Today's Letters: Take away auto insurance profits

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published August 9, 2007

Take away auto insurance profits

When all the major home and auto insurers found out that they could not make the amount of profit they wanted from selling homeowners insurance, they decided to drop policies and so Citizens insurance was born. These capitalistic insurers did not drop auto insurance, though. In fact, they advertised their products even more by continually telling how they could discount their product more than the next guy.

Why did they not drop auto insurance also? Because they were making good money on auto insurance. So if money can be made on this product, why couldn't Florida stop these companies from selling auto insurance and create a system for auto insurance like it did with homeowners and Citizens? It would take the profits auto insurers are making and put it into the Florida treasury to help reduce our tax and other problems.

Raymond W. Snow, New Port Richey

Fees bite into tax savings Aug. 5 story

Fee is another name for a tax

I get the impression that the people who are in charge of this tax cut proposal think the people in general are morons. Well, guess what? We're not.

You have cut the taxes and are now going to charge fees. A fee is just another name for tax, so why don't you just leave the taxes alone!

Maureen Dunphy, Port Richey

Stray cats, dogs serve a purpose

To feed or not to feed? What are you (never "we") going to do about the stray or feral cats and dogs roaming the neighborhoods? Before we tackle that problem, I think we should tackle the rat problem.

Oh. There's no rat problem? Do you think maybe it is because the feral cats and dogs keep the rats, mice and other pests in check? Be careful what you ask for.

I have had two dogs in the past 26 years, and was bitten by both. We often read of people, children and adults, being attacked and bitten by the pets of others. But, I have not been, or read of anyone else being attacked or bitten by a feral cat or dog.

Some complain of dog or cat waste in their yard. From my observations, the complainers are seldom in their yards anyway. And, one good rain will break up the waste into fertilizer and grow beautiful grass.

Alfred J. D'Amario, Hudson

Folks are barking up the wrong tree

I am curious about the pet issue in New Port Richey. Does it only include cats and dogs? If my dog has eight puppies, can I be fined or arrested? Are four pit bulls equal to four chihuahuas? How about hunting dogs? What's the limit for tropical fish, or for fish tanks? Or gallons of tank water? Is there an iguana limit? How about chimpanzees? Birds? Bird-feeders? Pigeon coops? Snakes? Gerbils? Tarantulas? Aardvarks? Turtles or tortoises? Ant farms? Pigs?

If I have a pond, are all the residents considered my pets? If my pets spend half their time with my ex, do they have an official residence? If I have 10 pets when the ordinance is passed, are my animals grandfathered in? What if five of those pets are pregnant, are the soon-to-be-born pets grandfathered in? How about their descendants?

If people have too many pets, are you going to kill the innocent animals, or merely incarcerate them? The proposed law seems impossible to interpret, let alone enforce, and will certainly waste a lot of valuable court time.

New Port Richey, you folks appear to be barking up the wrong tree.

Jamie Chastain, Winter Haven

Feeding is a sign of compassion

Much wildlife habitation has been destroyed for commercial profit and now it is time to turn on the tame animals in the neighborhood, which need human assistance to survive. I wonder, will songbirds be next on the list?

In 18 years in the area, I have never met a feral cat or a dangerous raccoon or possum. But, I have seen a lot of humans abusing animals. Those are the creatures the City Council needs to be concerned about.

The public comments by the city, some of it derogatory such as City Attorney Tom Morrison's remark about the "crazy cat lady" has another side effect of encouraging senior abuse. Granted, some cat feeders have a mental illness, but so do some public officials. Mental illness is non-discriminatory and does not always affect one's judgment or decision-making.

People who feed strays are people who care about animals and nature and are distressed by human indifference to the animals' plight.

Often senior citizens or disabled living on a small budget are unable to provide volunteer services to other people. Therefore, their charitable feelings are directed toward strays and other animals. They are the people in our community, lucky for us, who realize there is a purpose and value in life other than accumulation of money.

There are health benefits to being a care-giver of animals that are recognized by the medical profession, including the reduction of stress, depression and loneliness in adults. Caring for animals helps young people develop compassion, selflessness, patience and even improves parenting skills. Children can practice kindness, develop self-confidence and learn to appreciate other living creatures. Why would we not want people to have these experiences?

Doris Lee, New Port Richey

Editor's note: Tuesday night, the New Port Richey City Council approved its updated animal ordinance, but killed the controversial provisions that limiting pet ownership to three per household and prohibited feeding stray and wild animals.

[Last modified August 8, 2007, 20:08:26]