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Talking to voters, strong message sealed victory

Re: Tarpon Springs victor toyed with public trust, editorial, March 10.

With a voter turnout of less than 20 percent, my opponent for Tarpon Springs City Commission had a deep well of more than 11,000 voters from which to draw the 30 votes he needed to defeat me. It was not my mailings which allowed me to win; it was walking neighborhoods nearly every day and talking to voters face-to-face. The messages I received from voters were ones of gratitude for offering a substantive choice.

The first I heard of any controversy regarding my mailings was late afternoon March 7 when I received a phone call from Richard Danielson of the St. Petersburg Times , who asked if I had gotten any feedback. "No," I told him, "I haven't."

Of course the generic building pictured in the flier doesn't exist in Tarpon Springs. Neither does the Wal-Mart Supercenter, also pictured in the flier - not yet, but the potential for massive development does exist. We have only to look to Clearwater Beach to see what might be in our future.

As a political newcomer, I felt a strong message that clarified the differences between my opponent and myself was necessary. I disagree that it was negative campaigning. Negative insinuates a personal attack. I have no ill will toward Frank DiDonato and, as anyone who knows me will attest, I value positive thinking and high ideals. Hardball? Perhaps. Breach of trust? Absolutely not.

This victory is the result of voters wanting a change and a voice in that change. Astonishingly, they came forward to back me, an artist and ordinary citizen without deep pockets or political constituencies. I received not one dime from political action committees, known as PACs.

This election wasn't the result of any "negative" campaigning; it was a celebration of our American democracy. I'm honored to have this opportunity to serve all of Tarpon Springs from mansions on the water to mobile home parks, from big businesses on U.S. 19 to small businesses on Tarpon Avenue and at the Sponge Docks, from the well-known to the unknown. My victory is sweet because it was made possible by the efforts of almost a hundred volunteers and supporters from all walks of life who knocked on doors, made phone calls and stood in the cold at voting precincts. I thank every one.

Tarpon Springs needs change

Re: Tarpon Springs victor toyed with public trust, editorial, March 10.

Regarding your interpretation of "bunk," would it be that your paper is known for writing one-sided stories in our community?

Politics revolve around low blows and misquotes. Past and present city officials need to look back and remember before they publicly discredit an opponent. Tarpon Springs needs change and I hope Robin Saenger proves herself.

Face it, "boys," Robin beat your man and that was not what the paper wanted and Ms. Saenger should be given a public apology.

Airpark traffic has changed

I continue to be amazed and amused at the plethora of letters coming from residents outside of Clearwater who live nowhere near the Clearwater Airpark and who wish to belittle and chastise some residents who live near the airpark for raising concerns about their safety.

The theme of these letters all seems to be the same: The airpark has been there longer than you, and you made the decision to live near the airpark, so shame on you if a plane falls on your house and you lose your life, your family and your home. This would be like me saying to those same people, "Well, you know U.S. 19 has been a dangerous road for years, it's been in all the papers, and shame on you that you chose to drive on it and got into a bad accident." Of course, we know this is ridiculous.

With this said, I would like to state that yes, I am a resident who lives at the north end of the runway. Yes, I knew the airpark was there when I decided to purchase a home there. And no, I do not believe the airpark should be closed. Part of the reason it should stay open is because it is on one of the only spots in the county that would not flood in the event of a strong storm surge.

However, there have been issues with the airpark that have concerned me and most of my neighbors for quite some time now. First of all, there is a great deal more air traffic flying in and out of there than in the first years after the airpark opened. And with more air traffic comes the chance that there will be more accidents.

Statistically, more air crashes occur on takeoffs and landings than at any other time of flight. Even the Web site for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (www.aopa.org) makes this notation: "Another factor that has not been addressed statistically is the exposure to takeoffs and landings, which are the most hazardous phases of flight. The more arrivals and departures, the greater the odds of an unscheduled impact." This same article goes on to say "GA (general aviation) accidents most commonly are caused by inexperience or poor judgment on the pilot's part." So it can be logically concluded that with the increase of traffic comes the chance for more accidents, and I believe that is what we are seeing now. Of course that would concern anyone who lives near the airpark.

Secondly, there is a continued history of pilots violating the no-takeoff and landing hours restrictions. Many times we have heard planes taking off and landing well after 9 p.m. and well before 7 a.m. I have spoken with Bill Morris of the city of Clearwater on a few occasions concerning this, and I know he has addressed these issues. However, I have been told that the guard works a rotational shift and is not always there to catch the offenders. Why is there not a 24/7 guard stationed at the airpark? In light of 9/11, I would think that we would want more security at our smaller airports.

Lastly, there has been more traffic from larger airplanes and some jet planes that now use the airpark. Mr. Morris has also told me that Federal Aviation Administration regulations limit the type of aircraft that can fly in and out of there as to weight; the newer jet planes, albeit much larger than your average single-engine plane, are made with lightweight materials these days and can now slide in under the weight restrictions. This may be so, but it does not make it right that we should allow jet planes to fly in and out of this little community airport. There is a huge difference in sound and intimidation between a jet plane flying over your house at 200 feet and a single-engine Cessna. We are talking about car alarms going off, houses shaking, dogs barking.

These are the primary concerns that I have. I do not live in fear that a plane is going to drop on my house, and I know many of my neighbors share that same attitude.

Airport violations need scrutiny

Re: Clearwater Executive Airpark.

Thank you for your coverage of this matter.

Closing the airport is not an option. There are 3,000 of these small airports in the United States, and we have to keep them open because they serve a need that grows daily. We will soon be using these airports for other uses besides private planes. Our big airports are jammed and too hard to get to.

But doing nothing will lead to the death of children. Do we really want their blood on our hands? We have had two very close calls recently.

We are dealing with the most educated and well-to-do people in our community and do not need the government to handle this matter. What we need to do is get some of these smart guys to pitch in and take responsibility for the careless acts of a few people.

Quantas Airlines has had a no-crash record for years. Why not study what they do? It is not a usual state of affairs to have aircraft falling out of the sky. We are not going to move 50,000 people because one idiot thinks that is the solution.

So how about it? If you use the airport, do something now before it is too late.

And, by the way, there are violations at the airport: flying too close, too low, excessive noise. Again, it is just the actions of a few that spoil it for the many. It's an old story. The question is, will the many who use the airport do something or just sit around and talk?

[Last modified March 15, 2005, 01:07:17]