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Pasco Letters to the Editor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 23, 2008

King Reflections

A very long time ago Dr. Martin Luther King bought me a bus ticket to conscience and enlightenment. It was a long ride for me, from where I was at that time.

I was a very long way from conscience and enlightenment. Reality was a small town in the South, right here in Pasco County, far from the halls of Congress, the universities of social change, newspaper editorials and lecture halls.

There was a Little League field. There was a church. There was a grandmother who baked, and there was a fan who sat on a broken chair and offered encouragement.

Throughout their young years, my children played ball on that field. The church was a safe haven, and the grandmother, known to many as "Mother Burch," would bring cookies to the outfield fence.

Old Ben would sit on a broken chair, clap and laugh, and after a game he was still on that chair, ready to offer a hug or advice. And Mr. Rudy took the time to show one of my sons how to throw a knuckle ball - a pitch he used that made up for his small size.

Through the years, Mother Burch was the constant - the safe house if I were late, the light that was never turned off.

This year, on the day that America honored Dr. King, a small community also honored Mother Burch in the house next to the church and across from a Little League field, unrecognized by far too many.

The dream lives. My children, now grown, never had to take that long journey to conscience and enlightenment that I had to take. Conscience and enlightenment came to them in cookies, a hug, a pitch and, most of all, through the love, wisdom and truth of Mother Burch.

Yes, the dream lives. It is up to us to open our hearts and let the dream in. Far too many of us recognize only the delusion of difference. Far too many of us recognize only the lies of fear. And far too many of us recognize only a facade that conceals ignorance.

It is time that we recognize truth, trust and enlightenment.

PENO HARDESTY

New Port Richey

Rudy's The One

Rudy Giuliani made a stop in New Port Richey on Sunday, providing local voters a great opportunity to hear directly from him as he campaigns across Florida.

Anyone who meets Rudy and hears his vision for the country knows he is a candidate with the leadership and experience we need in the White House. With many Americans concerned about the economy, it is important to note that Mayor Giuliani has demonstrated success when it comes to spurring economic growth and creating jobs.

A fiscal conservative with the record to match, Rudy cut taxes 23 times and saved taxpayers $9 billion during his time as mayor of New York City. He also reduced the size of government, scrapping 20 percent of the city's bureaucracy. By cutting taxes and controlling spending, more than 400,000 private sector jobs were created during Rudy's time as mayor.

At a recent campaign stop in Florida, Rudy proposed the largest tax cut in American history. He wants to make current tax cuts permanent, abolish the "death tax," and lower the corporate tax rate and capital gains and dividend rates. He also has called for tax code simplification, introducing a plan to help Americans file their taxes on just one page if they so choose.

As voters decide who to support in next Tuesday's primary, they should be mindful of Rudy's considerable accomplishments on cutting taxes and reducing spending.

MIKE FASANO

New Port Richey

Don't Ignore Primary

Over the last several days we at the Pasco Democratic Party have been taking telephone calls from registered Democrats throughout the Tampa Bay area who mistakenly believe that their vote on Jan. 29 will not count.

It is time to put that rumor to rest.

The presidential primary represents a state-by-state declaration of candidate preference. Florida Democrats declare their preference on Jan. 29. Your vote counts towards this declaration.

The only time your vote does not count is when you don't cast one.

On the 29th, registered Democrats have an obligation to cast a vote for their favorite candidate. This is not about campaign rallies. It is not about incessant television advertising. And it is not about big money.

More than ever, Florida's 2008 presidential primary is about the voters.

As the last state to weigh in before contests in 20-plus states on Feb 5, Florida is poised to have an enormous impact on the Democratic race. This year, Florida's voice will echo throughout the rest of the nation.

Make your voice be heard on Jan. 29. Make it count. Vote.

ALISON MORANO

Wesley Chapel

'Undemocratic' Way

We overlook the impact of Amendment 1 on those who own houses here but only live here part of the year. My neighbor referred to it as "undemocratic" the other day.

While we all have policy disagreements on lots of things, I sort of think everything we do promotes democracy in some fashion - that this country and state might make mistakes, but we are, at bottom, democratic. So his comment grabbed my attention.

Now, he fully understands and supports the homestead exemption. But Save Our Homes, and especially the proposed portability of it, is just too much for him.

And as Tribune columnist Tom Jackson wrote Sunday, it may violate the constitutional provision of equal treatment under the law.

We used to hear how a thousand people or so moved to Florida every day, primarily because of our low taxes. Even though we don't have an income tax, you never hear this anymore.

I wonder if our complicated tax system, with its numerous special-interest exemptions, means we are no longer really a low-tax state.

ERNEST LANE

Trinity

Stop The Building

I read in one of the local papers that Hillsborough County commissioners are looking to lower impact fees to increase building and stimulate the economy. Well, Pasco County better not even think about doing the same.

We are currently in a time of tax reductions, and all the building needs to be ceased. This goes along with Amendment 1. Everybody in public service wants you to vote no.

To keep the tax reduction and still maintain public service, the building of homes, offices and shopping centers needs to be stopped. The most important thing is we do not have the roads to handle all the building that has taken place the past 10 years.

Public service will be fine if we don't allow any more building.

If Pasco County commissioners want to do anything, they need to triple impact fees, not reduce them, and make these developers build the roads to handle traffic. Reducing impact fees would just bring more of the traffic congestion that we are already tired of.

RICHARD T. WELCH

Zephyrhills

Romney's Religion

Why do voters care about Mitt Romney's religion? Harry Reid is a member of the Mormon Church, and he isn't a Republican.

Romney seems to be a good man, and his religion shouldn't be a problem. The only problem he might have is that he may be too nice, which would be a problem while fighting Muslim extremists and Democrats.

JOHN LALLEMAND

Dade City

The writer represents District 11 in the Florida Senate. The writer is chairwoman of the Pasco County Democratic Executive Committee.

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