Column

Private event dishes on tax issues, reforms

By JEFF WEBB
Published August 10, 2007

When it comes to government, I like mine lean and well done, served with a heaping helping of efficiency and a generous side of compassion. For dessert, I like it topped off with a juicy slice of accountability and a piping hot cup of imagination.

I don't like a bunch of seasoning that hides or overwhelms the flavor. I also don't like it when the chef takes shortcuts in preparation. And I certainly don't want any fat.

But most of all, I don't want someone else ordering for me, or presuming they know my tastes.

That's why I plan to attend "An Evening of Change" tonight at the Silverthorn Country Club. There apparently is something cooking that involves my tax money - yours, too - and I want to make sure I'm familiar with the ingredients, the chefs and their recipe.

This is a private, invitation-only event, which I normally would pass up because I try to steer clear of activities that aren't open to the public. And I would not have been invited to this one if not for the fact the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce invited all its members, and the Times has been in that category for about 35 years.

So, I'm making an exception for this private event because it is one that, if it gains momentum, might have a direct effect on everyone who lives in this county.

This is what we know about what's on the menu tonight. It is billed as a "presentation in seminar format" and is being orchestrated by Blaise Ingoglia, a Hernando County businessman and sometimes professional poker player. It is a sneak preview of several similar presentations scheduled for the next couple of weekends at Silverthorn and the Palace Grand in Spring Hill.

Depending on to whom you talk, Ingoglia has the tentative backing, or at least the good wishes, of the chamber of commerce, the Hernando Builders Association, and another business-oriented group, Hernando Progress.

Ingoglia has dubbed his venture "Government Gone Wild." If one makes the natural connection to the sleazy late-night commercials for the video series Girls Gone Wild, it is reasonably safe to assume that something will be exposed at this seminar. According to Ingoglia, it will be the "wasteful spending of county government," although he specified that only the County Commission, not the School Board and constitutional officers, will be under his microscope.

The seminar also will be an opportunity for tax reform activists to echo their plea for lower taxes, Ingoglia said, adding that this is a nonpartisan endeavor. "We won't get political," he said. "If we did, we'd have to form a PAC (political action committee)."

Ingoglia promised that this is "all about providing the public with factual information." That is an admirable pursuit. But one has to anticipate this presentation will have a definite spin on those facts, one that, say, the County Commission, might dispute.

It will be up to residents who attend the forums or read about them in this newspaper to determine where the spin ends and the truth settles.

But no matter who is talking about cutting the fat, remember this: It must be done carefully, so as not to waste the meaty parts.

And whatever winds up being served, has to appeal to everyone at the table, not just those whose palates are trained for special interests.

Jeff Webb can be reached at webb@sptimes.com and (352) 754-6123.

[Last modified August 10, 2007, 08:01:00]