Today's Letters: Private utilities no longer needed

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published June 29, 2007

I totally support the county commissioners' proposal of buying the private utilities still in existence.

The private utilities of today are an anachronism. Once upon a time they were necessary to provide water in a desolate area with little civilization. Now that the population of Pasco County has increased exponentially, it's time for the private utilities to fold their tents and drift away.

For those willing to sell at a fair price, they will see a nice profit and can go on. For those that ask an exorbitant price or refuse to sell, the time for eminent domain has come. In the past, juries would have awarded excessive money for putting the companies out of business. That was before it became so well-known to the general population that other citizens were not able to obtain water that was not black or foul-smelling and that some even had to put up with cesspools in their streets. I don't think today's juries would be as sympathetic to private utilities as they had been in the past.

Thanks to Commissioner Ann Hildebrand for bringing up the subject of utility purchase in May and to Commissioner Michael Cox for speaking so eloquently about it at the meeting in June. This is an action whose time has come.

Donna Vaurio, Trinity

Telephone book recycling success

As president of the R.E.S.O.R.C.E. Recycling Club, Inc., I would like to take to say thank you to all the businesses and individuals that have helped out tremendously to make our second annual telephone directory recycling campaign a success.

As our collection week winds down (Saturday will be the last weekend for it) we want to thank Home Depot, Publix, Richey Racquetball, Oakview Terrace Assisted Living, the Verizon store in Gulf View Square mall and especially Stop-n-Play for their great advertising of this collection drive on their marquee and the free token given out. It worked wonders and was very generous!

This was very much a group effort, and by all accounts, the collection container over at the main county complex, donated by Accurate Waste, shows the results. By the end of the first weekend it was already one-third full! In our eyes, this does prove that, if given the opportunity, Pasco County residents will gladly recycle! Thanks again to all involved and for more information, visit our Web site at www.resource.net or call 857-0039.

Monica Dear, New Port Richey

Bill safeguards rights of disabled

Closing of the state centers without notification to families by state agencies prompted legislation known as SB 402 and House companion bill HB 127.

After much discussion, families and guardians turned to Sen. Mike Fasano and his chief of staff Greg Giordano to raise awareness about certain shortcomings and inequities faced by families of individuals with developmental disabilities and mental retardation, including concerns for those 14, 000-plus on the waiting list for critical services, some for many years, and others residing in state centers and private residential centers.

Sen. Fasano's bill sees that the rights of residential choice of families and guardians as primary decisionmakers are protected by legislation so as to give them a voice in decisionmaking processes.

Families and individuals are presently being denied this right here in Florida and many other states. However, they no longer will be in Florida if this bill passes next year. Presently state agencies make the decision as to where and with whom the individual lives, often without that individual and/or his or her family being involved in the decisionmaking process, and where other decisionmakers often failed to choose the right place to fit individuals' unique needs. This often causes great harm, stunts their future development or impedes medical advancement - and at times causes unnecessary deaths.

We must remember that this population, unlike the majority of us, faces a spectrum of challenges as related to their normal world. Some are much different in life needs, while others can thrive in more conventional social settings.

Despite ridicule and counter-lobbying by some agencies and individuals and other zealous opponents, Sen. Fasano persevered with this legislation as he saw the pronounced need to legislate those rights not being protected by current mechanisms. It was by working with Mr. Giordano that together we were able to write this historic and extraordinary legislation known as SB 402 and its companion HB 127, sponsored by Rep. Peter Nehr, who also has a longtime commitment helping this concerned population.

This year was a work in progress with the legislative committees and next year we can expect SB 402 to become law to provide that nothing will be done with out first acknowledging that families and guardians as stakeholders are the primary decisionmakers for their child or family member.

Edward A. Carraway, Supporters of Residential Choice DSI Supporters Inc., Fernandina Beach

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[Last modified June 28, 2007, 21:54:56]