Today's Letters: Finance director needs to change

Re: School accounts still flawed Nov. 6 story

It is appalling that the director of finance for Hernando County public schools cannot be bothered to implement the recommendations for internal control made by the auditor. What in the world is she thinking?

There are several reasons for implementing better controls: First, residents have the right to know where their dollars come from, how they are managed, and how they are spent. This is the very least that can be expected from public officials.

Second, most people who handle these funds for individual schools are honest. A proper system of accounting for all receipts and expenditures with appropriate separation of functions for internal control protects these people from being wrongly accused of mishandling funds. We owe these people this much.

Third, we do have people who are tempted. Internal controls cannot prevent crooks from dishonest conduct any more than locks prevent thieves from breaking and entering. Locks do help honest people remain honest.

Fourth, every community is faced with people who embezzle funds entrusted to them. It happens in church, Scouts, athletic clubs and schools. Effective internal controls cannot prevent embezzlement, but often make timely detection possible so as to limit the damage. Few organizations are able to recoup all the funds that are stolen; thus, prevention is the best policy.

If the finance director finds numbered receipts inconvenient, it is incumbent upon her to find an alternative method that accomplishes the same objective. It is not acceptable simply to do nothing. Our elected School Board needs to demand something better than this.

C.D. Chamberlain, Spring Hill

Re: Critics still squawk about dead seagullNov. 10 story

Gull lover should calm down a bit

Another front page story about a dead seagull? As an animal lover I can relate to Mike Laplante having his feathers ruffled over the incident. However, calling a radio show twice, and the newspapers, and vowing not to back off? Calm down, sir; there's no need to run around like a chicken with its head ... er, never mind.

Evidently one of two things occurred here. Either county employee Buzz Livingston had no intention of harming the bird, or he did it with malice and has to live with himself for being cruel. Luckily, there's no shortage of seagulls, as usually when one dies 4,000 come to the funeral. Let's look at the overall picture. What happened wasn't pleasant, but in the "pecking" order of worries in life, there are bigger fish to fry. (Please no letters from fish lovers.)

One more very important point may have been overlooked here. How do we know Buzz is not short for the nickname Buzzard? He may well be Buzzard Livingston, a close relative of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and feels worse than any of us.

Gene Huber, Spring Hill

Teacher raise practice unfair

The 5.5 percent proposed raise in teachers' salaries is a good deal if it were true for all teachers. This pay raise does not mean all teachers will receive a 5.5 percent increase, since it is not across the board.

The teachers union is permitted to divvy the monies up the way it sees fit (which means some teachers will receive only a 1 percent increase, while others may get an 8 percent increase). This is an unfair practice.

I would like to see a contract signed by all teachers when hired that gives the union the right to divvy up a pay raise based on years of service, etc., rather than an across-the-board raise.

One of the reasons Hernando County has one of the lowest-paid beginning teachers salaries and is unable to keep all teachers happy and willing to stay in the county system is because of the above-mentioned unfair practice. If all teachers are doing the same "professional" job, all should be equally compensated with a 5.5 percent raise across the board.

Furthermore, we certainly don't need a superintendent who feels if our teachers are not happy with their increase, they can go to Pasco County.

Teachers of Hernando County, wake up.

Ted Gembicki, Hernando

50/50 fundraiser should be legal

There's something very wrong and contradictory when we have a Florida Lottery where thousands, if not millions, of people engage in gambling every day, and an Indian reservation that takes in millions of dollars every month that now has the blessing of our governor to bring in more types of gambling tables, yet charitable fund-raisers are illegal.

I would hope enough caring people contact their state representatives to change this law and allow popular fundraising activities such as 50/50 at charitable functions. People who attend these various events are there to support the organization and not specifically to gamble.

I also wish more effort would be channeled into the enforcement of illegal fireworks rather than the time, manpower, and cost to taxpayers expended in blocking charitable fundraising events.

Noreen Loupis,New Port Richey

[Last modified November 19, 2007, 20:36:31]