LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Pitiful Taxpayers

Dear pitiful taxpayers of Hernando County: Did you read April 9 article in Hernando Today, "Leto To Turn In County Vehicle?"

Mr. Leto, who was placed on leave March 31, has been riding around in a 2003 Dodge Durango!

Can you believe that? With all of our budget cuts, the county has the unmitigated gall to furnish the employees with such a high-dollar gas guzzler?

I blame a lot on the younger generation - "Your vote counts!"

It is sad to think and read that only 12 percent of the people voted in a southern county this week and most of them were senior citizens. Are you younger generations going to sit back and let the current and past government get away without accountability?

You are the future - we need your vote.

K.L. Adams

Ridge Manor

Waste Not, Want Not

I see where new County Administrator David Hamilton wants to hold public meetings to find out what the public is thinking about the 2009 budget and other things so he can go back and tell the county commissioners. I know he is new, but someone should tell him not to waste our tax money on these meetings.

The commissioners know or should know what the public is thinking. They hear it at every board meeting time and again; they are just not interested or don't want to hear what we think. They prove it at every board meeting. That is, unless you're a land developer. Tell him to stay around a few weeks and he will see what I'm talking about.

Tell him to save the money that he is about to waste on these meetings and put it into the 2009 budget.

Vince Gonzalez

Brooksville

Rall Rail

This past Thursday the good readers of Hernando Today were once again subjected to the rantings of ultra-radical columnist Ted Rall, in which he calls for the arrest of President Bush.

Now as much as I have my own issues regarding the president, the mere idea that he should be arrested over the issue of torture is, to put it politely as possible, silly. One only has to read the Constitution and read various Supreme Court rulings to know that.

The editors of Hernando Today have every right to publish Ted Rall's columns; it is after all their paper, but at the same time they should also take in mind their readers as well. Many will take even greater offense at Rall's column and some might even decide to cancel their subscription.

Peter Stathis

Spring Hill

When Jupiter

Aligns With Mars

The conjunction of planets and stars appears fortuitous in the current wave of faith and compassion that sweeps through the American landscape.

Consider that Passover has its believers sacrificing and celebrating their faith.

Then, the Dali Lama came to America in the northwest, bringing his message of compassion to a nation praying for Tibet to be free to practice the faith his followers beg for and have for the past nearly 50 years.

Significant is the impact of Pope Benedict's visit to our nation's Capitol and to New York City in his desire to ask for compassion in the wake of scandals plaguing the church. The Pope also expressed continuing exhortations for its Roman Catholic followers and America's youth to involve themselves in the faith of their fathers, including the large Hispanic base in our country.

The Democrat campaign has senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama discussing their faith-based views in light of bringing to their moral compass the commitment of faith to their conscience in the presidency.

It is interesting to note the crossing of all these events that focus faith and compassion to set a tone of reflection of who we are as a nation with our deep faith-based strivings. It is interesting, as well, that in the political process, faith matters in the context of leadership despite separation of powers.

Deron Mikal

Brooksville

Alexander: Good News

For Hernando County

Webster's encyclopedia defines education as "...developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for a mature life."

Where has the good reasoning and judgment gone? We are not preparing our children for a mature life because the politicians have not made education their priority. Don't they know our greatest resource is our children - our future leaders?

The people of India and China have surpassed the U.S. in math, science and the use of high tech. Therefore, many of the high-tech jobs are not being filled by U.S. citizens.

But there is good news in Hernando County. We must never lose our faith.

The English language specifies the word "perfect" is incorrect English - nearly perfect is correct. Even the Japanese believe the word "perfect" is incorrect; they use the words wabi sabi.

It is true that we live in an imperfect world, but we have the choice to make it a better world. That is what the School Board did when they chose Dr. Alexander as our superintendent of Hernando County schools.

Dr. Alexander has not only advanced the technology in our schools, but he has saved the taxpayers thousands of dollars with his innovative ideas. Dr. Alexander wants equal education for all our children.

We, the voters, need a pat on our backs. Also, when we elected Diane Bonfield. Mrs. Bonfield is a retired reading specialist teacher who understands the needs of our children and school system, so let's do it again, voters. There will be candidates running for the School Board in District 2 and 4.

Get involved and vote in the best candidates.

Eleanor Marholin

Brooksville