Letters to the Editors

Racist scrawl on walls was a hate crime

Editor: This regards the recent hate crime perpetrated in the city where I live, Holiday. I want to commend Shanika Williams and her children for their strength and courage moving into a neighborhood that so blatantly said, "We don't want you," Jan Glidewell for bringing it to the public's attention and the neighbors that came out and said, "We won't tolerate this, what can we do to help?"

It certainly seems the only help this family is getting is from the neighbors. The response from the Sheriff's Office has been that this is not a hate crime because the family had not moved in yet. They claimed it was a simple burglary case and closed it within 24 hours. This response is so ludicrous, I can only shake my head and wonder what they are thinking.

Granted we have made some progress in accepting culturally and ethnically diverse people into our communities, but there is still so much work to be done. However, when the work has to be done within the Sheriff's Office, it is an outrage. The writing on the walls of that one was racially motivated and it was a hate crime. If the FBI wasn't so busy hunting down terrorists, they would probably be the ones investigating this crime.
-- Ramute Jakubauskas, Holiday

I support intangible tax repeal, Pasco senate seat

Re: Three senators that represent county will make right decision Dec. 18 letter

Editor: The writer makes quite a stretch to link state Sen. Ginny Brown-Waite's responsibility to protect the needs of Pasco County during the legislative redistricting process and state Rep. Mike Fasano's support for cutting the intangible tax. The link came in a letter criticizing another writer's efforts to remind Brown-Waite of her commitment to Pasco County.

Brown-Waite has frequently stated the importance of Pasco County to her and to our state. Given her public statements it should be a no-brainer that she would support our county having a senate seat that is based here. It is my hope that she will be true to her word and not bow to any political pressure to vote otherwise.

Rep. Fasano has spent his legislative career advocating for the reduction and eventual repeal of the intangible tax. His efforts in this vein are mutually exclusive from whatever position Brown-Waite takes on redistricting. I fail to see the need to bring Fasano's vote to cut the intangible tax into a discussion of reapportionment.

While we must trust our elected officials to make the right decisions for us, part of the republican form of government is to remind them what decisions we want them to make. I support both a repeal in the intangible tax and a state senate seat based in Pasco County. I hope that Brown-Waite and all of our elected officials remember that fact.
-- George Howland, New Port Richey

Zephyrhills City Council hasn't decided on firearms

Re: Zephyrhills council's stand shows it won't be intimidated, Dec. 19 letter

Editor: I guess it isn't enough for Arthur Hayhoe and the Florida Coalition to Stop Gun Violence to malign Florida concealed weapon license holders, they now have to allude to Zephyrhills city-owned parking lots being a refuge for crime. If the criminal activity described is going on in city parking lots, then there's probably worse going on -- making these parking lots unsafe even during business hours. Therefore, one would think the City Council and insurance attorney would be concerned with making the lots safer, rather than worrying about a city employee's lawfully owned and carried firearm being secured in their car on a city owned lot. Besides, if there's that much criminal activity going on in these lots, can you blame anyone for legally carrying some protection?

I realize that organizations will always put their spin on whatever the outcome is on controversial issues. However, this interpretation of the City Council's action and advice of the attorney on Dec. 10 is incomplete and borders on fiction.

First, the City Council did not make a final decision on this issue and instead chose to revisit it at the next meeting scheduled for Jan. 14. Second, the insurance attorney did advise the council that it probably could restrict firearms from city buildings or wherever city business is conducted and also confirmed the interpretation that would allow licensed weapons in employee cars even on city property.

This means that the City Council for now has not officially decided one way or the other and more fact-finding is in process for the next meeting, especially the parking lot issue. This now explains the sudden concern over crime in parking lots.

At least, this controversy has allowed the City Council, attorneys and residents of Zephyrhills to learn the facts so as to make an informed choice free of bias.
-- Ed Mejias, Land O'Lakes

True meaning of Christmas is more than snowy days

Editor: I don't think I can stand to hear one more time, "It doesn't feel like Christmas without snow."

I have lived in Florida 28 years, and, to me, it is more like Christmas than in my native New Jersey. Which Christmas are they talking about? I know the first Christmas has been overshadowed by the commercial one, but the true reason for the season was born in an area with weather much like ours.
-- Kaye Russo, New Port Richey

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