Candidate forum last night

The candidate forum on Hernando Beach last night was standing room only. Many of those in attendance with the candidates were their committees, family members and friends. This forum was much like any other year, with very few surprises. The top issue mentioned by all candidates was skyrocketing insurance rates for homeowners. The local issue of interest was the explosive growth in Hernando County. Tables were set up around the perimeter of the room for each candidate to display brochures for the public before the event. The public mingled by these tables listening to candidates before the forum. Major players from both political parties were on hand in the audience to listen to their respective candidates, as the newspaper reporters and photographers covered the event. One new candidate for county commission that took his opponent by surprise was Jamie Wrye. Mr. Wrye was articulate, informed on the issues, and fast on his feet with wit and charm, leaving his opponent scrambling for words, as questions were drawn from audience input. All in all, though, this year's crop of candidates was typical of those in years past, with some being very polished professionals, to the novice, unskilled amateurs. No matter what the degree of skill, or polish, all the candidates should be acknowledged, and thanked, for taking on the challenge of a campaign for public office.

Interesting legislation

As a member of Safari Club International, I receive weekly newsletters via email. Even though SCI, Inc. is a hunting organization, it is also very active in conservation and environmental issues along with the concerns of gun owners worldwide. I received the following information by email this afternoon that I thought you might like to read:

Louisiana's Senator David Vitter and U.S. Representative Charles Boustany have each introduced legislation (S. 1488 and H.R. 3436, respectively) that would require the President of the United States to certify to Congress each year that the U.N. has taken no action to "restrict, attempt to restrict, or otherwise adversely infringe upon the rights of individuals in the United States to possess a firearm or ammunition." Should the president be unable to provide that certification, the legislation would allow for the refusal to submit any funding to the U.N. for that fiscal year.

Biggest campaign issue in a decade

As the Primary Election day quickly approaches, many incumbents are ducking for cover, trying to hide from the biggest campaign issue the state of Florida has seen in a decade. It just happens to be skyrocketing homeowners insurance and the financial burden it is causing on property owners in this state. Three elected officials are publicly talking about homeowners property insurance reform and need to be recognized for their efforts. The three elected officials that have met this catastrophic insurance crisis head-on are Congresswoman Ginny Brown Waite, Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida, Tom Gallagher and state Representative Randy Johnson. Congresswoman Brown-Waite has been working hard in Congress on the re-insurance problem http://brown-waite.house.gov/Issues/Issue/?IssueID=2101 and has publicly asked Governor Bush call a special session of the legislature to address the problem. Tom Gallagher who is candidate for governor has consistently stressed the need revamp the insurance industry in the state of Florida http://www.tg2006.com/Pages/News/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?p_id=93 starting with Citizens Insurance. Rep. Randy Johnson who is running for CFO for the state of Florida has issued a position paper http://www.johnsonforcfo.com/issues/Insurance_Plan.pdf on insurance reform. Its really hard to imagine but we really do have a few hard working politicians who put their constituents first, before themselves. Ginny Brown-Waite, Tom Gallagher and Randy Johnson are bravely facing this insurance crisis head-on and deserve a real round of applause from each of us at the polls on September 5th.

A contract, so to speak

A commitment, a covenant, a deal, a negotiation, a pact, an arrangement, an agreement, so to speak, are all synonyms for the word contract. This is what our county administrator Mr. Gary Kuhl signed when he became a contract employee with Hernando County less than six months ago. In this contract was the stipulation that Mr. Kuhl live in Hernando County and he had 6 months to move from his current residence in Citrus County. This morning, Mr. Kuhl requested a contract change from the Board of County Commissioners so he could remain as a resident of Citrus County. The Hernando County residency requirement was understood by all applicants that originally applied for the county administrator position. Each commissioner stated they did not want to lose Mr. Kuhl, even though he had publicly stated in this morning's newspaper he would comply with the stipulations in his original contract. The commissioners then voted 4-0 revise Mr. Kuhl's contract, deleting the verbiage concerning his place of residence so he could remain in Citrus County.

With friends like these?

Wasn't Katherine Harris the person that took the heat for the election of George W. Bush in 2000 when she was our Florida's Secretary of State, while standing by the letter of the law. Wasn't Katherine Harris the person that stood tall with Governor Jeb Bush throughout this 2000 election turmoil, as it went to the US Supreme Court? Hasn't Katherine Harris done an outstanding job as a republican congresswoman for her district? Hasn't Katherine Harris been a loyal Reagan republican, never uttering an unkind word to anyone in her party? The answer is yes to all of the above, so why is she being unfairly targeted by major republican party players like Senator Elizabeth Dole, Governor Jeb Bush, and once again, Carole Jean Jordan, the chairwoman of the Republican Party of Florida? Its a shame that the major hurdle in Katherine Harris' Senate race has been internal to the own republican party strife. Somehow the old slogan fits this example which is, "With friends like these, who needs enemies?" Katherine Harris has held her head high throughout her campaign, despite all the criticism of her peers. She has had a smile on her face, and a positive message in her campaign. No matter what the outcome of the election is, at the end of the day, Katherine Harris will be the clear winner.

A new day dawning?

Is a new day dawning on the horizon in Hernando County or is this just turning out to be another typically weird year, politically speaking, that is? Just think about it for a minute. A county commissioner resigned his position early to run for a Florida House seat. Another state representative is running for county commission. A sitting county commissioner changed her political party midstream into the term and is now running under the new banner of republican. Another candidate changed party affiliation and is running for county commission as a democrat. Democrats are attending republican fundraising events. The strangest one yet is the news that a well, established republican women's club, turned political action committee, is extending invitations to interview republicans and democrats, alike, before the Primary Election. This musical chair routine really looks like the game of Mr. Potato Head we played as children. You remember, switch the heads or faces and the body remains the same. What is in store for us next? Maybe Jeff Webb of the Hernando Times was correct when he stated it was time to have non-partisan county commissioners. If it isn't time for a change by the Florida Legislature for non-partisan county commissioner elections, then maybe they could humor us here in Hernando County by changing the date of our General Election this year. October 31st would be a more suitable date which just happens to be Halloween!

Budget workshop yesterday

Some things never change and this was proven true once again yesterday when I attended the Hernando County Board of Commissioners budget workshop. I commend Commissioner Jeff Stabins for asking months ago that the staff bring back budget reduction suggestions. The county staff did include the reduction suggestions, requested by Mr. Stabins. To those of you that follow the county budget each year, you know little changes except for the actual presentation used by the staff. This year's budget workshop seemed like a re-run of year's past, with the staff using the same hot button issues for tax reduction, like reducing library hours, reducing the animal services hours, paperless agendas, etc. All these reductions were sacrificial lambs, so to speak, and pale in comparison to this year's increase of 16.1% ($399 million) over last year's budget. No real discussion took place by the commissioners on meaningful budget reform at this workshop. In fact, the commissioners did not have questions for any constitutional officers, even though they were all in attendance with their department's budget personnel. This workshop was also suppose to discuss the $1 million of General Fund revenue for the Hernando County Fire Rescue. The only discussion was by Gary Kuhl who referenced a meeting with the Spring Hill Fire Rescue, in regards to future dispatch services. The budget director glossed over the Mercer Study, saying that 6.6% increases for county employee salaries was compatible with the current cost of living in Hernando County. Unfortunately, many of our residents have to survive on a fixed income of less than a 4% yearly increase in Hernando County. The one item that did not even raise an eyebrow from the commissioners until the citizens brought it up ( in public comments) was the $6 million increase in the General Fund Reserve Funds. This additional $6 million brings the General Fund Reserve account up to 20% for a total over $24 million (in reserves) of taxpayer money. The only item that seemed feasible was the requested by Debbie Walker Druzbik for $400,000.00 to assist in county special needs shelter to be located a Oak Hill Hospital. This facility has been necessary for years and Oak Hill Hospital is (once again) generously offering Hernando County the ability to share in the construction of this facility. This facility will be maintained by Oak Hill Hospital so this $400k is a on time cost to cover construction. Tom Leto, Emergency Management Director, stated that this special needs shelter will be a mandated in several years and would meet the initial state guidelines. Somehow the lines of responsibility have been blurred when it comes to our county budgetary process. It is the responsibility of our commissioners, not the county staff, to eliminate the pork from our annual budget. Was I disappointed by attending yesterday's workshop? The answer is yes but I have hope that our commissioners will come back next month with their pencils sharpened and be ready to do their jobs.

