Letters to the Editors

Thinking caps needed to fix tax cap 'hole'

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 8, 2001

Re: Lost property taxes put hole in budget, story, July 29.

Let's petition our lawmakers to revise the Save Our Homes cap.

To really account for the increase in value of the more expensive homes, a new formula is needed.

Please, lawmakers, study that budget "hole" caused by the cap and work out an equitable equation that takes the load off the lower-valued homes. Provide an increased cap -- yes, more than 3 percent for those homes above a certain base market value (consider $500,000 and up).

Perhaps Kurt Wenner of Florida TaxWatch and Pinellas County Commission Chairman Calvin Harris, among others, including Pinellas County Property Appraiser Jim Smith and his assistant, Pam Dubov, could put their heads together and work out what is needed to eliminate the "holes" Pinellas County got itself into and continues to get itself further into.

Let's find the answer.
-- Harold Zallis, Palm Harbor

N.J. native recalls roundabouts

Re: Roundabout is like a beacon in the night, letter, July 20.

I do not know what part of New Jersey letter writer Diane Rancan of Palm Harbor came from. I, too, am a former New Jersey native, born and raised in Bergen County. During my stay in New Jersey, I was witness to removal of many traffic circles, most notably on Route 17 N.

My daughter resides in Warren County, home of the famous -- or infamous -- Ledgewood Circle on Route 10. Recently, the state removed the circle and installed lights to improve traffic flow.

The only remaining circle I know of is in the city of Clifton. That has, if I remember correctly, six roads intersecting. It works because it is about five times larger than Clearwater's, with lanes twice as wide.

Clearwater's, in my opinion, will never work -- too confining and narrow.
-- Alex Weiss, Clearwater

Railroad crossing needs repair

To Clearwater's mayor and city staff: Now that you are tweaking the roundabout, how about our Cleveland Street railroad crossing? It could really use a good tweaking.

It is disgraceful!
-- John R. Sharp, Clearwater

Thoughts steer clear of casinos

A few weeks ago the St. Petersburg Times requested citizens to write an article of 50 words or less on "When I think of Tarpon Springs, I think of . . ."

Ninety-nine percent of the responses described Tarpon Springs as a beautiful place to visit and live, and I do not believe that one of them replied: "When I think of Tarpon Springs, I think of . . . casino boats."

Case closed.
-- Nikki M. Christu, Tarpon Springs

Writers got carried away

Re: Another day in paradise, Aug. 5.

Although I have enjoyed your series, "When I think of Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, I think of . . ." I feel I must object to the length of some of the letters printed Aug. 5.

The instructions for submitting a piece said that it must be 50 words or less. A solid majority of the printed contributions were well over that word count. Another day in paradise contained several that were more than 200 words and one that was 300 words.

If the word count was just a suggestion, it should have been specified that way. Otherwise, anything over 50 words should have been rejected as a courtesy to those who restricted their remarks to comply with the rules.
-- Mickey Davis, Palm Harbor

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