Letters to the Editors

Water requires local control

Editor: Re: Utility deal was no great deal at the time, Oct. 9 column by Jeff Webb:

None of Webb's take on this fiasco changes the fact that some Panhandle pirates now control our water rights. Water should be controlled by local authorities answerable to the people, not by aggressive, money-hungry businessmen.

Why should a natural resource that man needs for his existence be open to the highest bidder? If that is the case, Osama Bin Laden could have bought the utility and then refused to deliver water at any cost. Wouldn't a scenario like that be super for the whole country?

Webb has often fought for the fixed-income people of Hernando County. Is this deal good for them? Water, like electricity, should be controlled by the public and elected officials held accountable for the rate structure.

This deal sort of reminds me of the oil cartel. This is Florida politics and business shenanigans at their best (or should I say worst?).

How would you feel if the Moscow Gazette purchased the Times? Comfortable?
-- Tom Daniel, Spring Hill

County commissioners are doing their job

Editor: It is plain to see the people of Hernando County and the newspapers do not appreciate our county commissioners. All of the articles are saying the commissioners are the bad guys.

Our county does not stand alone; we stand with several other counties, and some of the most brilliant legal minds in Florida are siding with us. The attorneys who are working on this have found that purchase of water rights by a city and/or county or government is illegal in Florida. State Sen. Ginny Brown-Waite is on record recommending this purchase by another county. Believe me, the county commissioners, along with our county staff of attorneys, are diligently working for our benefit. They are protecting our county every way they can.

'When everything has been looked into, they will talk to the cities and counties involved with this purchase.

Our commissioners have not shut down the communications with any town or county about any proposal.
-- James Nico, Ridge Manor

Moving hospital services is just a quest for profit

Editor: I have been following the recent and rather monotonous debate about the proposed "new" Brooksville Regional Hospital. It seems that Brooksville Regional Hospital's sole argument for its proposed move to the location on Cortez Boulevard is in order to give Hernando County more choices in health care. Much ado also has been made of HCA Oak Hill's objection to this proposed new location in order to protect its territorial and financial interests.

Well, everyone, welcome to the 21st century. The entire field of health care, from hospitals to pharmaceuticals to doctors in private practice, has become a vast array of corporations whose primary interest is in the bottom line. So why is everyone so surprised and appalled this is going on?

Brooksville Regional Hospital would like the public to believe that its proposed move will offer the people of Hernando County more choices in health care. When I last counted, there were only three hospitals in Hernando County. When, and if, Brooksville Regional moves its location, there still will be only three hospitals. How is this increasing our choices? We are not getting a "new" hospital; one hospital is moving.

Wake up, people! If you have three baskets of apples and take the apples from one of the baskets, put it into a new basket and then move that basket 3 inches closer to you, you're still stuck with the same bunch of apples. The only thing you have achieved is moving one of the baskets farther away from someone else who wants them.

You will never convince me that the proposed move by Brooksville Regional Hospital is anything more than an attempt to get closer to the gravy train. They are not concerned with providing health care where it is needed. They are motivated by the same thirst for profit as every other entity whose primary concern is the bottom line. This is blatantly apparent through their recent billboard campaign, which is misleading and the height of impropriety.

Have they not for years been trying to block HCA's construction of a cardiac care facility? If this is not an attempt to deprive the people of Hernando County access to quality health care, then what is? This makes them guilty of the same crimes of which they accuse HCA Oak Hill.

What Brooksville Regional will be doing by this move is depriving the eastern portion of this county quick and easy access to emergency health care. Their proposed location will force ambulances and patients to negotiate the disastrous intersections of U.S. 41 and State Road 50 and Wiscon Road and U.S. 41. This only will be compounded by the forthcoming grand opening of yet another Wal-Mart Supercenter at the latter intersection. In an emergency, a matter of minutes can mean the difference between life and death. An ambulance having to negotiate those intersections, which seem to forever be under construction, in addition to being clogged with rock trucks and the plethora of drivers who fail to yield to emergency vehicles, is a recipe for disaster.

Another point to be made is that part of the plans for construction include a medical office pavilion, since most doctors like to be close to the hospital at which they are associated. This move and construction of such a pavilion will only encourage doctors who have their practices at points east to move their locations closer to the "new" hospital. This will leave the eastern portion of this county a health care black hole.

I suspect both sides have spent quite a bit of money in this battle. After all, billboard campaigns don't come cheap. Newspaper ads are quite pricey. Perhaps this money would have been spent best improving the quality of health care or paying nursing and clerical staffs a decent wage.
-- Ronald P. Roth, Spring Hill

Tellone deserves praise for advocating change

Editor: Re: First year filled with full days, Oct. 7 Times:

As a teacher, I must agree with School Board member Jim Malcolm's assertion that superintendent Wendy Tellone should be applauded for her willingness to change the status quo. Her management style is truly one of shared decision-making. Her focus and priorities have always been children first.

I was present recently when a reporter attempted to bait a union official into stating that the current state of teacher impasse reflects badly on Dr. Tellone's first year. Contract negotiation directives come from the School Board, not the superintendent.

Dr. Tellone has proved to be readily accessible to the teachers in this county, and her efforts are widely considered visionary. Change is inevitable, but growth is optional. I only wish the people who are judging her job performance had near the qualifications that Wendy Tellone brings to the school system.
Missy Keller, Spring Hill

Share your views

The Hernando Times welcomes letters from readers for publication.

Because of space limitations, letters should be of reasonable length.

Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length.

All letters must be signed and must contain the writer's address and telephone number. Addresses and telephone numbers will not be printed.

Send your letter to Hernando Times, 161 E Jefferson St., Brooksville, FL 34601. To fax a letter call 754-6133. Send letters by e-mail (in text-only format) to hernando@sptimes.com

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