Budget suggestions

The Hernando County Commission will conduct a workshop this week to review the various department(s)budget requests for the coming year. The Hernando County Sheriff's Department has submitted a budget exceeding $30 million which is 9.8 percent over last year. One line item the commissioners should closely consider when reviewing Sheriff Nugent's budget is the overall cost of his department's vehicles with the related cost of yearly maintenance,vehicle replacement, and vehicle insurance. The Sheriff has a current policy to allow all the patrol deputies to take their vehicles home. The deputies use these vehicles for personal use when not on duty. The thought behind this vehicle policy is that the visibility of the cruiser in local neighborhoods and commercial districts reduces crime. With this policy comes the cost of having a vehicle for every patrol deputy; providing vehicle insurance, even for personal use of the deputy; providing fuel at taxpayer expense for the patrol deputy to take home and back to work; providing maintenance on the vehicle; early replacement of vehicles due to higher mileage; and needing more vehicles for deputies on and off duty. The growth of this county has appeared to out date this vehicle take-home policy. A cost analysis should be done to compare the current vehicle policy at the sheriff's department, in terms of cost versus the savings. Savings that could be seen with deputies parking these vehicles at the end of their shift. This analysis should investigate whether the take home policy really prevents crime, versus the money that could be saved that could possibly put more patrol officers on the streets of Hernando County. Real statistics like the ones presented are available through the city of Tampa. When former Mayor Greco took office, at the end of Sandy Friedman's term, his first official act as mayor was to park all patrol cars when not in official use. The savings were remarkable and Mayor Greco was able to immediately put many more officers on the streets of Tampa without costing the taxpayers additional dollars. Hopefully, our commissioners will ask the tough questions for all the departments and consider an audit of this vehicle policy currently used by the Sheriff's Department.

Schenck's possible replacement

Please say a little prayer that Governor Jeb Bush has the wisdom to appoint Roy Martin as the interim county commissioner to replace the seat vacated by Robert Schenck. Mr. Martin is a highly respected, semi-retired businessman that will be able to soundly make the hard decisions over the next few months to guide us into the future. I served with Roy on the EAR committee for the revisions on our current comprehensive plan and found his demeanor to be calm and reserved, but firm when necessary, to make decisions on the vital issues at hand. Mr. Martin also served on the 25 member committee with Len Tria to review the capital improvements necessary over the long term for Hernando County. Besides these two very important committees, Roy Martin is a member of the Hernando County Port Authority Board, the president of the Wellington Republican Club, and is also very active within his own Wellington community. Meaning no disrespect to Mr. Tom Hogan, Sr. but his qualifications as the state republican committeeman do not warrant this type of appointment by the governor. And the other applicant, a self-appointed political activist, also does not have the qualifications to serve as an interim commissioner. The Hernando County Commission does not need the arm-chair politics of these two individuals to overshadow the important votes (on this board) like Hickory Hill, the budget, and the DPW clean-up. Hernando County needs the firm guidance of Roy Martin to get us through the next few months until the voters of Hernando County can choose a new commissioner for district 4. If anyone would like to contact the governor's office to express their opinion, go to www.myflorida.com and click on Governor Bush's web page.

***Please note that if Tom Hogan, Sr. is appointed as the interim commissioner he will be held to the same standards as Robert Schenck which will require him to immediately resign his position as state committeeman for the republican party. The position of state committeeman is considered an elective office, therefore would fall under the same requirements of the dual office holder provisions covered by the Florida State Statutes.

Heartburn...

Mild heartburn was the best way to describe the evening at the Chili-in-July event, sponsored by the Republican Executive Committee as a fundraiser, to highlight this year's candidates for office. A moderate gathering of approximately 100 people attended this event to sample homemade chili prepared by candidates and elected officials. The overall atmosphere of the evening somehow lacked the usual election year excitement and had the tone of a typical political, rubber chicken dinner, without the chicken, just heartburn. The heartburn came from the many samples of chili from very, spicy, to somewhat bland, to just plan awful. But it was all done in good fun, with each candidate vying for the title of the best chili chef for the year. My favorite was prepared by the Tom Gallagher campaign which was slightly spicy and on the sweet side. My second choice was made by Gail Samples that had quite a kick to it. The worst chili won my Tums award and the chef will remain anonymous. Some of the those that participated were Ginny Brown Waite, Jeff Stabins, Rich Nugent and Robert Schenck. Even though this was a Republican fundraiser, County Commission Chairwoman Diane Rowden and her husband Jay, Democratic Executive Chairman, attended the event. It seems the REC public press notices for this event lacked the usual disclaimer that always specifies for registered republicans only. Seems like somebody goofed on this one. Ms. Rowden and her husband were very polite though, chatting with everyone, while sampling chili. Each candidate table was set up with the typical campaign literature, with the respective candidates dishing up their brand of chili. Festive red, white and blue decorations adorned the room in the typical election year fashion. It was nice to see some old friends and enjoy a few laughs during the evening. Some of the small talk consisted about the unfolding events over the last several days, namely the resignation of Robert Schenck from the county commissioner. Some low whispers were heard discussing the possible replacements for Schenck's commission seat by appointment of the governor. Since no real names were confirmed we'll just have to wait and see who will take the plunge. This Chili-in-July is the official kick off for the certified candidates to run full speed ahead to the Primary Election. Good luck everyone!

Atta-boy Ginny

Below is a small section of a letter I received from Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite this morning, directed to Governor Jeb Bush, requesting a Special Session of the Legislature be called to address the property insurance crisis in the state of Florida:

The Honorable Jeb Bush
Office of the Governor
The Capitol
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Dear Governor Bush:

I commend you for creating the Property and Casualty Insurance Reform Committee. It is imperative
that the Committee begin its work immediately so that you may convene a Special Session to implement their solutions.

Every public official in the State of Florida has heard constituent outcry over skyrocketing insurance rates.
Homeowners are in jeopardy of losing their homes, and business owners are contemplating closing their
doors. Constituent cries are no longer simple outrage; they are desperation and fear. Without a solution, one hurricane this year will cripple our state and bring the economic prosperity we have experienced to a grinding halt. I know you share this fear, based on recent comments I have heard you make in the press.


Skyrocketing insurance rates are the most pressing issue to Floridians, and as you stated in your Executive
Order, more far-reaching measures are needed than those included in SB 1980. I urge you to appoint the
members of the Committee and convene a Special Session as soon as possible to solve this crisis.
As a Member of Congress, and a Florida resident, I thank you for your efforts and look forward to working
with you in providing a solution to this pressing crisis.
Sincerely,
Ginny Brown-Waite
Member of Congress

Atta-boy Ginny for listening to the citizens of the state of Florida who are trying to desperately deal with this insurance crisis!

Schenck resigns...

I just confirmed with Annie Williams, Hernando County Supervisor of Elections, that Robert Schenck officially resigned his position as our county commissioner at 9:08 a.m. local time, July 20, 2006. Mr. Schenck's letter of resignation stated that he wanted to devote more time for his campaign for the Florida Legislature. Annie Williams has contacted the Florida Department of State and Governor Jeb Bush's office with this news. We will just have to wait and see what unfolds in the coming days and if the governor will appoint a replacement to fill Robert Schenck's vacated county commission seat.

Fiscally Prudent??

Many of us made a choice during the last several years to stay put in our homes and not get caught up in the real estate market boom. It has been tempting to sell our homes at a high price to buy a new home but the practical side of being fiscally prudent stopped many of us when faced with the practical questions of long term budgets necessary for home ownership. Some of the major reasons for not selling our properties at a high rate to rob our equity was the fact any new home purchase would have a very large property tax value attached to it. The Save Our Homes Amendment, passed by voters in 1992, has protected our investments from being over burdened by high property taxes with a 3% maximum cap per year. Yesterday, Governor Jeb Bush appointed a 15-member committee to remove inequities in Florida's property taxes. The focus of this committee will be to explore the inequities between the older homes that took advantage of the Save Our Home Amendment and those that bought homes over the last several years at very high market values. The Governor and the Florida Legislature's Taxation and Budget Reform Committee should remember the Save Our Homes Amendment was passed overwhelming by the citizens of this state to, in part, curb the spending of our state officials by controlling the increases on our property taxes. Those of us that are fiscally prudent with our finances are wondering why this committee was formed by our governor. A better thought for a governor appointed committee would have been to revamp the property insurance industry that is crippling the state of Florida and was virtually ignored by our Florida Legislature in this year's session.

Mercer Study

I received this email in reference to the recent Mercer study for Hernando County Government employees pay and wage scale evaluation on Sunday. The name of the letter writer has been deleted to protect the identity of the individual. I will write more on this current Mercer Study later in the week but I think this letter clearly states the perspective of a Hernando County employee. See below:

AnnaLiisa:
I read in the paper today about the Mercer Study and possible 7% raises for some employees. As a county employee I won’t say anything publicly. But, I wish someone would ask to publicly look at the Top and Middle Management's Mercer results. It would surprise them that many of their pay ranges were increased, some even 2-3 pay grades. The only reason is to open the upper end of their pay scale and tell John Q. Taxpayer that these top level employeess are low on their pay scale. On the other hand, the worker bees, I'm talking about the guys in the parks and trenches find that their pay grades mainly remain constant. There is iniquity. I don't understand why someone making $30-50+ dollars an hour has to have more from our tax dollars.

Also, HR has a new sick/vacation plan, combining the sick and vacation time into one, PTO. The HR Director has notoriously told exempt personnel that they can come in for an hour or so, and if they get sick, can go home and because they're exempt, they don't have to use sick leave hours for that time. (That may be true for private corporations, however, it's not the case for taxpayer coffers} So, many of the top employees therefore have large amounts of time on the books, because they are not using it. I don't mean to sound like ALL mid-level and upper management misuse their time, but there are those that do. According to the new policy, employees may now sell back up to 80 PTO hours annually at 80% of their pay. So, those exempt employees who have been told they don't have to use their time for doctor appointments, manicures, hair cuts, etc. are elated to get an extra 80 hours pay at 80% of their hourly rate in their pockets.

HR is professing that the new policy will eliminate misuse of sick time, however you may see that management may be the biggest culprit in misuse of sick time. The little guy uses his sick time for doctor appointments, blood work or whatever. The employees are losing about 32 hours a year by combining the vacation and sick time, and many are upset..

I don't feel it's my place, as an employee to speak up and cause dissent. But an outsider, looking in, like yourself, certainly can bring some questions to the forefront, if you so desire to do so. Just please keep my name out of it, if you will.

(Signature deleted by request of writer)

Fire Rate Increase

After an approximately 3 hour Public Hearing to raise the fire fees in the Hernando County Fire Rescue District, a vote was taken to approve a single-payer rate of 156.37 (per residence) with one million dollars to come from the General Fund (for a total of two million dollars). This approval is for the addition of 9 new firefighters at approximately $500,000 dollars, with the rest to cover other expenses not clearly defined by Chief Nickerson. This detailed fire budget discussion will take place at next week's county commissioner meeting. In this motion to approve by the BCC, nothing was mentioned about the 5.5% annual increase for inflationary rate adjustments, or to immediately allow the Hernando County Sheriff's Department to take over all dispatch for emergency services in Hernando County. Hopefully, this Consulting Project, directed by Karen Nicolai, to review all fire services in Hernando County, will iron out all the details of a Master Plan structure and funding sources, along with organization structure, by the time budget hearings roll around in 2007-08. Keep your fingers crossed!

Nice Gesture, but

It was a nice gesture for the Hernando County Commission to donate $500.00 each to the Spring Hill Dixie Girls Fast pitch Softball Angels and the softball Ponytails State Champions for their trip(s) but this was our tax money. This may sound just a little petty but I already contributed $400.00 a girl's softball team from Kennedy Park through my business this year. This well intended gesture from our five commissioners should come from their personal checkbooks and not the county's General Fund dollars.

Right-wing arrogance

I would like to suggest Senator Mike Fasano read an excellent book written by former New Jersey Governor, Christine Todd Whitman, titled "It's My Party, Too". Her book delivers straight-talk that calls for moderates everywhere to oppose right-wing arrogance, and re-establish a rational center that has been eradicated in recent years within the GOP. Her book is viewed by many as vital reading for those fed up with the extremism that plaques our politics of today. After reading this book, Mr. Fasano needs to remember that he represents a large contingent of Republicans, as an elected Senator in the state of Florida. His letter to candidate Tom Gallagher to drop out of the race for governor, signed by ten GOP lawmakers, does not represent the founding principals applied by our forefathers when forming this republic we call the United States of America. The state of Florida has a closed Primary Election process that allows the voters of the two major parties the ability to choose their candidates for the General Election. No where in Florida's Constitution does it state that a letter by a handful of arrogant supporters of one candidate has the ability to ask the other candidate to bow out of a race before the voters have had the opportunity to participate in the election process. Senator Fasano should take heed to this quote by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 that stated, in part, "Our party detests the technique of pitting group against group for cheap political advantage. Republicans view as a central principal of conduct, E pluribus unum, Out of many--one." Governor Whitman's book is relatively inexpensive in paperback, and is a must read for all of us that still believe that the Republican Party is that of the Big Umbrella.

Flurry of activity

Over the last several days, a flurry of activity has taken place on the property across from the street from the City of Brooksville's DPW building on Brooksville Avenue. A truck, with the marking of Ground Water Protection, from the FDOT is apparently conducting studies of the old fuel depot for possible contamination. It appears that a test well has been drilled to test water samples. This is all pure speculation on my part, but I pass this lot on my way to work every morning and noticed the activity of work crews. Hopefully, this is a first step in cleaning up this eyesore that has existed for years on this property.

Asleep at the switch?

Was Commissioner Stabins asleep at the switch when he voted to forward a comprehensive plan amendment to DCA in June for the Hickory Hill development? It makes one wonder after reading both newspapers this morning because Mr. Stabins is once again promoting a super majority vote of 4/5 for any comprehensive plan amendment, based on information from workshops he conducted almost two years ago. Incidentally, the vote on the Hickory Hill amendment was 3-2, with Mr. Stabins being one of those in the majority. Commissioners Stabins position has some of us confused on future land issues. For example, it must be noted Commissioner Stabins voted against the re-zoning of 4 parcels in the Sunrise PDD on Wednesday even though these (parcels) have been in the comprehensive plan since the early 1990's. Everyone is scratching their head wondering exactly what is Mr. Stabins policy on the future growth in Hernando County. Please Commissioner Stabins, we need a clear, concise message on your position.

Fire Master Plan

The Clerk of Court, Karen Nicolai, along with our county administrator, Gary Kuhl, have formed a committee to review the Hernando County fire service which will be based on the best way to fund the operation and how to operate a fire protection service. After wiping my eyes in disbelief this morning while reading the related articles in the local newspaper(s), I wondered why this approach had not been taken 6 years ago. Imagine an actual master planning document that addresses the needs of everyone in this county, based on health, safety and welfare, and not the political whims of county commissioners pandering to their populace. The Hernando County Fire Rescue was given a free reign on our fire fees by the Board of County Commissioners to throw money at a countywide problem in 2001, with very little oversight on the spending habits of this fire district. With a massive rate increase hearing looming for all of us in the HCFR district, many are asking just what are we getting for our fire fees, and will we be protected from harm in the event of a fire or related emergency. One suggestion I have for this Audit Planning and Priority Committee should be to review the prospects of hiring a qualified fire administrator to oversee fire/emergency services in Hernando County. Meaning no disrespect to Chief Nickerson or Chief Morrison, but Hernando County has outgrown your capabilities and we need a qualified fire administrator to protect our safety, and our pocketbooks. Another suggestion would be to enlist the aid of an insurance specialist, qualified in ISO ratings, to set up 5 mile radius rings in Hernando County to properly site the location of any new fire stations needed for existing properties, and new growth. A realistic approach to fire station sightings, based on ISO ratings, is a must to insure everyone is being protected throughout Hernando County. Hopefully, the Hernando County Commission will put this proposed rate increase on hold at the public hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 18th. Please give this committee time to adequately review, and investigate, all aspects of the needs for everyone in Hernando County, to achieve the best possible fire service available, while keeping in mind it needs to be affordable for everyone.

Citizens Sticker Shock

Several weeks ago, I received my renewal notice for my homeowner's insurance premium. The only way to describe my first reaction was sticker shock. My premium increased almost $900.00 over last year's bill, making this year's total a whooping $1,897.00 for my coverage. Included in this amount was a line item for $165.00 for the bailout of Citizens Insurance. With all the news coverage about the insurance crisis in this state, I was not surprised by this large rate increase, just disgusted, knowing this problem could have been fixed by the Florida Legislature this year in their regular session. Just after paying my yearly premium, I received an email titled, An Unwise Growth Subsidy. This email was an article about other types of insurance that is underwritten by Citizens Insurance, one of which is a type of insurance to developers called a Builders Risk policy. Builders Risk insurance provides coverage to developers while a building is under construction. At the end of May 2006, Citizens Insurance was covering 5,723 construction projects for condos, single family homes and commercial buildings throughout the state of Florida, with a total exposure of $5.1 Billion in high risk areas. It seems Citizens Insurance encourages development in areas of high risk where building should not even occur because of the jobs and economic opportunity created by these projects. Once these projects are built, the property owners will wind up with Citizens for homeowners coverage. For example, one Builders Rick policy is covering a $74 million condo project on the beach which is currently under construction and guess who is subsidizing this project? You, me and every other homeowner in this state with homeowners insurance is subsidizing high risk properties and construction projects. Governor Jeb Bush needs to step up to the plate and immediately call a special session of the Florida Legislature to fix this insurance crisis instead of ignoring the growing roar of voices pleading for help from all 67 counties in this state. Hats off to the Hernando County and Pasco County Commissioners who voted to send letters to the state, requesting a special session be held to fix the insurance crisis plaguing homeowners.

Times Have Changed

Ethical, good, correct, fitting, honest, honorable, principally, and upright were descriptions once used for our elected officials and leaders in our community. Times have changed radically and so have the morals of many who serve us locally in the public capacity. Arrogant, rude, self-serving, dishonest could be the replacement words of yester-year. Just think about it, we have a commissioner that thinks nothing of having his spouse employed by a lobbyist for a local developer; another commissioner conducting tutoring in his Hernando County office while pocketing a personal paycheck from the school board, a commissioner that thinks nothing of collecting thousands of dollars for her re-election campaign from developers and their lobbyist, a commissioner-candidate that filled his campaign coffers with state lobbyist money; and the best one yet is the tattle-tale commissioner that uses every opportunity to squeal on his associates to glorify himself. Does any of this make you wonder why most people are completely turned off by local politics in Hernando County. Yahoo, the good old boy/girl network is alive and well, right here in our hometown!

Bandshell Bash

Linda Anderson, treasurer of the Hernando County Fine Arts Council supplied this information to me via email:

Tomorrow is Second Saturday - Bandshell Bash!

This month is "Family Night", a continuing celebration of July 4th holiday.

The evening will be started off by Last Chance 2 Try. This local group was the winner of our June Battle of the Bands. Our headliner is DeLei'd Parrots. This is a return performance for this fun group (by popular demand!) Also talented students from the Suncoast School of the Performing Arts will be entertaining us.

In addition to the free concert, we have the Cruise-In (cars and bikes) and we've added a People's Choice award for all entries. And of course the food and other miscellaneous vendors.

Also this month we will have a hotdog eating contest, children's activities and lots more fun. Hope to see you there. Come early and browse the downtown shops.

Lost Innocence

My South African adventure was far more than a hunting trip or safari. It was like stepping back in time. I mentally took notice of many details of the people and their cultures on our trip. Even though Apartheid has been abolished in South Africa, segregation still exists within their society. This segregation is not the image of trying to maintain white ascendancy or separateness but that of the "blacks" and the "colored" segregating themselves from each other in practices, such as housing, etc. We got an education from our professional hunter that blacks were just that, a pure black race and colored's were a mixed race. The terms "blacks and colored" are used to describe each race in South Africa. I mentioned to Glen, our professional hunter, the term African American is used in our country and he asked why would they do that? I did not have an answer after all that I had witnessed in South Africa. We took a tour of the inner-city of Port Elizabeth, called the Real City Tour given by a black tour guide named Nelson. Yes, he was named Nelson after Nelson Mandella. Nelson took us to areas that could only be described as third world. These sites included: tin shacks made of old roofing material; children sitting in dirt; open markets with dead chickens laying on the ground for purchase; common water spigots for drinking water, bathing, bathroom, and laundry facilities placed periodically between the sheds; goats, chickens and dogs wandering between the sheds; new schools built by the state for the children; new houses being built to replace the tin sheds. Nelson, our tour guide, spoke with pride of the progress that has been made within his country to build new housing that consists of a concrete structure approximately 10' x 20' with an indoor toilet. All this housing is segregated by colored and blacks of their choosing, not the government. These houses are a vast improvement to the tin sheds and cardboard boxes currently used as housing. We were treated to dinner at one of their local pubs at the end of our tour. Although the meal was very meager, the hospitality was overwhelming. The pub owner asked us in very broken English where we were from and I was hesitant to respond out of fear because of all the media attention that somehow US citizens are hated worldwide. When I said we were from the United States, he stated emphatically that he loved George W. Bush. He said he loved Bush because our president freed the Iraqi people like Nelson Mandella had freed his people in South Africa. This feeling was echoed by our professional hunters who had also remarked that George Bush had saved the world from that madman, Saddam Hussein of Iraq. They remarked that they had seen the be-heading of the US citizen by terrorists on their TV sets and were outraged at the violence. These South Africans could not understand how our news media had sanitized our news and made the United States somehow seem evil in the eyes of the world when, in fact, the opposite is true. I will end by saying the innocence of the people of South Africa was truly refreshing and their humility was a virtue. This step back in time was a way to reflect on the United States and ask how we have lost our way and will be every regain that innocence again.

Segregated Learning?

Our two newspapers have reported that Westside Elementary will be conducting same sex classroom education next year. Please pinch me and tell me I have been dreaming because they cannot actually be considering a segregated learning environment for our children, again. I say again because I lived through that experience in the 1960's during my school experience. Yes, I'm old (older, oldest, whatever) to have gone to school in the 1960's but this was the era of the Civil Rights movement which guaranteed equal rights to everyone, from minorities to women, of all genders. I went to Dixie Hollins High School in Pinellas County which was a industrial arts school, similar to that of our Nature Coast High School. I had to fight to get into classes reserved only for the male students like Industrial Electronics, Drafting and Shop class. I remember vividly asking my guidance counselor why they were trying to push me into classes, like sewing and cosmetology, when my interest clearly was in the electrical field. My poor guidance counselor looked flabbergasted when I cited the 1964 Civil Rights Act when explaining my position on the subject matter reserved for males only. I requested to be placed in the Industrial Arts program, reserved for male students only, and I am proud to say that I was the first female student to enter, and complete, the Industrial Electronics program at Dixie Hollins High School in 1969. Incidentally, these class requirements included higher math like Algebra II and Geometry. These math classes were thought to be above the female learning experience at the time which had been explained with a left-hand, right-hand brain theory, by some survey of experts. I'm proud to say I graduated on the Dean's list to shoot a hole in the theory that women could not learn in a mixed, male environment. Our school board members should reconsider this segregated learning experience being proposed at Westside Elementary. Teaching, by segregation, in my opinion, is a step back in time that we do not need to take in Hernando County.

Walking the Fence

In this morning's edition of the Hernando Today, the following quote appeared in the article titled, Hickory Hill goes to state for review: Commissioners said it made sense to send the project off to DCA because that agency’s input will give them and the public a better grasp on the complexity of the issues. Their vote, they said, was not an endorsement either way of how they will ultimately vote in the future. Since this was a 3-2 vote, with Commissioners Schenck, Stabbins and Robinson voting in the affirmative, maybe they can answer this question for the public. Wasn't it your job, as our elected officials, to determine if this application warranted a major change in our comprehensive plan and not just simply pass it off to the state Department of Community Affairs? The commissioners stated it was not an endorsement either way of how they will ultimately vote in the future on this project. Do they not understand the process? If DCA gives its stamp of approval for this major comprehensive plan change then it will be virtually impossible to deny any requests for re-zonings for this Hickory Hill project since this PDD will become a permanent part of our comprehensive plan. It appears that Commissioners Schenck, Stabbins and Robinson wanted their cake, and to be able to eat it too, by appearing to walk the fence on this issue.

