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Pasco Letters to the Editor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 1, 2008

Scrutinize Tax Sales

The article about the tax certificate auction ("Officials Prepare To Sale Tax Certificates," May 26) was informative but missed the most important point.

About two weeks ago the big news concerned a mysterious land trust that had acquired several parcels of otherwise useless land. One parcel was a strip that ran behind two rows of houses on which they threatened to erect a dog run or homeless camp if the residents didn't buy the land from the trust for much more than the trust paid for it.

Another strip actually was under a residential street. Again, the land trust threatened to charge tolls or restrict use of the street by residents unless they bought it.

These "useless" parcels were purchased through the tax certificate auction held by Pasco County, just like many they are prepared to sell again. Obviously, county government learned nothing from the debacle of a few weeks ago or of the same situation created by another speculator about a year ago.

All the current parcels should be screened by the county. If any are similar to those already bought by the land trust, those parcels should simply be acquired by the county or added to the privately owned properties that abut the "useless" parcels.

Pasco County government hasn't even resolved the last debacle they created by selling these "useless" parcels to unscrupulous speculators. Now they are prepared to repeat their mistake and create more problems for residents.

ALFRED J. D'AMARIO

Hudson

People, Not Guns

Regarding "10 Years Later," letters, May 26:

Among other things, Arthur Hayhoe says our devotion to the Second Amendment (he calls it a suicide pact) "diminishes our greatness in the eyes of most countries." Frankly, I couldn't care less what other countries think of us.

As any normal person, I'd like to be liked, but if they don't like me I can live with that. As my Fourth of July T-shirt says, "America ... kicking a** since 1776." As long as that stays true, that's really all that counts.

Now, to guns and the "gun show loophole" that Hayhoe rails about so often. It's not the easy availability of guns that's a problem; it's the willingness of some people (the Hank Earl Carrs and so on) to use them violently. Fix that.

You know what Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University, the Omaha mall and others had in common? They were so-called gun-free zones. A lot of good that does.

I'd love to see an analysis of how many violent gun crimes are committed by holders of concealed carry permits, compared to those done by people who aren't. I think that would be instructive to the anti-gun crowd.

ERNEST LANE

Trinity

A Kick And Pass

The Wesley Chapel Vipers are sponsoring the NFL/Pepsi Punt, Pass and Kick competition on June 21. The competition will be held at Wesley Chapel District Park, 7727 Boyette Road, from 9 a.m. until noon.

Boys and girls ages 8 through 15 are eligible to compete; age is determined by year ending Dec. 31. Age categories are 8/9, 10/11, 12/13 and 14/15. Local first-place winners will advance to the sectional competition to be held in October/November. Sectional winners will be invited to compete in the team championship.

The top four team championship scorers from all the first-place finalists in each age group will advance to the national finals. These winners and their families will travel to the finals at an NFL playoff game in January.

Millions of kids in the U.S. and Canada have joined in the fun of the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick competition since it started in the 1960s. Any eligible boy or girl can compete for a chance at becoming a national champ. It's all free!

For information, please contact Mike Alexander, director, at (813) 363-6779 or Debi Ramos, event coordinator, at (813) 746-9102 or visit the Wesley Chapel Vipers Web site at www.wesley chapelvipers.com.

DEBRA RAMOS

Wesley Chapel

Where Are Leaders?

Adam Putnam, Ginny Brown-Waite, Gus Bilirakis and Bill Young are missing in action on the leadership front. Not one of these alleged leaders or their challengers is daring to speak out or take action for energy independence.

Oil is $133 per barrel, and $5 per gallon gasoline may not be far away for Floridians. Florida's congressional delegation continues to show zero leadership in efforts to increase domestic drilling and refining capacities.

The Destin Dome, 25 miles off the Pensacola coast, holds 13 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and is untouchable. Coal gasification, a process that powered much of Germany's war machine 60 years ago, languishes in so-called experimental stages.

Of course, their incompetence doesn't stop them from filling our mailboxes with junk mail extolling all their efforts on behalf of constituents.

Will real leaders please step forward? The party hacks who are owned by the corporatists and enviro-socialists are sending us to the poorhouse one tank full at a time.

ANDREW NAPPI

Hudson

Make It Happen

Hello, Pasco County, it is time now to face the harsh reality of our local economy: It's in the toilet!

The real estate market and construction industry have bottomed-out. Foreclosures are at an all-time high. And federal, state and county budgets are in deepening states of crisis.

We must stop "exploring" alternative sources of revenue and put together a serious initiative - or a series of them - that will strengthen and stabilize our economy for years to come. Doing so will likely require a very aggressive, collaborative effort tapping various resources and individuals throughout our communities.

But we have to make it happen!

STEVE DAVIS

Port Richey

Bargaining For Oil

The high cost of gasoline is not because of the oil companies in America. Our oil companies only have a 6.89 percent profit margin. It is because of the foreign oil sellers we do business with every day. They can charge what they want because they can.

I never saw much of any corn of wheat crops during my 18 months near the Sahara Desert when I was in the military, which means that all we have to do is charge the same price for a bushel of wheat or corn that they charge us for oil.

In a very short time oil will be $24 a barrel again.

JOHN LALLEMAND

Dade City

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