TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Letters To The Editor

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 29, 2007

Necessary Duplication

'Duplication of services,' 'efficiency' and other such buzz words are being used more and more by the development community in attempts to garner even greater benefits than they currently enjoy. For example, the article by Steve Allison ('Take Hard Look At County Planning,' Other Views, Sept. 22) uses the above words as reasons to change the current modus operandi of the Planning Commission. What Allison failed to state is that he is a land planner who makes his living by pushing projects through the system that is currently in place.

Naturally, he would love to see the Planning Commission placed under the Planning and Growth Management department and the county administrator, both of whom are under direct control of the BOCC, which as we all know is developer-friendly and developer-driven.

By doing what he suggests there would be no voice of reason or voice of denial to the many projects and amendments presented before that commission. How then could they remain 'independent,' as the state law requires, if they are under the control of another with an agenda that is contrary to the reason for their creation?

He further states 'they are forced to play political games, and this agency is particularly adept' with respect to garnering budget dollars. They cannot be so adept as their budget continues to shrink while their proposed counterpart the Planning and Growth Management department continues to see theirs increased. Could there be any correlation between being independent and receiving less budget dollars and being a 'team player' and continuing to receive increased budget dollars?

He further states they enjoy a 'cozy relationship with your editorial board, or to the alliances they enjoy with select community groups' yet no mention is made or given as to the alliances the building community has with the BOCC, the county administrator and the Planning and Growth Management department.

If this county is to have any chance in achieving managed growth and policies that help to secure it, then the Planning Commission must remain truly independent, even if it causes Allison and others some inconvenience and a minimal amount of duplicated services.

STEVEN MORRIS

Odessa

Let The People Manage

Regarding Hometown Democracy Opponent Pens Dreadful Letter To Voters (Our Opinion, Sept. 24):

As a fourth-generation Floridian, I would like to respond to John Thrasher and why I wholeheartedly support the Hometown Democracy Amendment.

Thirty years ago, the Florida Legislature required counties such as ours to create a Comprehensive Growth Plan every 10 years to manage growth in a predictable and manageable way. Every comprehensive plan since has been amended so many times that 10 years later there is no resemblance to the original plan.

Development interest has so corrupted the elected and appointed officials overseeing growth management with campaign contributions, endorsements and board appointments that Floridians have to pick up the heavy burden of overcrowded highways, inadequate infrastructure and runaway taxes, not to mention the limited availability and overpriced cost of insurance - all because of helter-skelter growth.

Floridians can no longer trust our 'growth managers' due to the enormous influence big business and development interest has through its lobbyists and slick lawyers like Thrasher.

One who would bet Florida's future on uncontrolled development rather than tourism and agriculture, which has sustained Florida's economy for more than 200 years at almost no cost to the taxpayer, is a fool's fool.

BOB YOUNG

Plant City

The writer is a Florida master naturalist.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT