Letters

Letters to the editor, Sept. 27

Hernando Today
Published: September 27, 2012

Animal control

Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Agreed there has been serious errors made at animal control but looking at the entire picture you actually cannot point a finger.

Due to budget restraints and staff being minimized at animal control we all realize it will create room for error and sure enough it did. The fire chief who is ultimately responsible for fire fighting, fire safety and medical emergencies throughout the entire county is tossed into the middle of this major mess at the animal shelter and we expect him to straighten out the situation overnight.

A budget cut, short staff, overworked administrators and internal fighting is the perfect recipe for failure. Chief Mike Nickerson wasn't elected dog catcher, he was forced into the position and with what training may I ask was offered to the chief prior to inheriting this position?

Now it seems that the county may be setting up another failure. The paid fire services in Hernando County have reached an extremely important time in the future of this county. That important move is the consolidation of the Spring Hill Fire District into the Hernando County Fire District.

There are only two people in this county that have been involved in this situation from day one. Chief Nickerson and Chief Rampino are the only ones that have the ability, knowledge and training to make this major transaction go off without a hitch.

To even think of looking for an all around safety officer outside of our Fire Service would be a tremendous injustice to every taxpayer in this county. I have worked with both these gentlemen in the past not only as a former fire commissioner but also as a Hernando County resident and volunteer.

I am asking the county administration to allow these two chiefs to do their job with the consolidation and in the event you absolutely for good reason need to replace any of the personnel in the fire service, you need to shop from within.

Keep in mind that you have a very wide range of well-trained personnel to choose from. We paid for their training so why not utilize our investment. In most cases these men and woman of our fire services have worked, trained and studied extremely hard with the hopes of going up the ladder. If you take away this opportunity you will destroy the morale of every good employee that is left in Hernando.

Bob Kanner

Weeki Wachee, retired fire commissioner

Obama's flag

How dare he! How dare Obama! The audacity, creating a new flag instead of our stars and stripes.

Did you see it? Taking the stars away and putting his logo in that spot instead.

Come on, people, can't you see what he is doing?

Can't even his people see just how flagrantly Obama is thumbing his nose at the entire country and all the voters in it, not just the ones who will vote against him?

Obama hates what America stands for and therefore, all the people in it.

Obama thinks that Michelle and he are better than everyone else and his continued agenda of change will make this country unrecognizable to everyone in the world if he is elected again!

And for those who feel I should be calling him President, he's not my President!

Dee Clark

Spring Hill

County hiring

"Quitting-Hopping-Retiring-Firing." The preceding topic heading is the joke in Hernando County politics, and who suffers but the taxpayers.

This letter is about the heading and why it is that Hernando County every three or four years is looking for a new administrator or superintendent.

Well, I have the answer: the incompetence of those who are deciding to fill these positions.

It makes great sense to fill those positions with a much younger, experienced (local employees) and competent person from right here in Hernando County.

When an employer seeks outside people to fill positions, it appears in Hernando County that is the wrong choice these days.

I think as a taxpayer in Hernando County, I need to express to the voters, we need to think about removing the source of our problem. The problem appears to be the School Board and the County Commissioners; they keep on selecting duds.

Now, here we go again: We are needing a new administrator (sorry, we have one but for how long; he is almost retiring age) and a new superintendent within the year.

I think it's time that the taxpayers have a choice in whom we have filling those positions, but that will not ever happen.

I think the taxpayers in Pasco County vote on their superintendent. If that is so, what is the reason that Hernando County taxpayers can't do the same? What does it take for us to get that on the ballot?

We here in Hernando County vote on the ballot for trash, water and other things; let's do it the democratic way. We the people have the say and not just a select few.

Here we are again, spending foolishly, looking for someone that is only going to fill the position till he or she quits, hops, retires or get fired by the two boards.

Well, I would think it would make better sense this time to fill the superintendent position with either Sonya Jackson or Ken Pritz. These are our own local employees that deserve the respect and honor to hold the position of superintendent of schools.

If these two are good enough to hold the second place positions, it makes great sense to fill the position with one of them, duh!

Gary and Marion Mercer

Spring Hill

Won't vote for him

I was a diehard Republican until now.

I will not vote for Willard "Mitt" Romney because of his foot in mouth disease. It started when he decided to go to the Olympics where he pissed off Great Brittan and made a fool of himself in the world's eyes.

Now he's calling 47 percent of Americans bums and not worthy of the status of Americans.

I feel Romney is as fanatical about his religious beliefs as those Islamic fanatics in the Middle East! Think about it, if you're a woman, Hispanic, old or poor, Mitt is not your man.

Mitt will lose this election because he's offended 47 percent and counting.

Charles Ferrara

Spring Hill