LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Leave Library System Alone

Re: Privatization of library system.

I would suggest the county leave the library system alone.

It is one of the few areas where citizens actually get a bang for the buck!

As of 2008, there are 82,000 active library card members with a circulation system total (2008) of 609,278.

New authors and new books are always available. The reference librarians are always busy, as are the computers. We just built a new library in Spring Hill to handle the traffic.

It would be interesting to hear how the private company in Maryland operates. Do they provide the same services and do not charge a daily rate for new books that some libraries do?

If the government had privatized our Social Security, where would we be now with the stock market collapse?

How about the 82,000 e-mailing our elected officials and administrator to pick another area like doing a better job of maintaining our medians in Spring Hill.

Arthur R. Croci

Spring Hill

Editor's note: Mr. Croci is a former president and member of the Hernando County Library Board.

Busing Or Teachers: Which Is Most Important?

I know of several Hernando County school teachers who have come home or will soon be coming home with notices they will not be teaching next year. This, after a massive round of layoffs earlier this year, already trimmed several teachers from each school in the county.

Are you kidding me?

How is it that we are able to spend millions of dollars in construction projects? Many schools have had construction projects this year and we're building a new school from the ground up. How is it we are able to spend tens of thousands of dollars (and more) to bus children across the street to attend school? Don't get me wrong, safety and quality facilities are great (and can be argued as even being critical). But, be real, are these things more important than the teachers?

Once we get these children safely across the street to these impressive monoliths, who is supposed to instruct them? Is the big yellow bus supposed to improve reading scores? Maybe the big monolith can do a better job of teaching math than a teacher. Maybe Japan is sending its robo-teacher to instruct our students in geography. Or, are we going to take students and have them instruct the younger children? Let's look at the budget realistically. Is it more important to spend money to get the students across the street or is it better to spend money to teach them once they are there?

We can certainly save money by releasing the teachers; but what will be the real cost? Perhaps it is time for parents to start transporting their children across the street so that we can actually have the teachers to instruct them. I think that it is time that we take a closer look at the budget. We are now entering the realm of hurting instruction. By the way, have we forgotten the class-size amendment? Full implementation is only one year out!

Duane Edwards

Brooksville

Corruption Reigns

Addressing how business corruption controlled the economy, an American history textbook published in 1911 said the enormous wealth of business interests had invaded politics and influenced lawmakers and judges. The wealth allowed the business interests to secure congressmen who were devoted to protecting special business interests by passing laws favorable to those business interests or by not passing unfavorable ones.

It also allowed them to secure congressmen who selected judges who made favorable interpretations for business. The book said the greatest danger to our republic is the corruption of the government by the "money power."

The book also said Americans had "a wonderful awakening" and resolved "to drive business out of politics." Today's Americans have also had "a wonderful awakening" but are still powerless against the evil influence of business interests and are still being fleeced by the "money power," partly because of Congress' blundering and complicity.

Despite any "resolve" by Americans, banking and business leaders, often products of American's elite universities, will continue their plunder. After nearly a hundred years, nothing has changed.

Corruption reigns.

Bob Womack

Crystal River

Fooled By The Unions

To those who voted for the union as county workers, you are really taken in. Your taxes will go up and everyone else's in Hernando County. You'll have to pay union dues amounting to about $45 to $50 each month.

You will still get laid off if they get slow. I worked for an AFL-CIO union for 40 years. They did nothing for me but collect $38 a month. When it was slow, I got laid off even when I had 25 years in at the time.

So don't think this is a good thing; it's not. They don't care about you. All they want is your money.

So please consider what you've done.

Bill Hanley

Brooksville

Hospital Stay Merits Thank You

I am writing this letter because I just want to say thank you to all of the doctors and nurses and nurse assistants that I had at the Brooksville Regional Hospital.

I was there recently, and I even end up in ICU. I had great people taking care of me. I did not meet one bad person, not even the cleaning people. They all were very nice to me.

The only complaint I have is with the hospital beds. You would think that with such a new hospital they could have nicer beds. But, all in all, the care was great! Thank you again everybody at Brooksville Regional Hospital!

Betty Woitas

Spring Hill