Letters to the Editors

Election year surprise could repair roads

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 19, 2000

Editor: Re: Taxpayers lose when officials play games, April 16 opinion column by Jeff Webb:

Loved the column! It was the best laugh I have had in a long time. Webb certainly is a good game show host and brought out the best in his contestants.

I seem to recall that in May there was a public hearing on a residential road repair bond issue and a proposed increase in taxes to pay for it. Didn't the Good Government League mount a campaign against borrowing the money and raising taxes to pay for the borrowing, saying the money was in the budget? Didn't former County Administrator Bonnie Dyga and Clerk of the Circuit Court Karen Nicolai swear that they were wrong and that every dime of the county budget money was allocated for other uses? They said there was absolutely no extra money in the budget for repairing residential roads. We absolutely had to borrow the money and raise taxes. Wasn't Commissioner Paul Sullivan the strongest proponent of last year's proposal to borrow and raise taxes? Now he wants to give us tax money back? Oops! I forgot it is an election year this year and he's running for re-election.

Commissioner Chris Kingsley, the great mediator, was against the bond issue. He did propose, and get accepted, that there would be no bond issue. However, the current gas tax would be continued at its current level to pay for repairing our roads. He advocated looking further into the budget for extra funds to put into the road repair fund. Now he wants a public swimming pool? Can we drive on a swimming pool?

At this same hearing, Commissioner Bobbi Mills, to her credit, was absolutely against any increase in taxes to pay for road repairs. She did say we needed to look closer at the budget and find the money there for residential road repairs. She was soundly criticized for this deviation in thinking. Ms. Dyga and Mrs. Nicolai insisted the money just wasn't there. I do believe Commissioner Pat Novy was in agreement with Mills and was also vilified. Commissioner Nancy Robinson sat on the fence and waited to see which way the vote seemed to be going before she took a strong stance.

Lo and behold, the tax money fairy has come along and we have $2.9-million extra. Did Dyga leave it in her desk drawer when she left? Do you think the commissioners could get our residential road repair program going again with a healthy infusion of these surplus funds? Last year, we repaired more than 200 miles of roads and this year a meager 50. Either the commissioners are pouting over the road repair bond issue, or repairing our residential roads isn't really their "first priority." Our brilliant commissioners propose one-tenth of these funds for road repairs (remember it is their first priority) and the rest for swimming pools, communications towers, legal bills, etc. How about allocating most of the surplus for residential road repairs this year? We can't drive on swimming pools and towers.

Tax refund? Lower taxes? Oh yes, I almost forgot it is an election year.
-- Gladys Moore, Hernando Beach

Where did surprise surplus funds come from?

Editor: Re: County has unexpected surplus, April 14 Hernando Times:

Wow! We found another multimillion-dollar surplus. How does this happen every year and no one knows where it came from?

Well, I guess we can fix the roads. Or, do we need more laptops?

While I have your attention, how did the Spring Hill Fire and Rescue District let insurance lapse? Don't they get a notice of payment due? I always get one a month ahead.

Don't forget, election time is coming.
-- Clem Johnson, Spring Hill

Time for a precise count of fire vehicles

Editor: I read in the paper that Spring Hill Fire Department has just built a repair building to service its fleet of about 28 vehicles.

As one of many Spring Hill residents paying for the fire department, I would like to know just how many vehicles we own. Now "just about 18." Could it be more or less? Maybe the chief could count them and let us know.
-- William Hughes, Spring Hill

Water park has void without bird shows

Editor: Some time back Weeki Wachee Spring and Buccaneer Bay water park changed owners. Since then the new owners have eliminated the birds of prey and parrot shows, as well as the farm area for children. In their place they have created a used car lot in the parking lot.

This being the only tourist attraction in Hernando County, it does not look good to tourists or anyone who visits the area. I think the county, or whoever controls this type of activity, should see that it ends.
-- Bob Hynes, Weeki Wachee

If incident was at Bubba's it would be on front page

Editor: Re: 3 charged with fighting outside restaurant:

I have just read the April 14 Hernando Times and, lo and behold, on page 7 there is an article about three people arrested for battery, aggravated battery and aggravated assault outside the Taco Bell restaurant on U.S. 19. Fighting and threats with a gun and knife? Come on, in the Times' eyes it only rates page 7? If it was at Planet Bubba it would be front page material and the county commissioners would be involved. But it's not Bubba's, so no harassment is needed. Page 7 is all that is necessary.
-- Bruce Schmitt, Spring Hill

Something's fishy about fishermen's absence

Editor: Re: Meeting probes channel depth, April 15 story by staff writer Jennifer Farrell regarding the proposed dredging of the Hernando Beach channel:

Ms. Farrell quoted Capt. John Saittis as stating that some of the fishermen could not attend the meeting set up by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concerning the dredging of the Hernando Beach channel because they were stranded for nearly four hours after running into shallow water.

Our snowbirds know when not to go to Pine Island for a swim, unless they want to wade all the way to Mexico to find some water, and make their plans accordingly.

Can you possibly believe that these men of the sea do not know their tide table, and because of it missed a meeting so important to their livelihoods?

Ms. Farrell, the meeting was set for 11 a.m., and Hernando Beach's high tide was at 11:01 a.m.

Something smells rotten in Hernando Beach!
-- Ingeborg E. Macci, Hernando Beach

Officials should address Spring Hill road safety

Re: Repeated accidents at Spring Hill Drive and Kass Circle, near Malone Drive, exist and so do others at Kass Circle.

When will those responsible for road safety in this area review and take action to correct the problem? It appears serious accidents occur there about one or more per week.

Enough is enough. There is a solution.
-- Raymond A. Belanger, Spring Hill

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