Letters to the Editors

Supporter of mayor undergoes a change of heart

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 6, 2000

Re: Lawyer questions need for manager, July 28 story.

I'm a 37-year-old, college-educated wife, mother, business woman and concerned citizen who has voted in every election. I am not a member of any special interest group and am not a Scientologist. I have continually worked to educate myself about the issues facing Clearwater by getting the facts, not the spin, and take my role as a citizen seriously.

I am embarrassed to say that I avidly supported and voted for Brian Aungst to become our mayor. However, this is what I've learned and experienced the last 18-plus months:

The mayor has turned out to be a condescending bully who now makes three years seem like an eternity. He seems to take every opportunity to put people down rather than pull the city together -- just watch him run a commission meeting.

The mayor, more than former City Manager Mike Roberto, has caused the city's division by his aggressive behavior and by saying things like "my support base is in Countryside" while consistently not respecting those with different opinions. Mayor Aungst exemplifies the risk of a strong-mayor form of government. Political special interests, of which lawyer Tim Johnson who proposed this idea is one, don't want ordinary citizens slowing things down. While democracy may be inefficient, I don't want to live in a monarchy under King Aungst or anyone else, thank you. I'm thankful with every new issue that we have four other commissioners to also represent us.
-- Cyndee Haydon, Clearwater

City manager government is best for Clearwater

Re: Reform proposal may be ill-timed, July 30 column.

I think you are 100 percent right and this is no time to try to change the way City Hall runs Clearwater.

Why would anyone make the effort to run for mayor of Clearwater after all the criticism the manager, commissioners and the mayor have just been dealt in this last referendum?

If we had a strong mayor who made all the decisions, instead of a city manager who has to get the approval of the mayor as well as the commissioners, the poor guy would end up with all the headaches instead of it being shared with his staff.

As to the blame for the failed referendum, it was not Roberto's fault any more than anyone else's. And the mayor and commissioners did what was right. When they tried time after time to get Roberto's cooperation and failed, they did ask him to resign. He was a hard worker, but also a very determined person and that's not always a good trait when working with several others.

Can you imagine if Roberto had been the mayor and had the whole ball of wax in his hand?

Naturally, Tim Johnson and his partner Ed Armstrong would want one mayor to contend with, instead of five additional people, when trying to negotiate a deal for their clients.

No one and no city government group is perfect, but I think Clearwater still needs the whole crew at City Hall making the decisions. At least the citizens can voice their opinion on most issues before the commission actually takes a vote.
-- Fran Glaros, Clearwater

Now is the time for Clearwater to build downtown library

One can still hear divisive and negative comments from people who were on either side of the downtown Clearwater redevelopment issue. Clearly, all of us who voted care about the future of downtown Clearwater. We just have different ideas as to what the future should be and how it should be achieved.

The time has come for us to put our differences aside, to meet on a common ground, to pool our efforts, our resources, our ideas and to move forward. I would suggest the common ground be on the southwest corner of Drew Street and Osceola Avenue.

The time has come for a new main library. We have an opportunity to create a standalone, signature building reflecting our city's commitment to family, education, community and quality of life. In doing so, we also have an opportunity to draw our community together.

The commissioners have an opportunity to show the citizens of Clearwater that they are listening (we have voted on three separate occasions to build a new main library). The commission, through the new main library project, can begin to establish trust and integrity with the citizenry.

The time is now. We should not let this opportunity slip by.
-- Judy Melges, Clearwater

Referendum again proves people want new library

Clearwater's July 11 referendum concerning the library did get a majority vote. Many of us voted for Pennies for Pinellas primarily to help fund a new library. Yet, I read in the Times several of our city commissioners commented the city may lack the money (where did those pennies go?) and the desire (too evident in the past) to proceed in building a new main library.

I understand their disappointment but hope when they consider everything they will recognize we still do very much desire that long-promised new main library.
-- Madelyn Lawson, Clearwater

New leadership is needed to rebuild city's downtown

The citizens of Clearwater have lost complete confidence in the current board of commissioners who we know to be incompetent -- guilty of squandering millions of taxpayer dollars frivolously. The entire board should resign now if they got the message.

