Today's Letters: Creativity needed to solve road woes

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published August 23, 2007

I was shocked to read the Pasco County commissioners are looking into a toll lane for Interstate 75. Why can't we push our representatives in Washington to add extra lanes and not put up tollbooths like I-75 from Lake City to Wildwood? Talk about Hillsborough County being creative by looking into a toll booth on Bruce B. Downs and County Line road!

In the 1980s, Jacksonville built a toll road to relieve traffic on Beach Boulevard No one used the toll road, instead they used toll free Beach Boulevard. The few who could afford the daily $7.50 round-trip fee were not enough to not support the upkeep of the road. In the 1990s they increased the gas tax by a penny and got rid of all tolls bridges and roads. I am not asking to increase the gas tax , but just leave it alone and take the study money to fill in a few more potholes! Now that's creative!

Speaking of roads, we in Wesley Chapel are anxiously awaiting, for two years now, the groundbreaking of the State Road 56 extension.

Raymond, Kobasko, Wesley Chapel

Fiorentino lacks true leadership Aug. 19 letter

FCAT emphasis affects teaching

I am a former student at Ridgewood High School, class of 1993. In (Heather) Fiorentino's brief stint as superintendent, I have not seen many gains in the district (based on the FCAT results). What I have seen is teachers actually alter their classes to teach the FCAT to students. Now with Learning Focus Strategies, teachers will teach based on some so-called expert on student learning? How much did this program cost the district and taxpayers? Did Ms. Fiorentino do her research on how this will affect teachers doing their job?

As I know, a teacher's job is a selfless act of poverty, but let's let the teachers do their job. Teach our children.

Tim Lee, Spring Hill

Tax grab empties people's wallets

I received my notice of proposed taxes and someone has certainly lied, as my taxes didn't decrease, they increased. No one in the county took budget-cutting seriously by trimming the fat in various departments. Everyone just grabbed for more money. This is the second time the people of Florida have been duped. First, it was property insurance, and now taxes.

I have a house the property appraiser claims is worth $143,287 as a market value, but it is a run-down dump and not a pristine home that can fetch top dollar. I am being forced to pay taxes on a pristine house when I don't live in one.

I cannot cut my budget any closer to support the county and it spending spree. I do not use the school system, so why am I taxed heavily for this service? Since I have no children in the school system, my school taxes should be cut in half or eliminated entirely. Then there is the new storm water assessment, another fancy name for a fee.

When the smoke finally clears the people of Pasco County will find out they've been taken to the cleaners and their wallets will be a lot emptier. If the county doesn't see the problems with the amount of foreclosures it has now, just how will they handle the ones that will be coming in the not too distant future?

Valerie Iengo, Port Richey

Store will provide jobs, cheap prices

It is a shame that it has taken years for the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter at Grand Boulevard and State Road 54 in Elfers to be finalized with Pasco County. I have followed this project in the local papers, and I can't wait for it to be finished. I live in Tampa, but work and spend a great deal of time in Elfers.

Not only will this project provide hundreds of much-needed jobs in Elfers, it will also provide the cheaper prices we need.

I recently read that in 2006 Wal-Mart donated over $28,000 in community grants to Pasco County causes, including Health Resource Alliance of Pasco County, East Pasco Meals on Wheels, MADD, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and several Pasco County schools.

Working families know how good Wal-Mart is for our community. I support the proposed super center at Grand Boulevard and State Road 54 and I hope you will too.

Paige Silva, Tampa

[Last modified August 22, 2007, 21:10:27]