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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 29, 2008

Where Does It End?

Regarding "Land Program Fate Up To Voters" (Metro, May 22):

When will these people have enough land? Will it be when all of Hillsborough County is public land only? Then what?

What will they do when there in no one left to pay taxes for their salaries? There will be no one left living in the county because there will be no place for people to live. Where does it all end?

BARBARA BROUSSEAU

Lithia

Paying For 'Open Space'

Once again, why should property owners foot the bill for "open space" when all who reside in and out of Hillsborough County have use of the properties? We just voted to reduce our property taxes and the county wants to keep the .25 mill levy in effect for property purchases. Frankly, my wife and I are tired of paying inflated property taxes.

My suggestion is to add .25 percent to the sales taxes. That way everyone inside, outside and visiting Hillsborough can pay their fair share for "open space" and the bureaucracy it is going to require to maintain and oversee this albatross.

DOUG PAXTON

Valrico

Don't Extend Tax

My opinion on extending the tax to purchase ELAPP properties is: No!

The county already states they need more money to function. If this passes again, think of all the properties that currently are on the tax rolls that will not be. This property tax money will be made up somewhere - maybe added to your property taxes. Also, go to the tax collector's Web site and type in Hillsborough County. You will be surprised at the property currently owned that is off the tax rolls.

I think they have enough property and we do not need to restrict our tax base, especially since we will be paying the tax and paying again to make up the property tax shortfall. I don't want to pay twice.

DANIEL RICH

Apollo Beach

Our Rich Flora And Fauna
A name like Cockroach Bay sounds unappealing and creepy. Just the opposite; this bay is home to a rich variety of wading birds, shrimp, crabs and schools of juvenile fish chased by trout, red drum and flounder.

Cockroach Bay is best described in a case ruling by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (1990) and the case name was Marble Mountain Audubon Society v. Rice, concerning wildlife corridors, avenues along which wide-ranging animals can travel, plants can propagate, genetic interchange can occur, populations can move in response to environmental changes and natural disasters, and threatened species can be replenished from other areas. Sadly, outboard motor propeller scars, 30,000 to 40,000 counted by the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission, destroy this natural seagrass wonder.

What entitles us to destroy? Do we not care for the habitat that makes fish and supports birds? If we classify Cockroach Bay a Hillsborough County marine sanctuary, maybe we'll show more respect for its life-sustaining flora and fauna.

GUS MUENCH

Ruskin

Involve The Community

Regarding "State Support Of TBARTA Crucial To Mission" (Other Views, May 22):

In spite of Shelton Quarles' arguments, TBARTA does not deserve state funding until it truly concentrates on real locations for our regional transit needs. As long as development interests and large landowner representatives remain heavily involved, it is unworthy of our tax dollars.

Common sense dictates that we should be looking at transit solutions where people are already living and where our Comprehensive Plan allows for the majority of growth in the future. Two potential corridors in Hillsborough and Manatee counties, corridors C and D, for example, are located far to the east of population centers and plow through rural and preservation lands, with the certain result of increased, unwanted sprawl.

VIVIENNE HANDY

Wimauma

We Have The Density

People who say Tampa does not have the density for rail are quite wrong, as we had the density back in the 1940s when we had 53 miles of track that ran from 5 a.m. to 3 a.m. every seven to 30 minutes on outlying track - and ran at a profit.

That is, until 1947, when General Motors started buying up light-rail systems all over the country and dismantling them. They replaced them with their buses, which caused serious cuts in time and entire routes to be cut. This forced many into cars to get to and from work, which has lasted to this day. So if we had the density in 1930s and 1940s, how do we lack the density now?

Remember, light rail keeps running in a gas shortage as it runs on domestically produced electric, contrary to buses, which run on foreign oil.

DAVID HARDINGHAM

Tampa

Build In The City

Regarding "Plan Will Enable Tampa To Greet Coming Growth With Enthusiasm" (Our Opinion, May 18)"

I make no claim to being a city planner, but I've long been an observer of what seems to work and what doesn't.

Having lived in some of Europe's largest cities, such as Berlin, Frankfurt, London and Vienna, one can see how livable life can be in a big city. A couple only needs about 1,200 square feet to be quite comfortable. Many shops on the ground level cater to the needs of the occupants, so it's just an elevator ride down to get what you need, not a five-mile trip by car, as in some of our suburban developments. Public transport is used extensively and most people don't own a car or see any need for one.

The Planning Commission deserves some appreciation for recognizing this and ignoring the blandishments of developers who would pave over the entire state. If they want to build, let them build in the city. High gas prices may finally push us in the direction we should have taken long ago.

JACK PEEL

Tampa

Correction

In Kris DiGiovanni's column on Wednesday, she incorrectly identified a cemetery. The correct name is Serenity Meadows.

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