Bad bus stops
To the editor:
It has come to my attention that a serious issue has placed the children in our community at physical danger. Due to the ongoing construction on Osceola Parkway, many of the sidewalks have been taken out and have not been replaced yet.
As a morning commuter, I have witnessed time and time again children walking to their bus stop in the morning on the streets because of the lack of sidewalks. My main concern is that at the time these children are walking to their bus stop, it is still dark outside, and since Osceola Parkway has many curves, it is almost impossible for drivers to see those children coming from a distance.
I have witnessed firsthand many drivers swerving off into another lane in order to avoid hitting a child walking to the bus stop. Thankfully, there has not been an incident where a child has been hit or an accident has occurred, and I sincerely hope that this issue is resolved before any child is physically harmed, or worse.
Though I understand that the construction is not only necessary, but also beneficial to our community, I have become increasingly concerned with the safety of these children. I urge the community to contact local representatives, as well as the Osceola County School Board, in order to have these bus stops affected by the construction be moved temporarily to another location that avoids the areas without sidewalks.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Denise Carvalho
Kissimmee

City benefits
To the editor:
In the Osceola News Gazette, Thursday, March 4, you printed a letter from Kissimmee resident, Debi Wood. She took exception with the city of Kissimmee's policy not to offer insurance benefits to people not married to the covered employee.
First off, benefits that an employer offers to their employees are not “rights,” they are benefits. That is why they are called benefits, and not rights. They are tools used to lure workers to seek employment at a company, over another company. No employer has to offer anything.
Then she states, “judge not,” referring to protesters who were against the city allowing “extended” people to get benefits from city employees. So she herself judges these protesters.
When Jesus said to “judge not,” he was referring to us pointing out sins in each other’s lives, when we ourselves are in need of a Savior. To disagree with the city changing its policy to include more people is hardly “judging,” but merely stating your own opinion.
Common sense would prove that allowing an employee to have anyone covered just because he/she says they are a “loved one,” would get extremely expensive. By using her logic, one employee could have every person on the planet covered, just by claiming them on their insurance. It also makes marriage a moot institution.
Also, nature itself shows us that the homosexual lifestyle is contrary to God’s laws. Two males cannot reproduce. Neither can two females.
She refers to the protesters as being “immoral,” yet, as a “heterosexual, married, Christian,” she has no problem with the gay lifestyle. Does her Bible not have Romans Chapter 1 in it?
Jesus came to Earth to provide Himself as a substitute for us to pay the debt of our sin in the sight of God. We are not God’s children, apart from the work of Jesus Christ. John 8:44 states that, “Ye are of your father, the devil.” We become “children of God” by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal savior.  Being a human no more makes you a child of God than standing in a garage makes you a car. Also, Jesus did not give his life for our “fairness.” Nowhere in God’s Word does He promise us “fairness.” He does promise us eternal life through the finished work of Jesus Christ — but we must ask Jesus to live with-in us and we must believe that he is the only way to eternal life in heaven with God. (see John, Chapter 3, and also John, 14:6). I could give hundreds of other verses, but the paper is only so big.
Steve Gonnella
St. Cloud
Editor’s note: The city recently passed a policy change to include insurance benefits for unmarried partners.

Citizen-funded campaigns
To the editor:
Due to the virtually unchallenged growth of corporate power in the United States, our government is becoming so thoroughly dysfunctional and might well consider renaming our country the United States of Corporate America, a plutocracy of, for and by the wealthy.
Congress is currently bloated with cash-greedy political hacks of both parties shamelessly feeding like swine at the troughs of moneyed interests.
In recent times, we have witnessed deregulation, obscene tax cuts for the filthy rich, huge government subsidies for mega-corporation followed by a full year of legislation gridlock, the end result of an unholy alliance of wealth and government incestuously intertwined with politicians, legislatures and the courts.
Fundraising and lobbying love rigged the system with politics ever ready to do the bidding of their masters as they genuflect and pray at the altar of campaign cash.
Over a hundred years ago, President Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, suggested a solution, which we might once again consider: limited citizen-funded elections. Today there is a glimmer of hope in the form of a bi-partisan bill in Congress, the Fair Elections Now Act, which proposes legislation to place a limit of $100 contributions per person in tandem with public matching funds by the federal government to put elections on a more even playing field.
In addition, corporations – defined as “persons” by the Supreme Court – would be required by law to observe the same restrictions irrespective of the narrow decisions of the court, thus cutting off much of the corrupting influence of big money.
The recent decision by the court in favor of unlimited corporate spending on elections can be neutralized through strict legislative enactments which would turn the spotlight on campaign funding by special interests groups, many of which are global transnational (such as foreign) mega-corporations. These huge corporations have no single homeland and can therefore be barred from shoveling mega-bucks into our state and national elections. Short of a constitutional amendment, there are many other legal means which would serve to thwart, block or checkmate the current system whereby politicians are marketed to the highest bidder.
Passage of the bill would significantly help to defuse much of the entrenched, deep cynicism regarding congressional integrity.
If and when full-fledged plutocracy ever comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a fistful of fat-cat corporate logos. We must not allow that to happen by championing the cause of citizen-funded elections.
Ron Drew
Kissimmee