Letters to the Editors

VFW post seeks gifts after break-in

© St. Petersburg Times,
published May 31, 2001

Editor: In the years of service I and the membership have given to this Veterans of Foreign Wars post and community, never have we been insulted to this degree. We are so disheartened. On Monday, May 21, our post was once again robbed. The post wall was ruined and the safe was wheeled out, as well as other things stolen.

The thief stole the money of widows, orphans, disabled men and women. You cared nothing for the sick but you just ripped out the heart of those who would have given if you had the need. We would have never asked any questions; you only needed to ask. The theft we will make up. The insult is just too much, and our penance is not at our hand.

The thief did this just before Memorial Day and dishonored the memory of the dead. I have thoughts, but I must keep them close to my breast as I lead. Whoever stole the thousands know children are now reduced, the sick will go unseen, and the widows are in a worse position because of what you have done. As commander, I ask anyone who knows who did this to call me at (727) 376-3502.

For those who care, we ask one more time that you let me leave office with the help of a contribution. Anything would help relieve this long road we now have to travel.
-- Robert E. Olson, commander VFW Post 7987, New Port Richey

Reassign deputy to make roads safer

Editor: Deputy Morrison obviously can't obey traffic laws, yet he is supposed to enforce them?

Why does Sheriff White keep deputies with habitual traffic citations? It was my understanding that the county runs random motor vehicle checks on county employees but apparently this is not the case of Pasco County deputies. Deputy Morrison feels he can "cruise" around like a NASCAR driver. Sheriff White should assign Deputy Morrison to the communications center, since it is 17 people short. This would make the roads a little safer!
-- Don Parent, New Port Richey

Pasco puts horse before the cart

Editor: Pinellas County approved just 660 single-family homes, three apartment complexes and two duplexes in all of last year.

Pasco County administration and commissioners approved 3,210 single and multifamily permits.

According to a 1998 Oregon State study, the rule of thumb is that for each new 750-unit, single-family subdivision that is approved, approximately 500 new school-age children can be expected.

If we do the math, that tells us that with Pasco County approving 3,210 single and multifamily homes, our schools must handle a flood of approximately 2,140 new schoolchildren in just one year.

Pasco County has the equivalent of nine schools' population of children in portable classrooms.

Even the highly touted Meadow Pointe has portables sitting beside its new school, Sand Pine Elementary.

The $1,694 impact fee for school approved 5-0 by our county commissioners should bring in about $4-million annually, and that will pay for just half of a new elementary school. Middle and high school costs are much higher.

At the present time, our school population is growing at a rate of two to three schools per year. So each time our county approves another development it is very quickly and profoundly changing the quality of education and the potential of our very dedicated teachers to even cope with state standards.

According to the Oregon infrastructure summary, a typical single-family home costs: school facilities, $11,809; sewage, $1,660; transportation, $4,430; water, $2,279; parks and support, $2,915; stormwater drainage, $485; fire protection, $298; and libraries, $441. That is a total infrastructure cost of $24,765 for one single-family home.

To date, our county has approved approximately 115,000 homes that are yet to be built.

Even if by some miracle (perhaps a 200-year drought?) our county imposed a moratorium on new permits, we have at the present time already doubled our current county's population.

Each and every resident is subsidizing new growth by paying higher and higher taxes. Is Pasco County putting the cart before the horse?

Got roads? Got schools? Got water?
-- Edward Moore, Land O'Lakes

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