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Hernando Today

Tell Neighbors To Vote 'No'

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Hernando Today

Published: November 1, 2008

Tell Neighbors To Vote 'No'

We are running out of time before the election, so please talk to your neighbors and call all your friends and ask them to vote "no" on the Spring Hill Fire Rescue District independence referendum.

I can understand the people that are voting "yes." It means they can control their salary increases, how often and how much. Just recently two chiefs were given their second raise in one year, and I believe it was around 3 percent, putting them in the $80,000 dollar area. The union also wants a "yes" vote; you can bet it will be easier to increase union dues if you and the board of fire commissioners are the controlling factors.

As for the firefighters and all their friends and relatives, why not vote "yes." This means they control how often they get a raise and how much. They also get to control their benefit package and retirement program, all at the taxpayers' expense.

So if you don't want a free-to-do-anything-we-feel fire rescue district, then I urge you to vote "no!"

Walter Searle

Spring Hill

Vote "No" -- Nothing Will Change

Except Tax Savings

Just a few things the taxpayers of Spring Hill need to know before voting on the Spring Hill Fire Rescue referendum:

Why does the union contract have a clause that allows a firefighter who tests positive for drugs a 28-day paid leave of absence? Could there be a drug problem that we are not aware of?

Why are the union and the firefighters spending so much money and time to brainwash the public to vote yes? Could it be that, under independence, the employees of Spring Hill Fire Rescue will have a very nice feathered bed; and under consolidation, they would need to follow the rules?

Why has the chief and the assistant chief received not one but two hefty raises this year? Yes, while people are losing their jobs and salaries have been frozen all over the country, the chiefs at the Spring Hill Fire District received not one, but two raises in one year. Why are they doing this? Answer: Because they can, and we are letting them get away with it.

Just imagine what they would get away with under independence.

Vote "no" - nothing will change.

The county cannot close firehouses or dismiss firefighters. It's the law under the referendum. Check for yourself. Go to the Hernando County Web page and read the law that is contained in the referendum.

Unless you have a lot of money to support the Spring Hill Fire Rescue District, you need to vote "no."

Nick Morana

Spring Hill

A 'No' Vote

Will Save Tax Dollars

Should we consolidate Spring Hill Fire Rescue into Hernando County's emergency operations and save $500,000 a year? Good question.

After overhearing two Spring Hill Fire Rescue men talking at a local restaurant, I got my answer. One man asked about overtime and the other said, "Overtime? You don't ask for overtime; you make your own." Sounds like the union mentality to me - gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme. I'm just tired of reading about their whining in the papers all the time. I know how I'll vote on the question.

Warren Richards

Spring Hill

Melton Rebuttal

Thank you for the opportunity to reply to your preference for the incumbent for Florida House District 44.

The people of District 44 have not been properly represented for the past two years. Hernando County has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state. I stand by my position that low taxes and local economic growth are the answers to our current problems. Continued government waste and ineffective leadership must be changed.

I believe your preference for the incumbent is misplaced because the incumbent lacks originality and the ability to build consensus, and he often is inaccessible to his constituents. If I am so honored to be elected, I pledge to hold monthly radio town hall meetings and maintain an open-door policy to discuss the issues.

I also believe that your preference for the incumbent is misplaced because my values are more consistent with the voters in Hernando County. Your preference overlooks the fact that the incumbent has spent his time in Tallahassee with lobbyists and special interests. I am proud of the financial and volunteer support my campaign has received. But I am most proud that my support is local. Your preference for the incumbent is mistaken because he will have to repay the lobbyists and special interests for the large sums of money he has taken from them. This will directly hurt the voters and residents of Hernando County.

I am the candidate who will remedy that void in leadership. I am the candidate who will work tirelessly to create more jobs, lower your property insurance and taxes and make sure that 100 percent of your Lottery money goes directly to classrooms.

On Nov. 4, I ask you to vote for me by filling in the box next to the name of my colleague and friend, Joe Puglia, whom I replaced on the ballot.

Remember, a vote for Joseph Puglia is a vote for Jason Melton - and leadership - in House District 44.

Jason Melton

Democratic Candidate

Florida House District 44

Adkins In, Kingsley Out

At a recent political forum, Jim Adkins, candidate for County Commission District 5, spoke of the habit of his rival, Chris Kingsley, of milking us, the taxpayers, for every possible dime for his personal expenses.

There is, of course, the well-documented incident of our tax dollars paying for his college tuition through a program set up for county employees who want to learn more about the work they are doing for the county. Kingsley is not an employee but an elected official and therefore ineligible to participate in this program. That didn't stop him from applying and somehow getting accepted to the tune of several thousand dollars. Luckily he got caught and had to pay the money back!

So instead of using this event at the forum as a case in point, Adkins used Kingsley's trip to Hawaii in 2005. We, the taxpayers, spent $1,934.27 for the king of free loading's four-day vacation the land of grass skirts.

The occasion was the 70th Annual National Conference of County Officials. Ironically, included in the official program was a lecture entitled, "Five sure ways to save procurement dollars." He must have skipped that session. No commissioners from our sister counties of Hillsborough, Pasco or Citrus made this trip for budgetary reasons.

Following Adkins' remarks at the forum, Kingsley shrugged and said, "That's the difference between Adkins and me. He looks back at the past and talks about something that happened several years ago while I forget the past and look to the future." A future that he hopes will find him re-elected and set to travel to other exotic locales at our expense.

By the way, it cost us $745.70 for him to spend four days in Tampa in June 2005.

I don't know who first said the following but I think its good advice for Hernando County voters: "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it." Let's not ignore Kingsley's expensive travel history. Let's elect Jim Adkins, a contentious, frugal man in Kingsley's place.

Ed Swartz

Brooksville

Absurd Infomercial

I hope many others are as appalled as I am about the millions spent by Sen. Barack Obama on the 30-minute TV infomercial. The Republican Party was faulted for spending $150,000 on clothes for the Palin family but Obama's "show" gets no criticism? This is absurd to me.

I certainly hope none of our tax dollars were spent on this. I hope I am not the only one questioning his political spending and where the mega-millions are coming from.

Elaine Smith

Brooksville

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