Letters

Mas Canosa: Commie Target?
Journalism reaches its greatest heights when sensational is not associated with sensationalism. Elise Ackerman's article "Love and Cuba" (May 23) was an example -- and a real whodunit, a who-can-you-trust primer for the public to decide privately.

Is "Beatrice Puig" a bitter, power-hungry, money-mad monster? Is Jorge Mas Canosa actually a saint betrayed by a commie plot? I wonder. And how much credence can we give to a "good dad" doing time for being a cocaine king? A lot? Not much? Decisions, decisions.

As is often the case, the truth lies hidden in the poetry. If nothing else, the mystery woman is certainly a talented poet. She writes with her heart, and her poems ring true. As Bob Dylan sang a long time ago, "True love tends to forget." I hope all is well that ends well.

All praise to Elise Ackerman. May her word processor continue to hum with the music of her mind. More! More!

James Vilberg
Miami

Mas Canosa: Hormonally Challenged?
I note two interesting excerpts from Elise Ackerman's article about Jorge Mas Canosa's virility: (1) Mrs. Puig states, "[Mas], when he gets threatened, he withdraws." And (2) "After arriving in Miami in 1960, the 21-year-old Mas signed up to fight in the Bay of Pigs invasion. However, the ship he was on turned back without landing, and Mas did not see combat."

Do I see a pattern here?
Darrell G. Ragland
Homestead

Mas Canosa: Fratricidal Misanthrope?
It is crazy for Beatrice Puig to believe that Jorge Mas Canosa will recognize her child. He doesn't even like his own flesh-and-blood brother, and he hates his homeland. What can she expect from such a character? I refuse to read another article about him.

Pedro Gomez
Aventura

Mas Canosa: Moral Vacuum?
If Jorge Mas Canosa had any moral integrity (and if he is so sure he is not the father of "Peter Puig"), he would submit a blood sample for a paternity test.

The idea that a DNA match to an "unloving" biological father would be devastating to the child is pure legal fiction. Did the psychiatrist's expert testimony cover what kind of impact David Puig's incarceration might have on little Peter? Are we to believe that Cuban children are different because they would rather have "loving" convicted drug dealers as fathers than exile freedom fighters? This is another absurd example of how the justice system works for the powerful and politically connected.

Name Withheld by Request
Miami

Editor's note: Owing to an error in the labeling and identification of certain court documents, the photograph of the pseudonymous "Peter Puig," published as part of "Love and Cuba," was actually a photograph of the boy's older brother.

Police Are for Pals
With respect to Robert Andrew Powell's article about the Cuban American National Foundation and Jorge Mas Canosa's cozy relationship with Miami City Manager Cesar Odio ("A CANF-Do Attitude," May 23), I cannot understand why New Times would publish such a story. There is absolutely nothing improper about Mr. Mas calling his dear old friend Cesar whenever he or his elite neofascist millionaire boys club cries for a little police protection.

So Mr. Mas does not live in the City of Miami. So the Cuban American National Foundation headquarters is in West Dade, not Miami. So City of Miami residents are paying for police services that are just outside the city's jurisdiction. Obviously you are unaware that Mr. Odio has recently expanded Miami's Neighborhood Enhancement Team (NET) program. The emperor has created a special mobile NET office designed to respond to every security-related whim of Cesar's puppet master.

However, Miami taxpayers have nothing to worry about. Mr. Mas has pledged to repay every penny of the Miami police officers' salaries spent on him and CANF. The city will be reimbursed from the treasury of the government of Cuba immediately after Mas's election as president.

Jose R. Blanco
Miami

The Manager as Marionette
Your story about Jorge Mas Canosa and Miami police services was interesting, but may not have been very revealing considering the cast of characters. After all, is not Mas the most important Cuban exile leader in the community? Is not the Cuban American National Foundation the most powerful Cuban-American political organization? And is not Cesar Odio the most compromised public official in Miami?

Then why should we expect anything less than overt political manipulation of local government services? After all, does not Mr. Mas control CANF, Radio Marti, TV Marti, the Cuban Interest Section at the State Department, several U.S. representatives, and other local politicians? Controlling Cesar Odio and his Miami police force is mere child's play.

Lilian White
Miami

EPA: Address EMF ASAP
I am writing in response to Robert Andrew Powell's good report on the developments at Riverside Center ("The Buzz About Riverside Center," May 16). When the City of Miami bought the Riverside Center office building from FPL for $16 million, the potential risks of exposure to the electromagnetic fields (EMF) emanating from the powerful transformers at the FPL yard across the street were cause for concern.

The bureaucrats were apprehensive because some areas inside the building were in excess of 2.0 milligauss A the safety ceiling established by a panel of experts under the auspices of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).