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Hernando Today

Stop This Endless Grab For Power By Fire Board

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Hernando Today

Published: September 28, 2008

Updated: 09/28/2008 10:39 am

Stop This Endless Grab For Power By Fire Board

I had originally intended to present these arguments for a "NO" vote on Spring Hill Fire District independence at the town hall meeting. Since that meeting has been canceled, I would like to provide the following information so that the residents of Spring Hill can learn what powers a yes vote would give to the new board.

Voters need to read Chapter 191 of the Florida State code. This Chapter outlines the power the independent fire board would have. The following paragraphs are directly quoted from Chapter 191.006 entitle General Powers. These powers may be exercised by a simple majority vote of the five-member board.

Chapter 191.006(12): States that the board will have the power of eminent domain, so if they want to build a fire house where your house stands they can take it from you. Chapter 191.006(11): Allows them to charge user and impact fees. Among the additional powers of Chapter 191.006 is section 19 which allows the independent district to provide housing or housing assistance for employed personnel whose income does not exceed 140 percent of the median income, this amounts to about $54,000 dollars a year. Any employee who makes less than that figure would be eligible for housing assistance.

How many of us living on fixed income would like to have housing assistance? How many county fire and EMS personnel would like housing assistance? By voting for independence for the district, the residents of Spring Hill will be giving the powers of the Board of County Commissioners and then some to a five-member board overseeing just the fire district.

Let's vote "NO" and put an end once and forever to the endless grab for power by the fire board.

Harry Chamberlain

Spring Hill

Nader Perfect For The Presidential Job

Not long ago, I sent you a letter stating that for the first time in my life I will be voting for a Republican this presidential election year. I am here to tell you that I've changed my mind.

The Republicans can thank President Bush who has a thing for socializing the losses of businesses. As the party rebels against the President for wanting to do so, I will believe it's a ploy so that when the money is finally given away and it backfires, the Republicans can say that they were against it.

So, now for the first time ever, I will be voting for Ralph Nader and if he isn't on the ballot I will write him in. He's the perfect man for the job right about now because being the consumer advocate that he was, he would detest bailing out businesses that made poor decisions.

Besides, if he were able to pull it off without getting killed, it would be quite a coup.

Will Ralph Nader win? Probably not, but at least I wouldn't have thrown my vote away to a two party system that wants to take the masses broke so they can rule them easier.

Buffy Dawson

Spring Hill

Returning to Normalcy

Our government has only recently decided to financially help institutions that may otherwise collapse and severely affect not just our economy, but the global economy. Our economy is in terrible shape, but these bailouts really do nothing to help the American people who cannot afford to pay their mortgage and does nothing to shore up faith in the security of our country.

I want to be connected and engaged in our country's management so these are my suggestions for beginning a return to some normalcy.

The president should institute a moratorium on new residential construction for at least one year. Any residential construction without a slab already poured should not be permitted regardless of whether a permit is issued. If the slab has been poured, the construction can be completed but no further starts should be permitted.

This will allow for some stability in the excess inventory of homes and permit the real estate market some time to take a breath. Right now, it's less expensive to buy new construction than it is to buy a resale.

The disadvantage, of course, will be that residential construction workers will be out of work for at least one year. So, what do we do with them? Put them to work.

Our government has been closing military bases in the United States with no vision of our future national defense. The so-called peace dividend has turned out to be a fallacy. The current state of world affairs, in my humble opinion, requires a strong military appearance at home for both real and psychological effects. I say let's begin to rebuild and/or renovate those strategic military bases we closed with no eye towards the future.

Preference for reconstruction and renovation should be given to those companies and workers specializing in residential construction for this job. This will take up the slack of some of the loss of their jobs by the moratorium on residential construction.

Americans need to see the presence of our military in our communities again. It gave us a sense of security during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and most importantly during the Cold War. Since the so-called peace dividend, we have been attacked on our own soil and our government acknowledges that there are likely terrorist cells operating in our country. We are being challenged internationally on several fronts, including within our own hemisphere, but our physical presence is a skeleton of what it was and what it should be. We are once again rattling sabers with Russia and have for all intents and purposes entered Cold War II.

Americans need to see uniformed people driving on our highways as we once did. We need to see them at lunch counters, in the grocery stores, at the gas pumps, and in our communities with their families. It isn't just about feeling strong, it's about actually being strong, and rebuilding and reconstructing strategically located military bases will keep some of those construction workers affected by a building moratorium employed.

The re-emergence of those bases in communities will re-energize their local economies.

Leo Dougherty

Brooksville

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