Letters to the Editors

Wealth building drains taxpayers

Editor: I read in the Times that another builder has received a permit to build a a subdivision of 500 or more homes. All over Pasco County open parcels of land are being subdivided and rezoned.

The original ranches and agricultural users received a break on their property taxes. They sold to developers at a huge profit. These developers then build homes, apartments, condominiums, office complexes and strip malls. These too are sold at a profit.

The landowners, the developers and the builders are making huge sums, only to stress the county infrastructure. It is then suggested to raise taxes to supply additional police, fire, schools, etc.

Sales taxes disproportionately tax the poor, and our sales tax is high enough now. Let's see an accurate accounting of how this money is being spent before we approve any additional burden to the Pasco taxpayer.

As a footnote, where is the water for these instant cities coming from? Five hundred families require more water than 500 cows.
-- Frank Magarahan, Hudson

Wal-Mart is a good thing; American unions are not

Editor: Is Wal-Mart the enemy of the people? I don't feel that way. I feel that Wal-Mart is more savior than enemy. As a retiree living on Social Security checks, my standard of living is low but would be lower without Wal-Mart and the other warehouse stores.

Did Wal-Mart drive smaller stores out of business? Yes, in many cases, but Wal-Mart did not create the warped economic atmosphere, which is the major destroyer.

The story in American free press says Wal-Mart employees are underpaid, and that if they were unionized, they would be paid more. The problem here is that people take low-paying jobs because they are not qualified for better jobs. For them, Wal-Mart may be their best choice. People of limited abilities sometimes can combine and attack the hand that feeds them.

Unionism is a lot like Communism. The group is more important than the individual. In freedom, the individual can rise as far as his abilities can take him. He is limited only by the laws of civilization.

Unions are part of the problem. They are not the solution. They have helped drive American industry out of the country. Of course they are not the main problem. For that we have to look at the Congress of the United States of America.

Congress stood by and watched the Federal Reserve Bank inflate its currency. A small amount of currency inflation gives the illusion of prosperity, but it is a violation of the Constitution. We now see the consequences: The stock market stumbles, industry leaves the county, bankruptcies increase, and unemployment, poverty and homelessness increase.

Wal-Mart did none of the damage. All the blame is on the shoulders of Congress. Wal-Mart was smart enough to see clearly the whole picture and find the solution, which made it the greatest merchandiser in the country.

What is required is the return of freedom. This requires the individual to regain self-reliance and act in his own interest. Self-reliance and unionism are in direct conflict with each other.
-- Charles Derer, Hudson

Irish-Cherokee-American? No, just a proud American

Editor: Wouldn't it be a nightmare for reporters if all people used their ancestry as part of their description of nationality?

Personally, I'm proud to be an American. I feel if I were to use the term Irish-Cherokee-American, I would be neutralizing my patriotism and saying my ancestry means more to me than my American birthright.

No, I'm not Irish-Cherokee-American. I'm an American and proud of it.

Come on, folks, let us know if you are proud to be American. We already suspect your ancestry.

It's great for people to be proud of their ancestry, but we would rather know you are all-American.
-- Jack C. Campbell, Hudson

Sen. Graham can call this a failure to communicate

Editor: Regarding Sen. Bob Graham 's comments on CBS' Face the Nation, "We found, in looking at the specific questions of what happened before Sept. 11, that one of the major causes, in terms of intelligence community failures, was the fact that people weren't talking with each other."

Well, golly gee whiz! I sent the senator 24 letters between September and November. How many did he answer? Zero, and he has the nerve to say people weren't talking with each other.

U.S. Rep. Mike. Bilirakis at least sent me an answer last week. So stop complaining and get to some serious work, or better yet, just retire.
-- Stephen A. Gall, Port Richey

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