The Readers: Baby, It's Coal Outside, And, By The Way, You're Liberal

First, this friendly chastisement from reader Edward Porter on Sunday's column on Progress Energy Florida:

Troxler, even a good man can be blindsided, undermined and led down the primrose path... The public's lawyer has the right and obligation to reopen a decade's worth of fuel charges... We do not owe Progress' investors a stable environment, when they owe us.

On the other hand, this from former company lawyer Jim McGee:

As a former Progress Energy/Florida Power lawyer, it does my heart good to see someone recognize that even the power company can have the equities on its side every now and then... anyway, thanks for making my day.

Sigh. Fortunately, before I become too depressed at being praised by my friends at the electric company, this bracing comment on (I infer) the dismissal of gender-changing Steve Stanton in Largo:

I have been reading your paper daily for 35 years and I am finally fed up with your liberal agenda.  I am canceling my subscription and will encourage others to do the same.  Perhaps you think that the general public in Pinellas County is liberal or that you can educate us by insulting us with your liberal rhetoric.  In case you haven't noticed a majority of us voted Republican in the last several elections and practically none of us are interested in your gay, lesbian diversified agenda.  By the way I still vote to fire Steve Stanton. -- Charles Train, Largo

To which I am thinking: You put up with it for 35 years? I woulda quit a long time ago. Don't worry, though; the majority of readers who agree with you are equally strong on the point that we haven't fooled them. They are, however, worried about their more weak-minded neighbors who might be taken in.

By the way, the comments are still going strong in the Stanton debate to be found below -- more than 200 so far. If you can think of something new to say, have at it.