South Africa Adventure

Jet lag and exhaustion from my South Africa safari was only a minor inconvenience in the large scope of my adventure. What a marvelous vacation! The landscape and the beauty of South Africa was almost equal to the hospitality of the warm, friendly people who reside there. The breathtaking beauty of South Africa is somewhat reminiscent of that of northern Arizona. The mountain ranges and valleys were dotted with large, flowering aloe plants, nestled between the cactus. Watching the wildlife was a sight to behold. One afternoon while hunting, I watched hundreds of majestic animals like zebra, kudo, springbok and wildebeast roam in a valley as the wind blew a brisk breeze. Although the temperature was hovering around 30 degrees Fahrenheit in the late afternoon, the sights were so overwhelming beautiful I was oblivious to the cold. I met so many wonderful people in this rustic country area near Craddock, South Africa, from the lodge proprietors, Penny and Peter, to our professional hunter, Glen Elliott. I was humbled to be in the presence of these most warm and friendly people. I will write more in the days to come on my experiences in South Africa but today I would like to focus on my hunt. As a first time hunter, my challenges were great by first overcoming my apprehension of the first kill, to the complete accuracy of my shot to be a humane hunter. I have four trophies in all which include a Red Hartebeest, a Springbok, a Blesbok and a Mountain Reedbuck. Without going into detail on each animal, I would like to comment on the Mountain Reedbuck. It was a clean, one shot take down, through the heart at 250 yards. My husband, Tony and our professional hunter, Glen were so excited they slapped me on the back in unison and nearly knocked me off the jump seat of the Land Rover. I will end with the saying of one of the professional hunters named Sokkie which was, its my story and I can tell it anyway I want to...So that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

As the commercial goes

Just as the commercial goes: Wife, mother, small business owner, college student, volunteer, now world traveler. I'm going on safari and sightseeing in South Africa and will see you all on this web page when I return on June 9th. I am sure I will have many interesting stories to share so please stop back then.

Fire Consolidation

Fire Consolidation Rebuttal to Hernando Today and WWJB Radio's position:

In my opinion, county-wide consolidation of the fire districts is premature at this time based on many critical facts that have been discussed at length over the past ten years. Many people have worked diligently to discuss county-wide consolidation, from the citizen-lead committees, to the 800 plus people that voiced their opinion at the fairgrounds in 1999, and each had varying opinions on the subject, most of which revolved around money. The previous Hernando County Fire Board, chaired by a prominent member of our community, worked for two years on this issue and came to the conclusion that services took a back- seat to the needs of HCFR wanting to collect more money to enlarge their department. Several critical issues in our community would need to be faced head-on if a county-wide consolidation were to take place which are:

• Spring Hill was voted in by a mandate of the people and would need to be abolished by a similar vote.
• Hernando Beach is a very viable volunteer department and operates at the pleasure of beach citizens.
• High Point Volunteer, operates at the wishes of their community and should be given time to iron out their problems.
• Tri-County Volunteer Dept. is as certified and equipped as HCFR.
• The City of Brooksville has an excellent fire department with a city-wide ISO rating of 4.
• Countywide consolidation would not solve the problems of all property owners. Many properties fall outside any 5 mile radius ring in (relation to fire departments) and could possibly cause people to lose their homeowners insurance or have it rise to level beyond their ability to pay for coverage based on fire department current locations.

In closing, making something bigger does not necessarily make it better and that could certainly be said when it comes to government. Consolidation of all the fire districts in Hernando County would create a massive bureaucracy, which would be fueled by our taxpayer money, and have very little oversight, in my opinion.

Frivolous Article

A frivolous article ran in the Hernando Times today on the front page of section E titled, Not Her Strong Suit, which was about Katherine Harris who is a candidate for US Senate. Frankly, the article written by Sharon Fink, seemed to be a little caddy, if not just plain mean-spirited about Rep. Katherine Harris. The writer decided to critique the clothing Mrs. Harris wore last week while meeting President Bush at MacDill Air Force Base, with the aid of three Tampa Bay area image consultants. Its not necessary to reiterate the content of Ms. Finks article except to say this displayed a real lack of taste, and was sexist, to say the least. Since the St. Petersburg Times prides ithself on being fair and impartial, especially to women and minorities, why did they allow this rubbish to be printed in their paper? Possibly to redeem their credibility, the St. Petersburg Times could run a full page article about her opponent, Senator Bill Nelson, and criticize his clothing down to the most minute detail.

Fire Rate Increases

Chief Mike Nickerson, Hernando County Fire Rescue, went before the County Commissioners to present two new funding options for residential structures today. Option A would be a maximum of $236.38 on a residence which would be a 185% increase over last year's rates. Option B would be a maximum of $305.06 which would be an increase of 238% from last year. Both of these methods would have a automatic cost of living increase built into the fire rates (each year) at 5% minimum to 8% maximum per year. After much discussion, and input from several citizens (myself included), the commissioners tabled the issue to next week's meeting. The discussion next week will be necessary to set the funding limits for legal notices to be sent out to all homeowners under the service of the HCFR for the public hearing scheduled in July to raise our fire fees. Input will be taken next week by the commissioners regarding the citizen's opinions on Chief Nickerson's rate increases request. Chief Nickerson was quoted today as saying they could reduce this amount but would have to cut some services. The services to be cut were not discussed but neither were the spending habits of the HCFR district. Last year Chief Nickerson attempted to raise the rates over 35% while trying to sell the idea of a new fire administration building, with a fire training school on site, but was held to a 23% increase on residential property. It would be interesting to find out if HCFR has elaborate plans for this new rate increase request. Remember several months ago, the Hernando County Parks Department had included a swimming pool in their budget which was exposed in the newspaper after some in-depth research by a reporter. A novel approach would be to have the HCFR justify each one of their expenditures before any rate increases are approved by the county commissioners and spell out exactly what the property owners are getting in exchange for their fees. One item that should be kept in mind is that most rural areas do not have the luxury of a nearby fire hydrant and have to depend on a pumper truck, with one tank of water, to solve their fire problems in an emergency. If this rate increase affects you, call your county commissioners at 754-4000 today to voice your opinion.

County Commission/district 4

The race for Hernando County Commission, district 4 just became a little more interesting this morning. Sindra Ridge pre-qualified as a candidate for this position at the Supervisor of Elections office this morning. Ms. Ridge, who had just recently changed her party affiliation from republican to democrat, signed up as democratic candidate to challenge the lone republican, David Russell for the seat. The name Sindra Ridge should sound familiar since she has been quoted many times in the local newspapers on issues concerning growth management and Hernando County's Comprehensive Plan. Time will only tell if anymore candidates will jump on board for this year's election. The only incumbent candidate without opposition is school board representative, Sandra Nicholson, who has held down that seat for 12 years.

"Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, grandmothers, and soon-to-be moms! Anna Liisa

Legislative Performance

Tampa Bay Business Journal has been running an online poll about the performance of the Florida Legislative term that just concluded on May 5, 2006. These are the following results of this poll:

How did elected officials do in Florida's 2006 legislative session?
How much did legislators accomplish in the 2006 Florida legislative session?

Nothing
12%

Very little
37%

They were somewhat successful
40%

They were successful
9%

They had results beyond expectations

If you do the math, the Legislature tied itself with somewhat successful, to success, at 49% and nothing, to doing very little at 49%. Although this poll is unscientific, it appears that the Florida Legislature performed at a mediocre level in the eyes of the Tampa Bay business community that reads this Tampa Bay Business Journal on a daily basis. Maybe the lack of any real solutions to correct the insurance industry, relating to homeowner's insurance, in our state played a large part in lack of enthusiasm of the performance of our legislators.

