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Pasco Letters to the Editor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 24, 2008

Landfill Not Compatible

I have read with interest all the articles relating to the landfill proposed outside Dade City (Richland) and have attended a meeting where landfill opponent Carl Roth and project manager John Arnold have spoken.

I find Roth passionate in his point of view, and I find Angelo's Aggregate Materials, Arnold's employer, very lacking in actual engineering information.

Arnold says those of us who live in the area where the landfill and compost center would be developed have a not-in-my-backyard attitude. Why wouldn't we? Angelo's thinks it can come into town for two years and throw money around to get the needed permits and zoning to make big bucks at the expense of those who have lived and worked here for years.

We have selected to live in this peaceful, rural setting. I have worked my entire life, and I think I deserve better in my retirement than to have a landfill with garbage truck traffic noise, bad roads, pollution, birds and smell, much less 200-foot-high compost towers, next to me.

With access to CSX railroad, garbage can be brought in from anywhere. Methane gas will be siphoned off the compost center and be used to fuel the plant. Pasco Fire Rescue won't be able to contain any fires from explosions, in my opinion.

County commission candidate John Nicolette says he can be impartial on the issue, when he's been waltzing around county commission meetings with Angelo's representatives, helping them on other projects.

And Commissioner Pat Mulieri, there's no point paving the roads in east Pasco if the landfill goes in. Our property will be so devalued that most of us won't be able to sell at any price. You will, however, have to keep paying for repaving U.S. 98.

Although the Iafrate family may have proposed a state-of-the-art landfill and compost center, it shouldn't be built anywhere near the Green Swamp.

I would point out to Angelo's that Interstate 75 runs north as well as south. If you were so interested in helping Pasco County, why would you not want to "help" Michigan, the most economically depressed state in the nation, where you are based?

LINDA CLUEY

Dade City

McCain And Guns

Sometimes it seems like Bill Bunting and gun club president John DiGaetano live on different planets. DiGaetano is thrilled that Sen. John McCain will supposedly fashion himself as a hard-core gun advocate, perhaps in the tradition of gun advocate Bunting. Really?

Earlier this decade McCain introduced Senate Bill 890 requiring mandatory criminal background checks on all gun buyers at gun shows throughout the United States. His press release, faxed to me from his Washington, D.C., office, quotes McCain: "Despite the tragic lessons we have learned, it is still far too easy for a convicted felon to buy firearms at a gun show."

This goes against all the proclamations of Bunting and his associate, who have vigorously fought the policy of background checks to weed out the possible criminal element buying firearms at gun shows. The Pasco County gun shows are a perfect example of selling guns to anyone with money in his pocket. I've seen it.

Clearly, McCain was making an attempt to keep firearms away from those prohibited by law from owning them. And if history has a way of repeating itself, as it usually does, it seems McCain will think twice before becoming a gun zealot in the White House.

TOM BURKE

Clearwater

Alongside Republicans

Regarding "Defining Moment?" letters, Feb. 18:

Even if the gun issue made the top five issues that Americans consider relevant in the coming election, Sen. John McCain would probably not be the candidate to promulgate the issue, having sponsored anti-gun legislation in the past.

Whatever discussion happened between McCain and Bill Bunting in the privacy of that kitchen in Pinellas County, there are other issues where McCain has quite publicly stood with the Republican Party, and issues where voters see him as the most viable candidate.

McCain is strong on defense and committed to winning the war on terror against radical Islamists, particularly in Iraq. McCain has shown his desire to select conservative judges who do not legislate from the bench.

McCain has railed against wasteful spending, and he has to his credit a long list of cost-cutting amendments and opposition votes to costly bills. He also introduced measures that would require a sixty-vote majority to pass a tax increase.

In 2006 he voted to continue the Bush tax cuts and promised no new taxes. He also has surrounded himself with supply-siders and tax cutters such as Phil Gramm and Jack Kemp.

These issues should suffice for Art Hayhoe's challenge to "speak up."

SANDY GRAVES

Land O' Lakes

Aloha Blues

Despite the apparent agreement of the parties involved, I am very disappointed that the Florida Public Service Commission chose to vote on the Aloha staff recommendations recently. Even with the agreed-to language in the stipulation, there was absolutely no reason to move forward until Aloha committed to a time certain for interconnection with Pasco County.

Despite the fact that the rates won't take effect until after that occurs, the reality is that Aloha has been given what it has asked for without living up to its end of the bargain once again.

What is even more disturbing to me is that despite pleas that enforcement action be undertaken against the utility, something PSC staff acknowledged could be a consideration regarding the Dr. Audrey Levine situation, the PSC has chosen to move forward without addressing this issue at all.

What more will it take to demonstrate that Aloha has blatantly thumbed its nose at the commission by purposely delaying notifying the commission that Dr. Levine's report was going to be months behind? That single report was the key to carrying out the entire anion exchange project, and yet Aloha chose not to notify the PSC until it had no other choice.

Aloha continues its pattern of arrogance and disregard for the customer and their legal representatives. If the time is not ripe for enforcement action against this company, it never will be.

MIKE FASANO

New Port Richey

Not Fit For Fido

Since the good news has already hit about Aloha doubling our high water rates, I know you will be inundated with complaints. Let this be one of them.

We pay far too much for water already, and the service is terrible. I work at a public school, and even the children bring in bottled water, as the water fountains are all run on Aloha.

Florida water is poor no matter where you live, but Aloha's is terrible. When we fill the tub, all kinds of crusty black things start coming out of the faucet. Get a clear glass of water, and let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes, and no one would even allow their dog to drink it.

For what we get, we are already paying far too much. Now we have a new water plant going up on Trinity Boulevard, but that is for Pinellas County residents, who even have fluoride in their water.

We all know that Aloha uses most of its "profits" to defend itself in court. Maybe it is time to run them out of town and put us all on Pasco County Utility Services, along with the rest of west Pasco.

KERRI BOWMAN OUSLEY

Trinity

The writer is a Republican Party activist. The writer represents District 11 in the Florida Senate.

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