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Land preservation fund's time is now

Re: Tax to preserve land rolls onto agenda as prices rise , Jan. 2 6 Times editorial:

It was refreshing to see this idea receive such a warm reception from the Times and some local leaders. Doubling the millage rate for the county's Environmentally Sensitive Lands Fund is truly an idea whose time has come. In fact, those involved say it is an idea long overdue.

It is common knowledge that Hernando County has the smallest environmental lands fund of the 30 or so in the state. Compounding this is that since the completion of the Suncoast Parkway, development has increased at an astounding rate. Not since the 1980s have we seen this amount of residential growth. In addition, land prices have skyrocketed in that same time period. Anyone not convinced of this should simply contact a local Realtor and inquire about purchasing even a small parcel of land.

Acquiring green space is a noble idea and one that benefits all citizens. It also is a concept that is certainly viable, so long as we act now before it is too late.

Without additional funding, many of these lands simply cannot be saved. I would hope the public is equally enthusiastic about helping to preserve open space for future generations.

Brown-Waite's call was a lot of talk, without much to say

Re: A mystery caller riles Brown-Waite , Jan. 27 Times:

I was surprised to answer the phone recently and hear the recorded voice of U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite defending herself against recent public criticism leveled at her regarding her essentially "non-position" on Social Security. The tone and content of this call was such that I would hope that in this case, she used her own money.

This call was purely a rebuke of publicly offered criticism, not a pertinent communication from Congress.

In her recorded call,the congresswoman continued to assert that she supported maintaining the benefits of current recipients at current levels, while criticizing those who had critiqued her. The devil, of course, is that she has not communicated her thoughts on how she proposes to preserve benefits for future recipients. Ms. Brown-Waite's ability to follow or pander, far and away exceed her ability to create.

Therefore, I anticipate no revelatory concepts on preserving Social Security for subsequent generations from our current representative. I would like, of course, to have a definitive answer to the question regarding the funding source for this recorded call.

I would appreciate a more mature level of judgment from my current congressional representative regarding her constituent communications.

-EDITOR'S NOTE: Russell was a Democratic candidate for the 5th Congressional District that Brown-Waite won in 2004.

Bush's Social Security idea just doesn't add up

Re: A mystery caller riles Brown-Waite , Jan. 27 Times:

I've always been a fan of U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, but I think she's wrong about Bush's privatization plan.

Social Security is directly funded by the FICA payroll tax. If you divert this money to pay for private accounts, you must do one of three things:

Raise some other tax; borrow the money (up to $2-trillion, which implies higher taxes in the future); or cut benefits.

Or, you could do a combination of the three.

For Republicans to say they are going to vote for private accounts, but not raise taxes or cut benefits, shows either a lack of arithmetic skills or dishonesty.

[Last modified February 1, 2005, 00:54:18]