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Hernando Today

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 29, 2008

Action Needed

It is time that the residents of Hernando County take action against our county executives. We have been hearing how hard it has been to cut the budget.

I just received my notice of proposed property taxes. My value dropped $50,000, yet my assessed value rose $12 and my property taxes dropped $120. That $120 the county lost would not even repair a small pot hole or fill the gas tank of one county 4x4 pickup.

It is time we vote out career politicians.

Lee Anderson

Weeki Wachee

County Should Cut

Everyone's Lawn

I sincerely hope that I am not the only one who is writing a letter to the editor about Hernando County having county workers cut the grass and clean up the property of "about 100 homes in Hernando County" that have been foreclosed upon.

That, in itself, is a pretty good idea. However, the county administrators are apparently going to make the local taxpayers "foot the bill" for this service, which would benefit the banks and mortgage holders of these properties.

I can't afford to have my own lawn serviced by someone. Why do I want to help pay the financiers way to beautification? These "100 properties" may be next to or near some influential person's properties for all we know, and maybe not. In any case, the potential for fraud certainly is present.

Why doesn't the county cut everyone's grass? We do pay for it, literally!

Fred Greenwalt

Spring Hill

Beware Hernando Drivers

I am writing this letter to all the people who travel the roads in Hernando County. There is danger out there from whom you least expect: Yes, our sheriff deputies.

I was coming home with my Honey recently from eating at Hooter's, traveling north on U.S 19 in the left lane at about 60 miles an hour. There was this swish! It scared my Honey and I. It was one of our illustrious deputies traveling at a rate of speed I estimate at about 80 to 90 mph without siren or lights flashing. It was about a half mile from the Forest Oaks traffic light and it changed red before he got there.

I was able to approach him at the light in the middle lane and ask our speeder, "What was that about?" He answered: "I am after her," pointing to the red vehicle in front of him, still with his siren and lights off. Then I said: "Without your lights on?" Then he graciously turned them on.

This is not the first time and surely this is not going to be the last unless our sheriff sends his deputies back to Inverness Law Enforcement School, because somewhere along the line these deputies missed the road course on chasing someone who is breaking the law.

There is another issue I'd like to respond to about there driving habits and endangering the public. The deputies drive too close. I see this all the time and just yesterday, a deputy was behind this elderly couple no more than two car lengths at 40 mph. I hate to say this, but you see this constantly, most every time you see a deputy.

Several years ago I stopped at a stop sign got out of my car and approached the deputy's car and asked him politely, "Why are you traveling so close to me for the last mile at 40 miles an hour?" I could not see the hood of his vehicle only the windshield. His response was, "I am not traveling that close."

Sheriff Nugent, I am asking you, what are you going to do about this? Your deputies are endangering the people of Hernando County.

I hope and pray you do something about your deputies putting us in danger.

Gary Mercer

Spring Hill

Exorbitant Tax

Dollars Wasted

I just read another article today in our paper on libraries suffering under wheels of THE Bus. I have written a couple words about THE Bus myself, and this will probably be the last one.

I couldn't understand why the county commissioners couldn't see what we the taxpayers see until I went on vacation in California where we used to live. I ask my son-in-law to explain this since he is a supervisor with the city there. He said it was probably the same as it there. They are also loosing money, but if a city doesn't have a transit system, it loses federal dollars and that is free money to the city.

I said, "What is free about it? That is some more of the taxes we all have to pay." He laughed and said the people who hand it out and the people who take it think of it as free money and if they don't use it, they loose it. Well, when I think about 50 states and all their cities loosing money on systems that they have to keep in order to receive their share of the free tax dollars, it really blows my mind.

Now I understand why our federal taxes are so high and why our local taxes are being wasted. The library probably doesn't have any thing to do with getting these federal dollars. I think that it is about time our county commissioners start being honest with us. even if were not going to like it. At least by telling us the truth, we have an opportunity to do something about it.

Walter Searle

Spring Hill

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