Fire master plan consultant interviews

This morning I attended a meeting of the Audit Services Planning and Priorities Committee in the county commission chamber. In layman's terms, this was a meeting for the Hernando County Fire Rescue Services Consulting Project which was chaired by Karen Nicolai, Clerk of Court. This meeting was to hear presentations, and conduct interviews, to choose a consultant for the countywide fire master plan study. The four firms scheduled for presentations this morning were Emergency Services Consultants, Inc., Mizzelle, Hodges, and Associates, Carroll Buracker and Associates and the Management Advisory Group. Due to time constraints, I was only able to stay long enough to hear one presentation. I was surprised that this meeting was not televised on Channel 19 due to the wide interest shown in the community on fire services. Some of the members of this Audit Services Planning and priorities Committee were Karen Nicolai, Gary Kuhl, Larry Jennings and George Zoettlin. It is probably a good thing that this meeting was not televised or the camera may have gotten a shot of Mr. Zoettlin napping this morning at the dais. Brooksville's Fire Chief Tim Mossgrove and Assistant Fire Chief Davies of Spring Hill were also on hand to ask questions, along with Assistant Fire Chief Larry Nichols and Jill Allen of Hernando County Fire Rescue. I was dismayed to see that no one had attended from any of the volunteer fire departments in the county. The firm that will be picked for this study will be chosen at their next meeting on September 18th / 7:30 a.m. at the Country Kitchen Restaurant.

Your own recollection

September 11th was designated Patriot Day by Congress and the President of the United States in 2001 after terrorists attacked our country in 2001. I still remember that morning starting out like any other day. It was a rainy Tuesday and no one seemed to be in a very good mood that morning. I had the radio on in my office tuned to the local AM station when I heard the announcer say a plane had just crashed in the World Trade Center. In disbelief, I switched on this little black & white TV in my shop to catch glimpse of what I presumed would be a tragic plane accident. This horrific sight became even more unbearable to watch as the second plane crashed into the other Trade Tower. Next came the view of the Pentagon being hit by a plane. I could not take my eyes off this little television even though the picture was a very poor quality. Fear griped my heart like at no other time in my life just knowing that our Nation was under attack. The sight of people leaping out of the Trade Towers was chilling enough and was only surpassed by watching the Trade Towers pancake upon themselves as they collapsed from this terrorist attack. These images will be ingrained in my memory for the rest of my life. I hope each of you has your own recollection of September 11, 2001 and you never forget that day either...

Meaning spending reform needed

After watching the emergency budget workshop last Thursday, I began to wonder just who is running Hernando County government. The committee of 25, the county staff, Linda Hayward's petitions, the county commissioners, just who??? I commend Commissioner's Stabins, Hogan and Robinson for representing the people with a millage rate reduction but even their approach was short-sighted when you look at the long term needs of our rapidly expanding county. Trust in government is the essential element that Commissioner Stabins is trying to restore, by pushing for a large millage rate reduction in Ad Valorem taxes. The naysayers bring up the mere $36.00 this tax relief could bring to the homeowner in Hernando County. We were told this $36.00 would not even buy a tank of gas for an automobile. For someone watching their pennies, $36.00 could buy several pairs of inexpensive shoes for their children at Wal Mart. Speaking of Wal Mart, Commissioner Rowden threw out a large dollar figure that Wal Mart would save if an Ad Valorem rate reduction takes place this year like this was somehow evil. This type of analogy is a classic example of the demonization of corporate America played out by liberal democrats everyday across this nation. The problem with this type of analogy is corporations do not pay taxes, people do, and many small business entities across the county are being crippled by extremely high assessments on their businesses because there is no 3% cap on commercial property. Besides, I could never understand why corporations are criticized when they produce jobs, and wealth in America. Getting back to the point of being short-sighted when looking at the long term needs of Hernando County, none of the county commissioners ever mentioned cutting spending as a viable approach to budget control. Oh, a few sacrificial lambs were offered to cut spending several weeks ago by the county staff, but were pale in comparison to what is needed to be fiscally prudent with our tax dollars. Has anyone ever wondered why the county spending equals collected tax revenue? Its called projective budgeting, or locking up all monies collected by taxpayers. Sheriff Nugent stated at this workshop that if the county commissioners did not approve his budget he could go over their heads to the governor. One major job function of the county commission is to oversee the budget by being good stewards of our tax dollars. It is their responsibility to question the budgets of the sheriff, the clerk of court, the tax collector, the supervisor of elections, and the property appraiser but this was largely ignored during the budget review process. Yes, any constitutional officer can go directly to the governor if they think their budget is being jeopardized by the county commissioners but do you really think that would happen? The backlash for any constitutional officer having to justify their budget to the governor, let alone the citizens of Hernando County, would be political suicide. Its about time the county commissioners stand up to the challenge presented to them and question all budget entities, even the constitutional officers. Budget director, George Zoettlin, indicated at this workshop that a good credit rating is necessary for additional bonding, as in the bonding of the costs related to the old hospital renovation. It appeared that Commissioner Kingsley voted against tax relief based on these bond statements by Mr. Zoettlin. New bonding issues seemed to fly right under the radar scope of some of the county commissioners who were focused on tax relief for the citizens. Hernando County is already bonded up to the hilt with many projects like the new animal services building, the emergency operations building, two new libraries, and the purchase of Florida Water Services, not to mention the outstanding mortgages on several fire stations in Hernando County. What happened to save first, then buy approach for government services instead of putting our county further into debt? The implementation of zero-based budgeting should be a first start in correcting the age-old practices of the tax and spend mind-think of our elected officials. Meaningful spending reform and tax relief is essential to restoring our faith in the system before any discussion can take place on the future needs of county government.

Primary election turnout

If my arithmetic is correct, the percentage of people to vote in yesterday's Primary Election hovered at 12%. This turn out was a reduction of over 11% of the total voters since the last gubernatorial primary election in 2002 for Hernando County. This turnout is about one third the amount Annie Williams wished for last week. This gloomy reflection on our primary only underscores the need for changes in electoral process in this county, and across the state of Florida. Somehow I really thought it was the supervisor of elections office to educate the public on upcoming elections but public service announcements by the SOE's office during the past few election cycles has been minimal to attract voters. Just remember that the 12% of the registered voters who voted yesterday in Hernando County chose the candidates that will be on the General Election ballot. Busy lives, lack of information, voter apathy, whatever you call it, it is a grim reflection on our basic fundamental rights and responsibilities as citizens. Please get involved, informed, and energize to vote in the General Election on November 7th.

Updated Information as of 7 a.m. / 09-07-06: The turn out for the Primary Election was actually 21% according to this morning's newspaper. This "21% turnout" was still a very poor representation of our registered voters in Hernando County. This updated figure of 21% is still 3% lower than the 2002 election. The incorrect percentages used in my post (above) were a direct reflection of the information pulled from Annie Williams website at 9:15 p.m. /09-06-06. The citizens of Hernando County will be far better served by having correct information on the Supervisor of Elections website than incorrect, incomplete election results.

Looking for a truck...

Are you looking for a new truck, a school bus, a front-end loader, dump truck or maybe a boat w/trailer? Then you are in luck. Hernando County, Swiftmud and the Hernando County School Board are auctioning off their surplus equipment on Saturday, September 16 at 9 a.m. This sale is located at 1037 Varsity Drive in Brooksville (across from Cloverleaf Mobile Home Park). The equipment should be in reasonably good condition since it has been maintained by our tax dollars. Heck, most of it is probably like new! So, if you want a deal on some equipment for your home, or business, attend this local government auction.

Blues Brothers Tribute

Come on down to the Bandshell Bash for a free outdoor concert on September 9th from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Bandshell Bash will take place at Hernando Park in downtown Brooksville (Ft. Dade & Main St.) The headline entertainment will be "Blues Brothers Tribute Band" along with the Brooksville Cruise-In Car & Motorcycle show. For information call, 754-4788.

A special thanks...

A special thanks goes out to all the candidates that ran in this year's election. It takes a special person to withstand the rigors of campaigning while offering one's self for public service. Just remember, what ever the outcome is when the votes are tallied, all of these candidates are winners in the poll of public opinion!

