Stabins, The Gloating Kindergartner, Shows True Self

Although this past election didn't turn out as I desired for the country, I must say I was more pleased with the results in our local elections. The Brown-Waite and Schenck wins made me happy as did the almost-clean-sweep of the commissioners running for re-election. Good riddance to Chris Kingsley and Diane Rowden, no matter how they and their family members pout and call the voters names.

That brings us to Jeff Stabins who made me, for the first time in years, vote against a Republican candidate. Essentially, I felt having a Democrat win his commissioner position would have to be better than having Stabins draining our county government any more than he has already. It was a decision echoed by the Hernando Today.

It is a shame the majority of the voters couldn't see his incompetence, like how he never familiarized himself ahead of time with the strings that would be attached to his proposed housing stimulus plan that seems to have fizzled out. Or his fiscal irresponsibility at a time when an "across the board wage freeze" for county employees would have been more appropriate. Stabins instead proposed and got passed an "across the board" pay hike for all county employees so "everyone could get something more in their paychecks" instead of Dave Russell's proposal of just giving raises only to those earning under $35,000.

This at a time when the rest of Hernando County residents consider ourselves fortunate if we even have a job, let alone can count on a pay raise! Only those who are lucky enough to have a position in some level of government can be assured of wage increases every year regardless of how the economy is or, more importantly, how well they perform their jobs.

Now, I see on the front page of the paper how Stabins, acting like a gloating kindergartner, sent an insulting thank you to someone who did not approve of his total disregard for the spending of our tax dollars and who had hoped he would not be re-elected. While showing his absolute lack of professionalism, this childish action also shows that he is less interested in working with others who may not share his views. He should put less effort into throwing insults around and more into striving to get this county to run as wisely and efficiently as possible, giving taxpayers a reason not to feel the wages we pay him are yet just another waste of county money!

Shame on you, Jeff Stabins, for continuing to show how clearly unprofessional, greedy and self-absorbed you are. And as far as calling the Hernando Today names, you are just sour grapes that the paper chose to endorse your opponent because they too feel the Hernando County taxpayer would be better off without you.

Good for you, Linda Hayward, for standing up for the Hernando County taxpayers. Good job, Hernando Today, for reporting well and looking out for the Hernando taxpayers.

Dee Clark

Spring Hill