Volunteer Recognition

Yesterday, the annual Volunteer Recognition Program took place at the Christ Lutheran Church on North Avenue in Brooksville to thank all the partners in public service for Hernando County. This program was coordinated by Brenda Frazier, with the assistance of Rick Foti and his crew, to assist the Hernando County Commission and staff in thanking the many volunteers that serve our county. Jen Holloway, of Bay News 9, gave a rousing speech about volunteering adding her own personal touch with comments about her own family. Certificates of Appreciation were presented by the county commissioners to volunteers that serve on all the advisory boards, committees, emergency management, library, county extension, volunteer fire departments and adopt-a-road programs. Some of the others recognized were the many volunteers that also serve in county offices throughout the county. Sheriff Nugent presented certificates of appreciation to the neighborhood crime watch groups. A very pretty, young woman named Lucy Werner sang several songs to the delight of the audience. Door prizes were given out as the event was winding down and then everyone was invited to refreshments served by the Christ Lutheran Church Men's Club. A special thanks needs to be extended to Reverend Drankwater for his hospitality. Most of all, though, Brenda Frazier and Rick Foti's crew deserve a round of applause from all (us) volunteers for making this event so successful again this year!

Protect the children...

This is a special thanks to one of my anonymous neighbors that has been watching out for the welfare of the children in our neighborhood. Someone has taken the time to regularly post the addresses and photographs of the sexual predators of our zip code at our local post office. This is a tremendous help to the busy parent, or grandparent, concerned with the safety and welfare of their children. This information has been posted on the bulletin board outside the post office where everyone can see it when picking up mail. To those of you that do not know the rural area of northeast Hernando County, we do not receive delivered mail so the bulletin board is a way of communicating with all the neighbors. It is heart warming to see that my neighbor has taken the time to protect the local children in this small way.

Thanks Ginny

Congresswoman Ginny Brown Waite voted today on the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005 which extends the alternative minimum tax relief, the increased limit on small business expensing, and the low rates on capital gains and dividends which passed 244-185 on a bi-partisan vote. Congresswoman Brown-Waite also was able to gain a commitment from House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas to pass legislation to extend the state and local sales tax deduction for Florida taxpayers in an future subsequent round of tax legislation. Representative Brown-Waite was quoted as saying, "The state sales tax deduction brings huge benefits for all Floridians. Since Florida has no state income tax, our residents are unable to take that deduction from their Federal tax liability like those in other states can. We changed that dynamic to allow this deduction. This is an issue of fairness and one that Congress must address and make permanent." Thanks, Ginny for all your hard work!

Rebuttal of Editorial

This is a rebuttal I submitted to the Hernando Today in response to Robert Nolte's editorial this morning.

Grandstanding, testy, unflappable, divisive, rambling, folly, arbitrarily, torpedo, legal liability and judicial jeopardy are just a few descriptions used by Mr. Robert Nolte, editor of the Hernando Today, when referring to the Hernando County Planning and Zoning Commission's review of the project titled, the Hickory Hill Comprehensive Plan Amendment CPAM 06-2, at their meeting on Monday, May 8th. While it was economically feasible for this editor to embellish his opinion on the volunteer members of the Planning & Zoning Commission to peddle his product, his editorial was not written with sound, honest facts relating to the comprehensive plan amendment process prescribed by Florida Statutes, Chapter 163 and the local Hernando County ordinance and policy. This editor appears to have a real lack of knowledge of responsibility given to the Hernando Planning and Zoning Commission by our County Commission, that is duly expressed by written ordinance and the Florida Statutes. The P & Z Commission acts in an official capacity in re-zoning applications as jurors in the quasi judicial process, as prescribed by the FL Statutes. In addition to these re-zonings procedures, the Planning & Zoning Commission has also been tasked by the County Commission with the review process of land use issues, such as comprehensive plan amendments, and issues relating to land use specified in the zoning ordinance. The review of comprehensive plan amendments, like that of the Hickory Hill Comprehensive Plan Amendment CPAM 06-2 on Monday's agenda, are given in-depth consideration by every member of the P & Z Commission. Hopefully, Mr. Nolte will take the opportunity to educate himself on the current comprehensive plan that was amended, and re-adopted on December 14, 2005 and became effective on February 17, 2006. This current comprehensive plan, adopted by our County Commission and reviewed by the Florida Department of Community Affairs, was a two year process of gathering facts throughout the county. This revision process of the Comprehensive Plan entailed many facets of the community which included a county-wide survey, 5 workshops throughout the county by the Hernando County Planning Department, along with a 7-month Evaluation and Appraisal Review (EAR) process. The 19-member EAR committee was comprised of community members, along with all the members of the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Hernando County Commission reviewed these procedures every step of the way by conducting workshops for public input. It would be suggested that before offering any further subjective opinions on the Planning & Zoning Commission, Mr. Nolte educate himself on the comprehensive plan amendment process prescribed by the Florida Statutes, plus review the newly adopted comprehensive plan, dated February 17, 2006, before assuming that amendments are somehow an entitlement process of any applicant at hand. Hopefully, Mr. Nolte will think before reaching into his bag of tricks for anymore derogatory adjectives to describe any Planning & Zoning Commissioners and do us all a favor by stopping by his local library to peruse the newly adopted comprehensive plan which has been overwhelming supported by the majority of the citizens of Hernando County.

Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to represent my point of view...Anna Liisa

Sneak Preview

A sneak preview of coming events includes two very exciting projects being developed through the Hernando County Fine Arts Council. Their Special Events Committee has been hard at work planning several exciting events. Two of these events are titled, 'Swing at the Station" and "the Jazz Festival at Weeki Wachee". The "Swing at the Station" will take place during Heritage Days this October, with the "Jazz Festival" penciled in for March of next year. The "Swing" event will include a top rated swing band, playing at the old Railroad Station on Russell Street in downtown Brooksville. Other ideas are being floated for this Swing event is to have a street dance, an ice cream social, hot dogs, and hula-hoop contests, along with other children's games. This Swing at the Station will be a welcome edition to the jam-packed week of events already planned for the Heritage Day Celebration in Downtown Brooksville. As for the Jazz Festival, Mayor Robyn Anderson has already jumped on board to give her approval so the committee can begin planning this event, too. I will keep you updated as the plans progress with the special Events Committee. P.S. Don't forget the Annual Hernando County Fine Arts Festival at Tom Varn Park over the Memorial Day weekend. This festival is a very worthwhile way to spend the weekend, checking out all the beautiful artwork, entertainment, and yes, food. Best of all, it is free to the public!

Eminent Domain

Today, the Florida Senate passed a proposed Constitutional Amendment limiting the ability of local government to condemn private property for redevelopment. This amendment, HJR 1569, passed in the Senate by a 38-2 margin and was sent back to the House for some minor modifications. If approved by the voters, this bill would go into effect on January 2, 2007 and would put an immediate halt to any project currently under way, or even in the planning stages. Senator Jim King of Jacksonville was quoted as saying that private property is a God-given, by our forefathers, right. We will all look forward to this Constitutional Amendment appearing on the ballot this election year. Thanks to everyone in the Senate and the House for recognizing that eminent domain rules in the state of Florida needed to be strengthened after the US Supreme Court decision last year.

Special Election Validation

As promised, Representative David Russell has gotten the House to pass HB 1183 to validate the Hernando County School Board 1/2 cent sales referendum. This measure was on the 2004 General Election as a referendum but had not been advertised properly by the Hernando County School Board to be within the guidelines of the Florida Statutes. The bill reads as:

HB 1183 - Hernando County Special Election Validation
LOCAL BILL by Russell
Hernando County Special Election Validation: Validates all acts and proceedings had and taken in connection with the special election held in Hernando County on March 9, 2004, to authorize the levy of a discretionary sales surtax in Hernando County for the purpose of providing funds to finance the cost of new schools and equipment and improvements associated with such schools within the county; declares such special election legal and valid.

This HB 1183 is sure to breeze through the Senate and then onto the Governor's desk for his signature. The only thing left to free up over $6.3 million in sales tax funds for school construction is for a judge to give his stamp of approval for this procedure.

