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Today's Letters: East Lake Road a hazard to drivers

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published March 21, 2007

Re: Teen killed in car accident story, March 19, and Teen had heart, was happy story, March 20

When is something going to be done about East Lake Road? How many more lives need to be taken before Pinellas County realizes what a monster it has created?

The speed limit needs to be lowered and more patrolling is needed to protect East Lake Road's travelers, especially the inexperienced new drivers. Wake up! There is a high school with 2,400 students on this road and they are driving with the rush-hour idiots in the morning and the drunks at night.

East Lake Road has become an even worse example than U.S. 19 and still nothing has been done. I personally have seen a dozen accidents in front of my neighborhood. There is a fire station at Boot Ranch Boulevard and East Lake Road, and they have seen SUVs on top of each other, numerous rear-enders, and the speeding and reckless changing of lanes right in front of their station.

Something must be done, and soon, if we are to spare the precious lives of our residents who must use this road and, especially, the lives of young drivers - who, by the way, shouldn't be driving yet anyway. Whatever happened to raising the age at which teens can obtain their driver's licenses?

We cannot afford to be stupid and look the other way anymore! Please, do something now.

Julie Lozano, Palm Harbor

Re: Waive fees, commissioners told story, March 15

Water promises have run dry

Well, here we go again! Back when we paid a $150 reclaimed water connection fee in Largo, the commitment was all the water, all the time, any time, no limitations. Over the years, the system has been stretched and stretched and the price has gone up. The service, meanwhile, has gone down to two days per week before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. That is about 10 percent of the service promised.

Now existing subscribers are going to subsidize further expansion by paying for 103 free hookups. That's 103 more paying customers with no increase in supply. Hmmm. I guess if we continue to make hookups and continue to reduce watering hours we can do wonders for the bottom line.

On the other hand, maybe we do need new city management.

Neal Clark, Largo

Re: Penny tax shines at ballot box story, March 14

Penny's approval was no mandate

I can't believe your headline could call the vote for Penny for Pinellas "shiny" when only 16 percent of the registered voters voted and many likely didn't know what they were voting for.

You obviously missed the fact that money from builders and contractors and tax dollars from our county government only provided the voters with one side of the story.

You also neglected to mention that there were many city and county employees who probably voted for the tax extension and that many of them voted during their work hours while driving government vehicles.

A thinking person might conclude there were obvious conflicts of interest; and you chose to ignore these rather significant facts.

Methinks the vote was tilted a bit. Even with the odds stacked against them, 42 percent of those who voted were not fooled by this subtle con job!

I hope our public officials don't think this was a mandate.

Jim Harpham, Palm Harbor

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 20, 2007, 22:53:13]