Prez Release
Peter Gilstrap's column about my presidential campaign was a great contribution to progress (Screed, March 14). I sent a copy to Bob Dole and am sending copies with press releases around the country.
Charles Holden
Phoenix
Whine Country
New Times and Michael Lacey are made for each other ("End of a Smear, March 14)! Every week, New Times moans about paid government officials--whether they be federal or local--not doing their jobs, or that they're covering up a scandal, or, at the very least, complain they're just sitting on their butts and getting rich at our expense. Now County Attorney Richard Romley is doing what he's being paid to do, and instead of applauding the guy, what does Lacey say? "Romley's charges of corruption are absurd." Why does Lacey think blowing the whistle on the misspending of $24,000 of donated public money should be considered absurd? Instead of commending the guy, Lacey moans that Romley is "conducting a witch hunt" with his "McCarthyesque tactics" against poor little (boo-hoo) Rob Carey, who has already admitted that he misspent the $24,000, which Lacey calls "this petty amount of money."
Does Lacey actually believe that $24,000 is a petty amount of money? He says Carey dropped thousands of dollars in this manner, and for what? To "provide staff luncheons, awards banquets and holiday parties" to "improve office morale." But that "he was too busy to bother with the state's cumbersome paperwork." Why doesn't Lacey just admit that Carey's just one more politician who got caught with his hand in the public cookie jar? Even Lacey must admit it was Carey's own fault that the problems came to rest on his so-called "overworked" shoulders. And then, after presenting all these facts, to say that "Richard Romley is wound tighter than a cheap Mickey Mouse watch" is unprofessional.
Come on, guys. Richard Romley is doing the job he's being paid to do, so quit whining!
Greg Smith
Mesa
Comic Relief
I loved the March 7 Screed about comics. That Peter Gilstrap has a firm grasp of the obvious. Yes, most comics stink. But, then again, I don't see New Times running Robert Crumb, either. If a weekly tabloid hasn't got the guts to print art that might offend someone, I wouldn't expect it from a big daily paper. If New Times wants to be hip, there are a lot of artists out there. Clowes, Bagg and Burns (whatever happened to Big Baby?) are hot right now. New Times might even consider not carrying syndicated work at all and use only local talent. Hey, now, that would be gutsy. Whoa! Sorry, I was daydreaming. Anyway, don't piss off the Republic, Pete. In a few years you might be working for them, like that Cap'n Dave guy.
Mike Chicchelly
Phoenix
