The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • A24

Orlando Sentinel: PRODUCT: OS DESK: EDP DATE: 02-26-2005 EDITION: FLA ZONE: FLA PAGE: A24.0 DEADLINE: 19.33 OP: dtate COMPOSETIME: 16.29 CMYK A24 Orlando Sentinel SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2005 OPINION KATHLEEN M. WALTZ Publisher and President Gallery Orlando Sentinel News CHARLOTTE H. HALL Editor and Vice President Opinion JANE E. HEALY Editorial Page Editor and Vice President FOUNDED 1876 MANNING PYNN Public Editor Heavy-handed Our position: Bense is off base in trying to block the use of red-light cameras. QAZILLIOM Florida House Speaker Allan Bense Thursday vehemently criticized a proposal to use automated cameras to catch red-light runners.

But his con of Transportation. That would eliminate the possibility of a city installing a red-light-camera system so it can collect more money. Under this arrangement, money would go directly Traffic crackdown cerns are easily addressed and should to the state and could, for instance, not be used to discourage others from this effort. supporting be designated to help care for people with spinal-cord injuries. Despite Mr.

Bense's sharp philosophical criticism, it's important for him to acknowledge that red-light running is a safety issue. Instead he's treating red-light running like a minor traffic violation. It's not. In 2003 there were 8,900 crashes caused by red-light runners, resulting in 115 deaths and 13,000 injuries. Mr.

Bense's promise to block this camera proposal is heavy-handed and wrong. For the sake of traffic safety, the proposal to use automated cameras warrants more than a hearing in one committee before it's pushed aside. All House members deserve an opportunity to debate this issue and vote their conscience. Lives depend on it. Mr.

Bense called red-light cameras "cash cows" for cities and unwarranted "government intrusion." Those are valid concerns. But the red-light camera-proposal being prepared for the upcoming legislative session can sidestep those fears by focusing on improving traffic safety, not making money-Mr. Bense seems particularly concerned that cities would manipulate the timing of the lights to unfairly catch motorists and line the city coffers, much like a speed trap. But there are ways to make sure that wouldn't happen. The solution is to limit the cameras to state roads under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department DOUG MARLETTETALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT cNo-whine' zones Our position: Schools that deserve the most credit are the ones that defy low expectations.

is attitude. They develop a culture of high expectations. They are no-whine zones. The analysis, conducted by the University of Central Florida College of Education, identified the schools that defied expectations based on the students' demographics. Eleven are elementaries: Eccles-ton, Mollie Ray, Rolling Hills, Orlo Vista, Tangelo Park, Maxey, Ventura, Winegard, Chickasaw, Union Park and Palm Lake.

Three are middle schools: Carver, Lakeview and Southwest. One is a high school: Cypress Creek. Leaders of these schools say what they long for most is more time a longer school day, more days in the school year. The after-hours tutoring they offer isn't enough. If the school district and Legislature are smart, they will listen to these leaders.

questioned in those novels written more than 50 years ago? Did we neglect to pass on to our children all that we learned from the McCarthy years in the '50s decade of finger-pointing and fear, and how we revolted against it in the '60s? Maher is right to be frightened about losing sight of how "those crazy hippies who founded this country" were making a difference. They spoke out against an oppressive government, at the risk of punishment by a fine or imprisonment. They would most likely also have lost their TV show had the technology been present in the 18th century. I am hopeful and optimistic, especially with people like Maher speaking out, of change to this culture of suppression. There will be another generation, like those "hippies" who were our Founding Fathers, and the ones who led the revolution in the '60s.

I don't want my news "sanitized" by Fox or any other news agency, and my opinions, like Maher's, will be allowed to be voiced. If not by this generation, then by the next. BONNIE STUART L0NGW00D It's one thing to excel on a level playing field. It's even more impressive to win on a field full of mole holes. The Blue Ribbon Panel, which is studying student achievement in Orange County, got some advice last week from the mole-hole gang teachers and principals from 15 schools where hard-luck kids do much better than expected.

Leaders of these "Schools of Best Practice" have a common denominator: They accept no excuses for failure. Yes, they say, it would be nice if more parents would get involved. And they're grateful when businesses and volunteers help out. But even when none of that happens, they say, all children can learn. They will learn.

In other words, what divides the winning schools from the also-rans Reader Views Significant wager Regarding the poll on the greatest presidents the one in which Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Franklin Roosevelt and George W. Bush all finished ahead of the father of our country, George Washington: He who defined the job. He who rejected being addressed as "Your Majesty" and requested the simple "Mr. President." The guy with all the right instincts.

My husband and I are wondering if the poll respondents were asked to list their own last full year of schooling completed. We have a little wager going on this. I say the majority listed fourth grade; his guess is sixth. Who wins? JEAN M. BROWNE ORLANDO Outstanding volunteer Thank you for the excellent article on Tico Perez.

