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Saturday's letters: On the economy, go with what works

 
Published Oct. 17, 2014

High price of austerity | Oct. 8, commentary

On economy, go with what works

Back in the 1950s, my college Economics 101 class taught us the theory of the famous economist, John Maynard Keynes. To put it simply, it goes something like this:

When a country falls into a deep depression, the government needs to spend heavily (stimulus) to help the economy revive as quickly as possible. Government creates jobs (electric grids, railroads, bridges) to get the unemployed back to work. They now become taxpayers again (good for the government), and they become "buyers" (good for the economy). Government loans to large industries (autos) and financial institutions prevent bankruptcy; this preserves jobs, tax receipts and creates stability (good for government and economy).

Republican President Dwight Eisenhower also followed the Keynesian rule. At the end of World War II, he foiled unemployment of troops returning home and the closing of military weaponry plants by advocating the expansion of highways across our country. The Keynesian rule worked well then, too.

The Republicans who called for austerity should first have heeded Eisenhower. To ignore history and its lessons is the path to failure.

Elizabeth Noone, St. Petersburg

Hopes for pot start to wilt | Oct. 16

Objections overblown

Opponents of Amendment 2 claim that it casts details in concrete. They also claim it is not sufficiently detailed. Both claims ignore political reality.

The amendment's word "certification" is used only because a "prescription" for marijuana would violate federal law. And the opponents' claim that Amendment 2 protects a "certifying" doctor from a malpractice suit is laughable. Ask any malpractice lawyer.

The open-ended list of treatable diseases simply recognizes today's reality. According to WebMD, "More than one in five outpatient prescriptions written in the U.S. is for off-label therapies. The term 'off-label' means the medication is being used in a manner not specified in the FDA's approved packaging label."

Opponents express their concern that a felon can become a caretaker and that patients will resell their pot. Not likely. Both must have a marijuana-related ID issued by the Department of Health, and nothing in the amendment blocks legislators from demanding tighter restrictions.

All of these, and the claims that children are not protected, will be dealt with when the Department of Health writes the regulations, watched closely by Florida's conservative Republican-led Legislature. This is the reality of Amendment 2.

John G. Chase, Palm Harbor

Presidential appointments

Obama's poor record

One of the key ingredients of a successful presidency is the appointment of individuals who can carry out the political, economic and social agenda that the president sets for himself on behalf of the people he serves.

Kathleen Sebelius, Eric Holder, Eric Shinseki, Julia Pierson, Lois Lerner, Van Jones, Keith Alexander, Ray LaHood and Tim Geithner are but a few of President Barack Obama's appointees who have failed to measure up to the jobs that they were assigned. Whether by voluntary resignation or forced resignation, each of the aforementioned did more to besmirch and diminish the office to which they were appointed than esteem and elevate it.

A great leader has the duty and responsibility to delegate effectively and competently; however, by his record thus far, Obama has fallen profoundly short of the country's expectations.

Earl A. Myers Jr., Tampa

Hospitals not prepared, protesting nurses say | Oct. 16

Re-educate health workers

Health care workers learn early in their training of the importance of aseptic technique, that is, the ways to prevent transmitting disease from one person to another.

When it's Ebola, transmission to one more person is headline news. Yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that each year there are an estimated 722,000 hospital-acquired infections, and about 75,000 result in death. Simple, effective hand washing is considered the most important procedure in preventing hospital-acquired infections.

Whether its Ebola or not, let's demand that our hospitals re-educate health care professionals about aseptic techniques, that they continuously monitor if the techniques are consistently being employed, and that they measure if they are succeeding in reducing these hospital-acquired infections on an ongoing basis.

Michael Goodson, Seminole

Florida State vs. Notre Dame

One school has already won

Tonight, No. 2 FSU and No. 5 Notre Dame face off in a football game that may determine who will play for the national championship.

In Wednesday's sports section there were articles on the two programs. The FSU article referenced the assaults, robberies and mayhem of team members who seem to have escaped any consequences.

The article about Notre Dame noted that five top draft picks were suspended, two for the season, because they were involved in academic fraud, having submitted class work not of their own hand.

Quite a contrast. Looks like Notre Dame has already won the more important challenge of integrity.

Thomas P. Cummings, Sun City Center

A strange opening to the debate | Oct. 16

Not a fan of this display

I was looking forward to the debate between Gov. Rick Scott and Charlie Crist. I wanted to hear live conversation from their own mouths instead of their publicists' rehearsed commercials.

What did we get? Scott cowering from the threat of a fan at Crist's lectern. I could understand his concern if Crist had a computer with answers to questions. But a fan? Get real.

Yvonne Neff Woods, Tarpon Springs