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Hernando Today

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 2, 2008

Updated: 10/02/2008 04:14 pm

Extra Millions

Do we, the voters, really have such bad memories? The county commissioners must believe so. They are looking at spending $49 million on a new judicial center. That, my friends, is a very expensive placard for the commissioners to put their name on.

Besides, do you really think that once the project starts there will be no change orders approved to inflate the final cost of the building? How many change orders were approved for the emergency building next to the sheriff's office or the new fire station in Spring Hill?

I personally remember the quick sale of the Brooksville Hospital site for $1 million. It was worth $10 million. County officials said the county did not have the $15 million to renovate it or the patience to look for a better price offering. Now we have $18 million in the general fund for a new building?

Who else remembers the crying and gnashing of teeth that the commissioners were displaying and the threats of police and fire rescue service cuts because we voted to lower our taxes? Now we find out that they have this much extra in the general fund for a new building that we may not require?

We definitely need new commissioners who have the foresight to save us tax money. Here is a two-word solution to the judicial space dilemma: night court.

Christopher Miles

Brooksville

Witch Hunts, Bailouts

Witch hunts and bailouts - these are two items that voters should take a good look at before casting their votes on Nov. 4.

One, witch hunts: Since the Democrats have had control of both houses the past two years, most of their time has been spent having hearings on how to smear the other party with lies and false information and not taking the time to take care of important matters. Also, forming a wall around themselves and saying they are clean. Ha, clean as a snake in the grass.

Two, bailouts with taxpayer money: Look back and see the ones who caused the problem - Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Acorn organization. All three are backed by the Democrats, and all three have spent taxpayers' money to support Democrats. All three have been run by Democrats who have received big paychecks when they stepped down. All three where pushing phony, over-appraised mortgages and putting money in their pockets. Sen. Barack Obama, a lawyer, defended Acorn in its fraudulent voter cases. Obama is the head of their ticket and received money from these fraudulent deals.

So, all you Democrats who want to blame everyone else, just walk to a mirror because the only reflection you get is one of yourself who thinks Democrats are better at running our economy. What a farce. Hope you all have a fine day at the voting booth on Nov. 4.

Bob Shulters

Spring Hill

Punish Congress

Is there a punishment for those congressmen and senators seeking and pushing bills that create the conditions we are experiencing now?

Punish those who create these situations. Right now, all they do is go back and create new problems. This should extend to committees doing the same things. If they can't be trusted to represent their constituents properly, why give them another chance to harm us again?

We all know of the avarice criminality, corruption culpability, cupidity and stupidity that pervade the Congress. Mark Twain recognized that in the 19th century when he claimed, "Congress is America's only native criminal class!" On the other hand, "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself."

So, why do we continuously send these types back to Congress without safeguards for us the folks they are supposed to represent?

Well, the reason is plain: Money!

These representatives know that fortunes may be made by becoming a congressional representative. However, once achieving that position, they forget about who sent them there and begin soliciting lobbyists. They know they can also set up a money farm, e.g. "Fannie Mae" and "Freddie Mac" to gather additional moneys for their own use.

Fannie and Freddie bought more than 66 percent of the American Congress!

What a haul!

Our representatives take bribes from Fannie and Freddie while our citizens lose their homes. As part of the package, these bribe recipients should pay back the money they took, in addition to the other bribes received from other banks like AIG, WaMu and Goldman Sachs, etc.

There is almost no need for new regulation, either. Just put the safeguards in the bailout package. Oh, and keep Barney Frank and Chris Dodd's hands off the package.

However, Wall Street needs controls, also. They are saying," We screwed up, so unless you give us a lot of money; you'll be sorry."

Now I don't know if that's Wall Street's mantra or Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's; President Bush's dupe. I suspect its Paulson's play on giving more money to his Wall Street buddies to pave the way for his return to some kind of job, since he will not be around in four months. So an additional handcuff will have to be put on cabinet officials in the future performing the same self-serving machinations as the Congress. One might even have to be placed on the president, because he did not come out smelling like a rose, either.

I guess the moral of the story is: Don't trust Congress. They are looking out for themselves!

We had better revisit term limits again! We have to do something or in another 20 years. We will be facing the same situation.

Don W. Plezia

Spring Hill

Bailout - No;

Prosecution - Yes

Editor's note: The following letter was written to U.S. Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville, and is reprinted here at the author's request.

Thank you for your sensible, although wrenching, vote to deny the bailout. Here is a snapshot of where many of us stand:

1. Bailout - no. Loan-out - yes.

2. Golden parachutes - no. Prosecutions - yes.

3. Foreign borrowing - no. Retain tax dollars with oversight - yes.

Some say the bailout should be approved because "it's worse to do nothing. Whether this is the solution or not, they Congress have to do something."

The rest of us firmly believe that doing the wrong thing is worse than doing nothing at all. Make haste with due deliberation. See Murphy's Law of Unintended Consequences.

May God guide your actions.

Jack Waldron

Brooksville

County: Society For

Destitute Bureaucrats

Re: County's compensated absences program.

This program for lofty money gifts to retiring/leaving staff is unjustified. It is so especially when costs are being cut to balance the budget. Further, occasional overtime by department heads is part of the job and should not be compensated.

These gifts, with those made to staff being terminated or resigning, as well as excessive salaries, reveal government has a major problem. It needs to decide whether to be an effective and efficient provider of community services or well-endowed benevolent association for destitute bureaucrats.

Needed is a program for staff who use government time for other paid employment. This program would require these staffers to compensate government for their use of such time.

James A. Willan

Brooksville

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