Opinion
Letters to the editor, Jan. 17
TBO.com
Published: January 17, 2013
All the peoplePublished: January 17, 2013
U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Seminole, 82, voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill. U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, 49, voted against it and against Speaker John Boehner, a member of his own party.
Both congressmen represent voters in the same county. They share a rather lengthy political boundary. Both are Republicans and have heard the same political discussions. Both have won their past elections by comfortable margins. So, how, on such a vital concern to all Americans, could their votes be diametrically opposed?
How, on an issue of such vital concern to all Americans, could they be so diametrically opposed? Is their wisdom in age? Could be. Did one vote for compromise and the other for ideology? Could be.
Both are members of the "People's House" and must represent all the people of the entire country.
Gerald Goen
Tarpon Springs
Be a mentor
During National Mentoring Month, it is important to let all mentoring-minded people know how much they matter. Across the nation, Big Brothers Big Sisters is reconnecting with alumni Bigs, Littles, donors and family, staff and board members. The reunion effort is an extension of Start Something, a national initiative Big Brothers Big Sisters unveiled two years ago in partnership with the Ad Council. The effort invites all adults, not just volunteerism to support quality mentoring to change the odds for children facing adversity.
The 2012 nationwide search-and-reunite effort extends Start Something to hundreds of thousands of people who have an affinity with Big Brothers Big Sisters but have not been asked to stay or become re-engaged with the organization.
Today, as Big Brothers Big Sisters embarks on a nationwide search to reunite with former Bigs, Littles, donors and family, staff and board members, I encourage you to ask friends and family once involved to visit our websites and reconnect with us. And if you are the person with whom we have lost contact, we believe National Mentoring Month is a perfect time to Start Something [Again].
Susan Rolston
Largo
Stephen Koch
Tampa
The writers, respectively, are CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pinellas County and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay.