News opinion 2008-04-16 Andanh.com

Fix flaws in 911 training Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:38:00 EST
Everyone who dials 911 needs fast and efficient help with an emergency. The person who takes that call is a crucial link with police, fire, paramedics and other emergency services.

Many recommend SMH to friends Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:38:00 EST
On April 8, your article "Lakewood Ranch top area hospital in patient survey" highlighted the very good performance of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center in a national survey asking patients 10 questions, one of which was, "Would you recommend this hospital to friends and family?"

Another 911 fiasco in the wings? Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:38:00 EST
Charlotte County elected and appointed officials concerned with public safety and service should note (to reiterate U.S. Postal Service information) that neither Riverview Avenue nor Oxford Drive are listed as official street names in Englewood.

Pepper trees are destructive weeds Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:38:00 EST
Residents and golfers along Interstate 75 are irked by the removal of the Brazilian pepper tree barrier between them and the highway. I find it odd that this pesky weed is referred to as a tree. Here, it is basically just a weed.

Random DUI stops more effective Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:36:00 EST
Sarasota County Sheriff's Office deputies and North Port Police Department officers spent lot of time and taxpayers' money this past weekend to arrest 10 drivers on charges of driving under the influence and a few more on other charges out of hundreds of cars stopped and inconvenienced at a DUI checkpoint, according to a Herald-Tribune news brief...

Alcohol Ads Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:09:25 EDT

Mental Health Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:09:33 EDT

Eliminating ads will do little to change culture Wed, 16 Apr 2008 01:05:40 EDT
Anyone who has been in Gainesville long enough knows how UF President Bernie Machen feels about alcohol, or more specifically, underage binge drinking.

Making the case Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST
You might not know it, but when you buy something on the Internet or through a mail-order catalog, you're supposed to pay the state of Florida its 6-percent share in sales tax — or, in the lexicon of revenue collection, "use" tax because the seller doesn't collect it.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST
See what the WMO says about warming

Zing! Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST
Hey, Sen. Fasano, I get pensions from the Army and the state, and from Social Security. I deeply apologize for being a triple-dipper. Which of them should I give up to make you happy?

One last concert takes Ruby Diamond to intermission Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:20:00 EST
It is often said that musical instruments sound better when they are played often, that somehow, in ways still unknown to science, sounds penetrate instrumental materials and make those materials increasingly more resonant over time. It is hard to tell sometimes whether the beauty we hear is real or just seems real because we want so much for it be so.

Two seniors = big changes for mom, kids Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST
With two seniors in our family — one at Florida State and one at Leon High — it should have been obvious that big changes were coming. It's been a year of lasts, after all.

Seniors fall ill with familiar sickness Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST
It's that time of year again. High-school seniors have been working hard for three years, completing research projects, taking exams and preparing for college — and now they are ready to start celebrating graduation earlier than usual.

Congressional Dems: The other insurgents Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST
There must have been times when Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker thought they were back in embattled Sadr City when they faced Democrats on Capitol Hill last week — no Iraqi insurgents or al-Sadr militiamen could have been more hostile.

Florida students excel through school-supported AP classes Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST
Even in these fiscally challenging times, public high schools pay each student's $84 Advanced Placement Exam fee. It is money well-spent.

Seeming is not the same as being Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST
Hillary "Shot-and-a-Beer" Clinton has given us the perfect illustration of what's so insane about American politics: The philosophical dictum that could be summed up (with apologies to Descartes) as "I seem, therefore I am."

War in Iraq was the right decision Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:19:00 EST
While there were terrible errors made in going to war in Iraq, the decision to go to war was not one of them. Saddam Hussein convinced the world he had active weapons programs. The evidence now suggests he didn't, but how active his programs were, ultimately, is irrelevant. He had demonstrated his desire to dominate the region.

Let Iraq pay the bill? What a brilliant idea Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:17:00 EST
How ridiculous has it gotten? Iraq sits on one of the world's largest oil reserves, and derives most of its income from foreign oil sales, yet the U.S. military has to buy fuel on the Iraqi market, paying an average of $3.23 a gallon. U.S. fuel costs are running about $150 million a month.

Can't defend democracy if you can't think Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:17:00 EST
If the Susan Jacobys are right and anti-intellectualism is a trend in America, then spoon-feeding our children with facts and figures designed merely to pass a standardized test will never prepare them to preserve democracy.

Dems make it too easy for GOP to label them Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:20:00 EST
Democratic presidential candidates always seem to give GOP strategists like Lee Atwater and Karl Rove all the rope they need to tie up their opponents as Northeast liberal elitists.

Conservation program needs new direction Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:16:00 EST
Purchasing development rights can be an effective tool for land preservation.

Andy Marlette cartoon Tue, 15 Apr 2008 19:12:00 EST

Poverty: A hand up, not out Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:30:00 EDT
Few people had high expectations several years ago, when the United Nations announced its goal to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015.

