Letters to the Editors

Development soaks up water saved

I realize my personal water conservation effort has the following consequences:

1. Increased air pollution.

2. Increased automobile traffic congestion.

3. Destruction of wildlife habitat.

4. Destruction of the natural beauty of the landscape.

What am I talking about?

The water I am conserving becomes available for the development of practically every last vacant piece of land here in Pinellas County. While residents are conserving, the bureaucrats and county officials are allowing development everywhere. Now it's four-story apartments being built right along the waterways that provide the best vistas for only the new occupants.

Someone visiting me from out of state said, "The way they are allowing development of Florida, it looks like the state is going to sink."

The commissioners think "progress" and "a viable economy" can only be attained by consuming the natural resources of the land, instead of a dynamic equilibrium with the use of recycled, self-sustaining resources. And who benefits the most from these money-generating endeavors? Not the people but the developers, the tax coffers of the bureaucrats, and the snowbirds who reside in these developments for three months of the year and then go home.

Every person I talk to about these conditions is as disgusted as I am. Our water conservation is slapping us back in the face!
-- Bruce Bandini, Clearwater

Variety of pilots use Albert Whitted

Re: Albert Whitted Airport.

St. Petersburg, unlike most cities, is fortunate to have an airport adjacent to its city center. You can actually walk to the Hilton and downtown.

It is therefore baffling why there is a movement by some individuals to replace the airport with condominiums and shopping malls.

Justification for this comes in the form of an accusation that Albert Whitted is only used by a small number of "hobby" pilots. No mention is made of its use by business travelers, tourists, the Civil Air Patrol, BayFlight medical helicopters, Coast Guard training flights, and future commercial pilots.

The same argument could be made that we should shut down golf courses, as they are used by a limited number of people. We could build a lot of condos and shopping malls on them! How about marinas and tennis courts?

Albert Whitted Airport is a vital part of this community and it deserves the support of the city and the St. Petersburg Times.
-- Alan G. Nelson, St. Pete Beach

Florida drivers: a breed apart

I live in Wisconsin, am retired and enjoy the warmer weather in Florida's winter. Wisconsin is the third highest taxing state in the country. We have superior education and roads. I am willing to pay state income taxes for them and would not consider moving.

Florida, on the other hand, uses tourism as tax income. I have no problem with that, as it is my decision whether or not to visit here. But when some nitwit tells me I'm not to drive on her streets and highways at certain times, it makes me angry. I may be driving to Busch Gardens, a country club, restaurant or wherever, and my money is being used for your streets.

The problem is the mind-set of many Florida drivers. I have driven in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Detroit, New York City and Washington, D.C., and nowhere else have I observed the racetrack mentality, rudeness, running of red lights and downright dangerous driving habits of many Florida drivers.

I don't drive slowly; most times I am driving at least 10 miles per hour faster than the posted speed limit, but often I'll have someone go by me 20 mph faster than I am already going.

Floridians seem to be concerned about what other states think of them. Well, let me give you a clue: I call local drivers "Flor-idiots." I was driving on East Bay Drive in Largo, where the posted speed limit is 45 mph. I was doing 53 mph in the middle lane. A driver in the inside lane wasn't satisfied with traffic in front of him, so, in the space of about 100 feet, he zoomed over two lanes to the outside and then two lanes back to the inside, just to gain one car length.

If one of the cars hadn't braked severely, there would have been an accident involving several cars. Then he continued by running a light that had turned red at least five seconds before he got to the intersection. To make matters worse, a police car was waiting in the left-turn lane and should have seen the entire incident but did nothing.

This happens all the time down here. If that person drove like that in Wisconsin, his license would be pulled and he would face a $1,000 fine. The police down here are way too lenient. They think they can run a (prepublicized) speed trap once a year, issue 100 tickets and pat themselves on the back for doing a good job. What a laugh.

There are tons of empty condos and hotel rooms in Pinellas County. I wonder how many of them are empty because the snowbirds are afraid to drive on your roads. You already have a tax problem. It may get worse.

To those who want the retirees to stay off the roads: Someday you will be older and retired. Where will you be driving?
-- Glenn Bergelin, Largo

Pinellas officials are far too modest

The Pinellas County Commission must have been born in a different era. First they refuse a request by a local radio station to hang bras across the bay to support victims of breast cancer. How ignorant can you be?

Now these zealots of covering the human body, through their remarks and comments, have decided, before even voting on the matter, that a nudist beach in Pinellas County would be the worst thing since American Pie 2.

I often wonder what kind of mentality and morality these commissioners have, that anything to do with the human body is off limits. What a pity and disgrace that such ill logic governs such a great county.
-- Richard Unger, Sarasota

Kiwanis swim program is great

I wanted to comment on the April 14 article, Kiwanis Club to make kid a swimmer. I think the Kiwanis Club is a doing a wonderful thing by teaching little kids to swim with the "Every Child A Swimmer" program. It is even better that it is free. Since we live in an area where little kids are drowning a lot because they don't know how to swim, it is important that every child knows how to swim.
-- Kyle Blount, age 12, Largo

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