Rather Expensive Gift

The outgoing Florida House Speaker, Alan Bense received a rather expensive going away gift from his fellow House members last week. Mr. Bense was presented with the keys to a classic 1977 Corvette, valued at approximately $9,800.00. This corvette was purchased by the Republican Party of Florida from a car dealership in Tampa. A representative from the state Republican Party must have had second thoughts about the purchase made with party funds because they had attempted to have the check returned to them. When the car dealer refused to return their check, two House Republican's covered the expediture made by the RPOF with their own money. These two Representatives then took up a collection from other Florida House members at approximately $110.00 per person. The extravagant purchase of this Corvette for House Speaker Alan Bense seems rather odd since he is a multi-millionaire and could well afford to buy his own vehicle. It must be noted that Alan Bense is the same person being courted by the Republican Party of Florida to enter the race against Katherine Harris for U.S. Senate at the close of the Florida Legislative session on May 5, 2006. One would have to wonder if there is any connection that can be made with the purchase of this vehicle and the desire by the RPOF to have Alan Bense enter the race for U.S. Senate or is it just pure coincidence?

Please ask questions...

Yesterday, a story ran in the Hernando Times about a home buyer having problems with his building contractor. Apparently this home buyer is having difficulty getting his house completed, even after paying a considerable sum of money to the building contractor. Its not really necessary to mention the home buyer, or contractor, by name since this problem arises quite frequently within the construction industry. The typical scenario involves the home buyer paying money out in good faith for a product, and then rightfully expecting the general contractor to fulfill his agreement. A small handful of contractors get into trouble for many reasons which could range from just poor management, to over extending their business, taking on too much work, incompetence, or just plan fraud. Whatever the circumstances, many people get hurt when a building contractor defaults on a job from the home buyer, to the subcontractor, and the material suppliers. Hernando County Building Director, Grant Tolbert, was quoted in this article giving advice to the homeowners, or potential home buyers, to make sure a Partial Release of Lien is obtained before any money changes hands. This Partial Release ensures that the general contractor is paying the cost of the labor and material up front and this document will protect the buyer from having a lien placed on their property by a subcontractor or material supplier. All this information can be found in the Florida Statutes 713 on the construction lien process. FL Statute 713 is a "must read" for anyone using the services of a general contractor, electrical contractor, plumbing, contractor, a/c contractor, etc. to protect their investments. The link to this site can be found at:

http://www.flsenate.gov/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=Ch0713/part01.htm&StatuteYear=2005&Title=%2D%3E2005%2D%3EChapter%20713%2D%3EPart%20I

Each time a property owner gets hurt by an unscrupulous general contractor, the subcontractor gets labeled the bad guy when liens are placed on property. Unfortunately, the subcontractor is only attempting to collect monies owed to them which have not been paid by the general contractor. It is the property owners responsibility to educate themselves on the construction process within the state of Florida, so please take a few minutes to read Florida Statute 713. Next time you use the services of a contractor, read all the documents from the Notice of commencement, the building permit, to the Notice to Owners, and ask questions if you do not understand the process. Any legitimate contractor should not be insulted by questions of the property owner. One last bit of advice, never, never, pay for all your work up front, demand partial release of liens for all money paid out and make sure your contractor is licensed, and insured, to do business within Hernando County.

New Palm Trees

Did you all see the new palm trees at the intersection of US 41 and SR 50 last week? Well, there gone, temporally that is, until the landscaper under contract makes plans to have them properly planted to the city specifications. Thanks to the conscientious thinking by Bill Geiger, Brooksville's Community Development Director, the trees may have now have a good chance of surviving since he has insisted a good top soil be installed before re-planting the palm trees. Originally, the landscaper just dug holes into existing limestone and then plugged the trees into position. Its a good thing that Mr. Geiger would not accept this method because the trees would not have survived in this type of element. It must be noted that these trees being planted are not the expensive date palms, as originally planned, but native, sable palms. Mr. Geiger went back to the Brooksville City Council to have these sable-type palm trees approved because FDOT would not accept the date palms due to sight limitations at this intersection. Thanks, Bill, for all your hard work and we will look forward to a beautiful entrance corridor leading into downtown Brooksville when the landscaping job is complete.

Fair Housing Workshop

The Hernando County Housing Authority will host a Fair Housing Workshop On May 25, 2006 from 9 a.m. to noon at 20 N. Main Street in downtown Brooksville. This informational workshop will provide information for the tenants and the landlords, with agenda items that include the general laws and rules. The Community Legal Services, Inc will be giving a presentation, along with information being provided by Donald Singer, the executive director of the Hernando County Housing Authority. The general public is invited, along with realtors and landlords, for this informational workshop. For additional information, contact the Hernando County Housing Authority at 754-4160.

Wait Another Year

The proposed, affordable housing units planned for the elderly on Barnett Road will have to wait another year, according to Donald Singer, the executive director of the Hernando County Housing Authority, as reported at yesterday's meeting. Mr. Singer reported to the board that the application to the state was fairly low on the funding list so this project would be re-submitted next year. Mr. Singer also indicated several items that help move the project up in funding order and would be discussing these with the project developer. One item included site improvements on the property, with the possible removal of an old house with a scheduled burn by the Brooksville Fire department as a training exercise. Hopefully, next year the Hernando county will have a better opportunity for state funding with this needed housing project for the low income elderly in our community.

Ho-hum So Far...

Are you worried about excessive taxes, high homeowner's insurance premiums, overcrowded classrooms, high-priced gasoline, health insurance costs, etc. Well, now is the time to start thinking about who will best represent you, and your family's interests, in the future since it is election year again. Some of the offices up for election include congressional seats, the state house, the governor, to the local county commission and school board races. This year has been ho-hum so far, with very little coverage in the local media about pre-qualified candidates, except for the opinions from the two major newspaper editors about the field of candidates. These editors comments were quite candid in expressing their opinions on the qualifications, or lack thereof, for the incumbent candidates. The public, in general, has been calling for an upheaval of all incumbents due to distrust and have expressed their opinion in many of the media outlets such as local talk radio and letters to the editors of the newspapers. Before you decide to check off candidates merely because they are incumbent, check out their voting records. Do they do what they say, and say what they mean, or are they merely pandering to the public for votes to keep their jobs? Some of the incumbents have had their nose to the grindstone, like Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite. She has represented the senior population of our community well, along with actively supporting our veterans by her actions, not just mere words. Other incumbents have merely existed in office, from year to year, without any significant contributions to our community except when it personally serves them. Now's the time to do your homework about the open seats for election and the slate of candidates vying for the particular position. Is three terms enough for a school board candidate or county commission candidate? Should a one term county commission candidate be advanced to the Florida House? Do we need a long term state house representative as a county commission candidate? It all depends on the performance of the incumbent and whether they deserve our vote of confidence again in 2006.

Emergency Reserve Fund

A controversial 3-2 vote took place by the Hernando County School Board last Tuesday night which was not to create an emergency reserve fund policy, even though this was the recommendation of school finance director. The Hernando County School Board chose not to pass this reserve policy even though a three to eight percent reserve fund is recommended by the Florida Auditor General's Office. It has been reported that Hernando County schools have been reprimanded in the past by the Florida Auditor General for not having this 3 to 8% reserve policy. The Hernando County School Board has only set aside 1.5 percent for emergency funds this year even though this amount would only cover approximately 1 month of operating costs for the school system, according to the school district's finance department. This current short-funded reserve account for the school system does not appear to be a fiscally prudent measure in light of cash flow problems being felt within in the school system. This current cash crunch might be caused by the lack of oversight on borrowing money for construction costs and costs related to the use of the half cent sales tax money. In January of this year it was reported that over $6.3 million brought in by the half-cent sales tax increase cannot be touched because the ballot referendum had not been publicly noticed according to the Florida Statutes. In order to use this tax money for new school construction special approval is needed by the state Legislature and then approval must be granted by a judge. School board members Pat Fagan and Robert Wiggins need to be commended for voicing their concerns regarding the creation of a minimum reserve policy but unfortunately they were on the losing end of the vote at last Tuesday night's meeting.

First Hand Account

If you would like a first hand account about the story of America's ongoing war on terrorism go to the source of the information. As the American Legion magazine likes to state it, first hand accounts come from those whose boots are on the ground. Check out the National American Legion website http://www.legion.org/ and then click on Letters to America from the front. Get the real side of the story that does not appear in the mainstream media outlets from our men and women currently serving in harm's way. This modern day website by the American Legion gives a real view of a war correspondent. God Bless all our troops worldwide to their service for our country!

