Re: Airport board fights to retain engineers, Aug. 25 Times:
Editor: Heavens to Mergatroid! Coastal Engineering Associates lost a profitable county contract for the first time in 13 years. Maybe we ought to pass the hat at the next Hernando County Commission meeting so the firm's owners, the Manuels, won't miss their mortgage payment.
Aviation Authority Chairman Steve Helm apparently likes giving Coastal "holy heck on something that didn't go right." Maybe, with a different engineering firm consulting at the airport, he won't need to holler at anyone.
It was reported that former authority member Gary Schraut gave a "five-minute oration" demanding that the Aviation Authority "not sit back" and take this outrage. Five minutes for him must be a record for brevity. He and the rest of Coastal's cronies ought to just get over it.
With all the sweetheart deals Coastal has landed with the city of Brooksville and the County Commission over the past three decades, I'm surprised the firm's name isn't a line item to be paid on our tax bills.
-- Jeff Stabins, Weeki Wachee
Intersection needs signal light
Editor: Thanks to false promises by our county government, pulling out of Wellington or the Seven Hill development and Golfers Club onto Mariner Boulevard is a gamble.
Many months ago, the residents of Wellington were told we had made our "warrants" for a stoplight at our entrance on Mariner. Now we are being told some mysterious traffic study shows we don't need one. The promise now is, "we'll study it again in a year or so."
First, nobody in Wellington can remember any traffic study being performed in the past three years.
Second, with almost 600 homes in Wellington, a similar number across the street in Seven Hills, plus the added traffic to the golf course and the office/bank complex, this is now one of the most dangerous intersections in Spring Hill.
Third, even though the speed limit is posted at 45 mph, the traffic constantly moves at 50 to even 60 mph and it is becoming almost impossible to enter Mariner at any time of day, let alone rush hour.
Fourth, while pulling out of Wellington (making a right) northbound can be a harrowing experience; try making a left (southbound) as you cross high speed northbound traffic and the racetrack southbound. Throw in a few cars on Mariner making right or left turns in the center median and you have nothing but accidents waiting to happen. If you don't believe it, check the records. Last week we had another one.
While we have, so far, only experienced some damaged sheet metal and some minor injuries, the question posed to our county commissioners and the roads department is "When is someone going to be killed?"
In the past, the one consolation was that when we experienced false promises from our elected officials, it only involved minor things, like spending our money on useless buses or a mishmash recycling program. Up to now, our lives were not in jeopardy.
-- D.T. Hammond, Spring Hill
Lawmakers already help young veterans
Editor: Recently the Times ran two letters to the editor from readers calling for lawmakers to pay more attention to our nation's younger veterans. The letter-writers were absolutely right. Whether veterans served 50 years ago in Korea, or 50 days ago in Iraq, their service and sacrifice are of the utmost importance and should be honored.
Where I take issue with the letter-writers's concerns is that (1) they assume the attention lawmakers in Washington are giving to veterans' health care issues is not something of importance to younger veterans; (2) they neglect to mention the reforms Congress has enacted thus far addressing younger veterans; and (3) they insinuate that these same lawmakers should pay more attention to younger veterans' concerns because they eventually will make up a larger portion of the area's voting population.
First, several of the most talked-about gains lawmakers are making on veterans' issues will help improve the health care system in which these new veterans will enter upon their exit from the service. The last time I checked, health care was not a seniors-only issue. All military veterans - young and old - are eligible to enroll in a health care system that those in Congress are working to improve.
Second, this year Congress passed legislation offering added tax benefits to military families and to help alleviate some of the financial stresses active-duty military members encounter when called to serve this country overseas, like ensuring they're not held to leases should their service be needed in a time of war. Additionally, legislation like the FY 2004 Defense Authorization Act ensures that our nation's soldiers have the resources necessary to best prepare and protect them in battle. Our nation's armed services will remain the best fighting force in the world because of staunch defenders of the military in Congress.
Finally, the idea that the two letter-writers believe lawmakers' actions are driven solely by the potential to garner votes is somewhat disturbing. I would like to believe that some lawmakers make certain decisions because they believe in what's right. Such is the case with the many members of Congress, Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, being one of them, who are fighting to ensure the promises we as a nation made to all our veterans are fulfilled.
I agree wholeheartedly that our younger veterans' causes are just as worthy as those of older ones. However, I reject the notion that all of what Congress has done to date is for the exclusive benefit of our country's older veterans.
-- Tony Covell, Vietnam veteran, Nobleton
Old Army flying tip still useful today
Re: Airport wants power lines lit up for safety, Aug. 26 Times:
Editor: Back in the mid 1960s I served as a Huey helicopter crew chief with the U.S. Army. Part of my tour was served in South Korea, where I flew with a very experienced Army Air Corps major. Since we were always shorthanded when it came to pilots, I would sometimes fly left seat while the major always flew right.
During my first flight he gave me a tip I remember to this day. He said always fly over the power poles or towers. Never fly between them. If you clear the pole or tower you know that you will always clear the wires. It was common sense and a very simple thing to do. When you make your approach try to line up on the highest pole or tower and fly over it. You're taking one heck of a chance trying to clear wires that you can't see.
So, until the power lines at the airfield are equipped with the fluorescent globes, take a tip from an old Huey pilot who passed it on to me years ago.
-- David A. Robinson, Brooksville
[Last modified August 29, 2003, 02:02:13]
