TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hillsborough County Commission Embarrasses Itself Yet Again

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 4, 2008

Snide, Catty And Uncalled For

Regarding "Award Returned Over New Name" (Metro, Oct. 2):

I was dismayed to witness the disrespectful way Hillsborough County Commission Chairman Ken Hagan treated Eileen Hart when she returned her 1996 Moral Courage Award. She objected to the board recently renaming it the "Ralph Hughes Moral Courage Award." Hart's statement to the board was not rude in any way and was within her three-minute limit, yet Hagan saw fit to cut her off at the knees as she approached to hand him the award saying, "Thank you for the history lesson" in a snide, catty, condescending and sarcastic manner. It was totally uncalled for and unbecoming to the chairman of the commission.

Hart demonstrated what real moral courage is back in 1996 and again on Oct 1. And both Hagan and Commissioner Jim Norman clearly demonstrated the contempt they have for citizens who disagree with them.

Hagan owes Eileen Hart an apology.

I was also disappointed to see that not one of the other commissioners said one word to take the sting off their chairman's sarcastic and cutting remark. Did their moral courage fail them?

MARCELLA O'STEEN

Balm

BOCC Blockheads
While they're in the re-naming mood, perhaps Jim Norman could propose that they re-name themselves the Hillsborough County Blockheads! Just how in the world were they (with the exception of Rose Ferlita and Mark Sharpe) able to equate the Ralph Hughes Award as synonymous with the Moral Courage Award?

It's certain that Eileen Hart understood the difference. Thank goodness they weren't on the Congressional Medal of Honor review board. What would that have become - the Spiro Agnew Award?

DAN HOLMER

Brandon

Real Display Of Courage

A belated congratulations to Eileen Hart for her 1996 Moral Courage Award and a well-deserved thank you for her displaying even greater courage this time to confront the Hillsborough County commissioners. The courage it took to return her award couldn't be measured by any known standard.

The disrespect by the commission while the award was being handed back reveals the very same attitude they have for the citizens that voted them into office.

We love you Eileen.

PAUL MITCHELL

Thonotosassa

Philosophical Sacrifice

Rather than County Commission Chairman Ken Hagan cutting short the speech of a recipient trying to return her Moral Courage Award as a protest to the award's renaming, Hagan should prominently display this returned honor on his desk to remind him of the true meaning of the award; that is, courageousness and honor.

But then Hagan made his own point when he took it upon himself to publicly throw into the trash Hart's philosophical sacrifice.

LYNN CANNELLA

Tampa

Shills For Special Interests

I fully agree with my friend Eileen Hart about naming this award for a controversial activist who mainly financed our three pro-development apostles Brian Blair, Ken Hagan and Jim Norman. I am ashamed for our county "leadership" to let this happen.

We do not need less government; we need better government. A good beginning would be to vote these three commissioners out of office. We need commissioners who represent the interests of the people and are not shills for the special interests!

So let's get rid of these guys! Remember them when you are in the voting booth and do the right thing.

HANS K. SCHELLENBERG

Odessa

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT