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Wednesday's letters: Vetting process was already working

 
Published Jan. 31, 2017

New order spurs confusion | Jan. 29

U.S. vetting process was working

Many brave Iraqis put "America First" by helping the U.S. military and consequently became targets in their own country. At the very least, we owe them entry to the United States, but Donald Trump's executive order shirks even that obligation. More broadly, he supports banning refugees from Muslim-majority countries — particularly Syria — where turmoil almost by definition creates refugees.

As for the notion that we need a ban for our safety, vetting is a lengthy, multistage process involving both the United Nations and multiple agencies in the United States. These include the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, FBI and more. On average, screening takes 18 to 24 months. Moreover, welcoming people to this country creates goodwill, not terrorists.

Our Statue of Liberty urges the world to "send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me." If we are to be truly great, we must continue to lift the lamp, not extinguish it.

Marcie Finkelstein, Tampa

New order spurs confusion | Jan. 29

Saudi responsibility

Donald Trump banned residents from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States, claiming these countries produced terrorists. Notably absent from the list were the countries that supplied the 9/11 terrorists. Those countries were Egypt, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which supplied 15 of the 19 terrorists.

The Wahhabi sect in Saudi Arabia has for years taught the hatred of America in its mosques and schools. The U.S. government prevented the release of a section of the 9/11 report that reportedly indicated that members of the Saudi government were involved in the planning and financing of 9/11.

Who can forget that George W. Bush allowed a planeload of Saudis to leave the United States immediately after 9/11? The Saudi government refused to allow U.S. officials to talk to any family members of the terrorists or to talk to the banks where the financing came from. How could you possibly continue to allow Saudis into this country?

Coincidently, there were no Muslim countries where Trump has business interests on the list.

Jack Smith, Oldsmar

Affordable Care Act

Preserve valuable changes

Regardless of your presidential vote, be aware that the Affordable Care Act provided two things for us. It contained a pre-existing clause and did away with a cap on medical care benefits. Think about how your financial life would be affected if insurance companies were allowed to have these as part of your health care policy.

Think about any pre-existing conditions you, your friends and families have, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, varicose veins, glaucoma or heart conditions. Contact your representatives to let them know that, although we may not at this point have a choice about some future health care choices, it is important that there be no caps or pre-existing condition clauses allowed by insurance carriers.

Andrea Salustri, Clearwater

Rules on pot fall short | Jan. 27, editorial

Good template for reform

I was pleased to see the Times support state Sen. Jeff Brandes' proposal for managing medical marijuana. I agree that "letting the market determine how many (growers) Florida can support" makes good sense. I also agree that it makes good sense to "cede considerable control to local governments."

Now if we can only take this thinking and apply it to the problem of health care, we may find a very effective and economical replacement for the Affordable Care Act.

Don Ottinger, Tampa

City loses a park and some of its humanity Jan. 25, Sue Carlton column

Preserve our parks

Last year the Florida Department of Transportation taught us that a lane is not a lane when we learned that the fourth lane of the Howard Frankland Bridge was an "auxiliary" lane. Last week I learned from Sue Carlton that a park is not a park when she reported that Phil Bourquardez Park is really a "grassy open space." Perhaps this is all acceptable in this day of alternative facts, but fencing off Phil Bourquardez Park should never have been done.

Our city is known for its ample parks. They make the city more livable. In the absence of adequate facilities for the homeless, our parks are not only sanctuaries for them, but also places for them to network, to exchange information on housing, jobs and health care, and to enjoy our fabulous weather.

Would the city prefer that the homeless sit on curbs in front of shops? Drag their tired bodies to more distant parks? Loiter in front of the Salvation Army and Metropolitan Ministries until they are arrested for loitering? Shutting down this park hasn't solved any problems. Shutting this park is only an indication that we are shutting our hearts to people who need shelter and services.

Mike Chohaney, Tampa

Licensing board due for overhaul | Jan. 24, editorial

Board does a good job

The Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board is not as bad as you make it sound. They have a very difficult job sorting out fact from fiction. You need experienced contractors on the board to understand the circumstances. The consumer as well as the inspectors are not always correct.

In my 30-plus years as a Pinellas contractor, I can recall only two instances of having to go before the board. One was for a complaint against an employee for doing a repair not in accordance with standards and the other was when Largo decided to go after me with false claims. After reviewing the facts, I was completely exonerated by the board.

In most cases there is a winner and a loser. You're only going to hear complaints from the loser. I believe that most of the complaints are from the losers. Most of the losers are from the same companies that continue to do substandard work and they tend to blame others for their own deficiencies.

James Harazin, St. Petersburg