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Pasco Letters to Editor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 23, 2007

Tale Of 2 Counties

Not long after the problems at the Sarasota YMCA, the privatized "lead agency" for five of the six counties in the Florida Department of Children & Families' Suncoast Region, started getting long-overdue attention - the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform first pointed out this agency was having problems in 2002 - there's been a mystery:

How is it that the same subdivision of the Y could take over operations in two counties, Pinellas and Pasco, and yet Pinellas is widely seen as the worst-performing county in the region, while Pasco is the region's shining star?

It appeared that Pasco was getting good results because caseworkers had more time to do their jobs right. So they made better decisions. They also took more satisfaction in those jobs, so the turnover is lower.

What might make possible those conditions? As soon as that dichotomy emerged, I formed a theory. And anybody who's been on this list more than a month should be able to guess the theory: Pasco must be taking away proportionately fewer children.

So I asked DCF to break down entry-into-care data for the region by county. Sure enough, Pasco takes significantly fewer children when entries into care are compared to the number of impoverished children in each county. (As always, the comparison takes into account poverty.)

Details are in the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform's new Suncoast Supplement to our Florida Rate-of-Removal Index. It's available on our Web site, www.nccpr.org/reports/sun coastror.pdf. In addition to the comparison of current rates of removal, there are month-by-month entries for each county back to January 2003.

So once again, a top performer produces better results for children by emphasizing safe, proven approaches to keeping families together, and once again a locale that emphasizes a take-the-child-and-run approach harms the children it is supposed to protect.

Had the Sarasota Y understood that in the first place, the Y and, more important, the children the Y is supposed to serve would not be suffering as they are now.

As for why two counties under the same lead agency would go in such different directions: That might indicate good leadership on the part of the Pasco sheriff's office, which does the initial investigations in that county.

RICHARD WEXLER

Alexandria, Va.

Backyard Truths

Without provocation or intent to injure, a child is shot in the back by her neighbors while inside her home. A simple, most unfortunate accident or the "inconvenient truth" of living in the playground of the National Rifle Association?

Our neighborhoods present the facade of "rights granted by the Constitution" and "privacy for conceal carry." Some say hunting even chickens in your own yard is the only means of obtaining nourishment for the family. The facade is neat, packaged and groomed, but the backyard is where the truth is told.

The mantra of the NRA is "guns don't kill; people kill." The true hunter understands that it is the gun that kills and instructs the novice in basic common sense and safety.

The responsible gun owner understands that it is the gun that kills and does not support irresponsible legislation that allows paranoia to pull the trigger and shift "guilt" to the victim.

The enlightened population understands that it is the gun that kills and that it is not "from my cold dead hand" but, rather, "from my conscience, my integrity, my intellect."

PENO HARDESTY

New Port Richey

Activate Healing

As we enter this season, I want to circulate my gratitude and give the gift of hope to those who may be facing a diagnosis of cancer.

I am grateful to the members, staff and Pastor Ed Russo of Victorious Life Church in Wesley Chapel for praying over me when X-rays revealed I had lung nodules. Because of their prayers, my faith was restored, and I regained a sense of peace with the realization that God was in control.

Two weeks after my diagnosis, I went back to the hospital for further tests, and a chest scan revealed absolutely no abnormalities! This was a miracle, and I attribute the healing of my lungs to the strong faith that grew inside of me as a result of the prayers and support I received from my friends at Victorious Life Church.

I want to encourage anyone who is facing a major illness to get hooked up with people who believe in prayers and miracles so that will activate healing in your body, too.

MARY COOLING

Via e-mail

Government V. Bonds

With all the trouble in the world today - terrorists, Osama bin Laden, starving children, disease - our government wastes our resources for four years investigating whether Barry Bonds lied about using steroids!

I'm a huge baseball fan, and I couldn't care less. If you've followed baseball at all over the past dozen or so years, it is quite evident that dozens of star players have been using them.

What's next? Is the government going to use its resources to investigate if pro wrestling is on the level?

And speaking of wrestling, Bonds may face prison for lying about steroid usage while Vince McMahon, an admitted former steroid abuser, has seen some of his former employees die under the age of 45. And he's not going to jail?

STEVE GENNARELLI

Land O' Lakes

The writer is executive director of the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform.

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