Today's Letters: What tougher standards?

In a Times article on Dec. 3, (County shifts on proposed sinkhole rule) it says our county commissioners could have stopped new construction from being built on sinkhole-prone land in Pasco, however they choose the side of the developers. No surprise there. Instead of requiring testing they will only be required to file an engineer's report.

At a commission meeting I attended last year, there was an engineer who explained how easy it is for developers to engineer shop until they found an engineer to their liking. So why is there no required testing before they build? According to my notes from the meeting, the developers said it adds to the cost of building for the homeowner somewhere between $600 and $3,000, depending on what tests were required.

Looking at the flip side, now that most Pasco residents covered by Citizens had their sinkhole coverage "automatically" dropped, paying the additional amount could potentially save homeowners tens of thousands of dollars of non-catastrophic sinkhole losses.

On Dec. 6, Pasco County's legislative delegation supported a bill that would require tougher standards for home foundations. Here's my question: If our county commissioners lowered the potential standards for the developers, what are the tougher standards they are talking about?

I have searched high and low and can find no information made available to the public on this bill. I would like information on this bill and find out what exactly is it doing for the people of this county.

As for our commissioners, shame on you for siding again with the developers. I am always amazed that our elected officials seem to always go in favor of big business, whether it be an insurance company cutting coverage or developers getting restrictions lowered so they can continue business as usual.

Follow the money. You don't think that insurance companies and developers give money to our elected officials so they can help the people, do you?

Ginny Stevans, HAC Florida Inc., New Port Richey

Crime in Holiday is shocking

I read the crime report in the paper. What on God's Earth is happening to our little town of Holiday and the surrounding towns?

Don't people work for a living anymore? Do you have to steal from senior citizens and the hard-working people? I'm so ashamed of the heartless, lazy robbers. We were raised to honor thy neighbor, not steal from them.

The victims are someone's parents or grandparents. Would you want that to happen to your family?

Yes, I also was robbed.

Nancy Lee Pickron,Holiday

Government, stay out of our sex lives

I think Pasco County should lay off Club Elite and any adult establishment. I do not go to these places, but I do think the county should let them have their businesses.

They are not hurting anybody. They cater to certain people and if you don't like strip clubs or swingers clubs, then don't go there. If people are nude or having sex in these places, so what? What two consenting adults do is their business, not the county's or government's.

Leave the adult establishments alone and keep the government out of our sex lives.

Robert Lewis,Port Richey

Judicial system to blame for crime

It is not the fault of the Pasco County Sheriffs Office for the growing crime and I-don't-care attitude. It is our judicial system. Officers can arrest these criminals, but it is up to the state attorney's office and the judges to lock them up.

I know of one individual who has 14 felony accounts against him (a gun charge and possession and sale of cocaine) and is he playing the system. He always postpones his court date, giving him more time on the streets to sell his drugs and act like a punk.

My son is in prison and taking his sentence like a man, unlike most criminals. Prison has done a lot of good for my son and I am glad to see that it has given him a chance to take a good look at what he did, and I have seen a changed man. I hope this letter gets through to the judges and state attorney that Pasco County needs a better system and lock them up like my son.

Marilyn Elliott, New Port Richey

Ex-city attorney's son to run for mayor Jan. 24, story

Professionalism exists on council

I did not mean to imply that it is necessary to bring professionalism to the City Council. Unfortunately, that made it sound as though I had implied that the current council is unprofessional, which is not the case. I think that professionalism already exists, and that our current mayor, Dan Tipton, has represented the city very well. In my news release, I offered praise of Mayor Tipton.

On the subject of Main Street Landing, I did not indicate that I would have voted to approve "roughly $6.7-million in bond financing costs" at the request of the Main Street Landing Developers. The issue voted on at that meeting was simply whether or not to authorize the city manager to accept the application of Main Street Landing and enter discussions to explore solutions, including the use of future tax revenue by setting up a special taxing district.

So, yes, I would have voted with the minority to get the city and developer back to the table and accept the application. However, it was premature to consider any specific financial proposals without a considerable amount of additional data and analysis.

Scott McPherson, New Port Richey

[Last modified January 26, 2008, 22:29:14]