Copyright 1999 The Tribune Co. Publishes The Tampa Tribune
The Tampa Tribune
January 12, 1999, Tuesday, FINAL EDITION
SECTION: NATION/WORLD, Pg. 6
LENGTH: 1375 words
HEADLINE:
Opportunity for litigation;
BODY:
Last
fall The Tampa Tribune recommended that voters reject the constitutional
amendment that guaranteed quality education and a safe environment to all
Florida students. The Tribune pointed to the unlimited possibilities for
future litigation against the state. Since the amendment was written in
such "mothers and apple pie" language that sounded so appealing and caring, the
electorate chose to ignore the Tribune's advice and overwhelmingly
supported its passage.
The amendment became effective on Jan. 1 of this
year. Just five days later, an article in the Tribune showed just how wise
its recommendation had been. The article stated that because of low test
scores for certain disadvantaged groups, a suit was being filed against the
state of Florida for not providing the quality education guaranteed in the
Constitution. Most likely we will soon read about other suits that point
to violence in schools as violating the guarantee of a safe environment.
Eventually this amendment, which most likely had a commendable purpose,
will result in the state paying out millions of dollars to people who will
now look upon it as an opportunity to ride the proverbial gravy train.
Only time will tell how many other amendments so enthusiastically passed
last November will lead to similar consequences. Will they also be a
Trojan horse?
- W.L. STEPHENS
Lutz Make your opinion heard
In a city lacking green space, the area surrounding the Peter O. Knight
airport on Davis Islands stands out as a crown jewel.
Thousands of
citizens use the area weekly for windsurfing, walking, cycling, sunning, fishing
and all of the things people do at a successful green space. It has been
an urban rarity, with the aviation authority held in check because it had
been leasing the land and the city also held in check because the land is
leased. It has been this way for decades. Now this equilibrium is about to
be destroyed, absurdly enough, in order to raise money to acquire other green
space.
The consensus among citizens is to oppose the sale of this
airport and to preserve a situation that has worked beautifully for the
airport, the city and, most importantly, the citizens of Tampa to whom
this jewel of a property belongs. You will have but one more opportunity to make
your voice heard. Wednesday there will be a meeting held at the Davis
Islands Garden Club at 81 Columbia Drive at 6:30 p.m. Whatever your
stance, this is your chance to voice it. Make yourself heard.
- LUIS
GOTTARDI
Tampa Roman system complex
With regard to Ellen
Goodman's column of Jan. 6 in The Tampa Tribune, "Years really don't matter,"
the Roman numeral MDCCCCLXXXXVIIIII may be arithmetically correct but the
Romans subtracted symbols as well as adding them to assemble large
numbers.
The year 1999 is rendered as MCMXCIX: M =1,000; CM (1,000 minus
100) = 900; XC (100 minus 10) = 90; and IX (10 minus 1) = 9.
-
HELEN A. SLOWE
Homosassa Have regard for elders
Regarding
Carl Littlefield's appointment as deputy secretary of the Department of Elder
Affairs: We have all read about the deplorable conditions existing in some
migrant workers' camps. Please keep in mind that it was Rep. Littlefield's
idea to save the state money by decreasing the inspections of migrant
worker housing.
One Pasco banker remarked, "he just cares very much
about people." The elders of Florida better hope that he has more regard
for their affairs than he had for the people who pick our food!
- ANNA
V. BOONE
Zephyrhills Auction valuable permits
Regarding
"Extortion defendants decry case" by David Pedreira (Florida/Metro, Jan. 9): The
commission should believe in a free market by selling its ambulance
permits at public auction. Why does the commission support a monopoly,
thus preventing new competition from entering the ambulance business? If
there is a need for these permits, the commission will receive a fair market
price for them. If there is no need for them, no competitor would want the
permits anyway.
Let's no longer have the fox guard the chicken coop.
- JOSEPH PATRINOSTRO
Tampa CB radio no comparison
I am writing in response to "Remembering "open' radio" by Arthur Hayhoe.
I wouldn't be writing this letter but when I read Hayhoe's Jan. 6 letter I
was shocked.
In the past I have seen many people write about how they
dislike low-power FM radio. I think licensing
low-power FM stations is a great idea. But
what I read that stood out this time was an attempt at comparing
no-license-needed, two-way CB radio to the proposed licensed low-power
FM stations.
Hayhoe is comparing apples and oranges.
Allow me to set the record straight. CB is now 40 channels, the power
limit for AM CB is four watts, and when CB first came on, it was licensed and
quite clean. When the FCC dropped the license requirement is when it
turned bad.
- CHARLES HARRIS
St. Petersburg Closet support
for Clinton
For many months now the public has been told that President
Clinton's popularity is anywhere from 63 percent to 73 percent. Now, I am
a member of a large church, a local club and I have an extensive list of
friends and family around the country. Many times when Clinton has been the
topic of conversation I thought I would be overwhelmed with Clinton
sympathizers. But no, nothing! If I had found 10 percent of the people
with anything positive to say about Clinton, I would never have written
this letter, but not even 1 percent approve of Clinton. So my question to
Clinton supporters would be, "Where are you? Come out of the closet."
- AL MILLER
Seffner Treat perjurers equally
It's
not the sex. It's the lying under oath. As a citizen, if I were convicted and
sentenced for lying under oath they would put me in jail. The president is
no better in the eyes of the law than the average citizen. To not try him
on these charges would be a travesty of justice. What will be done for the
people who were convicted of the same crime and are doing time? Will senators
replace their convictions with a censure and release them? The president
committed perjury. The senators should do the constitutional duty that
they swore to uphold by trying him in open Senate and finding him guilty.
- GEORGE J. HUTTON
Chipley Do the honorable thing
I think an honorable man would resign if in President Clinton's
position. So I believe our president when he said he would never resign.
Or, is he lying to us again?
- FRANK JOHNSON
Tampa Skewed
priorities
I find it very disturbing that Hillsborough County Animal
Services was able to remove the animals from Alice Holt's property for
neglect and mistreatment before the case was adjudicated (Florida/Metro,
Jan. 8). Meanwhile, Hillsborough County Childcare Licensing was unable to remove
the children in care of the babysitter who allowed over two dozen bites in
her home. The parents' complaint was deemed "founded" within two weeks and
the babysitter was allowed to operate for six months before her license
was suspended for only 90 days. Exactly what are the priorities within
Hillsborough County?
- DENISE CAWLEY
Tampa Lost
vantage point
Three years ago I moved to Zephyrhills, a small community
northeast of Tampa with a lot of pastures and open area. As I drove on the
State Road 54 bypass, I saw an old group of dead trees where, to my
surprise, I found a majestic bald eagle sitting and looking around like a king
looking over his domain.
For three years I have watched this
almost every day. Since eagles prefer this kind of tree, this was his
perch to sit and watch the world go by. About a month ago I noticed a golf
course being built, and I found all the trees the eagle had been sitting
in had been cut down. I was saddened to see this because he was here long
before we were. Why can't we leave him a little room? It was only a dead
tree from which he could watch the hustle and bustle of humans going by. Now
when he arrives to sit majestically in his perch, he will find nothing. It
is sad to think that we have no room in our world for these beautiful
creatures.
- LARRY MONGUE
Zephyrhills
NOTES: LETTERS
LOAD-DATE:
January 13, 1999 
