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The Spring of Tampa Bay's CEO, Joanne Lighter, deserves considerable community accolades for her tough decisions and heavy-lifting the past four years. She has announced her retirement, and the time may be right for her board of directors to continue with another tough decision that impacts our entire community.
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Why is it that Thanksgiving is no longer Thanksgiving and Christmas is no longer Christmas? These two very distinct traditions have been merged into one giant event known as "The Holidays."
While pondering which thoughts to share with my family on Thanksgiving morning – what gifts I am truly thankful for – I read the Trib's inspirational front-page story of Tim Smith of Trinity ("Standing on faith").
Regarding "USF site boosts diabetes research" (front page, Nov. 15): I have witnessed diabetes for over 53 years. I watched as my grandfather sat at his kitchen table and gave himself daily insulin injections. I now watch my daughter, who developed Type 1 juvenile diabetes four years ago, give herself the same treatment.
Everyone has seen the ad on television. The telephone is ringing in the home of a family struggling in these tough economic times. They cringe, knowing it is a debt collector calling. The only remedy? Pay the debt.
As a person who spent two years in foster care, much of it at the Children's Home, I can still feel the conflict between excitement and sadness that the holidays brought out in me. Excitement, because I knew that I might be getting a special gift; sadness, because what I really wanted was to be just like every other kid — enjoying a holiday dinner with my family, shopping at the mall with my friends, doing all the things that "normal" kids do.
Thanksgiving is today, isn't it?
Following the failure of the "super committee" to reach agreement on a responsible alternative to the "sequester," or automatic cuts of $1.2 trillion, it's clear that Congress has abdicated its responsibility again. Since the cuts don't start until 2013, the posturing that has started is that "there is another year available for them to act and make the right decisions." Given the fact that we are in the election cycle, the likelihood of an agreement on the most important issue facing our country and its economy is slim to none.
Have we forgotten the meaning of the holidays? It seems so. The retail store hours have now taken Thanksgiving and Christmas away from store employees. Opening at midnight or earlier on Thanksgiving is ridiculous!
I read with interest Ted Jackovics' article "Port board will give $100,000 for streetcar" (Metro, Nov. 16). The article describes the Tampa Port Authority's longstanding $150,000 annual contribution being reduced to $100,000. I wondered why the contribution was reduced $50,000, and why TPA was giving $100,000 as a "charitable contribution" to the streetcar board in the first place.
There is much rancor and disagreement over the new Florida policy of drug-testing welfare recipients. Both national and state entitlement programs have burgeoned to unsustainable levels as taxpayers struggle to pay for their own food and living expenses. These programs were never intended to support so many.
The article "Judge in 'Taj Mahal' scandal resigns" (Nov. 17) brings to the forefront several concerns about integrity. First, why would a judge retire to avoid ethics charges? It seems to me if the court system is to regain integrity, it should pursue the possibility of wrongdoing whether a judge is seated or not.
The bell rings to end the class period, and almost everyone in the room takes out their cellphone. Wow, I have five messages I have to answer right away: Where are we going to lunch? What time is practice? Who are you taking to homecoming? When is our test in science? (from Mom: How is school?), etc. On the laptop there are another 10 emails from teachers and counselors, and announcements for the day about meetings, athletic results, lunch duty and birthdays, etc.
Regarding "Hey, granny, can you spare a dime?" (Our Views, Nov. 14): Why sure! I've saved a few dollars, and I'm receiving a Social Security check to supplement my savings (I do pay taxes on all of that) after having worked for 56 years and pinched pennies. I saved 20 percent before obtaining a mortgage, and borrowed only sparingly. Like other grannies, I washed cloth diapers. No costly disposables back then. Trips to the hairdresser or nail salon were rare luxuries. Meals were prepared from scratch to save money. Debts were paid promptly to avoid interest charges. We were too busy working to spend time protesting against the affluent, even if we had been inclined to do so.
When I read the article "Homeless back on the streets selling copies of paper" (Metro, Nov. 13), I found myself mad at a system that just doesn't work. Why would the Tampa City Council outlaw panhandling only to have this happen? Why bother passing laws that either cannot be enforced or are so easily circumvented by a useless paper? It is just a way for the homeless people to stand on the corner and panhandle.
Watching the coverage of the Occupy Wall Street movement is interesting. These folks have basically moved in and taken over parks, sidewalks and streets, threatening regular folks' jobs by swarming locations, having sit-ins, setting up little cities around the U.S.A. so their message of "fill in the blank" gets publicity, even to the point of being arrested. I have to wonder, though, for those who have griped about not having a job and how they are "owed something" for nothing, did they apply this same sort of determination and dedication to the job search?
While many focus their indignation on Wall Street, the rich and banks, where's the indignation for the industry that thrives on making everything more expensive for consumers while adding absolutely no value to any good or service?
It was not unusual to see various colored stars in the windows of my hometown during World War II. White, blue, silver and gold stars. Sometimes there was a mixture. Sometimes there was more than one of the same color on the same flag. There was a solemnity about passing the home where one of these stars was displayed. Those stars spoke with an inaudible voice. An empty chair at the table or an empty bed was witness that someone was missing. Rooms echoed of voices no longer heard.
Once again we must give thanks to the Tribune's award-winning journalist Lindsay Peterson for her comprehensive reporting on this divisive subject, USF Polytech.
This is that special day each year when we honor our military veterans who served with the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard. It makes no difference if they are men or women, living or dead, killed in combat, lost or buried in American cemeteries overseas. Wars have been hell, and families have had their lives disrupted as a consequence. However, because we have Veterans Day every year, families and loved ones can take the opportunity to honor their veterans each in his own way. Perhaps this day would be an appropriate time for families to open up those old photo albums or reread memorable letters or other memorabilia kept from dozens of years gone by.
As Occupy Tampa enters its second month, I'm still confused by it. I'm confused by its "Down with capitalism; we want jobs" message. I'm confused why a handful of protesters with no clear message are still front-page news. But what I find most confusing is this:
After reading Gary Ancer's letter about Christians helping the homeless ("Collections to homeless," Your Views, Nov. 6), one can only assume he does not attend church, or if he does, it is pretty dead. In just the two churches in North Tampa I attend, one as a member and one as a change of pace now and then, they have ministries that would fill up this newspaper with stories of support.
Regarding "Note to Occupiers" (Your Views, Nov. 2): Writer R.J. O'Rourke equates profit with greed. They are not synonymous. Mr. Webster defines profit as financial gain obtained from the use of capital (money) in transactions (business). He defines greed as excessive desire for acquiring or having; avarice.
I am a safe driver; my record shows that. After receiving a warning from the Intersection Safety Department, I called to determine my violation. I was turning right on a red light, and the violation was that I did not stop behind all of the white lines before I proceeded. The snapshot shows me stopped behind all the white lines.
I have been fuming for some time now about President Obama's criticism of people who fly corporate jets.
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