Letters to the Editors

City thought ahead to provide services

Re: City's charge for sewer an unjust tax, Aug. 16 letter

Editor: Letter writer Bud Wylie apparently is upset over the cost he and his neighbors must pay for a new sewer system. I probably would feel the same. But I am one of the fortunate people who lives within the city limits.

New Port Richey has had a sewer system in operation for almost 40 years and a water system for much longer than that.

Imagine what foresight our city fathers had back then. Pasco County would never even think of building such systems. They merely waited and piggybacked on our water and sewer systems. Farsightedness had New Port Richey buy the first well field, several miles outside the city, in order to bring us not only cleaner water but also more of it.

How do you think all of this got built in the first place? Taxes, neighbor, taxes.

And who paid those taxes? The citizens of this great city, that's who. How much did you and your neighbors contribute?

Why doesn't the writer and his neighbors get together and annex into the city? Some tried but were always overruled by others.

You probably didn't annex because you all thought the small amount you would have to pay was excessive for the city services received. Many would not have paid a dime because most of the dwellings were assessed beneath the homestead exemption limit.

But now you expect the citizens of our city to help share the burden for the sewer system. I think not.

If you live west of U.S. 19, your septic systems may have cost some of you a fortune to maintain over the years. Deduct that from the cost of a new system.

If you annexed into the city, the overall costs of living here would be reduced, possibly substantially. Your water and sewer bills would be less than you pay now. Deduct that from your taxes or sewer system costs.

Having lived in New Port Richey for almost 30 years, I cannot imagine moving to a finer place, where peace of mind is having an excellent police and fire department at your door in a couple of minutes when you need them. Other public services, and there are many, are also available to you.

I also am on a fixed income and can sympathize with your dilemma. New Port Richey is a great place to live and has responsible leadership.

I would urge all of you to seriously consider being part of our city. I don't believe you would regret the move.
-- Roy Miller, New Port Richey

Add a bike path, not travel trailers

Editor: I own a home in a small, but growing neighborhood on Oyster Bayou.

In just a few years the area around this neighborhood has gone through many changes, some for the better, as in the improvements to the downtown and riverfront areas. Some are for the worse, such as the approved rezoning of a mobile home park to a travel trailer park on Green Key Road.

The beach at the end of Green Key is a great but forgotten asset with a large number of new homes filling the area and more people walking and riding to the beach. So, how about a bike path to the beach? It would be something appealing for the residents, instead of a travel trailer park that will only add congestion to an already congested residential area.

This area is also in a low flood plain evacuation zone, and the travel trailer park will bring in more transient people, more traffic, and more confusion in the event an evacuation order is given.

There are also safety and environmental concerns with the rezoning, as in more crime and more boat and Jet Ski traffic coming to a small, environmentally sensitive area.

There is a County Commission meeting at 9:30 a.m. today. Why not attend and show support for a great, growing neighborhood. There are many good things happening to this area, so let us please continue to build upon these assets.
-- Tammy Ambrozaitis, New Port Richey

Doctors frightened to treat pain

Re: Richard Paey Editor: I assume Linda Paey meant that there should be looser laws for medical patients. I agree. My husband is disabled and a chronic-pain patient.

The DEA is the most often quoted medical reason for limiting his pain medication. The pharmacy and doctors are always looking over their shoulder when writing prescriptions. How this agency became more of a fear factor than any other is up to speculation. But it has.
-- Suz Fox, Kalispell, Mont.

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