Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Today's Letters: City to lobby against tax relief

Re: On tax debate's front lines story, March 8

Have the Tarpon Springs city commissioners gone mad? Did I read in the paper that they are spending taxpayer money to send City Manager Ellen Posivach and her dog to Tallahassee for two months to lobby against tax relief for the taxpayers of Tarpon Springs?

Is Tarpon Springs City Hall whirring along so efficiently that we can afford to give the city manager a two-month sabbatical to help promote higher taxes for Tarpon residents?

Will our city commissioners also propose spending money to send a lobbyist to Tallahassee to promote the interests of the taxpayers? Aren't our elected officials supposed to do that?

In a sane world, one might hope to find a city manager who was focused on finding ways to save taxpayers' money, but in Tarpon, our city manager and the commissioners who support her are determined to thwart reform in this outrageous manner. The actions of this city government are not only illogical, but they are unethical and are in direct opposition to the interests of the residents.

Will our city attorney, who never misses an opportunity to point out the need to follow the rules as he defines them, condone these actions? In the corporate world this would be a considered a direct conflict of interest and someone would lose his job.

Will the citizens of Tarpon allow this behavior to continue, or will they take some corrective action of their own at the ballot box?

Jean Jester, Tarpon Springs

On taxpayers' dime, not desire

The article states that the Tarpon Springs city manager is being sent to Tallahassee (at taxpayer expense) for the express purpose of lobbying against much-needed property tax reform.

That our tax dollars are being used by local government to argue against long overdue and burdensome tax relief should be considered a total outrage by taxpayers!

Unfortunately, this is a prime example of the cavalier "thumb your nose" attitude of local government toward fiscal responsibility.

The property tax system in our state is archaic, unfair and in desperate need of overhaul. The above action by local government is further validation that this can only be accomplished at the state level.

Ted Greenslait, Palm Harbor

Low-cost channel all city can afford 

Re: This week, on Tarpon Springs TV: mostly nothing story, Feb. 27, and Tarpon Springs leaves residents in the dark editorial, March 6

We sent a letter to the editor about the story regarding Tarpon Springs television programming. Subsequently, an editorial blasted our city for not spending in excess of $1-million to compete with a comparable locality cited.

For the record, all of the Tarpon Springs City Commission supports improvements to our government channel; most support the efficient use of public funds.

I have found a company that will produce our standard programming at no cost. We have also used existing equipment and the ever-increasing talents of Fire Division Chief Don Sayre to film and produce our programs in his "spare time." Our total direct cost has been less than $5,000, which was spent several years ago on equipment.

In relationship to the big picture, I was appalled that we are receiving news and editorial time for not spending taxpayers' money on television programming at a time when the state government is on a direct course to cut our property tax receipts by about $2.4-million. This funding stream supports our basic services such as police, fire and pothole repairs.

To our city, which has cut the tax millage rate four times in eight years and cut 10 percent of its work force positions four years ago (because this was the right thing to do for our residents and businesses), this has potentially serious service consequences.

I have read St. Petersburg Times editorials stating the serious harm these actions will have to local governments; have you? Do you see the connection?

Unfortunately, at this time, if our residents want to know the facts in Tarpon Springs, I suggest they tune in to our 24-hour government access channel, which was up and running well before the first negative article.

Ellen S. Posivach, Tarpon Springs city manager

Why end respect and compassion? 

Re: Commissioners made right move letter by James M. Hammond, March 7

Please explain to me your words, "No matter one's track record, once a person decides to cross the lines of morality unrepentantly, he can no longer command or anticipate respect on the job, particularly one in a position of high authority."

I have crossed the lines of "morality." I am a proud, strong transsexual woman. I am very moral. I served this country. Why the use of the word "this"? Because it is no longer my country, because there are those like you who feel I have no rights or benefits.

You also wrote, "Most of us opposed to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender lifestyles do not hate those involved, but rather compassionately wish to see those persons liberated from such lifestyles." Do not hate? You have compassion? But this is only if I conform to your ideas of gender.

Those like yourself feel this was a choice I made? Think for a moment - why would anyone choose to live my life? I face discrimination, bigotry and violence with no recourse. Fairness, my rights and my benefits in the U.S. Constitution, which I served to protect, have been stripped.

I have been lucky, as I have not lost many family and friends, but most do. Why would I face all this to be the real me? It is because it was life or death. I have never felt right in this body - years of deception and lies almost ended at my own hands. All because I strived to be what my parents and society demanded I be.

So you only offer compassion if I be what you demand I be. God created me, and yes, as with others born with deformities and "errors," he loves me for who I am. I am honest, real, and very moral. I have crossed no "lines" except a line you and those like you drew. It is drawn in sand and one day it will fade.

Michelle Marie Hodges, Williamsburg, Va.

Personal story just isn't news 

Re: His second self story, March 11

What a tabloid the St. Petersburg Times has become! Sunday's front-page spread and additional pages in the national and international news section on Largo City Manager Steve Stanton was an amazingly bad use of ink, relegating the world's real news to the blogs.

To say that Mr. Stanton's recent behavior would not be disruptive of the work of city government is a false assumption considering the disruption of international news in the Times alone.

The Largo City Commission has voted. Let's move on with new news.

On Monday morning I heard sirens heading north on Alt. U.S. 19. Not an unusual event in and of itself, but there were multiple vehicles heading north (eight to 10 of them), sounding like fire, ambulance and police.

This had to be a multi-alarm event and the expenditure of thousands of tax dollars. Can I find a bit of news anywhere in the Tuesday morning Times to tell me whether there was a big fire, chemical spill or crime near my home? No, but there's another tabloid story about Steve Stanton.

Get a grip. Who at the Times is deciding what is news? Is the news being printed in the Tampa Tribune? Guess I'll have to check it out and see.

Sue Humphreys, Dunedin

Bandwagon of hate and bias

The majority of the Largo City Commission should be ashamed. They held a public hearing to determine City Manager Steve Stanton's future employment with the city and took the first steps to terminate his employment.

I find it interesting that most of them came to the public hearing with prepared written statements that they read to the public. Most of them had their minds made up before ever listening to one Largo resident speak.

It is amazing how many of these seemingly educated people jumped on Commissioner Mary Gray Black's bandwagon of hate. Rodney Woods appeared to be the only commissioner who went to the meeting with an open mind. I would like to congratulate the mayor, Pat Gerard, for keeping her cool and showing the majority of the residents not everyone on the commission is prejudiced.

While I agree Mr. Stanton's news was shocking, the commission did a real disservice to the city, its residents and city employees by overreacting to the news. Mr. Stanton and the city staff should have been given the opportunity to see if things could work with his new identity prior to any discussion of his termination.

Firing Mr. Stanton based on what gender he may or may not be is discrimination in its most basic form. It is morally and ethically wrong.

To those commissioners that are now saying, well, it's really not that, it was his job performance: You are kidding yourselves. Could your timing be more off? As it stands, the city of Largo is looked upon by the rest of the world as a small-minded hick town thanks to the commissioners riding on Black's hate wagon.

Please consider jumping off. That wagon is a ride to nowhere and staying on it will not get any of you re-elected.

Jane L. Bruner, Largo

Your voice counts

You may submit a letter to the editor for possible publication through our Web site at www.tampabay.com/letters, or by faxing it to (727) 445-4119, or by mailing it to Letters, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. You must include your name, address and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length.

[Last modified March 13, 2007, 23:22:21]