I've known Perez for years and have watched him grow into the personality he is today. He brings great ideas, enthusiasm, action and fund-raising abilities to every board or organization he chooses to give his time and talent. He is an outstanding example of what volunteering is all about. I take issue with him being called a civic "dilettante," indicating he likes to fluff up his resume by seeing his name on various boards. Perez cares about the quality of life in Orlando and has made significant contributions to that quality.

He has accomplished a great deal for our community. Many organizations he has been associated with have grown in scope and intensity. He doesn't leave the important work to the "other people." Tico Perez is a man who enjoys shaping the future, and I am glad he is in Orlando shaping it for all of us. MARY SCOn L0NGW00D Middle-school standards As a teacher of eighth-grade U.S. history in an alternative school, I would like to make the following observations on the report that middle-school standards need to be toughened: Many of the students who read below grade level can mimic the words they read but not interpret them.

Part of this is because they have a language for their culture that is not the norm for our society. When asked what is meant by "the real McCoy," only three of my 55 students knew that it meant the real thing. However, if you provide these students with a copy of the lyrics of a 50 Cent rap, they can tell you exactly what those lyrics mean. Many of these students are emotionally and developmentally behind their peers. These delays cause them not to be interested in reading what they are presented in class.

Because they find the material on the FCAT test boring, they blow off much of the test, thereby not scoring well. If such a large percentage of the students are flunking the test, the test may be invalid. We must face the fact that the students of today have cultural norms that do not equate to ours. Testing them by our standards of language may not serve them best. Perhaps we need to look at the test and see if it works.

If not, maybe we need to evaluate it for cultural standards and make the changes that reflect the culture of today's students. CHRIS CHRISTIAN WINTER SPRINGS Mean-spirited Regarding Wednesday's op-ed piece by Bill Maher: It never ceases to amaze me that Maher and those of his ilk never see the "moat" in their own eye. The extreme lack of tolerance of dissenting opinions by those of an extreme left-wing persuasion is unparalleled. Even the so-called far right is hardly so myopic or mean-spirited. Maher concludes his diatribe by asserting that Fox News will only "spout the Bush administration's approved talking points." Since I watch nearly all of the news channels, network and cable, including Fox, I can state unequivocally that Fox is perhaps alone in presenting several sides to any issue in a mostly unbiased way.

Maher should remove his blinders and open his mind. He might learn something. DIANE PANACEK ALTAMONTE SPRINGS a difference When I read the first paragraph of Bill Maher's op-ed piece Wednesday, I responded with a gasp of disbelief. Could this be true? Has our younger generation succumbed to the fascist teachings that we read about in books like Animal Farm and 1984? Will the loss of individual freedoms really benefit our society, as George Orwell Randolph for Maitland seat Our position: Incumbent Joan Randolph is the better choice in March 8 City Council election. WEKIVA TRAVAILS 1 For The) t-f Sunday on Central Florida News 1 3 watch "For the Record," when Editorial Page Editor Jane Healyand editorial writer Marianne Arneberg join anchor Scott Harris to discuss the latest Wekiva controversy.

"For the Record" airs Sundays at 9:30 and 1 1 :30 a.m., and at 1 :30 and 3:30 p.m. In the only contested race for a Maitland City Council seat, voters have a clear-cut choice: Incumbent Joan Randolph is busy planning for the city's future whereas challenger Bob Miller would cling more to the city's past. Ms. Randolph obviously is the better choice. Along with other council members, she helped craft a vision approved by voters last year to dramatically overhaul the city's crumbling downtown, starting with a new public-safety complex and City Hall.

A land planner and landscape architect by trade, she recognizes that "change is coming to Maitland and it must be thoughtfully done." No question about that. For years, the city's downtown area has been embarrassing, particularly along U.S. Highway 17-92. For a bedroom community that boasts some of the most expensive residential real estate in Central Florida, a makeover of the downtown area was badly needed. Fortunately, thoughtful change now is in the offing.

If only Ms. Randolph used the same reasoned approach to examine a regional commuter-rail system planned to run along CSX tracks through Maitland. She'd quickly realize that it, too, could help revitalize the city's downtown and give residents an alternative to jampacked roads. Her opponent, architect Bob Miller, supports some redevelopment in the city. But he opposed last year's referendum that was needed for the makeover.

In the March 8 election for Seat 2 on the Maitland City Council, the Sentinel endorses Joan Randolph. SOMETHING TO SAY? Send a letter to the editor to the Orlando Sentinel, 633 N. Orange Orlando, FL 32801 by fax to 407-420-5286 or by e-mail to insightorlandosentinel.com 1 Voice of Freedom "In order that all men may be taught to speak truth, it is necessary that all likewise should learn to hear it." SAMUEL JOHNSON, ESSAYIST AND POET COLORSTRIP: I.