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The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 17, 2009

Support Local Shoppers

Regarding "Give The Mouse A Furlough And Shop Closer To Home" (Our Opinion, March 15):

Your editorial implores local shoppers to purchase locally rather than on the Internet. You fail to acknowledge that in normal times, and even more so during times of recession/depression, value is important.

I agree that we need to support local businesses, but only to the extent that the local business is fair with the local shopper. When I look for a product on the Internet and find the product priced at $400, and then shop for the product locally only to find the lowest price is more than double or triple the price on the Internet, I, of course, will purchase from the Internet. To spend frivolously just because the vendor is local is irresponsible.

I understand there is a difference in overhead cost to the Internet vendor and the local vendor, but the difference is not so great to justify 200 to 300 percent markups. The Internet vendor also has shipping to absorb, which in many cases is free to the purchaser. If a local vendor chooses to place his/her business in the most expensive location in town, that is a decision I am not required to fund.

Yes, support your local businesses, but conversely, business should support the local shopper.

JAMES MCDONALD

Zephyrhills

DEP's Wasteful Rules

Your two articles concerning the water shortage ("Tapped Out" and "St. Petersburg Water Police Staying Up Late," Metro, March 14) note that Tampa Bay Water and the Southwest Florida Water Management District are agonizing over the problem and planning to overpump the aquifer to solve it.

Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is compounding TBW's and SWFWMD's problems even more by forcing homeowners who water from their own ponds to install expensive ($400 to $700) backflow prevention valves. Many homeowners simply decide to forego the purchase and subsequent yearly testing costs and instead elect to let TBW and SWFWMD satisfy their lawn-watering needs.

DEP should not be a party to destroying the aquifer. If they truly want to live up to their mission of protecting the environment, instead of helping the plumbing industry, they should embrace pond pumpers by banning these expensive valves from residential areas. After all, there has never been a residential death in Florida because of backflow contamination. In fact, in Hillsborough County there has never even been a single recorded incident of anyone getting sick from a residential backflow incident.

DEP's rules are much ado about nothing. But sadly, they are also helping to destroy our aquifer. And an aquifer is a terrible thing to waste.

DAVID BROWN

Sun City Center

Mistake To Drain

Why didn't "utility officials" redirect water from the regional reservoir into another source? It would have been a simple solution, and the entire reservoir could have been repaired.

Now officials are mystified that there isn't any water after tapping the reservoir when it was only half full. They make it sound like we, the consumers, are at fault for utilizing too much water when that is not the case. Our lawns are brown already, as we followed the orders not to sprinkle.

Whoever made the call to drain water from a reservoir half full should bare the onus to help correct this drastic situation.

ALBERTA LONG

St. Petersburg

Stimulus Can Fix Cracks

We keep talking about the water shortage, so why doesn't Tampa Bay Water use some of the stimulus money and fix all the cracks in the reservoir and upgrade the desalination plant? I am sure it would help solve much of the crisis.

HELEN CONAWAY

Sun City Center

Development's To Blame

I think the real issue is that average rainfall will no longer support the population. The problem is that development was allowed without considering where we would obtain additional water.

JOHN ADDAR

Valrico

Congressional Culprits

Regarding "Let The Inquisition Start With Frank" (Other Views, March 12):

Thank you, Tribune, for reminding us of the unforgivable miscalculations of Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and his key roll in refusing to let banks exercise their important roll in screening "affordable housing" applications and the resulting collapse of the banking system.

Equally culpable and reprehensible, indeed heinous, was Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. We also need to hear more about his actions as well.

W. F. T. LENFESTEY

Tampa

Typical Rant

Regarding "Demented Spin Artist," Letters, March 14:

Dear Anthony Saitta: The unnamed author of the article about Barney Frank was the Investor's Business Daily editorial department. So if it wasn't Frank and Chris Dodd, who could have and should have put the Raines sic on a runaway Fannie and Freddie, that caused the financial crisis as the IBD laid out logically, whose fault was it? I know your explanation: Bush!

Anthony's rant is typical of mindless people who believe only what they hear from MSNBC, CNN and The Today Show and refuse to acknowledge there is another side to the story.

JOHN SCOTT

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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