Letters to editor

Keep Snacks Out Of Hall

I am shocked and offended that people are taking food and drinks into Ruth Eckerd Hall during performances. This has allowed the spilling and dumping of drinks and food on the floor and seats of the auditorium.

I understand that, just the other day following an afternoon program for kids, the debris left on the floor and in the seats was such that the house manager had to help pick up spilled popcorn, cotton candy and drinks to get the hall ready for following performances.

Supporting cultural events during our 11 years here has been a stretch of our limited income as retired music teachers, but we feel we derive great pleasure from the concerts of the Florida Orchestra, the Tampa Bay Symphony, the Munich Symphony Orchestra, and other artistic offerings at Ruth Eckerd Hall. A place of culture is being degraded.

CHARLES SOLLINGER

Safety Harbor

Global Warming Farce

If you want proof of just how ridiculous the global warming farce is, you only need to look at the weather report in the daily Tribune. You will see a comparison of the present day's temperature and the record temperature for that given day in history.

You will not find another day in the past 10 to 100 years that was warmer than what we are experiencing now. The planet is cooling, not heating.

Global warming alarmists, such as Al Gore and academia, are getting rich off of the hysteria that they are creating with our climate and economy, and they're doing it with our tax dollars. I've seen Gore's mansion in Nashville. It's hideously huge. When is enough, enough?

GARY KEELER

Plant City

Invent Solar Car

I read in the Tribune that NASA is scheduled to send a $600 million space vehicle to the outer edges of the Milky Way Galaxy. This probe will look for any planets that just might resemble our Earth. This is given a 1 percent to 5 percent chance of success.

If I controlled the strings in government I would tell NASA: "You will not receive another plug nickel for space until all the NASA people work with the carmakers to come up with a solar car that goes 60 mph."

Money for NASA salaries would be on hold until all of them put their minds to this end and not building some vehicle that satisfies the minds of only a small number of scientists.

STAN FUNDOCK

Lakeland

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/C930.