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Development shouldn't outpace infrastructure

Re: Proposal for a limited building moratorium:

Editor: Hernando County Commissioner Chris Kingsley voiced a concern that I and many of my friends have had for some time.

How can a county with such a water shortage keep allowing builders to develop communities with so many homes? At some point, someone needs to say "Let's take a break and see the total impact on our community."

I truly believe that Commissioner Jeff Stabins did himself and our community a disservice by attacking Kingsley. If you look around this county there is building going on in every corner. We need to take time to do a study as to what will happen to our community if the infrastructure does not keep up with the growth. This can be seen with the heavy traffic on our streets, the need for more traffic lights, the crowding of our schools and the water shortage.

It is not that the residents of this county do not want growth; rather a planned growth that will not cause massive problems is what every resident should want.

County Commission can't affect Social Security

Re: Commissioners to join Social Security Debate, March 2 Times.

Social Security checks are not issued by county government. If Hernando County Commissioner Diane Rowden is interested in issues relating to Social Security, like any concerned citizen, she should contact her congressional representative and attend local meetings on the subject.

Her recent attempt to coerce the Republican commission majority into passing a resolution specifically condemning the president's plan to preserve Social Security for the next generation was a blatant demonstration of partisan grandstanding, not to mention overconfidence in her powers of persuasion.

Like other Democrats nationally and locally, Commissioner Rowden makes no suggestions or offers no alternative plan to solve the impending Social Security crisis other than to denounce those who do recognize the problem and who are calling for bipartisan efforts toward a solution.

The reality is that despite Democrats' attempts to frighten uninformed seniors, Hernando County is one area that shouldn't be concerned about any future changes in the Social Security system because we have such a high proportion of residents who would be unaffected because they are either already receiving benefits or are in the 55-and-over category.

Since short-term memory can be a problem for many of us seniors, maybe that bears repeating: If you are now receiving benefits or are older than 55, you are not going to be affected by any changes in the system.

There are quite enough issues to keep Commissioner Rowden and the other commissioners occupied that do affect county residents, unrestricted and irresponsible growth, increased taxes and preservation of our natural resources being only a few. Therefore, be it resolved that Commissioner Rowden leave her partisan politicking outside County Commission chambers.

Government shouldn't borrow from trust fund

The most important remedy for Social Security is to put a lock on the Social Security Trust Fund. The trustee of the trust fund should not allow any borrowing.

The government thinks it's okay to borrow if it puts bonds in place of the cash. The government is insolvent. It already has a debt that can't be repaid.

U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite says that if the government can't spend the trust fund for other purposes, taxes will have to be raised. The government got so used to borrowing (stealing) from the trust fund it won't know what to do without that extra money. The solution, of course, is to reduce government spending.

Some people think the solution to the Social Security problem is to raise the retirement age and to raise the tax rate for our children and grandchildren. However, that's only a solution to the ponzi scheme that they've changed Social Security into. That ponzi scheme forced us retirees to ride on the backs of our children and grandchildren.

The honest remedy is to restore Social Security as a paid-in-advance annuity. In that way every worker pays only into his own account. Then increased life spans become irrelevant.

We are now a Third World service economy. Our children are struggling with low-paying jobs. They should not have the burden of supporting the older generation.

Some parents skirting K-8 enrollment rule

Re: Challenger K-8 magnet school.

I'm not sure I agree with the letter writers who advocate aptitude tests for enrollment, but let me share what is going on.

People are enrolling their eighth-graders because there is not a large demand for them. They have three, four or five siblings who are getting in and they have no intention of sending the eighth-grader to the K-8 school. Why? Because the eighth-grader does not want to leave his or her friends.

The parents are scamming the school by stating their other children have been enrolled. I have heard of at least 20 cases where this is about to happen. I would love principal Sue Stoops' response to this and what her plans are to address the issue.

If the eighth-grader does not attend the school, do the siblings still get in? If that's the case, it is blatantly unfair.

Water problem was denied when apartments were issue

Re: Water shortage in Seven Hills.

It seems as if it is happening again. When the new apartments along Mariner Boulevard were proposed and the subject of water was discussed, the powers-that-be stated there would be plenty of water because they were putting in new lines and that would take care of the demand.

Now I read in the Times that the county is afraid that for the next three months we could be short of water, and the pressure in Seven Hills could be reduced and everyone is going to have to conserve.

I think that the water pressure is poor enough now, and I hate to think what it will be in the next three months.

I wish the county would take the proper precautions at the start of a new project instead of allowing the new project, and then we suffer a year or two down the line.

Brown-Waite session was democracy in action

I attended the town hall meeting by U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite in Land O'Lakes. I found it to be a good example of democracy in action.

The congresswoman talked about the issue of Social Security, and many interest groups, both for and against, were present in the audience to ask questions. The congresswoman gave several facts, including that Congress does not have to do anything this year. She repeatedly said the reform would not alter Social Security for retirees older than 55. (Yet, toward the end, a senior rose and asked a question showing he did not understand that fact.)

The congresswoman sincerely said she is waiting for a bill that outlines all the proposed changes. She does not want to adversely affect the lives of her constituents, young or old. She talked about the huge number of baby boomers who will be retiring starting in 2008, and the fact that there will only be three workers for every retiree. When this happens, there will not be enough money from workers to cover what's needed for retirees.

It is unfair to ask young workers to contribute a larger percent of their pay for Social Security. And it is unfair to ask retirees to take a smaller amount, or to raise the retirement age. The congresswoman has to represent all age groups.

The Democratic opposition was very much present at the meeting. They seemed to sing the theme song devised by prominent Democrats such as Ted Kennedy and Barbara Boxer - Social Security does not need to be changed. But many other nonpolitical sources, armed with the facts, say that Social Security needs to be reformed because without change Americans retiring around 2042 will get about 75 percent of what they should get. These sources are the Social Security trustees, the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office and Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. Also, many magazines and newspapers have reported on the need to change Social Security.

Part of the reform that is proposed for Social Security is private accounts. These would be an option for younger workers to invest in stocks and bonds and reap the long-term rewards of the market. The congresswoman said private accounts would be similar to the thrift savings plan for federal workers. I am a retired federal worker, and when I was working for Uncle Sam, I had my thrift savings plan invested in the S&P 500. I am very glad I had that plan, because it netted me more than $60,000 in just a few years.

I support the idea of raising the salary tax cap above the current level of $90,000. One study I read said if we did not have a cap at all, and taxed all the rich people, we would no longer have a Social Security problem.

[Last modified March 8, 2005, 16:52:55]