LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Government Social Club

Ongoing widespread staff wrongdoings and wrangling at county government suggest it is a well-endowed social club interrupted occasionally by work. Generously compensated people are paid by overtaxed citizens to be members of it.

Needed is concentration on job, merging or ousting of some departments, elimination of unnecessary jobs and tasks, as well as simplification of work methods. Staff, including department heads and coordinators, thereby could be downsized to two-thirds.

Work space so released would be available to judiciary, thus saving millions of dollars for new building. Finally, less equipment would be needed, such as cars and trucks for family shopping.

James A. Willan

Brooksville

Definitions

Transportation: The means of conveyance of passengers from one place to another.

Experiment: A test under controlled conditions to examine the validity of a hypothesis or determine the efficacy of something previously untried.

I don't believe the meaning of transportation applies to the Hernando County bus system because of its dismal ridership. The buses should be utilized in a more user-friendly, professional manner with a better grid system with transfers at every crossing to maximize ridership. If you don't take the term transportation seriously, then do away with THE Bus. It is not cost effective.

Because so many residents of Hernando County work in or around Tampa, why not use some of the buses as commuter buses to transport people to the Tampa area where they can then use the Tampa transportation system to get them to their jobs? The logistics would have to be worked out, but you could see daily, weekly or monthly commuter passes; and citizens of Hernando could save money on tolls, gas, wear on their vehicles; and at the same time, help the energy crises, environment and also would help subsidize THE Bus.

On weekends, how about running a few buses to shopping malls south of us? It's worth a try. It's called an experiment.

Andrew Ingoglia

Brooksville

Porcelain Palaces

Another outlandish Hernando County project is on the move! We have a $265,000 ceramic-tiled restroom at the Suncoast Parkway Trailhead, a $1.4 million hot, noisy, eco-unacceptable, aluminum walkway with more ceramic-tiled restrooms at a boat launching (Bayport) park and now a work-in-progress basketball/volleyball (and most likely) ceramic-tiled restroom going in at a Landover Boulevard Rotary dog park.

Now, I ask you, how many people have trained their pooches to shoot hoops and play volleyball? And I'm quite sure a lot of people will pack up a lovely picnic basket to go sit under an exorbitantly priced pavilion to sit and watch the doggies poop all over the dog park. I know many dog owners are waiting for the completion of this park. People have been donating money at various venues (Swamp Fest, etc.) toward this dog park. I don't think they knew that they were donating toward another playground. Our local kids have lots of area playgrounds that our county workers are already struggling to maintain within constant budget cuts. The dogs have no play/run areas, that their owners usually "pick up" after themselves. An all-inclusive dog park is a deserving idea. I wonder how many people would want their donations back when they realize they were donating toward another playground that a lot of dogs will become agitated at when put near rowdy, game-playing kids.

I am not a crabby old senior citizen with no life that balks against inevitable change...I'm an avid biker on the Suncoast Parkway Trail, an avid kayaker "putting in" at Bayport. I don't have a dog, but I truly think dogs need a private area to run free, smell and do doggie things.

People! When is this ridiculous overspending going to end? Our county is overwhelmed with high cost of living, sky high taxes and insurance rates, budget cuts, layoffs, lack of jobs, foreclosures and the beat goes on. Those wanting, needing and donating for a dog park could have had, paid for and been using the dog park by now if this project had been kept to a reasonable project. Simply, a dog park!

But, once again, our illustrious county officials are continuing their trend - Government Gone Wild!

Mary K. Bratt

Spring Hill

Hurray For The Senior Class Of Hernando High

Re: Recent brouhaha concerning Hernando High School senior class prank.

Hurray for the senior class of Hernando High School, and hurray for their teachers! These young adults have obviously received a quality education in analytical thinking, humor, courage, organization skills, creative writing and leadership.

May God continue to bless each and every one of you, students and teachers.

Keith Burbridge

Spring Hill