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Pasco taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for flags

Re: Donations needed to put flags in public classroom, June 10 letter.

Regarding Sen. Mike Fasano's letter, all classrooms should already have an American flag displayed in the classroom. Brand new schools are the only ones that should need flags.

If the older schools do not have them, it is either because they were taken down and not enough care was taken of the flags and they were ruined, or it was just not a priority of the classroom teacher. Now that there is a need for flags, Sen. Fasano is seeking community support to help purchase these flags.

Since $8,000 is needed to accomplish this, perhaps Sen. Fasano should start by counting his pennies in the Penny for Pasco piggy bank.

If schools continue to get new computers to keep up with the changing technology, then I think it should not be up to the taxpayers to pay for these flags.

It is just another way to get the taxpayers of Pasco County to fork over more of their hard-earned money to Pasco County schools.

People need to make voices heard on insurance issues

Re: Time for state to step in on insurance issue, June 12 letter.

Here is the letter I sent to Gov. Bush almost two weeks ago:

I am a homeowner in Pasco County just north of the Tampa Bay area. I have lived in this home for over 10 years and have never filed a homeowner's insurance claim. Two or three years ago I was dropped from various insurance companies, and now the only insurance I can get is Citizen's, a last resort insurance company mandated by the state.

Last year my policies cost me around $1,600 for wind and regular homeowners insurance. This year it has increased more than 100 percent to over $3,500.

I have a few questions for you as governor of this state.

1) Why can't the state step in and mandate insurance companies to either insure everyone for everything or leave the state altogether, not pick and choose?

2) If I am paying such a high price because of the hurricanes and sinkholes (that happen all over this state) why can't fees be regulated and averaged over everyone in the state, so everyone pays their fair share. I am paying a stupendous amount and never had a claim.

Something has to be done about this situation as it is causing hardship on a lot of people in my community. It is about time the insurance industry is made to do what it is in business for, insuring against a disaster, not cut and run when there is a bad year; look at all the good years and profit they have had.

Again, hurricanes and sinkholes are problems that can happen anywhere in the state, as last year proved, where most of the damage was inland. I am 3 miles from the coast and not in a luxury home on the water. We pay a price to live in Florida but it should be fair for everyone.

I'd appreciate an answer to my questions.

I received a reply almost immediately from the governor saying I would get an answer from Tom Gallagher or his office and that he appreciated my ideas. To this date I have not heard a thing.

It is time for the people of this state to complain as Mr. Penn has stated in his letter.

Aloha Utilities needs better water treatment

It was a great Memorial Day gathering at my daughter's home. My wife and I, my daughter and her husband as well as their four lovely children, all together to celebrate this memorable day. Living only a little over a mile from me in their 5-year-old Trinity area home, that is an added perk for this grandfather.

I noticed that my son-in-law went out to the garage and brought in a bag of ice along with a gallon of water. I said, "Tap water would be fine." His response was "not in this house."

He placed a glass of water taken from the refrigerator chilled water dispenser down in front of me. There floating in the tumbler was a long stringy, translucent substance about one and one half inches in length. Its shape resembled seaweed.

Both their house and my home are served by Aloha Utilities. The significant difference is that while my house has copper pipes, their house has PVC (plastic) piping. I have forwarded my own complaints as well as photos to the Public Service Commission about the same problems my daughter's family is now faced with.

So Aloha Utilities, it is not the copper pipes, it is not the PVC pipes in my grandkids' home, it is the lousy, poorly treated water that you pump into our homes that is causing the problems for thousands of area homeowners.

It is from millions of gallons of poorly treated water that Aloha Utilities generates for itself a grand profit, and enables the three or four family owners to enjoy the good life at our expense.

Aloha ownership does not seem to have any conscience. If it did, it would long be gone from the water processing business.

[Last modified June 14, 2005, 01:25:21]