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Hernando Today

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 17, 2008

Losing Freedom Of Choice
The great American humorist, Will Rogers, said, "Those people in Washington are no worse than the people who put them there," and added, "they're better than those who didn't vote at all."

Remember, our Creator said, you will reap what you sow. And both are right. We, the people, cannot change the course our nation has taken politically until they decide to vote for a statesman that is firm in following our Constitution. There is one candidate who fills these shoes. The media won't mention his name.

Why? Because this man would set the plans for the New World order back 100 years. And our nation would transform politically from this so called Democracy back to our beloved Republic that our forefathers risked their lives for.

Remember this when you vote: Freedom and the Bill of Rights or slavery to our national debt for future generations. We are losing our freedom of choice.

Vernon Carles

Spring Hill

'Reluctant' Signer Still Signed

This is in response to Mike Casillas of Wesley Chapel regarding Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite and her attitude toward Puerto Ricans and people on Guam.

Fifty years ago when I was at Cornell-New York Hospital, it was my job to train Puerto Ricans to work as technicians in the heart station. I had no trouble accepting them as a trainee, not any more than the girls coming in that were native New Yorkers. At that time, I knew Puerto Rico was a U.S. protectorate.

Mr. Casillas is correct that Brown-Waite needs to brush up on her geography, but also her civics. I will go one further than that: Anyone who assumes they are ready for a position in Washington should have to pass an exam stressing geography and civics. I think we have had enough of unknowledgeables about the world including our current president.

What got to me was the word "reluctant" about signing the paper regarding the financial giveaway.

Do I agree how it's going to be spent when we are in debt for $9 trillion? No way! But I don't think anyone held a gun to Brown-Waite's head when she did sign. I'm an independent, and I'm glad.

Helga Curtis

Brooksville

Brown-Waite Deserves Kudos

I applaud Ginny Browne-Waite's stance regarding the income tax rebate issue as reported in the media. I agree with her that we should not "rebate" taxes to those who have not paid them in the first place.

As stated and reported Feb. 9 in Hernando Today, U.S. Rep. Jose Serrano, D-NY "snuck into the bill in the middle of the night" the wording to rebate taxes to territorial governments to pass on as they see fit to their residents. This Serrano guy is some piece of work. He sure can be glib about how deserving these territorial citizens are because they pay Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. But they do not pay income taxes.

If they want to be so equal, then pay income taxes, too. Enough of the free rides in America on the backs of our hard working citizens. This includes my disgust for the free ride the illegal immigrants are getting with all of the entitlements they receive. Our Congress and our entire political system are getting more and more sickening.

Why can't Sen. Martinez intercede with the Puerto Rican community or write something countering what this Millie Herrera and Serrano are spreading? Or would it be too politically risky for him to get involved? We need more courageous leaders who are not preoccupied with being politically correct. We need leaders who will stand up for what is right regardless of who might be offended.

Many of us are behind Ginny and support her in this matter.

Tom Pepe

Brooksville

Here We Go Again

Our county commissioners once again have voted for a new development not only with blinders on but also with their heads buried in the sand. The only commissioner to vote against this development, Diane Rowden, deserves our applause. She cited her reasons as the continued downturn in the housing market, foreclosures and the fact that the builder hasn't presented any immediate building plans.

According to an article in Wednesday's paper, our area has 58,000 vacant residential lots for builders and home buyers, many of them in subdivisions already approved. And at least one of these is in the hands of this same builder/developer. If people had the money available to buy a home and/or get a loan, do you think there would be this many vacant lots and homes around Spring Hill and in Hernando County?

Why the hurry to get this OK'd now? Does the developer think the land is going to dry up and blow away if he doesn't get this approved now? Well, it just may. Look around- the majority of the lawns are dead or dying due to the lack of rain and the watering restrictions being imposed. There are ponds that once were lakes and streams that are now all but dried up.

This new development, Lake Hideaway - where's the lake? According to the paper, "Lake" Hideaway would wrap around a pond that the developer is planning to enhance. Where's the water going to come from to fill this enhanced pond? Where's the water going to come from to water all the lawns in this new development? We all know that new lawns require a lot of water.

This man's dream of a future school site, possible fire or police station and satellite government offices, on top of what has already been approved by our commissioners, could well be our worst nightmare come true.

Audrey Swenson

Spring Hill

Appraiser Mazourek's Pandering Spin

It appears that Hernando County Appraiser Alvin Mazourek is beginning his pandering efforts to be re-elected. Suddenly, after repeated efforts to meet with Mazourek to explain his questionable methods to continually raise our property value assessments, upon submitting somewhat of an expose', I have been invited in the press to a personal visit with him.

It should be noted that his alleged open door policy appeared to be quite deceptive, which I and countless other taxpayers can personally attest to. I've called his office on numerous occasions during the past several years to meet with him, concerning complete dissatisfaction with his assessments of my property.

Each time I was met with the same canned response by one of his appointed subordinates that he was unavailable. Further inquiry as to why I desired to meet with Mazourek met with the same subtle inferences that a meeting would be a rather fruitless endeavor, since the majority of appeals have not resulted in a decreased assessment, as I should consider myself fortunate to pay the assessed taxes to Hernando County, as compared to what other counties throughout Florida are being assessed.

He also said in his response to my allegations that his proposed taxes (TRIM) that are sent out in mid-August show the actual Jan. 1, 2008, assessment is based upon utilizing the 2007 property value data, suggesting it was not a projection of future assessments.

What does he think our spendthrift county commissioners are going to do with his projected assessments? Send them back for reduction! He further stressed that the initial 2007 data that he based his TRIM on reflected a decline of 10 to 12 percent. If this be the case, than as I stated in my letter, Mazourek requires further education to be updated and/or apprised that market values and sales of properties throughout Hernando County have been in a serious recessionary decline since mid-2006.

Where then and/or how did Mazourek obtain his newly proposed market value data, when any real estate broker or sales associate completing a basic appraisal 101 course can attest that market values are vaguely determined by a market analysis of at very least a continual 30 percent basis for the sale of comparable properties.

Considering the thousands of homes throughout Hernando County being unsaleable due to increasing home insurance and ridiculously inflated property taxes, then ask: How did Mazourek arrive at his inflated market values of properties throughout Hernando County, some as high as 18 percent?

He then reflects how very concerned he is regarding the increasing foreclosure rate throughout the county, stating that he participated in several meetings with various government departments and agencies in order to assist him to keep better track of the foreclosures, giving the appearance of his concern to keep people in their homes.

What again did he accomplish, other than his additional spin, as the foreclosure rate throughout the county almost doubled in 2007? Then he attempts to portray that he was actively involved in the passage of the recently passed county budget to include the low income senior exemption (Save Our Seniors), when it was only by the outcry and the uproar that our county commissioners approved the mandate, which sat in limbo for the past year when most other counties throughout Florida enacted the legislation immediately in aid to their seniors.

Lastly, Mazourek should be apprised that I and the majority of his constituency throughout Hernando County are well educated and aware of his constitutional responsibilities to carry out his duties as mandated by legislation, with oversight by the Florida Department of Revenue, rather than the county commissioners. But his primary responsibility is mandated to the taxpayers who elected him to office, to responsibly carry out his sworn duties in an accurate and reliable manner.

I also wish that Mazourek would address his responses to the editor to provide correct information rather than another political spin, considering that he hopes to be re-elected to another four-year term in the fall of this year. As I stated in my previous letter, its time to send Mazourek packing.

Ron Dixon

Weeki Wachee

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