with that group seems a bit premature. Would it not be prudent to wait for Obama to actually do something before including his name with that elite group?

Up to this time, Barack Obama has done relatively nothing except promote himself. During his tenure as a senator he voted present 90 percent of the time, which is basically abstaining from the vote. He sponsored nothing by himself. During the campaign, when prominent Democrats in Washington were speaking up and promoting Obama. they were asked by the media to list one thing that Obama had done. Not one of them could say a single thing that he had done.

CHARLES LILLER

Riverview

Use Coulter, Not Dowd

Your decision to publish Maureen Dowd's recent piece about Vice President Dick Cheney is an awful misjudgment.

Although historians will long debate the impact of the Cheney years in Washington, Dowd, herself, is incapable of dealing in nuance, as she has demonstrated many times before. Therefore she must be a political satirist.

It is ironic that The Tampa Tribune virtually never publishes any of Ann Coulter's satirical - and very widely read - commentaries. Even without the benefit of Dowd's soapbox, provided courtesy of The New York Times, Coulter is a bigger figure in almost every way, especially if book sales account for anything.

Coulter's books have been published worldwide, and several are best sellers. When was the last time that any of Dowd's books made the best-seller list?

JIM PARKER

Lakeland

Fast Update Of License

Recently I had eye surgery to improve my eyesight. It was enough to permit me to drive without glasses. However, I still had a restriction on my license. When I visited the Plant City Drivers License Office to find out how to solve my problem I was pleasantly greeted by the receptionist and congratulated about my new condition. She asked for my license, gave me an eye exam right at her desk, had a new picture taken and told me to take a seat. Inside 10 minutes I had my new license for no charge and was on my way. There were a couple of dozen people waiting, so I was really pleased and wish to express my thanks for the great service.

JACK ANDERSON

Plant City

Blogs Too Liberal

What an outrage! No Daily Kos? No Huffington Post? Ah, but then I read the three blog excerpts that were listed and they all fit comfortably within the "Blog Buzz" template, which is to say on the left, just as the Blog Buzz is positioned on the page. You know, there are conservative blogs out there that you could draw on from time to time.

There are conservative cartoonists, too, so maybe we could get a bit less of Mike Lukovich. He must be dreading inauguration. What will he do without George Bush to bash?

JEFF HILL

Tampa

Gas Price A Mystery

Gas prices at the pump are the same with oil at $38 a barrel as they were when it was $50. I think the Tribune should investigate before oil rises to $50 again and gas goes up to $3 a gallon. The oil companies would like nothing better than to make this the new base price.

Why isn't anyone yelling? You had one article saying it was a mystery and prices should go down. Yet oil fell even further and prices are the same. What gives and who cares?

WALTER BROCHHAUSEN

Riverview

Parks Help Economy

Our parks play a significant role in the economies of many communities. Research has shown that every federal dollar invested in national parks generates at least $4 in economic value to the public.

By investing in parks, the millions of us who visit these places every day will see and enjoy the fruits of our collective labor and monitor the expenditures laid out to improve them.

KAY KLINSPORT

Seminole

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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