Letters to the Editors

Commissioners' plan favors owners of expensive houses

Re: Fire tax in flux on verge of vote, Feb. 17.

Editor: Commissioner Peter Altman has it wrong. The question isn't whether anyone doesn't want to pay even $25 more a year for fire service. They do. The question is: How?

Any fee, or a non ad valorem tax, isn't fair to the owners of low-valued homes. The commissioners should figure out how much they want to bring in for the fire service and adjust the property tax accordingly -- taking into consideration homestead and other exemptions.

Taken to its logical extreme, their plan starts us down the slippery slope of shifting most, or all, services from an ad valorem basis to a straight fee, which of course favors the owners of expensive homes.

But one thing I would like to know: Does Commissioner Ann Hildebrand think that some living in a low-dollar home are actually wealthy, or that some living in a big home are eating beans and macaroni to pay the bills? Does that happen enough that it should even matter, and even if it does, so what?
-- Ernest Lane, Trinity

Don't use traffic fines to raise revenue

Re: Discounts undermine traffic court, Feb. 15 letter.

Editor: Although I agree with the writer's point on being tougher with repeat offenders, the Boss Hogg mentality of generating revenue with more traffic fines is ridiculous and will keep Pasco County as a retiree haven, not a growing, financially viable area.

I was certainly appalled at the opinion of the letter writer concerning traffic fines. Letting someone who has violated a statute know that there are penalties is one thing, but persecuting a head of household who has to try to make ends meet on $200 a week is another.

I applaud our judges who have a bit of compassion for the working person and am ashamed that our county harbors residents who would like to see people lose their cars, jobs, homes and ability to take care of their families for increased revenue.
-- John Payton, Aripeka

Merge communities to save on services

Re: Zephyrhills has chance to streamline charter, Feb. 6 editorial.

The first paragraph of this article states that Zephyrhills has the opportunity to cut government spending, streamline its operation and increase accountability.

Insert "west Pasco" for Zephyrhills and you have the makings of real opportunity. I cannot understand why we need three city halls, three police stations, three political bureaucracies, two bus systems (school and PCPT), municipalities with politicians and several unincorporated areas. Why not join everything from Hudson to Holiday, west of the Suncoast Parkway, and incorporate it as the city of West Pasco?

Then who would care if two hospitals want to move out of New Port Richey to another area in west Pasco? It's about time to do away with duplication of services in this area and do more with less like private industry.

If you want more money for schools, the easiest way to get it is not to cut school programs but to work smart in the whole community, and the first place to start is with the multitude of public employees and politicians.

In other areas with populations from 100,000 to 500,000, amalgamating services and reducing the number of politicians has saved $30-million to $50-million per year. So west Pasco, when do we start living in the 21st century?
-- Art Wilkins, New Port Richey

WWII veteran laments medical fees

Re: Veteran feels victimized for being billed, Feb. 13 letter.

Editor: I am a veteran of World War II, and served in North Africa and Italy for 19 months overseas. I received no service-connected injuries. I received a letter from the VA that I'll have to pay $7 per prescription and a $50 fee to have a doctor treat me.

I pay $54 a month for Medicare that I don't use. Why doesn't the VA accept Medicare if it wants to save money?
-- Bill Mooney, Hudson

Why the criticism of past teams?

Editor: I enjoy reading the articles about children in our area and their successes. My children graduated from Ridgewood High School and were involved in athletics there. As a parent, I was very involved in the Athletic Booster Club and enjoyed getting to know the athletes and their parents. Naturally, as a former "Ram" parent I am especially interested in news concerning Ridgewood students.

Recently I read an article about three members of the Ridgewood girls' basketball team. My daughter was a past member of the varsity team for four years. It is great to hear of her former teammates' successes, but I do not understand why negative remarks need to be made in the article about past teams and why constant comparisons need to be made.

Ridgewood girls' basketball is a very well-coached program that has been lucky to have some very athletic girls. Five of last year's seniors are playing a sport in college; and most received some academic scholarship money, as well.

For some reason this year, several of the articles written about Ridgewood girls' basketball have negative remarks concerning former players. Is this necessary? Is the media encouraging this negativity or is this coming from the coach?
-- Pam Sherwood, New Port Richey

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