Survey on Citizen's Bailout

Tampa Bay Business Journal is currently conducting a survey titled, How would you deal with the financial crisis of Citizens Insurance? This survey's content is based on the pending bills in the Florida State Legislature and the use of this year's $960 million windfall, along with the $5.6 billion in surplus at the state level. Coming in on top in this survey with 36% is for the entire deficit of Citizen's Insurance to be covered by this year's tax surplus so homeowners will not have to face higher premiums. Coming in at a distant second is the Florida House bailout of the proposed $920 million, with the third place going to withholding all funding to Citizen's until ethical standards are upgraded, with 16 % of the vote. At fourth place, with 15 %, is the option not to give any money for this bailout, based on the feeling that this is the cost of living in Florida. The Florida Senate's plan comes in next to last for the $750 million bailout of Citizen's Insurance. Representative Joe Negron was right when he said that the Citizen's assessment is really a back-door tax increase on all Floridians. Hopefully, the Florida Legislature is listening to the low rumble of discontent among all Florida homeowners struggling with the debacle of this Citizen's Insurance bailout while facing increases in their own premiums. Just look at the Tampa Bay Business Journal's survey, and see that by a 2 to 1 margin, the consensus is for a complete bailout of Citizen's Insurance, not just a half-hearted attempt by the Florida Legislature to ease our pain in the wallet.

Oak Hill's Primary Care Stroke Facility

Did you know that Oak Hill Hospital recently earned national certification as a primary stroke center from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations? This is great news for local healthcare in Hernando County. This newly accredited stroke facility at Oak Hill is the only hospital in this area to offer such cutting edge technology in (stroke) treatment of the patient. The only stroke facility of this stature outside of Hernando County is in Tampa but this really is not an option when time is of the essence in quickly accessing and treating the stroke patient. For example, one type of stroke occurs when a clot within your arteries cuts off the blood supply to the brain. With this type of stroke, or brain attack, it is critical that a person with (stroke) symptoms be accessed within 3 hours. If this type of stroke occurs, a clot busting drug can be administered within the 3 hour window to help prevent permanent disabilities, such as speech disorders, paralyses or even death.

Some symptoms of stroke include the following:

• numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg especially on one side of the body
• confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• severe headache with no known cause

We now have a very viable choice for survival, not only for ourselves but our loved ones, in the event of a stroke. First, call 911 if symptoms begin, and then demand the ambulance take you directly to Oak Hill hospital for assessment at the only certified stroke facility in 70 squares mile radius. Secondly, call your county medical director, Dr. Robert Blackburn, and request that he set up directives and training for all Hernando County EMS personnel in recognizing the symptoms of a stroke patient. For example, Dr. Blackburn already has a directive to air lift head trauma patients to a Tampa Trauma Unit for assessment/treatment by his EMS staff based strictly on the the safety of the patient. Hopefully, Dr. Blackburn will put the safety of the public first for possible stroke patients and direct his EMS staff to transport them to the Stroke Center at Oak Hill Hospital. Check out Oak Hill's website for more information at www.OakHillHosptial.com or call 352-596-6632.

Burn Ban

This morning the Hernando County Commissioners voted on a "burn ban" at the request of fire chief, Mike Nickerson. This "burn ban" is county-wide and is in full effect until further notice. Be advised that if you violate this order written warnings will be issued, followed by tickets. It is so dry with the lack of rain so please be careful!

Growing Frustration

Everyone is talking about the problem with illegal immigration in the United States. From the talking heads of television, to radio, many have voiced their opinions on the subject, in light of the many protests over the last several weeks. It seems everyone's has an opinion on this subject and it should prove to be a hot topic this election year. Last week, Congresswoman Ginny Brown Waite was on a local radio station where she stood firmly behind her position of completing the wall between Mexico and the United States, as a first step measure to get a handle on illegal immigration into this country. A website link is also being passed by email that emphasizes the completion of the wall by sending a brick to your elected representatives and senators in Washington DC which is http://www.send-a-brick.com/index.htm This link is just a sign of the growing frustration we all feel while watching the United States Senate haggle over this topic while they appear to be oblivious to the concerns of the citizens of this country. No one is against immigration into the United States but for goodness sake we just want it to be legal. A suggestion that may solve the problem for a guest worker program would to be get the business community on board. Much has been said about the need for these illegal immigrants to do the work United States citizens will not do, like pick vegetables and clean hotel rooms. With this good economy, and tight labor market, these type of labor needs may very well be required by some business owners. With this being said, these business owners need to step up to the plate by contacting their members of Congress to create a sponsorship program to oversee, and hire these illegal immigrants. Bear in mind though that all costs associated with a sponsorship program/guest worker program of this type should be that of the business owners. Business owners need to be required to pay for all the housing, food, medical assistance, etc. so these workers do not become a burden on our tax dollars and society. These business owners would also need to take on the responsibility for any legal costs associated with this program and guarantee that these workers return to their own countries upon termination of their employment. Along with this stringent set of enforcement rules, these business owners should also be required to the collect, and make payment, for the withholding taxes and workers compensation of these workers. One item that should not be taken into account is Social Security for these workers since this is a program designed to assist the citizens of the United States. Being realistic, the businesses that use illegal immigrants need to start playing by the same rules of all other legitimate businesses and stop the scare tactics of higher prices. These miniscule promises of price increases for produce are slight in comparison to the overburden we all have felt with the cost health care increases, and the overcrowding of schools, being impacted by the approximately 12.5 million in illegal aliens now in our country.

Two Art Events at PHCC

The community is invited to attend two events hosted a PHCC this week, list below:

• 4th Annual Celebration of Poetry / Friday, April 21st from 7-9 p.m. / North Campus, Room A139. Open-mike poetry reading will take place by the staff, students and community members. Call Richard Downing at 797-5132 for details.
• Transdendance, A Mixed Abilities Dance Exhibition / Tuesday evening, April 18th / New Port Richey Campus. 15 Dancers, some who use wheel chairs, will perform a choreography based on the creative work of PHCC students.

Happy Easter to you and your family! Anna Liisa

Which would you prefer?

Our Florida Legislature learned this week that they have a windfall of $960-million this year which is in addition to the $5.6 billion surplus previously reported in the news earlier. Taking into consideration that this is our money, how would you like to see this windfall of $960-million spent by our Legislature? Would you like more tax cuts? Or possibly help with skyrocketing homeowners insurance premiums? Maybe pay down part of Florida's $17.5 billion in tax-supported debt? Or neatly tuck away this windfall in reserve for more lean times? My first choice is for a tax cut. If the Legislature decides on tax cut, please find some other way to return our money besides a sales tax holiday. Why should we have to spent more money to see a refund of this tax windfall. Yes, I know, supply- side economics requires the spending of money to continue to generate this good economy so the sales tax holiday is technically a good idea. But why should we have to spend more of our hard earned money just to receive a few tax dollars back from the legislature? My second choice would be to pump the money into the failing Citizens Insurance fund to ease the pain to homeowners who are struggling with massive increases in premiums, do, in part, by the bail out (of Citizen's). I'm sure every property owner in this state would be delighted to have a portion of this Citizen's bailout be removed from their homeowner's insurance premium. Hopefully our Legislature will think hard before acting on this windfall so it will benefit the majority of us in this state and not just look like an approach to pander to the public during an election year.

Marine Corp Reunion

The 2006 Florida All Marine Corps Reunion, hosted by the Northeast Chapter of the 1st Marine Division, will be held May 5-7, 2006 at the Radisson Riverwalk Hotel in Jacksonville, Florida. Check out www.1stMarDivAssnNEFL.org for the details and registration forms. Open to all Marines past and present.

DD 214 Online

For any veterans that have misplaced their DD 214, please do not despair. There is a new website at the National Personnel Records Center which is vetrecs.archives.gov where veterans gain access to their DD 214 online. You will be asked to supply all the essential information to process the request but this new web-based design was created to provide better service.

Please excuse my sparse postings on this sight over the several last weeks . I was in Oak Hill Hospital having surgery and haven't been focused on community events. Check back in a week or so & I'm sure my energy level will be restored to normal... Anna Liisa