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Florida Losing Retirees

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 29, 2007

Task Forces To Nowhere

Regarding "Pipeline Of Seniors To Florida Slows" (front page, Dec. 20):

This article made an impact on me not for the message that Florida is leaking retirees, but the one sentence within it that I've noticed in a number of Tribune reports on state woes from taxes to telemarketing: "Commission chairman fill in the blank - in this case it was T. O'Neal Douglas said most if its the commission's recommendations were never enacted."

Hindsight's 20/20 has now proven the recommendations made by many a committee/commission/task force/panel of experts, to be both consistently accurate - and ignored. Waste of taxpayer money on commissions-whose-solutions-are-disregarded aside, the lack of implementation of those solutions has been portentous of a far more disabling reality: Problems that could have been fixed well and permanently years ago remain broken years later simply because our legislators go nappy-time when it comes to recommendation implementation.

So, I have convened my own task force - that would be me - and herein recommend my own solution to this problem of ignoring effective solutions. A standing legislative committee must be formed, the sole purpose of which is to review past and current solution-recommendations and develop the plan for their implementation, to include budget needs, coordinating body, time-line for completion and expected outcomes. That committee will then be fully responsible for both the success of those initiatives and the consequences when viable solutions are ignored.

Sounds business-like, doesn't it?

TERRI BENINCASA

Oldsmar

Taking Sign Literally

We traveled a lot from Washington, D.C., to Florida in 2005 and 2006, and there is a sign going south on Interstate 95 that says, "Florida Is Full." We found it humorous, but maybe some seniors are taking it literally.

WILLIAM MATTHEWS

Valrico

They'll Keep Coming

Being a native of Tampa, I was delighted to read the article about retirees moving more to North Carolina and Tennessee, in addition to those about the water desalination plant finally becoming operational.

If the retiree trend continues and the plant continues to operate as advertised, the natives may see a little relief in the constant drought bombardment and a lessening of our traffic problems.

I have long contended that we needed to discourage visitors from retiring here. Come, visit, spend your money and go home! We do not have adequate services to support all of you, with water and roads the top concerns.

DON LEGGETT

Tampa

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