LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Business As Usual

Re: County and the dredge scheme.

I really can't understand all this fuss about giving dredge material to a well politically connected Hernando County individual. After all, he is the owner of an engineering firm, and we all know how this county favors influential or large businesses. And, you'll have to help me on this one, when was the last time Hernando County commissioners strayed from the normal practice of doing so?

I've always maintained that the only dissimilarity between the level of corruption that can be found at the federal, state and county levels are the amounts of money involved and the number of opportunities for corruption to exist. Hernando County is typical of today's new and improved comprehensive form of government. Because of the impact county commissions have on our day-to-day lives. I've come to realize that county commissions are the most powerful politically motivated branch of government in this country today. Even more so than our federal Supreme Court.

The American Constitution gives all of us certain inalienable rights. It also gives the states and counties the right to take them away.

David Robinson

Brooksville

Last Resort

We are writing this letter to the editor as a last resort in finding our lost pet. Last year, on the evening of May 29, we lost our dear Phoebe, around 9:30 p.m. at the corner of Springhill Drive and Mariner Boulevard in Spring Hills.

We searched the whole area and we did not find her, or her body, and have been looking for her this past year. She is a gray/blue female Chihuahua, with no teeth and must have canned pureed food. We posted her picture in all businesses, sent letters and postcard in the area neighborhood, with no response.

At this point we are still hoping that someone has sheltered her and is providing for her and all we want to know is that she is OK and that she has been receiving the care that she needs.

We advise that if someone finds a lost pet to bring it to the county animal shelter or Humane Society, as that is usually the first place a family looks for a lost pet. We have not had any luck in finding her so far. However, we do not want to loose all hope and are willing to provide a reward for her safe return home. Please call us at 352-345-4555 or 813-892-436.

Rita V. Diaz-Kenney

Brooksville

Go Figure

Our government has the tendency to compare our economic activities with those of foreign countries. One of their favorites is France, as its unemployment was considerably higher than it is now, measuring somewhere above 10 percent. It has since declined and was 7.5 percent in February 2008, still considered relatively high. However, their benefit period of one year is twice as long as that of the U.S.

Our unemployment rate rose 0.6 percent to 5.5 percent in May. On the surface, that's substantially better, what with theirs being 36 percent higher than our own. But not so fast. Let us examine how the numbers are being compared like apples and oranges and see how the numbers really add up.

Unemployment levels are a poor measurement of economic activity. Since unemployment benefits run out in six months, they are measured in biannual periods. So if 5.5 percent of workers were unemployed the first half of the year, their benefits would have run out midyear, and if unemployment levels remained unchanged, another 5.5 percent of all new qualified individuals would be receiving benefits for the remaining half of the year. This would create an actual annual unemployment rate of 11 percent (APR).

Now we have a figure that is substantially greater than France's - 47 percent higher.

A jobless rate would be more accurate, I'll explain. Say you start with 100 percent employment and unemployment remains steady at 5 percent, but no new jobs are being created. That would translate into nine years of steady unemployment at 5 percent. The 10th-year unemployment would plummet to 0 percent. "Wow, 0-percent unemployment. But isn't that a good thing?" you might ask. Well, no. That is because you will have achieved 100-percent joblessness, leaving not a single job left to lose. So I beg you, do not let yourself be lulled to sleep by low unemployment figures. They never tell the whole story, and those who quote them are not telling you the truth.

Remember, 5 percent unemployment really means 10 percent (annually) that is why it only took 10 years to go from 100 percent employment to 100 percent joblessness in my example. Why do you think they're reluctant to extend unemployment benefits? They would be forced to count three additional months of the unemployed, and the effect would result in the unemployment rate increasing to 50 percent higher, from 5.5 percent to something less than 8.25 percent.

Lorne DeWitt

Brooksville