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Pasco Letters to the Editor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 20, 2008

Where's The Beach?

My wife and I have lived in Pasco County for 21-plus years. During that time, a number of parcels of land with Gulf of Mexico frontage have been purchased by Pasco County and/or the state of Florida.

Every time this happens I eagerly wait to hear that a portion of the land, even a small fraction, is to be developed into a public beach. Each time I have been disappointed to read about keeping the land untouched, nature trails and boardwalk tours for schoolchildren, protecting it against what or who I do not know.

What about the recreational needs of the more than 430,000 people who live in Pasco County, most within 10 miles of the coast? What about helping to develop or promote more tourism?

Clearwater area beaches are not completely natural; they require frequent and extensive renourishment, especially after storms and hurricanes. What is the problem with developing at least one beach at least four times the size of Hudson Beach and add some pavilions, a fishing pier, boat launch and adequate lime rock parking lots?

Do it as natural as possible, but do it. We are not talking about a significant negative impact on the environment, just a beach for the residents and tourists to go to and enjoy.

A prime location would be the western end of State Road 52. The paved road is already there, with easy access from U.S. 19. Other locations could be found, if you really wanted to!

The question is not "should we." The question is "how soon" will we develop a Pasco County beach?

DANIEL J. ERNEST

Bayonet Point

Count To 10 First

Regarding "Defining Moment," letters, Monday:

Art Hayhoe invited comment, so I reread the Tom Jackson commentary from Feb. 14.

Hayhoe said that it put most Republicans on notice that the party had been taken over by the "gun rights absolutist." Hayhoe thinks John McCain has made gun rights the most important issue of his campaign and that this is now a single-issue (gun rights) party.

Earth to Hayhoe: If the GOP is a single-issue party, gun rights ain't it. Think abortion or taxes or national security.

All Jackson reported was that there was a Republican gathering for McCain, and Bill Bunting, Pasco's Republican Party chairman, was there. As a Republican mover-and-shaker, I would have been extremely surprised if he wasn't.

McCain, doing what politicians do, knew Bunting was important and asked what was important to him. Bunting talked about gun rights, which would have been expected. McCain said he would sign a bill that does no more than codify the Second Amendment, and I applaud this. That's all.

I doubt Bunting thinks gun rights is the "single issue" the party should deal with - although, obviously, he puts it at the top - but McCain just as obviously didn't take it on as the single issue.

I think Hayhoe needs to count to 10 before he flies off the handle and comments whenever the subject of guns comes up. More often than not, he comes off as silly.

Maybe his tinfoil hat is too tight.

ERNEST LANE

Trinity

Protection Lacking

Regarding "No More Chances For Mall Project," Feb. 11:

The editorial board at the Tribune nailed this one right on the head. The ongoing follies at the construction site for the Cypress Creek Town Center would be somewhat amusing if Cypress Creek was not getting polluted in the process.

This creek, an Outstanding Florida Water, feeds the Hillsborough River and provides drinking water to Tampa. It deserves better treatment than unacceptable permitting and failed regulatory oversight from state and federal agencies that have left the creek with little protection.

Who is looking out for our drinking water and wildlife here? Not the Army Corps of Engineers or the Southwest Florida Water Management District, both of which permitted this disaster and then looked the other way until local citizens pushed them to finally take some steps to protect the creek.

The Army Corps and water management district should be ashamed of themselves. They have violated the public trust and fundamentally failed to protect Florida's water and wildlife again.

Florida surely deserves better protection.

JOE MURPHY

Ridge Manor

Respect Good Friday

As a teacher of 38 years (five in Pasco County), I am writing to express my dismay that Pasco teachers are expected to report to school on Good Friday. (Students have the day off.)

According to statistics, 95 percent of families in Pasco County refer to themselves as Christians. In this country the majority is supposed to rule, but the school board's desire for "political correctness" obviously overrules the democratic process.

I urge all the teachers of Pasco County who practice their religion to use personal leave on Good Friday, one of the holiest of Christian days. It is time to take a stand against those who think it's more important to be politically correct than to respect the beliefs of the majority.

If not now, then when? Soon we'll be expected at school on Dec. 25. After all, it's just another day on the secularist calendar!

JEANNE BARR

Via e-mail

Dollars And Sense

Regarding "Home Tax Values To Drop 8%," Feb. 13:

According to the story:

"Although market values are going down in most parts of Pasco County, property tax assessments for residents protected by homestead exemptions likely will go up, Property Appraiser Mike Wells said.

"In a declining real estate market, property appraisers are required to raise taxable values on property protected by Florida's Save Our Homes law by 3 percent or the rate of inflation, which is about 4 percent."

Let me see if I understand this. Our home values go down, but our property taxes increase? What kind of sense does that make? It makes no sense to the taxpayer, but it makes sense to government officials such as him!

How they can say what they say with a straight face is incredulous! Another example of the types of geniuses we have in our local and state governments.

BILL SALTER

Land O' Lakes

Weekend Parents

I would like to respond to the Feb. 10 commentary by Luis M. Lopez ("A Lost Generation Of Youths A Threat To Society - And Themselves."

I agree with statements in his article about parents acting as parents and child experts interfering with how we raise our children. I feel there is another problem that has been overlooked: divorced parents.

We try to raise our children and show them right from wrong. However, you have the other parent who is the "vacation" parent, the every-other-weekend parent who neglects all their responsibilities of being a parent. These parents have weekend visitation and then are done parenting - if you want to call it that.

DEBBIE VILAR

Valrico

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