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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 25, 2008

Better Uses For Money

Regarding "County soccer Park Idea In Play" (Metro, June 18):

I am saddened but unfortunately not surprised to see that while the Hillsborough County Commission is cutting jobs and compromising crucial infrastructure including fire, police and victim support from our community, they are simultaneously voting to spend $15 million to build a sports complex. Of course the commission realizes this complex will serve only a relatively small and actually well-funded minority of taxpayers.

The commission knows the hypocrisy of claiming this is for the kids, as I believe they have considered the impact upon the children of those working mothers and fathers who will lose their jobs. And the commissioners are aware that if they desired they could shift the $15 million burning the hole through their pocket to replace funds currently spent for park services and transfer the presently utilized funds to where they are most needed to support current necessary infrastructure. But since the commission appears poised to terminate individuals' employment to build a sports complex, the real question is why.

DAN R. RICHARDS

Tampa

A Recipe For Overruns
How can Jim Norman and the Hillsborough County Commission even consider a $15 million soccer complex in these times? How can they know it is only going to cost $15 million when they don't have a site? Wetlands mediation? Access roads? This sounds like a recipe for million in cost overruns.

How can we be told that this complex will bring in teams from across the nation when we don't even know if there will be hotels anywhere near the site-less complex? How can we continue to vote for these county commissioners when they are not exercising the same fiscal responsibility that the economy is forcing on the rest of us?

I like soccer. I have kids. But this is coming at the wrong time.

KEVIN JARMAN

Tampa

Values Down, Taxes Up

Regarding "Amendment 1 To Save Homeowners $200 To $300" (Metro, June 22):

I read in disbelief and disgust the article regarding Amendment 1. It was designed to give some relief to overburdened taxpayers, but our elected officials appear to be one step ahead of us. In a maneuver that should be found illegal, they have butchered the "Save Our Homes" tax provision, which negates any tax savings from the amendment.

The "Save Our Homes" tax provision was designed to keep folks from being taxed out of their homes with rising values by placing a 3 percent cap on annual increases. Now I read that this has been turned into a mandatory 3 percent increase.

I recently got a letter from my lender stating that my home-equity credit line has been reduced by $30,000 to reflect decreasing values, yet now I am going to get a TRIM notice in August that will reflect a 3 percent increase!

Senate Finance and Tax chairman Mike Haridopolos, R-Melbourne, wants to abolish this so-called recapture provision stating the obvious - that if your property values go down, so then should your taxes. I guess that makes too much sense because he does not have the votes to get it done.

JUDY FOSTER

Brandon

Go After Sex Offenders

Regarding "Dan Ruth Meets The Cycle of Sleaze Paying Visit to Drew Park with Police" (Metro June 21):

As a Tampa resident, I feel that the grant money awarded to the city could be better used to check up on sex offenders instead of raiding adult entertainment stores in the city.

While most would not agree to the actions taking place inside these buildings, it is important to remember that you must be 18 years of age or older to enter these establishments. The actions going on inside these walls are being done by adults.

I think we should start targeting those predators going after children instead.

Although our crime rate has dropped, every time I hear about another shooting, molestation or robbery, I will think back to where our city's grant money is going in these hard economic times.

JOHN EANES

Tampa

Keep Pinellas In Mind

I have been reading your articles about the need for commuter/train service in the Tampa Bay area. Mention has been made of a light rail service to Bradenton/Sarasota, but St. Petersburg and Pinellas County are like "terra incognito." This seems to indicate that there has been a lack of coordination between Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Until there is, an area-wide system is going nowhere.

WILLIAM RICH

Apollo Beach

Senior Citizen Neglect

Regarding "State's Elderly Feeling Effects Of Budget Cuts" (Letters, June 21):

I could not agree more with Austin Curry's description of the disgraceful treatment our parents and grandparents are receiving because of these so-called budget cuts. However, we need to look at the entire government structure and not just Florida.

Our politicians - both Republicans and Democrats alike - approve billions of our tax dollars a year to foreign aid to anti-American countries and for what? We Americans are despised by most of the world and continue to be openly criticized by these same governments that are getting those billions of dollars in aid.

What better time than now for those politicians elected to office to address the needs of Americans to start doing their jobs. Why provide our tax dollars to foreign aid when they cannot even provide basic aid to our elderly? They should have the right to live the remaining years of their hard-working lives with dignity knowing their government is addressing their needs.

MARIO GARRIDO

Tampa

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