Times wins hands down over Today

Comparing this morning's editorial columns of the Hernando Times, and the Hernando Today for quality and ethics was an easy task. Jeff Webb won hands down for his tongue-in-cheek, lighthearted editorial. In his editorial, he noted the conviction of all candidates that had offered themselves for public service in this year's primary election. Mr. Webb's column used a light-hearted approach to wind down the hard fought campaigns by all candidates before Tuesday's primary elections. Robert Nolte's column was written with the last minute intent to sway voters, with a innuendos, or inflammatory comments, about candidates his newspaper has opposed throughout this primary election cycle. Robert Nolte used a few catchy words, or phases, in his editorial to dispel doubt on these candidates so voters ignore them at the polls on Tuesday. One phrase used for Rose Rocco, candidate for county commission, district 2 was "closely tied to the county polls that she could be a victim of the anti-incumbent mood". This phrase does not apply to Ms. Rocco since she has never held elective office. Unfortunately, this 11th hour editorial cannot be disputed by this candidate before election day on Tuesday. Mr. Nolte also characterized Mr. Wiggins as the most ineffective school board member in recent memory. Again the candidate cannot dispute these claims before Tuesday. Too bad Mr. Nolte's short term memory is foggy because his own paper endorsed Robert Wiggins in 2002 election. Each election year, both of our local newspapers interview candidates, and then endorse the person they determine to be best suited for the particular office. It sets a bad precedent for any newspaper to use the power of the press to cloud someone's character in a political campaign. Jeff Webb, and all the editors of the Times, have earned our respect from their fair and accurate reporting during this primary campaigning season.

Bonafide reason to contest election

Just who's job is it to protect the election system in Hernando County? Obviously Annie Williams thinks that is not her job. Otherwise why would she have allowed county commission candidate Mr. Ronnie McLean to file two fraudulent documents in her office without notifying the state attorney's office? Mr. McLean signed two waivers stating he had not collected any campaign donations for two consecutive filing periods which were false. Both of these incidents were clearly against the law but Ms. Williams office did absolutely nothing except make excuses for Mr. McLean. Why? If it wasn't Annie Williams job to insure that campaign finance records were completed properly then just whose job was it?

Annie Williams stated in the newspaper that she knew Ronnie McLean was registered to vote in Florida, and New York, simultaneously, as of June 7, 2006. Again Ms. Williams did absolutely nothing to protect the integrity of our election system. Why? Wasn't it her responsibility to immediately contact the state attorney's office to file a formal complaint since these actions by Mr. McLean are classified as a 3rd degree felony?

The incompetence shown by Ms.Williams office has placed the democratic primary election in jeopardy. If Ms. Williams had contacted the state attorney's office promptly Mr. McLean's name would not have appeared on the ballot because he would have been under investigation. The two other candidates in Mr. McLean's race now have a bonafide reason to contest the primary election because of Ms. Williams lack of action to protect the integrity of this election.

If it isn't Annie Williams job to oversee the electoral process in Hernando County, then just whose job is it? Everyone should be asking themselves why taxpayer money, in the excess of $90K a year, is going to pay Annie Williams salary if it wasn't her job in the first place?

Kudos to Jeff Stabins

Firm and resolute are words that could be used to describe Hernando County Commissioner Jeff Stabins. Mr. Stabins is determined to bring tax relief to the residents of Hernando County during this year's budget negotiations. He has stood steadfast in his position to cut property taxes by stating, "Its going to need to be in the neighborhood of at least a half mil in order to show real reductions." This half-mil cut would mean a $4.7 million cut in spending by our county officials. Apparently Commissioner Stabins has been listening to the citizens of this county that are financially strapped with items like higher property taxes, skyrocketing insurance premiums, along with the cost of fuel just to get to work. It appears that Commissioner Stabins stand on tax relief is a two-fold process. First, he is requesting a record tax break to put more money in people pockets; secondly, he is convinced that a half mil cut would restore people's faith in government. Mr. Stabins wants to put the discussion of a sales tax referendum on the back burner until real tax relief is seen in Hernando County. Commissioner Stabins is one of the rare politicians that is actually trying to implement one of his major campaign promises which was to reduce taxes in Hernando County. Mr. Stabins is acutely aware of the needs of government but understands it is the peoples money he was elected to protect as our commissioner. His position to lower the millage rate is great start in restoring our faith in government. It is hard to imagine a republican that still sounds like a republican. Kudos go out to Jeff Stabins!

Above the law?

This morning in the Hernando Today, Robert Nolte ran an open letter from L. Joe Strickland who is a current county commissioner from Avery County, North Carolina. This 20-point letter by Mr. Strickland was his prescription plan for spending cutbacks. No one can argue with some of his excellent points, like stopping unfunded mandates, and considering a zero based budgeting process. This article really perked my interest on two levels. The first was Mr. L. Joe Strickland's very conservative approach to running government; secondly, that Commissioner Strickland, of Avery County North Carolina is a winter resident in Hernando County. My curiosity got the best of me so I researched Mr. Strickland on the Internet. The Avery County Commission of North Carolina lists Mr. L. Joe Strickland residence as 353 Lakeview Rd. Newland, NC 28657. The Hernando County Property Appraiser lists a Louie J. Strickland in Timber Pines, with a mailing address of 353 Lakeview Rd., Newland, NC 28657. Mr. L. Joe Strickland of North Carolina appears to be the same person residing in Timber Pines who lists his name as Louie J. Strickland. A question for Mr. Strickland would be, "How can you be a county commissioner in North Carolina also take a $25,000.00 Homestead Exemption on your Timber Pines property?" Is this just another case of a politician being above the law?

