LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Put Money Where

It's Needed Most

This makes me sick to my stomach. It is unbelievable that our schools function at all.

For some unknown reason, this school administration and board believe we (being the taxpayers of this county) can fund anything they put on the table. When did they lose focus of the most important aspects of our schools? Maybe they never had it, who knows.

There are three things and only three things that are critical to our kids getting a good education. The teachers, the students and their parents and/or guardians. Without solid input from all three, our kids are lost.

There is no way you can convince me that spending $60 million on a state-of-the art school or a 90K/year assistant or electronic speaker systems or dress codes or reshuffling principals and support staff is going to ensure our kids are educated properly and prepared for life.

I would love to have a plasma TV in my living room and a GPS system in my car and a housekeeper to clean my house and a full-time tutor for my kids and a computer in every room in house, but I can't afford that and neither can this county afford to foot luxuries and excess salaries because someone says this would be good.

Good for whom?

Put the money and support where it's needed the most. Hire more teachers, get more text books, work on getting parents and students involved and stop wasting money!

This administration is putting a huge burden on us, and it's time to say "no." Maybe they need to look up the word budget in the dictionary, because right now, it appears that they think the word budget means spend as much money as possible. We can't afford this. Go to the meetings and speak out!

Robert Neuhausen

Spring Hill

Kingsley The Carpetbagger

It again appears that County Commissioner Chris Kingsley is up to his old tricks again at the expense of the taxpayers of Hernando County.

Let us first examine his original or first tenure as a county commissioner about seven years ago, when he was commonly known as the Hernando County Legend (In-His-Own-Mind) and quite frequently jumped onto any and every bandwagon to pander any group regardless of their ridiculous and wasteful requests.

As a result of his initial performance during his first four years, he was soundly defeated in his attempt to be re-elected in his home district. Then lo and behold, what plan did Kingsley formulate to be re-elected for another four years as his part-time position as a county commissioner on the taxpayers' dole? Of course, he forthwith packed his carpetbag and swiftly moved to another county district, where he somehow conned the electorate to re-elect him to another four-year term, where, in my opinion as a taxpayer, he has again demonstrated a total lack of concern for the taxpayers by his wasteful and inefficient spending of our tax dollars.

Remember, he is also one of the gang of three, inclusive of Commissioners Jeff Stabins and Diane Rowden, who practically thumbed their noses at the taxpayers who begged for a reasonable tax relief at the last county budgetary hearing in the fall of last year and requested any salary percentages granted to county employee's be based upon a pro-rated basis.

Now Kingsley has again demonstrated his true character by milking an additional $3,600 from our county coffers, allegedly to enhance his personal academic credentials. However, based upon the outcry of several county officials, he was not legally entitled to receive any county funds that were set aside for county career employees, not elected officials.

It also appears that our illustrious county attorney and his staff of five were again asleep at the switch, or perhaps it was beyond their legal expertise and they should have hired an outside consultant as is the usual common practice.

Considering some of the recent past questionable and/or alleged illegalities by certain county officials, perhaps it might be time to call for an investigation and/or audit by state and/or federal authorities. It will also be quite interesting to see what our new County Administrator David Hamilton will pursue in this matter of questionable conduct and alleged illegal spending.

It should be quite clear by now to all voters throughout Hernando County that we must clean our house beginning with the defeat of Chris Kingsley and the remaining gang - Stabins and Rowden. Will Kingsley be required to repay our tax dollars that he garnered for academic assistance during his first tenure? Hopefully, Hernando Today will monitor his actions very closely.

Ron Dixon

Weeki Wachee