National Library Week: Libraries still matter Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:30:00 EDT
Libraries are fun places to be, especially in Jacksonville.

Complaints about high taxes often lack validity Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:30:00 EDT
I can't help but chuckle at the constant chorus of complaints coming from people who think they are being taxed to death.

Your Voice 4-16-2008 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Our Voice: Compromise wins out over greed Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Beer sales ought to be banned Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:00:00 GMT
Through a collaborative effort by local non-profits, the city of Leesburg and the community as a whole, the annual Leesburg Bikefest has not only grown into a nationwide event, it's helped many local agencies receive necessary funding.

Your Voice 4-15-2008 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:00:00 GMT

Editorial: FCAT overrated, but legislators must be careful in tweaking school grading system Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Under his Senate Bill 1908, FCAT would count for only half of a school's letter grade. The remaining 50 percent would be scored according to graduation rates, participation in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, dual enrollment classes, SAT/ACT results and vocational certifications.

Editorial: Coach search exposes major flaws with public-records practices, credibility in St. Lucie Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:05:00 -0000
School officials, from Superintendent Michael Lannon down, owe public an apology; must take remedial steps to regain credibility, ensure staff knows requirement of public-records laws.

Editorial: Despite funding pinch, state must keep juvenile assessment centers open Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Locals had to step in and fund Fort Pierce center, which was under threat of closure. This would severely cripple the juvenile justice program on the Treasure Coast.

Letter: Fee hits minorities hardest Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:00:00 -0000
Indian River County built a Taj Mahal and yet children are restricted from romping in the splash pool?

Letter: More charges surfacing in public places Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:00:00 -0000
Are we going to charge to go to Humiston?

Should Crist sign bill allowing guns in business parking lots? No Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:24:00 -0000
The Legislation punishes property owners for the sake of politics.

Marion P. Hammer: Should Crist sign bill allowing guns in business parking lots? Yes Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:19:00 -0000
Businesses must stop trampling individual rights. The governor should sign the bill into law.

Gov. Charlie Crist: Time to help, because the state’s uninsured are waiting Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:00:00 -0000
Moving through the legislative process right now is a bill that will help provide affordable health insurance for Florida’s working families. Senate Bill 2534, sponsored by Sen. Durell Peaden, R-Crestview, would allow state government to negotiate with health insurers to develop affordable health insurance coverage for uninsured Floridians.

Editorial: Good friends indeed help Bonitan come back home Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:26:00 -0000
Just when you thought Southwest Florida had gotten too big for its britches and set aside the practice of neighbor helping neighbor, comes the story of Bailey Scholtz.

Editorial: Naples should shorten reach to areas under its authority Wed, 16 Apr 2008 20:26:00 -0000
When Naples Mayor Bill Barnett first proposed banning smoking on city beaches four months ago, this newspaper proposed a compromise between that plan and leaving smokers alone.

Editorial: Deputies, public can learn from brave teen’s fright Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:50:00 -0000
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office says it will investigate the complaint of a Naples teen who claims she thought she was being abducted when plainclothes warrant-serving officers mistook her for their target and approached. She says one of the officers put her on the ground twice, while an initial internal report blames that on his tripping and falling caused by the girl.

Editorial: Bonita deserves more Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:48:00 -0000
This one ought to be a no-brainer. With planning for new roads serving a definite public need, and with all governmental/political entities needing a tweak now and then to account for population changes, the city of Bonita Springs is due a higher profile on the board that helps do that planning.

Editorial: More room to romp for dogs Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:46:00 -0000
How neat. The special programs at Sugden Regional Park in East Naples over the weekend included romps in the lake and other fun for dogs accompanied by their owners.

Letters to the Editor: April 17, 2008 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:32:00 -0000
A selection of recent letters to the editor.

Letters to the Editor: April 16, 2008 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:26:00 -0000
A selection of recent letters to the editor.

Our position: It's outrageous to give farm subsidies while food prices are skyrocketing Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400
Crop prices for U.S. farmers are soaring. Farm income and land values are climbing. Agricultural exports are booming.

Our position: Moving park preservation to another state agency would undermine DCA Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400
Don't mistake this transplant for some lifesaving procedure. It instead appears intended by those practicing it in the Legislature to weaken and even help kill the patient, the Department of Community Affairs.

Our position: Let's hope no one gets any ideas about burying a jersey deep in the new aren Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400
The buried remains of Jimmy Hoffa have yet to be found. But there's good news on the ghost of David Ortiz.

Our position: It's incredible that 'Dr. Phil' staffer would post bail for accused Polk att Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400
America rarely passes up a good freak show. That obsession drives people into deep, dark corners, like the video showing a group of Polk County teenagers charged with ganging up on a 16-year-old cheerleader and beating her for a half-hour.

Our position: Leaving 4 vacancies on Elections Commission, U.S. Senate is asking for troub Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0400
In what's shaping up as the most costly presidential contest ever, the federal enforcer of campaign-finance laws is out of action. That's asking for trouble.

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