Mediocre promotion of election

Hernando County Supervisor of Elections, Annie Williams, was quoted in this morning's newspaper as saying, "I just wish more people would come out and vote." While Ms. Williams hopes to see a 45% voter turn out in this primary, historically that has not been the case for many years in Hernando County. The voter turn out in 2002 primary hovered just below 24%, with a 28% margin in 2004, and any larger percentage seems almost impossible in this year. One major cause for low voter turn out may fall directly on the supervisor of elections office's mediocre promotion of this year's primary election. Voter education and notification on this primary election has been minimal from the supervisor of elections office. Many residents within Hernando County did not even receive sample ballots this year's to alert them of primary election. A classic example of outdated, forgotten voter notifications from Annie William's office is the old poster that still hangs in the Nobleton post office announcing the 2004 primary election date of 8-31-04. The improvement of voter education by the supervisor of election's office should be one of the major functions for Annie Williams if she is serious about raising voter turnout. Voter apathy could be another reason for low turnout in primary elections. Busy working families are turned off by negative campaigns so they skip the primary elections that seem to be pre-determined by inter-party endorsements. Even though both major parties see increases each year in their ranks by new registered voters, non party registration continues to rise every year. As it stands now, republicans hold a slim margin of 40% registered voters in our county over the democrats at 38% but non party voter registration is at a record level of 20% of registered voters, with minor party registrations coming in at 2%. Another major reason for low voter response in primary elections may fall with the 22% of registered voters not affiliated with a major party. Let's see if we can improve the statistics in Hernando County by voting in this year's primary. Early voting continues through Saturday at the supervisor of elections offices (Brooksville and Forest Oaks) until 4 p.m. The polls open early at 7 a.m. for the Primary Election next Tuesday, September 5th. See you there!

Pre-primary endorsements...

As the Primary Election quickly approaches the home stretch of campaigning, commercials have run non-stop on all the major networks, advertising the virtues of candidates. Endorsements by elected officials, or political parties, has become common place even before the voters can decide for themselves in the Primary Election. For instance, one commercial has Governor Bush endorsing a candidate for the Chief Financial Officer for the state of Florida over another qualified republican candidate. Everyone should question why our republican governor is attempting to influence this race before the Primary Election. The choice should be simple. Leave it up to the voters until after the Primary Election before making internal party endorsements, or comments, that may, or may not, be in the best interest of the public. On the local front, the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee is also recommending one candidate over another in the Primary Election this year via the telephone. No one should be surprised by the actions of the local HCREC since this has become their common practice to attempt to influence primary results without actually following adopted guidelines to endorse candidates for years. The wide range of qualified republican candidates that are running statewide deserve the opportunity to have a fair chance at the polls, without the influence of elected, or party, officials. Maybe it is time to consider changes to the Florida constitution to include Open Primary Elections to lesson the impact of pre-primary endorsements, without voter consent.

God's country

The northeast section of Hernando County has a little unincorporated town named Nobleton where I call home. Our booming little town of about 90 people has 13 paved streets. Nobleton has a little community church that seats 65 people, a country store that serves take-out food, a road side park, and a canoe rental business. Anyone that has passed through here in the last 20 years is sure to remember us for the somewhat greasy, Nobleton burger served up at the local restaurant. Nobleton is down home, old time Florida, where children play in the streets, neighbors watch out for neighbors, and the living is easy. One building that attracts neighbors everyday is our local post office because we have no mail delivery out here in the sticks. This sleepy little post office is our town center. A bulletin board outside the post office boasts notices of all sorts, like lost dogs, yard sales or church suppers. Notices of great importance, like a hand written obituary of the occasional passing neighbor, are reserved for the door of the post office. The inside bulletin board at the post office is reserved for the most up-to-date official government information notices, like a poster that announces the Primary Election date as August 31, 2004 from Annie Williams, Hernando County Supervisor of Elections office currently hanging on the wall. When the sun goes down in Nobleton the frogs begin to croak, along with an occasional alligator singing to find a mate, in the Withlacoochee River. As the owls hoot, and raccoons sing in the trees, we all call it a day here in sleepy little Nobleton and say thanks we live in God's country. Just remember the most important notice of all in Nobleton, whispered by all the neighbors, that says no vacancy, please!

