Letters
Letters to the editor, Oct. 10
Hernando Today
Published: October 10, 2012
Fuzzy mathPublished: October 10, 2012
I hope everyone is saving their money like I am for a great real estate bargain coming up soon. Let me explain.
Barack Obama gets his clock cleaned by Mitt Romney in the first presidential debate. Now don't try to argue that fact, everyone knows that was true. Obama's harshest critics of his lousy performance were his own supporters.
Two days after this dismal showing, lo and behold the new unemployment rate comes in at 7.8 percent! It's been over 8 percent for 43 straight months, but two days later, it's 7.8 percent. No coincidence there, right?
Every economist and financial institution had been predicting that 113,000 jobs would be created for September, and the rate would still be 8.1 percent. So, 114,000 were created, yet the rate dropped to 7.8 percent? Everyone said you needed 250,000 jobs to lower the rate. Fuzzy math here?
Let's see, Obama is head of the federal government. The Labor Department, who comes up with these numbers, is part of the federal government. No coincidence here though, right? Two of the people on this board that come up with these numbers are two of Obama's highest campaign contributors. No coincidence there, either, huh?
The White House and the liberal media can try to fool the American people. But, all you have to do is look around you to see that this country is in deep trouble. It's pathetic the lengths the White House and liberal media will go to keep this man in office. But, if dead people still vote in Chicago, can we expect any less?
Oh, by the way, that piece of real estate they will be trying to sell next is a little bridge, just down the road from the hospital where I was born in Brooklyn.
Russ Colombo
Spring Hill
Finding a solution
Parry Donze suggests calling rescue groups and calls animal services inept. Neither is responsible for your 20 year commitment to an animal!
Everyone wants the latest designer pet and they want it to be a puppy or kitten. When they tire of it, it ends up in the shelter. When they die, it ends up in the shelter, when they move it ends up in the shelter.
When they fail to train it, it ends up in the shelter. Adopt an older animal and make arrangements for your pet. When you take on the responsibility of an animal it is your responsibility not the counties and not the rescue groups responsibility.
It is past time for the general public to quit pointing fingers and start becoming part of the solution. Spay and neuter your pets! PetLuv makes it affordable.
Adopt an older animal. If your child didn't meet your expectations, why should your puppy? Older animals like older people have value. Let your friends, neighbors and relatives know breeding is not acceptable. Don't buy a pet, adopt a pet.
The solution to this problem involves not only animal rescue and animal services, it involves everyone! I cannot imagine the hostile work environment lack of funding and leadership has caused at animal services.
I do know Mike Steel was the most professional representative I met from that organization. He actually cared about animals. For him to make mistakes that caused deaths must have been personally devastating. It is time for the community to rally behind the animals and provide the support they need in all areas.
Carolyn Allard
Brooksville
What construction
Anne Kraus-Keenan wants Hernando County to reinstate the building fees. Her claim is we're loosing all this money, millions as she put it, because were not collecting impact fees.
My question for Ms. Keenan is where is all this massive building going on she claims were loosing out on.
Have you looked at all the uncompleted half built homes in our local developments like those at Rivard, south of county airport, or all the empty uncompleted homes up behind the new high school on U.S. 19, just where are all these homes "Bob the Builder" as you call him has built.
I know a lot of my unemployed neighbors in the building trades would like to know because they been looking for work, if there is this boom going on let them know were it is because "Bob the Builder" ain't called them back to work yet.
I'm not a builder but I am a home owner and like most homeowners think all these taxes and that's what impact fees are taxes that do little to improve our roads, most are still dirt or help are schools because people are loosing there houses through foreclosures and that's the real tax base.
Remember as the property tax shrinks because of the explosion of renters and people moving out of Hernando County faster than buyers are coming in is the reason were loosing money and all these services and agencies are hurting.
We need to find ways to encourage families to come to Hernando county not put one more in pediment to make them look some where else.
James Woods
Brooksville
On autopilot
When Bryan Blavatt arrived in 2010 to serve as Hernando County's school superintendent I was optimistic that someone with a legal background, and specifically, someone who had experience in his last position fighting for "equitable" school funding (for Boone County, Ky.) would be taking the helm.
Hernando County's schools have been underfunded for decades by the Florida Department of Education's flawed funding formula enacted in 1973 that consistently awards some counties more than $500 per capita over others.
According to the DOE's own data, Hernando County receives less funding per capita than Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Citrus and less funding than 61 of the state's 67 counties.
Consequently, Hernando residents pay a disproportionate amount of residential and commercial taxes toward the school system; funding that the state pays for neighboring counties. (How is Hernando supposed to attract new businesses with a school system that's so poorly supported?)
Shortly after he started work I had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Blavatt, Desiree Henegar, the district's chief financial officer, and Sonia Jackson, assistant superintendent, in his office in August, 2010 to discuss the funding problem.
He listened patiently as I expressed my frustration with the status quo and the failure, to date, of any Hernando school superintendent and school board to pursue equitable funding in Tallahassee.
Mr. Blavatt said there were a number of options the county could consider, but first, he said he wanted to set up a workshop for the board members to focus exclusively on the details and history of the funding formula. After that, he and the board would develop a strategy. It seemed like a logical, sound approach and we were all eager to move forward.
Apparently Mr. Blavatt lost interest. His staff restructuring proposals were rejected and he would eventually tell the media that the school board was "the most dysfunctional" group of people he ever encountered. Needless to say, the funding workshop never happened.
Our current school year began with teachers soliciting donations outside of Publix. Some schools give parents lists of supplies the teachers need... and many teachers reach into their own pockets to pay for things knowing they'll never be reimbursed. All schools are asked to do more with less.
While his tenure here could have been distinguished by leadership on the most substantive issue facing our schools, instead we have a superintendent on auto-pilot coasting into retirement.
Once again, the board must appoint a leader. And in the meantime Hernando residents should give careful consideration to the people they elect to serve on the board. We need board members who will take the time to listen to people who have a deep understanding of the formula and will be committed to resolving the funding inequity. And if we get a school superintendent who keeps his or her word, that would be welcome too.
Gregg Laskoski,
Spring Hill, and member of the Challenger K-8 School SAC Committee