Today's Letters: Crist should ask Jim Smith to step down

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published September 19, 2007

Smith sees no reason to quit Sept. 14, story

Pinellas County Property Appraiser Jim Smith is in denial. How can he possibly think that it's fair to ask four times the amount he assessed his property at? His arrogance alone is disgusting, especially at a time when homeowners are being taxed way beyond what most can afford and what is reasonable. Where is his conscience?

I voted for Gov. Charlie Crist because I was confident he would run our state in a fair and balanced way. He should listen to the people who elected him and ask Smith to step down. It won't bring back the $225,000 we already paid, but it will regain some confidence in our government.

Eileen Stafford, St. Petersburg

Cheating ways

Why is it so difficult to see the obvious? Jim Smith either (a) allowed his office to undervalue his own property by 75 percent, thereby cheating the people of the county that he works for out of thousands of dollars every year;

Or (b) he allowed the county to pay four times the value of the property he owned in a business transaction, thereby cheating the people of the county that he works for out of tens of thousands of dollars. It's that simple.

Bill Davis, St. Petersburg

More need ousting

The most recent interview with Pinellas Property Appraiser Jim Smith is amazing. Does he really think he did nothing wrong? If he was "only looking for repairs to his land," then why did he accept the check for the purchase? He should have returned the check to the county and said, "No, I'm only interested in having you repair my land." This man continues to look like the biggest fool ever elected.

Two out of the 10 people involved are gone - well, sort of. Those severance packages have County Administrator Steve Spratt and County Attorney Susan Churuti laughing all the way to the bank. More than $300,000 in severance, and yet the commissioners keep complaining, "Oh, we can't find ways to cut the budget"? Cut those severance packages immediately. They continue to "take care of themselves first" before ever thinking of the taxpayer.

This voter won't be happy until the last eight people are removed from office or I become a county employee with the opportunity to have a severance package of six figures or my house gets bought by the county for five times its value.

Jim Steinle, Clearwater

Spratt steps down in land deal fallout Sept. 12, story

Sweet severance deal

I feel that even though the Jim Smith land deal was a big blunder, the resignation of County Administrator Steve Spratt was certainly well orchestrated.

In Paragraph 6, Section C, Spratt's contract states, "In the event EMPLOYEE shall resign his position as County Administrator, OTHER than circumstances wherein his removal is being sought, or is subject TO BEING SOUGHT, pursuant to the provision next above, then he shall NOT be entitled to any severance compensation, other than accrued vacation and sick leave benefits."

Spratt was careful to submit a statement, not a letter of resignation. He was in effect soliciting the commission to seek his resignation to circumvent this provision of the rule. The commissioners never asked him to resign publicly; they were issuing a reprimand.

His statement read, "Should a majority of the Board exercise paragraph 6b of my employment contract and I suggest they do, I will submit my resignation as County Administrator effective on a date acceptable to the Board. I would hope that this action makes your discussion of the 'reprimand' moot and that you would be willing to formally acknowledge my positive service to the county."

In plain English he is saying: I won't resign unless you ask me to so I can receive the one year of severance pay and then you can write me a glowing letter of recommendation for my resume.

So now, the little piece of swamp land has cost the taxpayers $225,000 to Smith, $223,000 to Spratt and $96,500 to Susan Churuti, for a total of $544,500. Not bad for "access to the preserve and a staging area."

I believe the way this was resolved increased the chasm between county government and the citizens. It was such an obvious set-up. On Election Day, do not forget what has happened.

Angie Weber, St. Petersburg

Assault weapons a growing problem Sept. 15, story

Aim at the criminals

This was one of the most biased articles against guns I have seen from the Times in a while. The title alone seems to blame an inanimate object for the crime problems experienced in Miami.

The criminal, Shawn LaBeet, was not what you would call a law-abiding citizen. According to the article, he stole the identity of a Jacksonville man to purchase the firearms used in the shooting of law officers.

Perhaps there should be a linked database to track stolen identities as part of the standard background check done when buying a firearm. Yes, a background check is required for anyone purchasing a firearm who does not possess a federal firearm license.

Bringing back the assault weapons ban would serve no purpose but to punish the law-abiding gun owners. Let's build on the 10-20-Life law and prosecute these gangs and illegal gun dealers. Only then will you see your crime problems decrease - without removing anyone's constitutional rights.

Craig Smith, Clearwater

Thompson snares invite to gun show Sept. 16, story

Laws are too lax

I find it ironic and disgraceful that in the very week when another Florida police officer falls victim to a thug with an assault weapon that GOP candidate Fred Thompson decides to pay a visit to a Lakeland gun show. Police officers in Florida and the nation are increasingly dying or being wounded by criminals with high-powered weapons, and our would-be leaders pander to adolescents disguised as adults satisfying their Freudian fantasies.

Our gun laws are a joke because people like Thompson, the Bush brothers and other enablers in state legislatures and Congress like to talk about not "restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens" while turning a blind eye to the carnage their policies produce.

And the Second Amendment these folks refer to as if it is part of the New Testament also refers to a "well regulated militia." There is nothing well-regulated about guns in this country.

Thomas Sweeney, Winter Park

Pat Oliphant political cartoonSept. 14

Eloquent art

Pat Oliphant is a genius cartoonist. He really masters the concept that a picture is worth a thousand words. His drawings reinforce my own feelings and take the pain out any very painful subject.

I am going to start a scrapbook.

Luis Gudinio, Tampa

[Last modified September 18, 2007, 21:42:42]