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Too many street lights are out along U.S. 19

I drive U.S. 19 and I see so many street lights that are not working. I don't understand why they are not routinely checked and repaired. I reported several lights being out a few weeks ago and they still are not repaired, even though I got an e-mail saying they would be repaired within three days.

There is a section of U.S. 19 in Palm Harbor that has had several fatal accidents and numerous other accidents, and this section has quite a few lights not working. I counted at least 15 street lights not working between Alderman Road and Klosterman Road. There is another section of at least eight lights in a row not working between Klosterman Road and Tarpon Avenue.

We endured all the construction along U.S. 19, and part of the upgrade included sidewalks and street lights. It appears that no one is keeping up with replacing lights as they burn out, so in essence we are not getting the benefit of the tax dollars spent on upgrades to U.S. 19.

I would think there would be some sort of sensor on the street lights that would alert the utility company when the lights are not working - or is this not technologically possible? Maybe the utility company needs a person to drive around at night on a scheduled basis and note which lights are not working.

It would be nice to have an illuminated drive since we are all driving home in the dark now.

East Lake's marching band deserves better coverage

Re: Achievers item, Top of the Class page, Nov. 29.

We would like to thank you for mentioning, on the bottom of the last page of your Tuesday North Pinellas edition, that the East Lake High School Marching Band was the 2005 Class 3 state champion and that the band played during halftime at the Bucs game Sunday.

We almost missed the 3- by 11/2-inch article. School marching bands seem to be overlooked because of football, volleyball and other school sports. The members of marching bands work just as hard at band practices as the football and other sport members at their practices.

The East Lake High School Marching Band is the David in David and Goliath. We have beaten bands double, triple and even larger than the size of ours in competition. The band was invited to play during halftime at the Bucs game on Sunday - really an honor. It would seem to us that this alone deserved a larger article in the North Pinellas Times . In fact, the article should have been on the front page of the first section.

We salute each and every member of East Lake's band. They work hard, and being invited to play at the Bucs game was the crowning achievement of a winning year.

Tax collector is required to be accountable by name

Re : Tax collector shouldn't require her name on checks, letter, Nov. 27.

The letter writer had very good questions about our policies, which deserve a response.

First, the reason Pinellas County Tax Collector Diane Nelson uses her name is because the state Constitution and laws of Florida hold her personally accountable to the public for the performance of her duties.

In any legal action with a constitutional officer, such as a lawsuit or a contract for services, the tax collector is named individually and not listed impersonally as "Tax Collector's Office." A federal government bureau such as the Internal Revenue Service, which the letter writer mentioned, is an impersonal bureaucracy with distributed accountability. The Tax Collector's Office is a local agency headed by a real person whose name you know and on whom the law has fixed personal accountability.

While it is correct to name her individually on checks, Diane Nelson has instructed her staff to process your payments in a timely fashion if her name has been left off. She has that option, whereas in a legal action, a lawsuit would be sent back if it failed to mention her by name.

Second, Florida law gives Diane Nelson no option and requires that all credit card transactions with the tax collector must be processed by an approved third-party vendor who will charge a reasonable fee for this convenience. The tax collector receives no portion of this fee, but continually works to reduce, and in some cases eliminate, these convenience fees. One measurement of the reasonableness of these convenience fees is the increasing popularity of these credit card transactions.

We encourage taxpayers to save time and "Just Click, It's Quick" by visiting our Web site, www.taxcollect.com particularly when renewing vehicle registrations. Payment options for our services are described on the Web site, and you can choose a number of them that will avoid any of the fees associated with credit card transactions.

The Pinellas tax collector served a million walk-in transactions last year with an average wait time of 11 minutes. While that compares favorably with other government agencies in the Tampa Bay region, we are not satisfied that is the best we can do. You can help manage your time by making an appointment at one of our eight offices countywide by calling our award-winning e-Service Center at (727) 562-3262, where we "Answer Phones With Real People."

Third and last, the letter writer makes an excellent point about the tax collector being accountable to citizens.

Nelson is frequently heard to say how proud she is to be held personally responsible for her operations and the efforts of her employees, good or bad. It's an important part of the checks and balances built into Florida's constitutional framework for local government that the tax collector is accountable by name.

This gift idea helps special animals at shelter in need

It's that time of year for gift giving, that time to figure out what to give.

I have found the perfect gift. The Humane Society of Pinellas County is having its annual Light the Way Home campaign in recognition of special animals and people. By purchasing these light bulbs, you are helping the abandoned, abused, lost or homeless animals in our community.

The lights are strung at the shelters to "light the animals' way home." Everyone who purchases a light will receive an acknowledgement card and be recognized by the shelter. The more lights sold, the more beautiful the shelter grounds will look and the more animals will receive help.

What a great gift idea for not only a special person, but for a special animal in need.

[Last modified December 1, 2005, 16:06:38]