Official grand opening

This afternoon Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite had an official grand opening party at her campaign headquarters located at 4606 Commercial Way (US 19) in Spring Hill for her core supporters. The room was packed with an overflowing crowd of more than 100 people, waiting to greet our congresswoman. A wide array of foods, desserts, and beverages lined the walls for the crowd to munch on while Ginny gave an invigorating introduction of her campaign staff, followed by a short campaign kickoff speech. She introduced her newest campaign worker who heading up the Hernando location who is Justin Grabelle from Washington, DC. Some of my old friends were seen at this event like Al Sevier, Ron and Bonnie Ruge, Dick and Hazel Poore, Joy and Dudley Hampton. Ginny's campaign will go into full swing right after the Primary election.

Survey on RNC convention

The Tampa Bay Business Journal is conducting a survey on the costs associated with 2008 Republican National Convention being proposed for Tampa. The question is, "Should taxpayers be on the hook for convention financing if private donations fall short?" So far 42% of the respondents have said Yes, 51% have indicated No, with 6% undecided in the poll. This poll states that it is not a scientific sampling but offers a quick view of what their readers are thinking. It appears that the readers consider the risk of higher taxes for a political party convention outweighs the beneficial business aspects of a capturing a convention for their city.

Fallen soldier honored

Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite sponsored legislation to re-name the post office located at 8501 Philatelic Drive in Brooksville for Sgt. Michael Shafer. Staff Sergeant Michael W, Schafer, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, is the first soldier from Hernando County to be killed in current combat in Afghanistan or Iraq. Sgt. Shafer was awarded the Bronze Star for his heroic actions. U.S. Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-05) will assist in an official dedication ceremony next Wednesday, August 30, 2006 at 10 a.m., with the placing of a special plaque in the lobby of the post office to honor Sgt. Michael Shafer.

Candidate Forum

The Hernando County Chamber of Commerce will host a candidate forum tonight at 6 p.m. in the Hernando County Commission Chambers. Most candidates will be on hand one hour before the forum to field questions from the public in the atrium. The candidates will be given two minutes to introduce themselves and then will be asked two questions by Robert Nolte of the Hernando Today and Mike Konrad of the Hernando Times. The moderator of this event is Chris Pipinger, the governmental affairs chairwoman for the Chamber of Commerce. The candidate forum will be televised on the HGTV-Channel 19 for those of you that will be unable to attend this event. This will be your last opportunity to see all the candidates before the September 5th Primary Election. Each candidate deserves thanks from our community for their willingness to participate in the political process for their bid to become our public servants.

A more conservative approach needed

How many of you called the Hernando County Property Appraisers office this morning to say thank you? Did anyone say thanks for increased market value on your home? I'm sure everyone called the appraiser to say thank you for assessing my property the maximum allowed amount under the Save Our Homes Act at 3%. So I'm sure the next time your local business owner raises his prices, a thank you note will be forthcoming as you struggle to pay your monthly bills. All this is tongue in cheek to emphasize the out of whack property appraisals mailed out this year on our TRIM notices. While mom and pop worry where they will get the funds to pay their property taxes, businesses of all sizes are asking the same question. Estimates are starting to surface on the increased market values businesses will face this year, starting at 16% and jumping to over 257%. Everyone knows that these increased market values on businesses mean massive tax increases (to business) equating to higher prices to the consumers. Commercial and industrial properties do not have the luxury of the annual 3% cap on values, nor does that local non-profit organization that survives on your contributions to pay their expenses. A friendly little note accompanied our TRIM notices that stated, "The Property Appraiser's office does not set your tax rates, we only establish the market value of your property". His office appears to distance itself from any negative affect of the TRIM notices with this statement but he always manages to impose that maximum cap of 3% on our personal property, plus much, much, more on business entities. Even though our economic growth is market driven, a more conservative approach by our local property appraiser could have slowed the escalation of costs in our community by more fairly evaluating the market values on our property. Just remember, if the county government does not receive the money in the first place, it cannot spend it. We would be far better served by having more of our own money to expand this free market economy than be paralyzed by tax burdens created by the assessments of our property appraiser's office.

