Letters to the Editors

Managerial flexibility is needed on job

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 3, 2000

Editor: As the elected sheriff and a constitutional officer, I will not abrogate my responsibilities and become micromanaged by other elected officials or the media, irrespective of their intentions.

The recent exchange between myself and Commissioner Mulieri at the Sept. 26 budget hearing was untimely and unnecessary. I am appreciative of her support, but the questions she raised during that meeting had been addressed at earlier budget meetings. These issues and questions had been resolved. Tentative approval of the budget was unanimous at the first of two public hearings, and, furthermore, the staffing analysis study currently under way will establish the benchmark Commissioner Mulieri seeks.

Notwithstanding the above questions raised by Commissioner Mulieri on behalf of her constituents or political associates, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office Corrections Bureau, as of Sept. 18, had a total of 256 positions of corrections deputies funded by the county. As of the above date, there were 12 unfilled positions of corrections deputies plus 31 positions that need to be filled prior to the completion of the Land O'Lakes Corrections facility Pod B expansion project in the spring of 2001.

The Pasco County sheriff's sworn law enforcement section, as of Sept. 18, had a total of 353 sworn law enforcement positions funded by the county. As of the above date, there were 11 unfilled positions.

The Uniform Operations Bureau of the Sheriff's Office encompasses the majority of uniformed personnel usually referenced by the public as road patrol deputies. It has 237 sworn law enforcement positions funded by the county as of Sept 18, with four unfilled positions. At this time 22 of the 237 sworn deputies in the Uniform Operations Bureau are in various stages of their training process.

Commissioner Mulieri's questions at the above-mentioned budget hearing referenced the attrition rate at the Sheriff's Office. I believe it will begin to decrease with the implementation of the Cody study, which provides wages competitive with other regional law enforcement agencies. While the attrition rate for our Sheriff's Office is much higher than I would hope for, 1999 Florida Department of Law Enforcement statistics demonstrate that 27 percent of the sheriff's offices in Florida have the same or higher rates. Law enforcement agencies have been at the mercy of the good economy and the tremendous job market that exists for qualified people.

My commitment to the citizens of Pasco County to provide effective, independent and professional law enforcement services is steadfast and unwavering. The funds expended by the Sheriff's Office are a matter of public record, completely accessible to county officials and the general public. I welcome being held accountable for these expenditures, but adamantly refuse to surrender the managerial flexibility necessary to perform my duties in the best interest of the citizens of this county to make our communities safer for our families and loved ones.
-- Lee Cannon, Sheriff

Speak out against natural gas pipeline

Editor: At 6:30 p.m. today will be your last chance to defend your family's quality of life regarding the natural gas pipeline that is ready to pierce the heart of our county!

Some of our county commissioners are rolling over and playing dead rather than respecting the safety of their citizens and defending our right to oppose such a potentially disastrous project!

Our commissioners are supposed to represent us and look out for our best interests, but it seems that some of them feel that their best interest is in defending the almighty buck (as in the Buccaneer Pipeline).

The settlement that the commissioners are negotiating is a joke. This is a $1.2-billion project and they are offering Pasco County a token $565,000 to leave them alone. And they are offering to put in a wildlife corridor when they should be legally required to do so anyway! How much wildlife, sea life and human life will be disrupted by this pipeline? There is no way to mitigate such impact.

How much impact from construction equipment would it take to rupture the pipeline and cause a disaster as big as the Oklahoma bombing? Pasco County is in the midst of a developmental explosion right now, and it will be impossible to have every inch of a 3-foot pipeline clearly marked to prevent an accident. This pipeline has a 3,000-foot kill zone in the case of an explosion (that's 30 football fields)! The twice yearly training update for county medical personnel would be futile in an explosion of such magnitude!

Commissioner Steve Simon states "my heart is with these people, but I understand my obligations. "Obviously he does not understand that his obligations are to protect the people he was elected to represent.

Who will be sued in the event of a pipeline catastrophe? Our commissioners need to do the right thing and say no to being bullied/persuaded by big money. Our citizens and hopefully our federal energy regulation commission will back us up!
-- Debra Moore, Land O'Lakes

Officials should get rid of visual pollution

Editor: I wonder why we must have so many large, unsightly billboards along our highways. It appears Pasco County is concerned about its residents and provides many lovely neighborhood parks and ball fields. So why must we have something as unsightly as billboards that are not only unattractive but dangerous? When I discuss this with others, it seems everyone feels as I do.

The countryside is much more attractive, peaceful and safe without the unsightly billboards.

One does not have time while driving to read, much less absorb, a phone number or address. And if you do, you are endangering others as well as yourself.

I doubt there are many people who would select a professional service from a billboard. Most, I am sure, prefer personal references.

We have telephone directories that provide many more listings and details in the safety of our homes.

While traveling on two of our most frequent routes, I counted the billboards while my husband drove. The results were rather shocking to me, and I have the feeling the results are just a beginning of making these particular roads some of the most cluttered, dangerous and unattractive in the area. I am using this count as just an example. I am concerned about every roadway in Pasco County.

Little Road between State Road 54 and Embassy Boulevard has 16 billboards in use with a new one available. State 54 from Little Road to U.S. 41 has 21 billboards in use and five more available.

Where are our county commissioners? I am not sure if it is their total responsibility, but they certainly should be concerned about their county. I would like to see some of our county officials try to improve our county and get rid of this particular visual pollution.
-- Beverly Jones, New Port Richey

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