Opinion

Letters to the editor, Feb. 20

TBO.com
Published: February 20, 2013

No mention

The Tampa Tribune editorial on President Obama's State of the Union address reprinted on your op-ed page Feb. 16 stated it contained nothing new and the nation is still in the pits, except for CEOs, corporate profits and stocks, all of which are at or above their prerecession highs. As to the Republican statement that President Barack Obama's programs have not lifted us out of the fiscal muck, there's no mention how deep the depression would be without the stimulus.

Of the issues of climate change, education, and infrastructure, the Tribune only approved of the latter, probably because of all those contracts for businesses. As for pitting haves against have-nots, Ronald Reagan reduced the taxes on the rich, starting the devastation of the unions whose members were once the core of the middle class.

Will anything the president mentioned in his speech get done? Since Speaker John Boehner sat on his hands except when the military or Israel were mentioned, it is hopeless until he is voted out in 2014. Yes, nothing's new.

John B. Mooney

Hudson

They were good

Marty Moore, in his Feb. 6 op-ed page column, took issue with the "sappy" emails he receives about the "Good Old Days." Is he cracked or something?

Nothing today is easy. Back then, we weren't allowed sodas and candy bars. We were not heavy. Yes, we played in the street. It didn't cost anything and we were always near home and family.

We had only one 12-inch TV. We had to get up each time to turn it on and change the channel. We arrived a few weeks ago, and I did not have a password for the Kindle I brought from New York. It took four days to get a new one. We have a 55-inch TV, Blu-Ray and DVD players, VCR and a sound bar, all of which are worked by one remote control. The other night we lost the picture. A technician had to come.

My email was hacked yesterday, and everyone who received a message from me — that I did not send — was mad, especially my tax man. The message went to all the tax man's other customers.

At the airport I had to take off my shoes, belt, scarf and other items and put my computer in a separate tub. Years ago, we went right to the plane.

Oh, for those good old days.

Bea Hansen

New Port Richey