The mail

No single dominant theme in this week's e-mail -- here's a good mix.

I have an idea and want to run it by you. Being a Democrat, say we all vote like we’re supposed to on the 29 th , but Karen Thurman announces that she will hold secret the results until the morning of February 5 th .  This way she can appease the DNC and still have an edge by releasing the results in the morning of February 5 th .  Tuesday’s voters will know what Florida thinks while lining up for their own choice, and Florida will have abided by the rules but still have influence. What do you think? -- Brian Marc Schatz

Dear Mr. Schatz: That's a good try and it would work if the election were a private affair. But both the Democrats and the Republicans long ago co-opted the state election law and made primary elections a taxpayer-funded, official public matter. The party itself doesn't "own" the election; the taxpayers do. Still, maybe state law could be changed to allow it -- maybe the Democrats should ask their Republican friends in the Legislature (who, remember, voted for this early primary in the first place) to give them a helping hand!

I just received the following email and am wondering if this is true... I am so sick and tired of refugee's receiving benefits without even trying to become a citizen let alone learn to speak our official language.  Since 1956 I have been paying into Social Security and I can tell you my benefits are no where near what this email says a 65 year old refugee is paid. -- Linda S.

The e-mail that Linda S. sends along is a well-worn Internet hoax about how a good, taxpaying America who pays into the system for decades doesn't get benefits as good as those given to a refugee newcomer. Actually, this hoax started in Canada but it was quickly adapted for the U.S. For the history and some facts, check out my favorite hoax-busting Web site. Here's the specific link:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/refugees.asp

Here's a followup from Ann Goldenberg of the educational channel consortium in Hillsborough County, trying to save that outfit from county budget cuts:

Tonight the BOCC voted 5-2 (Ferlita, White, Hagan, Sharp, and Higginbothan) to fund The Ed Channel at $250,000 for one year. This gives us a chance to broaden our support and keep on keeping on! I will give you more info later but I wanted to let you all know asap  what happened. My most grateful thanks to all of you - all of your hard work and  support paid off! -- Ann Goldenberg

More on the Jim Smith land scandal in Pinellas:

Can you help the people of Pinellas County and Clearwater get to the Governor to get him to get rid of Smith? He is a disgrace to his office and the people who voted him in office. He it the one that started this whole mess and he is getting off with a grin on his face saying he did not do anything wrong!!! -- Charlotte M.

Dear Charlotte M.: I don't think the governor has much taste for it and the moment has probably passed, politically speaking, unless something new comes out.... which leaves it up to the voters, if (1) Smith runs again, (2) somebody runs against him, and (3) the voters say so.

Mr. Troxler, we need a Harry update.  Some of us are worried about him. -- Jennifer

Well, thanks for asking. Harry the dog, diagnosed with cancer last fall, is still alive and still shows puppy-like enthusiasm in spurts, especially for treats, walks and doorbells. But he doesn't have much endurance and is short of breath. We think a lot about when the time will be right for the upcoming decision, believe me.

If you get a chance, please read Nelson's follow-up in the comments to my reply to his criticisms of my column on Hometown Democracy. I stand by my criticisms of the anti-HD letter that I wrote about in the column. I mention in the column a legendary speech in which one politician accuses his opponent of having a sister who was a "thespian," etc., which prompted this letter:

Great column!  I bet that vile Mr. Thasher masticates - particularly while eating meals!! I think the "speech" you reference is from an old, old MAD magazine I read as a kid.  I think it was called "The Non-Political Speech" or something like that which was excellent. -- Dave Seigworth

Dear Dave: Ah, another MAD reader! Yes, I remember when MAD printed that speech. But the magazine, in turn, took it from Florida political history dating back to 1950, the year that George Smathers defeated Claude Pepper in a race for the U.S. Senate. The "thespian" speech was a hoax attributed to Smathers that year. Smathers denied to his death that he actually gave it. With the usual Wikipedia caveats, here's a link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Smathers

Thanks for all the e-mails and comments this week, and my best wishes to everyone for a great weekend!

Comments

[David Mathews]

Hello Everyone,

I hope that no one interprets the recent recovery of the stock market (Dow 13,800) as evidence that America has solved its problems and therefore optimism is in order.

While the stock market has risen the US Dollar has dropped precipitously, gold has reached a 28-year high, oil has reached an all-time record high, gasoline is $2.80 a gallon (national average), food prices continue to skyrocket ... in other words, the economic outlook for the future remains bleak.

Something much worse than a recession, something much worse that the Great Depression, is coming. Americans need to wake up and begin planning to live with less.

This is not a popular message. Especially not now ... the holidays are approaching. America's great yearly orgy of consumerism is approaching. Yes, Virginia, Jesus died in the cross so that obese Americans would have a reason to shop!

God help us all if Americans cannot sacrifice all the frivolous, harmful excesses of American culture.

But you don't have to trust me. David Walker, the Comproller General of the United States, is spreading a message of doom to the citizens of the U.S. He is desperately trying to wake America up, and he is failing (of course).

Watch the hour long discussion. Read the transcript. Pay special attention to chapter #17 (Question #10).

Perhaps the St. Petersburg Times should write several editorials about the subject and its implications? Only if such minimal effort would not crowd out some advertisment!

http://fora.tv/fora/fora_player.php?c=1566&u=0&t=270099&s=

America's Budget Crisis with discussants: David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the U.S.; Isabel V. Sawhill, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, Brookings Institution; Alison Acosta Fraser, Director, Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation; Robert L. Bixby, Executive Director, the Concord Coalition; Tom Campbell (moderator), Dean, Haas School of Business, U.C. Berkeley.

Can the United States still make tradeoffs between spending on entitlements, wars and infrastructure, or is our fiscal house out of control? The Fiscal Wake-Up Tour is a public engagement initiative addressing the problems of the nation's fiscal policy. Panelists with diverse perspectives discuss why our current fiscal policy is unsustainable and what we can do to change it - The Commonwealth Club of California