County Commissioner Susan Latvala's suggestion that the Pinellas Planning Council be abolished is welcomed and long overdue. The funding of the PPC raises every Pinellas County property owner's tax bill while the service they provide is already provided by the county Planning Department. The cost of duplicating this service makes no sense, especially with our tax burden. Whatever the intent was for the creation of the PPC, it no longer serves any compelling purpose.
As an interesting point of information, the state Legislature established a total of seven planning councils in as many Florida counties. Only three remain, including Broward County, which has voted to dissolve its unincorporated area, an action that has turned out to be a disaster and has still not been resolved, and Volusia County, where a hybrid form of planning council exists that has no clear mission.
Only Pinellas' planning council, which was created with a limited mission but has expanded its scope over the years to the point of being intrusive into the governance of this county, still exists. All the other counties saw the wisdom of dissolving their planning councils - as an unnecessary and needless expense to their taxpayers. I believe there are many taxpayers who feel that paying for a redundant service is not a wise use of their tax dollars.
We can expect to hear a lot of howling from the PPC members. This once-innocuous group has morphed into a body that feels its recommendations are more than just advisory. In my opinion, it has become a platform for city officials to challenge the county government's authority, and that does not serve anyone in the county well. I'm sure the next thing that will be demanded by the PPC will be the dissolution of the county's Planning Department in lieu of the PPC's. Such is the arrogance of this group.
I applaud Latvala for saying it like it is and urge all the commissioners and taxpayers of this county to support her. I long for the day when this county is run by the officials we all elected to the job of running this county, not by a body of officials whom the residents of cities elected to run their cities.
-- Ray Neri, Lealman
Shattering of Mary a blessing
Re: Faithful gather to mourn shattered Mary, story, March 3.
As bad as vandalism is, serious Christians and even the local archdiocese have to be relieved that the end is in sight for the worst local case of superstition in history.
The Bible prohibits the worship of Mary. In addition, it never, ever suggests we should pray to Mary. It is a perversion of Christian doctrine that distracts from Jesus' unique position.
The oxidation on the windows was known to be caused by the nearby sprinklers and of course does not look anything like Mary. It resembles only the outline of one old painting of the "madonna."
Maybe now the building can be put to better use and genuine worship can be focused where it should be - on Jesus Christ alone.
-- Scott Leonard, Tampa
Author's views as unsavory as book
Re: Author's sexy discussion turns to modern politics, story, Feb. 23.
I am surprised you would devote three fairly long columns to this article. It was bad enough that it was written up in the book reviews. From these two articles, it seems to be a book more suited to an adult book store.
In addition to an unsuitable subject for her book, author Jill Nelson was outrageous in her comments about our president. I see several people walked out of her speech at St. Petersburg College. I'm disappointed the college would arrange such a session. Our schools - and the world - are becoming too liberal.
-- Dorothy E. Karkheck, Dunedin
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[Last modified March 14, 2004, 01:05:29]
