Editor: The most important issue facing Pasco County's future is growth. Our local quality of life depends on how well our County Commission delivers services to the existing residents while adding services for the expected 10,000 to 15,000 new residents each year.
Three months ago, the Pasco Democratic Party formally recognized the need for capital outlays to fund new schools and other county facilities to keep pace with growth in a statement on the Penny For Pasco tax initiative. But the party also stated that new taxes must be fair to existing residents. Residential growth in our county is creating demand for new schools, new roads, and additional police and emergency services.
Residential growth is also a prosperous business in Pasco County, with development and home construction now exceeding record levels. So the question is one of fairness: How much of the cost should be borne by taxpayers when the business of development is booming?
The Democrats supported putting the transportation portion of the Penny for Pasco into neighborhoods for roads and drainage. The Democrats also called upon the County Commission to make sure new school facilities are provided for when approving new housing permits. These are problems that must be solved. School enrollment growth and neighborhood roads and drainage problems should be high priorities of the County Commission.
The Pasco Democratic Party's transportation and education concerns were not specifically addressed by the county. The county did, however, propose a list of transportation projects that addresses serious safety problems at a community level and does not duplicate previously budgeted capital projects.
Additionally, the county has announced plans to raise the transportation impact fee - an increase that should help protect taxpayers from shouldering an unfair portion of the transportation costs resulting from growth.
Therefore, the Pasco Democratic Party endorses the Penny for Pasco tax initiative on the March 9 presidential primary ballot.
The Pasco Democratic Party urges all citizens to join with us in holding our elected officials accountable as good planners and stewards of our tax dollars - meeting the needs of all Pasco County residents, young and old.
-- Michael Ledbetter and Larry McLaughlin, Co-chairs, Political & Legislative Committee, Pasco Democratic Executive Committee
Taxpayers should level playing field by voting no to tax hike
Editor: When our elected representatives vote to expend $35,000 of the taxpayers' money to influence the election, it is wrong. This support of the referendum is the ultimate insult to the voters. Whatever happened to the one man, one vote? This is an opportunity for the voters to have a level playing field.
These elected officials should be forced to pay back these funds and use their own money to support the legislation they feel so strongly about.
The huge federal tax cut has caused a fiscal failure to all states, cities and counties. The easy solution is raise local taxes. Somebody has to pay for the tax cut of the rich. We have 46 million people without health insurance. We have elderly unable to cope with drug prices and we are ready and willing to pledge $87-billion for Iraq's recovery; at whose expense?
Russia didn't disappear, it went broke. This country can do the same if fiscal responsibility does not return.
Keep your penny. Vote no for any tax increase.
-- Paul Foley, Hudson
Send message at ballot box about controlling growth
Editor: Before March 9, every county resident should ask themselves some questions.
Property owners and especially seniors, if the county does roll back some of our property taxes, how long will that benefit us? Property assessments can increase 3 percent a year and, therefore, can or will go up 30 percent over the life of the penny tax.
Renters shouldn't believe they will get a free ride on tax increases. Landlords merely raise the rent to cover their expenses.
Do you really look at everything that is taxed in the county? Almost everything!
I believe the county should show some effort in stopping the exploding growth in our county and maybe even put a moratorium on large housing tracts until the county can provide for the population we have.
The other alternative is to increase impact fees. This should be done first to cover the costs that new developments are bringing into the county.
Realtors say that will stifle growth, which may be good.
It appears the answer will have to be sent through the ballot box. Get out and vote.
-- Bill Clevenger, Hudson
Money should go to education, not to finance infrastructure
Editor: The Penny for Pasco tax remains a farce as long as county government is involved with this money. If the commissioners are truly serious about education, then every penny of this proposed tax should go toward education. Many people are interested in getting their hands on the money and make this tax look more supportive of developers than of education.
I would say that a moratorium be placed on development, but commissioners should have the courage to at least control the unrelenting building of single and multifamily homes that are the cause of the school problem we have today.
From 1990 to 2003, 37,204 permits were granted. Present day taxpayers should not pay for infrastructure. Developers are the direct cause of this problem.
I will not vote for this tax until the dust has been wiped off the word "integrity." County commissioners must be willing to help education rather then try to grab dollars that could benefit the schools that are struggling to educate an ever increasing student population.
-- Joseph Peck, New Port Richey
Low-income senior citizens should not have to pay taxes
Editor: Sometime ago I wrote an article asking the county commissioners to raise the homestead exemption to $50,000, and I want to applaud Commissioner Peter Altman for his position trying to help our senior citizens.
There are many thousands of these people who only have Social Security for income and must choose between food and drugs. It is not whether they should have help but how much.
I believe we can do better. The state of Nebraska exempts its poorest seniors for all taxes and others on a sliding scale according to income.
My position is anyone who has an income of less than $20,000 a year should not pay any taxes at all.
-- Simpson Van Orden, New Port Richey
Residents, not commissioners, will suffer from tax increase
Editor: I wonder how many poor Pasco residents know that our county commissioners each get an annual salary of about $70,000, besides getting a fantastic pension plan and the best medical and dental plan available. Also, do you know that these politicians automatically get a pay raise each and every year and that they must accept the automatic pay raise each year?
I say there is not one county commissioner who is worth that much money. Sure, for them and the rest of the county politicians, a 1 percent increase in our county sales taxes is small potatoes but for most of us it will give us a lower standard and a lower quality of life.
Make them manage the people's money better than they have.
-- Dylan G. Jones, New Port Richey
Sheriff not to blame for unions' defeat, but bad tactics may be
Editor: I am appalled that the FOP and PBA accuse Sheriff White of "antiunion lobbying."
Sheriff White has done nothing but present facts, good and bad, of having a union. The FOP forgot to mention their representatives hounded deputies in the parking lot before and after shift change, much like door-to-door salesmen who won't go away until you buy something or shut the door in their face. This may have been a deciding factor in not wanting a union.
As for the PBA, I can't say much because they never sent any representatives. All I saw was two new fliers in the roll-call room. The unions should stop and think that maybe they caused their own defeat, not Sheriff White.
-- Deputy S. Miller, Brooksville
Some homeowners who want Wal-Mart didn't get survey form
Editor: I take exception to the recent letter writer who indicated that only 4,215 homeowners supported Wal-Mart's plans based on a survey sent to 36,000 homeowners in the area.
I have lived in this area for nearly 14 years and I did not receive one of the 36,000 forms and neither did any of the others I spoke with in our subdivision. Most, if not all of us, would have said "Yes" to a Wal-Mart that would save us countless miles down Port Richey's stretch of U.S. 19, a 20-minute trek at best.
Wonder how many others didn't receive the postage-paid reply cards reportedly sent out by Wal-Mart?
-- Terry Duncan, Hudson
Make U.S. 19 safer by closing turn lanes and adding barrier
Editor: It doesn't take a brain surgeon to determine what needs to be done to make U.S. 19 safer.
Because of the traffic volume and speed, all left-turn lanes, other than those at traffic lights, need to be eliminated. It's that easy. And second a concrete barrier should be constructed in the median. This would eliminate most of the traffic deaths.
Of course, you could eliminate all of the bars that sell liquor but that is not likely to happen.
-- Paul Schmidt, Bayonet Point
[Last modified February 6, 2004, 01:32:45]
