Today's Letters: Make leaders more responsible

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published August 21, 2007

Plain facts about property taxes and the budget Aug. 20 guest column

Hernando County Administrator Gary Kuhl wrote: "Further, the board has minimal authority over the constitutional officers' budgets. These include the sheriff, clerk of courts, supervisor of elections, tax collector and property appraiser. The Board of County Commissioners has requested the constitutional officers' cooperation in meeting our budget reduction needs, and they have been responsive."

I long have wondered why county commissioners do not partition every constitutional officer's budget into a separate municipal services taxing unit based upon ad valorem assessments. In preference to a municipal services benefit unit, which would apply the same tax amount to all. Thus, come election time, each of these individuals could be held directly accountable to the voter, rather than having their numbers absorbed into the overall county projections.

When I have asked, of those who should know, the answer gets into fuzzy-speak. This is simply not an acceptable response. The concept of direct accountability, by functional entity, is very attractive and should not be impeded by bureaucratic convention.

Chris Lloyd, Lecanto

Bill of Rights never expires Aug. 14 letter

Don't forget true intent on guns

As usual, proponents on one side of an issue give only the facts that benefit their argument. The referenced letter is a perfect example.

The writer states, "The Second Amendment clearly states: 'The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.' " Sorry, but the amendment begins, "In order to maintain a well-regulated militia."

The founding fathers were very careful in their wording of the Constitution and those first eight words of the Second Amendment have meaning. To paraphrase former Chief Justice Warren Burger, how can a government regulate a militia if its members are not allowed to keep and bear arms? If Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, et al, wanted all citizens to keep and bear arms, they would have simply stated that.

Given this country's abysmal record on gun-related deaths vs. other industrial nations that have stricter gun-control laws, perhaps the founding fathers worded that amendment correctly.

James A. Somma, New Port Richey

[Last modified August 20, 2007, 21:00:41]