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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 1, 2009

Come on, Ginny

In response to Ginny Brown-Waite ("Letter over Obama Nobel criticized," Metro, Oct. 28): Are you kidding me?

Where was this concern during the last administration's run on unfettered oversight? We have come to expect this kind of partisan rhetoric from Rush Limbaugh as an "entertainer," but as an elected official, we should and do expect more from her.

Maybe she should spend more time addressing the problems facing the constituency that elected her, such as health care reform and rampant unemployment in our state. Leave world politics to someone who is not clearly in over her head. We should be relieved that the world now considers one of our leaders to have the best interest of all people in mind when making decisions that affect everyone.

JAMES HOLMES

Plant City

Gays at work

The commentary by Aaron Norton ("End workplace discrimination," Other Views, Oct. 26), vice president of the Tampa Bay chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay rights group, attempts to support the case that the GOP supports gay rights. That is like the vice president of the KKK saying his organization supports all races and religions.

A majority of the Republican Party does not support same-sex marriage. The House and Senate approved the broadened hate-crime measure minus Republican support. John McCain, Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin, the current top three of the Republican Party, do not support gay rights in any form. Norton, an admitted gay Republican, needs to open his eyes and ears to reality. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Now, had he labeled his piece as satirical, it would have aptly gotten my amusement.

GERALD A. CERVENY SR.

Tampa

Know your audience

I can't understand why the Tampa City Council has such a hard time figuring out why people are urinating on people's lawns and otherwise trashing people's property around the Gasparilla parade. I grew up in Tampa and attended the parade with my parents when I was young. It was a fun time for families, but once alcohol was introduced, it changed the entire atmosphere of the parade.

I think that alcohol should be cut out of the day parade. If people want to drink, they need to attend the night parade where they can expect drunk, partying people.

C. BARLOW

Tampa

Harbor pilot program

In calling for the modernization of Florida's harbor pilot system, cargo and passenger vessel operators are not suggesting the role of pilots be diminished ("Changes sought to harbor pilot program," Business, Oct. 21). Because safe navigation in and out of port is critical to our businesses, we are suggesting a more open structure where more harbor pilots can offer their services.

An open market system will allow competition to thrive, resulting in more jobs, government revenues and direct savings for consumers.

It is a good thing for all Floridians that the state is reviewing the current, outdated harbor pilot system. Today there are fewer than 100 state-licensed harbor pilots to guide thousands of ships in and out of port each year. Their monopolistic system has intentionally kept their numbers low and has allowed them to establish a non-competitive pay structure that pays them an average $368,000 per year - far more than jobs with similar safety and stress concerns, such as air traffic controllers, airline pilots and ships' captains. By comparison, Tampa's police chief earns just more than $144,000.

Ship operators appreciate and value the extra pair of eyes that harbor pilots offer, but the rates they charge should be more reasonable and comparable to other public safety professions. Opening the monopoly to competition is a long overdue, healthy first step.

MICHELE PAIGE

Pembroke Pines

The writer is president, Florida Alliance of Maritime Organizations.

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