Yes, let us start clean. We the citizens of Clearwater are interested in progress including the rebuilding of the downtown area, but with a make-sense plan headed by a group of responsible, knowledgeable leaders.
-- Vincent G. Marotti, Clearwater

Maybe it's just a matter of hot air after all

I believe the Clearwater taxpayers should spend all available money to build a giant tumbleweed and have Save the Bayfront folks use their hot air to blow it through town.
-- Don Flynn, Palm Harbor

Rail system could alleviate beach traffic problems

We just got back from vacation and now I appreciate how the traffic problems we have here at Clearwater Beach compare to the Boston area. The traffic there was horrific. It either was at an almost dead stand-still or a desperate pace where aggressive driving was the rule, not the exception.

We were there vacationing with our son and his family and we discovered the best way to get around was the subway system, which also acted like a unirail train above the river. It got us quickly and carefree to each of our destinations.

It made me think how great a unirail system would be for an area like Clearwater Beach. I think we'd solve a lot of Clearwater's problems if we built a unirail or trolley system and outlawed cars on Clearwater Beach (except for beach residents, who could get a magnetic sticker for their car). It would also cut down on pollution and crime and would put us in the 21st century.

What about it? I'd rather spend our tax dollars alleviating problems like this, and solve problems before they are totally out of control.
-- Dave Clark, Clearwater

Special wheelchairs available to make beaches accessible

In response to the letter about the inadequacy of beach access for the handicapped, I want to call attention to Clearwater Beach, where special wheelchairs are available to the handicapped, free of charge. These chairs are available at the lifeguard station on Clearwater Beach. These chairs will take the individual to the water's edge and can be returned to the lifeguard station.

The use of a boardwalk to the water is not feasible since sand would cover the boardwalk due to the wind blowing the sand.

Clearwater has made great strides in making changes to help those physically challenged, the hard of hearing and the blind.
-- Dorothy E. Rogers, Clearwater

Residents shouldn't have to pay for street lights they don't have

Re: Street-light fee puts some in dark mood, July 14 story.

It is time for the Pinellas County commissioners to get real. They are asking for a 6 percent tax to be added to every residential electric bill for people who reside in the county.

I live on a street where we have street lights. Each resident pays $12 a year to Florida Power Corp. for this service. The average electric bill for residents on our street is $100 per month on even billing. A 6 percent tax could cost us $72 a year.

The average home on the street is appraised at $100,000. With the homestead exemption, that leaves the appraised value at $75,000. If the property tax is increased by 25 cents per $1,000, that is an increase of $18.75 on the average property tax.

It has taken over a year to get one traffic light installed on 113th Street at the post office. How many years will it take to get street lights installed by Florida Power Corp. (which, by the way, will do it at its convenience on its timetable)?

If the commission is bent on lighting up the county, let the residents start to pay for street lighting as work on their street is completed by adding the 25 cents per $1,000 to their tax bill. This way, the taxpayer will not be paying for lights that might not be installed for 20 years.

The commissioners are waving a decrease in property tax in the face of the property owner only to add a "fee," i.e., a tax, to your utility bill. I wonder how much Florida Power will charge the county for collecting the tax.
-- Lawrence Bredestege, president, Bay Ridge Terrace Civic Association, Seminole

Proposed tax is unfair to unincorporated areas

Our county commissioners usually seem to do a very conscientious job, but lately they have turned over a different page.

Our leaders are about to accept a proposal to impose a 6 percent tax or fee on all persons in the unincorporated areas. Have they forgotten that people usually have moved to this area to avoid some taxes and accept lower services or because they are unable to pay the taxes imposed by the cities?

They are now going to tax people less able to pay. This is a tax without compassion, a purely regressive tax, a tax on people least able to pay.
-- Robert Clune, Palm Harbor

Governments should not be involved in recreation

Re: Cities warn the county: Pay so all children can play, July 10 story.

Recreation programs and facilities should be supported by those who use them.

Why should people who do not participate pay? That's right, they shouldn't.

Ideally the state, county and municipalities would not be involved in the recreation business. And don't say that means we wouldn't have any parks, ball fields or tennis courts. Many people want them, so a free market will furnish them.

They may be provided by for-profit companies or not-for-profit associations. Either way, users pay. Concerned citizens will provide for those who cannot afford their fair share.

Taxing everyone for something only some people use is wrong. Residents of the unincorporated county who play should pay.
-- J. B. Pruitt Jr., Clearwater

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.