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Today's Letters: Residents luckier than they realize

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published April 11, 2007

Re: What would you choose to give up to get tax relief? Diane Steinle column, April 8

As a proud city of Clearwater employee and previous resident of Clearwater, I would just like to tell the citizens of Clearwater to be careful what you wish for!

We all know it is time to tighten our belts, buckle down and cut the fat out of government spending in order to get some well-deserved relief to the citizens that we serve.

I am, however, concerned over some of the proposed items that would be cut from the city budget. I have recently moved from Clearwater to Pasco County and the differences are vast, to say the least!

It upsets me to hear how spoiled the citizens of Clearwater have become, especially when I can see a huge difference in parks and services available compared to Pasco County residents.

As Clearwater city employees, we take pride in the beautiful landscaping, pristine ballfields, state of the art recreation centers and library facilities, public art, code enforcement, neighborhood involvement, traffic calming, special events, numerous parks and trails and the many other facilities and services that we maintain for our citizens and tourists.

For years, we have listened to our residents and provided them with the facilities and services they desired. Now, when we hit a bump in the road, they turn their back on us and will watch as this fine city makes some tough choices that will directly affect our lives and theirs - more than they will ever know.

Please be very careful what you wish for, and think long and hard before you decide what you would give up for tax relief.

Kim Feeney, Holiday

Re: What would you choose to give up to get tax relief?

Volunteers could serve council well

You asked for recommendations for tax relief in your very interesting and timely column. My suggestions are:

1) Use compensatory time off rather than pay overtime. Or you could structure it so you can only receive cash for up to eight hours of overtime in any pay period of up to two weeks. If you have more than eight hours, you get comp time.

2) City Council positions would be unpaid voluntary positions, as they are in many towns. This makes a lot of sense, especially if you look at Clearwater Beach and the mess the mayor and council have made of "Beach (Disaster) by Design" - the lack of parking plans, tourist inconveniences, schedule delays, and the short-sighted giveaways to developers. They should pay back the taxpayers for their incompetence and mess. They are true amateurs on a rubber stamp council.

There are many retired and semi-retired executives with very successful track records and expertise that could fill those positions competently on a volunteer basis. Compared to what we have now, it has to be a vast improvement!

T. Burke, Clearwater

Re: What would you choose to give up to get tax relief?

Paper isn't seeing the whole picture

This column, under the guise of a request for opinions, illustrates the insidious bias toward spending that exists not only in local government, but at the Times.

For example, according to the Times, "older residents have been asking for" a senior center that would replace a private facility. But it is government - at a time when increased property taxes are negatively affecting the ability of many more Clearwater residents, property owners and renters to live and own in Clearwater - that must not only build it, but then support its existence with full-time employees, maintenance staff and ever increasing insurance.

Was there a referendum on this issue I missed? Most Clearwater Budget Task Force members are seniors, but they unanimously voted against the senior center's construction.

And where do you build it? The greatest problem for many seniors is transportation. Why not conduct senior programs in the more accessible existing recreation facilities in the neighborhoods at Countryside, Morningside, Ross Norton, North Greenwood, the Long Center and the beach, or does the Times advocate for a transportation system to this new facility?

Did the Times even read the vehicle study addendum that indicated a 30 percent cut in police vehicles is prudent without affecting patrols or manpower? Although debatable, is this an example of sacrosanct budget necessity?

And why should the city pay rent for a location for a beach library when there is an under-utilized recreation building down the street that can be expanded for which no rent will ever have to be paid?

The Times emphasizes the hurt to city employees, but fails to mention that many of those recommendations for cuts are subject to collective bargaining and would act to cap increases, not cut current benefits immediately.

And the Times fails to recognize that city employees are also suffering as a result of continual tax increases. It chooses to ignore that future city employees won't have the benefit of years of the Save Our Homes cap that allows many the low tax basis on their homes, which insulates them and many others, including our government officials, from the inequitable tax burden that currently exists for everyone else. Additional government funding has come from increased real estate values in the past five years. That party is over, with the partygoers running for the exits. Tax increases and insurance increases have already killed the "golden goose."

We can choose to look at the issue without alarmist demagoguery and deal with the problem we confront together, as a community willing to concentrate on needs, not wants, or like this editorial, we can remain in denial until the whole house of cards topples down on us.

The Budget Task Force unanimously chose prudent responsibility, with the emphasis on caps, not cutbacks. I'm proud to have served on it. At the least, look at its recommendations honestly and fully without prejudice.

Martin Altner, Clearwater

Re: What would you choose to give up to get tax relief?

Spend money on things that matter

One of my pet peeves is taking our hard-earned tax dollars and spending it on pork projects which actually only benefit a select group of people.

Warm, fuzzy, feel-good projects like playgrounds, pet parks, etc. - and maybe even boat slips, too (even though the boat slips managed to slip through in this last election) - are always helpful to politicians looking for votes, but not what I would consider to be essential to the growth of the community.

And by the way, on the subject of fireworks, I for one would be ever so grateful to put an end to the shooting off of fireworks after a concert has been completed at Coachman Park. I have been awakened and frightened one too many times to the sound of fireworks bursting in the air, which sound too much like bombs.

In any case, it will be interesting to see just what our elected officials will do with all of our suggestions regarding what and what not to do with our tax dollars.

JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater

Re: What would you choose to give up to get tax relief?

It's spend now, worry later

City and county commissioners remind me of people I have worked with in the past. We would be working 50-plus hours a week for a long time. The workers would adapt their budgets to their current income instead of realizing that someday the overtime may not be there.

Elected officials for the most part will spend every dime available without looking at the future. After all, it's not their money.

Don Mott, Largo

Correction

The City of Clearwater pays $60,000 a year to lease a storefront for the Clearwater Beach branch library. Tuesday's editorial was incorrect on that point.

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 April 10, 2007, 23:02:32]