Letters to the Editors

It's time to put bureaucrats up for election

Editor: Re: Antisprawl group, Wal-Mart win in ruling, Nov. 23 Times:

Recent news coverage regarding the continuation or extinction of Hernando County's Development Review Committee and antiunion grandstanding have given us a new perspective on the unhealthy attitude of some of the county's nonelected hired hands.

County building guru Grant Tolbert has made it extremely clear he would rather destroy the DRC than allow members of the public (those pesky meddlers who just happen to pay his salary) to participate in what he and area developers and builders have described as a major tool in streamlining their permitting process.

Questions to Tolbert: If the DRC is as valuable a tool as you have stated, why kill it? Why are you so fearful of public monitoring of DRC meetings? How do you know that public participation in the DRC process will be disruptive? What makes you think you possess the right to overturn the court-ordered decision by a judge to open such meetings to the public?

Probably what bothers me the most about Tolbert's anticitizen attitude regarding public participation in the affairs of open government is the fact that he is one of four finalists for the job of top assistant to the county administrator. Does his outspoken anticitizen attitude foretell how he might function in a higher, nonelected government position? If so, we should be forewarned.

Meanwhile, county human resources guru Barbara Dupre has demanded her right to use tax dollars to thwart an attempt by other county employees to form a union. She declared that it was "unfair" for her not to be able to use public funds to fight off the union efforts. She says she wants to "set the record straight."

Well, the record shows that no tax monies are being spent by prounion forces in Hernando County. So much for "fairness." Also, union elections are based on the individual decisions and votes by employees to form a bargaining unit, or not. Unless Ms. Dupre is part of that bargaining unit and has the right to vote in such an election, she has no legitimate say in the matter.

More important, despite her self-anointed, exalted position, she does not represent the interest of the tax-paying public in this employee-only contest. She certainly does not have the right to spend my tax dollars in such an archaic, antiemployee pursuit, nor does she have the right to expound her antiunion sentiments while drawing a salary paid by my taxes. Her attitude speaks more to the need of forming a union, than not.

Unfortunately, these two are not the only county employees whose recent words and actions constitute scorn for the rights of the tax-paying public. It's about time the county commissioners and administrator rein in some of their overzealous, sometimes arrogant, employees and put a muzzle on some of their more outspoken hired hands. Maybe the answer is having the bureaucrats stand for election and giving the public the final say in public matters. Can you spell "charter government?"
-- Bill Kelley, Spring Hill

Brooksville, watch out for solicitors for county firefighters

Editor: People of Brooksville and Spring Hill, beware. I received a phone call Dec. 3 soliciting funds for the Hernando County Firefighters Association. I informed the caller that my husband was a firefighter for the city of Brooksville Fire Department and asked in what way did it benefit my husband.

The caller tried to tell me all of Hernando County benefited. I told him that the city of Brooksville Fire Department was not part of the Hernando County Fire Department, nor was the Spring Hill Fire Rescue District.

It takes a lot of nerve to call the people of Brooksville and solicit funds for Hernando County after taking away Township 22 and a large part of the budget that keeps the Brooksville Fire Department running.

I know this is just an organization that solicits funds, but the callers need to get their facts correct. Brooksville Fire Department and Spring Hill Fire Rescue are not part of the Hernando County Fire Department. The caller could not tell me in what way the funds helped the firefighters.

I also would like to know just how much of the money collected actually benefits the fire departments, and how much is kept by the solicitors.
-- Valdora Ward, Brooksville

Superintendent doesn't need pay increase -- teachers do

Editor: I am sickened that superintendent Wendy Tellone asked the Hernando County School Board to increase her annual base pay from $90,000 to $97,000. Who does she think she is?

She should be more concerned with making our schools a safer place and paying our teachers a higher salary.

What in the world would she need a $500 a month car allowance for? Does she travel from Georgia to do her job? Get a grip, Mrs. Tellone.
-- Diana Clemons, Spring Hill

Housing help should go to health care workers, teachers

Editor: Re: Combating the shortage: Nursing anyone?, Dec. 1 Times:

Hernando should learn from Pinellas County.

The Times had two excellent articles about the shortage of skilled nurses and how the Pinellas County Housing Authority is providing home financial assistance to health care workers in an effort to correct part of this serious and growing problem. The housing authority program also benefits firefighters, police officers and other public servants who have the training and skills valuable in a mature society.

I feel Seven Hills homeowners may not have interpreted the Hernando County Public Housing Authority's recent actions as a declaration of social war had it encouraged the famous doctor and his land development associates to promote a similar affordable housing plan for the now-very-controversial Spring Haven apartment complex.

Unfortunately, two misguided housing authority board members publicly and specifically announced at an Oct. 23 meeting that their primary interest in the project is to provide government-subsidized housing for service industry workers.

Other concerned Seven Hills area residents have identified specific and practical issues with the proposed low-income Spring Haven housing project. I can only add that we senior citizen homeowners pay the taxes that fund all government services and should determine who we choose to enjoy the privileges of our immediate community.

No reasonable person challenges the need for proper housing, health care and education for all legal citizens. However, hard choices must be made about who can provide the greater good for every community -- unskilled workers, or career health care workers and school teachers?
-- William Kirkland, Spring Hill

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