LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

County Property Appraisals Out Of Line

In 2008 property values went down on Hernando Beach by 19.7 percent, although homeowners here on average are getting in the $260,000-range and lower for these homes that they sell. Market values are $40,000 to $80,000 higher than they should be. I complain every year but to no avail.

When they say $500, are they crazy? People who bought homes in the past couple of years are paying between $5,000 and $15,000 in property taxes. I know for a fact I am paying double what my neighbors are paying.

Yes, we need for them to bring market values back in line with reality. They will give you all kinds of excuses as to why they have the market value that it is. I have quite a few friends who have sold their homes for what they could get and have left.

Yes, property taxes do matter. Where are the commissioners who said they were going to do something about our property taxes? I tell them every year I will gladly sell them my home for the market value that they have set. I know I can buy the same kind of home for $50,000 to $60,000 less. So, who are they kidding?

Our state knows what's going on but is doing little to get us fair market value. My solution would be to hire an independent group to do some fair appraisals. Get rid of the Hernando County property appraisers office and put it in independent hands.

I am waiting this year to see what their mass appraisal program does. Property values have been going down for almost three years, and it will be interesting to see what excuses this year will bring. We need to bring some reality to property taxes. Some folks pay nothing and others have to pay double or triple.

Harry D. Kasavich

Weeki Wachee

Provide Solutions, Not Complaints

A young man entered a monastery with vows of silence. He was allowed to speak only two words every 10 years.

After the first decade he said: "Bed hard."

After the second decade he said: "Food cold."

The third decade he said "I quit."

The abbot replied, "Well, I'm not surprised. You've done nothing but complain ever since you've been here!"

Budget and finance committee member Anna Liisa Covell got it right when she told "civic activist" Janey Baldwin "that she'd done nothing but complain since she got there" and asked her to come up with something constructive to say and help the process.

It's so very easy to complain, and so very difficult to describe what can be done to help. I had a boss once who said he wasn't interested in hearing problems, what he wanted to hear was solutions. This is also very much like some time back when Commissioner Jeff Stabins got lambasted for asking for citizen input into finding solutions to the problems of our county.

We complain bitterly about not being included in the process, then when we are, we complain just as bitterly because the people we elect are supposed to solve all the problems.

So let's hear more citizens come forward with solutions, not just complaints. Ms. Baldwin, are you listening?

Gail B. Leatherwood

Spring Hill

Switch To Satellite

Here we go again folks; Bright House is raising its rates.

I changed over to Direct TV the last time they raised them and found out I liked it better. Direct TV has more than 130 HD channels and the NFL Channel free. Cable does not. I was tired of missing NFL and some college games.

The only drawback is at times in the summer during really heavy rains, you may lose the signal briefly, but I had also lost the signal with Bright House on many occasions.

I am also ready to go to Direct TV's high-speed Internet because Road Runner just raised those rates also to $47.95. That's outrageous.

They should hold the line a bit during these hard times, but they don't care. So my advice is to now make them pay and go another way - Direct TV or another satellite company.

Robert Van Istendal

Spring Hill