Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Newt still refuses to release 'work product'

In the presidential republican primary, Newt Gingrich lashed out aggressively about Romney's alleged deficiencies.

Everyone knows that Gingrich consulted for Freddie Mac, and Romney asked Gingrich to release the "work product" produced for Freddie Mac.

Gingrich released only his "contract" with Freddie Mac, and has refused to release any "work product." What does "work product" mean?

If a lawyer is hired to go to court, often a "legal brief" is part of the "work product." If an engineer surveys a vacant piece of land for a builder, the "physical survey" on paper is the "work product." If a newspaper reporter submits a "story," the "words in the story" is the "work product." If a woman sows a dress, the "dress" is the "work product."

The lawyer's contract with his client is clearly not a "work product," nor is the engineer's contract, nor is the reporter's employment agreement a work product.

It is inconceivable to me that Newt thinks he can ignore this request and the request "to produce" will go away.

Did Newt submit a work product each month in "report form," along with his bill?. If so, let's see a few months' "reports."

Did Newt's "work product" exist in the form of "smoke signals," or something on paper? Did Newt hire an Indian to send smoke signals to his client? Maybe the Indian doing the smoke signals can show us his notes about what "words" Newt asked him to transmit as smoke signals in exchange for his dough.

Alan Dershowitz wrote a book entitled "Chutzpah." Newt is taking chutzpah to a new level when he criticized Romney in any way while totally hiding from us the "work product"produced for Freddie Mac in exchange for millions.

Newt has insulted my intelligence by acting like he can get me to take him seriously without showing the whole country what he was paid for, not just showing us only his legal contract to produce an undefined "work product."

That's chutzpah.

David F. Lipton

Key Largo and

Beachwood, N.J.

Now we must focus on the district budget

As a parent of two young children and an individual interested in the School Board, I want to thank all who voted to support the referendum. We now have made a commitment to support the best educational system we can have, given the resources we have access to.

Our educational system has produced some very fine students over the years, some of whom have gone off and completed medical school, received prestigious scholarships and have joined the work force in our communities, contributing to building a better Monroe County.

It is understood that some have an apprehensive approach to the district having access to these funds given the past. With the work the internal auditor and Audit Finance Committee have done, I feel assured that all received revenue will be monitored closely and utilized for the benefit of our students. We as taxpayers, of course, need to listen to their reports and advice while holding our leadership accountable by demanding better and expecting results.

Now the real work will begin as a budget needs to be drafted that still has an estimated $6 million shortfall. We the citizens of Monroe County need to decide what type of educational system we want to support and work together to make sure we get the very best for our students.

Michael Cunningham

Ramrod Key

Let's stop the blather about Mideastern oil

Why do so many of the uninformed blather on about the United States being "dependent" on Middle East oil? Any quick poke onto the Internet to search for "America oil imports countries" and you can see the country that provides the most petroleum to the U.S. is Canada; Mexico is often second (together they account for about half); Venezuela, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia follow.

And what now leaps up as America's most important export? Petroleum drilled in America.

Let's skip the blather.

Stephen P. Dawkins

Key West