Small Business Advisory Council

Yesterday, I was privileged to attend the Small Business Advisory Council meeting hosted by Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite at the Jerome Brown Center in Brooksville. Guest speakers for this meeting were Bob Carroll, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, United States Treasury and Tom Wright, Executive Director for Americans for Fair Tax. Congresswoman Brown-Waite opened the meeting with brief comments which included information on small business and the need for tax reform. Before Ginny introduced Bob Carroll of the US Treasury, she made it clear that this was an informational meeting only, and not a debate between speakers. Mr. Carroll's presentation included discussions on the estate tax, health care costs and tax reform. Mr. Carroll outlined the Alternate Minimum Tax from its inception in 1966, and offered some suggestions to improve this system, like indexing this tax. Mr. Carroll discussed the Marriage Relief Act of 2001 which is set to sunset in 2010 and the need to make this (act) permanent. Bob Carroll discussed the need for future tax reform to have large corporate investment here, not overseas, and the aspect of small business having opportunities to re-invest to promote economic growth within our country. Mr. Carroll briefly discussed high health care cost and the Bush administration looking at initiatives to give individuals the same tax advantages for deductions and credits under health care savings plans as business. On the estate taxes, Mr. Carroll, and Ginny, stated that the House of Representatives had passed a repeal of this tax but it did not clear the Senate. Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite then introduced Tom Wright to give his presentation. Mr. Wright indicated that the Fair Tax idea is a national retail sales tax, currently estimated at the rate of 23% to 25%. This tax would be in addition to any imposed state sales taxing system. This national sales tax would replace the personal tax, estimated tax, social security tax , self-employment tax, etc. Mr. Wright indicated that this single rate was revenue neutral and replaces, dollar for dollar, the current system of taxation estimated at 23-25%. Ginny interjected that the estimated rate was more to the degree of 32-33% but would have to be determined through independent analysis. Mr. Wright stated that the Fair Tax would be imposed on all new goods and services. Discussion then ensued on the demise of former Governor Martinez for the imposition of sale tax on services under his administration. Mr. Wright stated that his Fair Tax concept was a tax on consumption, such that, the more one spends, the more tax someone would pay into the system. The Congresswoman then opened the presentation up to floor questions. One gentleman posed a question about the chances of having the Fair Tax pass. Tom Wright indicated that he currently had 60 co-sponsors and was 100% sure this would pass. Bob Carroll took the conservative approach stating that fundamental reform is needed and he looks forward to the discussion. Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite said that basic simplification of the tax system is needed and she foresees the Fair Tax passing in either the House, or Senate, in the years to come. Ginny emphasized that the chance of passing will depend on any harmful effects that this system may have on constituents. She also stated that public hearings are necessary to hear all sides of this issue which would include independent analysis of all the presented data. As a small business owner, I felt that Mr. Wright's presentation had considerable flare but was very short on substance. Nothing of substance was included to say how items like Social Security would be funded for those of us that have paid into the system, nor the matching amount required to be paid in by currently by employers. Mr. Wright's stated his idea of eliminating personal taxes from payroll would free up business but neglected to include the paper work nightmare of collecting a national sales tax, in addition to state sales tax (for business). In our society which is driven on the basic principals of supply and demand, any tax on that consumption could virtually damage our economic growth. Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite was right in stating the need for public hearings to examine all the facts on tax reform for our country to protect the interests of everyone.

Sounds like an oxymoron

Well, we are off to the races in the run for the Primary Election which is just weeks away on September 5th. For those local partisan enthusiasts, early voting begins Monday, August 21st. The Hernando Times has started printing their recommendations for candidates, from the state level to local races. One race in particular that has garnered considerable attention is that of county commission, district 2. Hubert "Wayne" Dukes (D) and Nancy Robinson (R) got the nod for this seat from the Times this morning. Dukes, a 32-year federal government employee was chosen by the paper for his longevity as a civil servant, citing he will weed out waste and promote efficiency. That sounds like an oxymoron to me. A 32-year government employee weeding out waste? Most fairy tales begin with "Once upon a time" so if the voters believe this, then they will believe Mr. Dukes' commitment to build a hospital on the east side of Hernando County. Apparently Mr. Dukes absence from Hernando County for the last two decades has prevented him from keeping up on the hometown news about the controversial hospital locations. His opponent, Rose Rocco was complemented as the second best choice for this seat, with the only negative comment being made about her changing political parties. Nancy Robinson was given the nod for her longevity in government, edging out her opponent Augie Peretti who is a self-proclaimed fiscal conservative. In their recommendation, the Times stated that Robinson has not demonstrated leadership commensurate with her lengthy term as commissioner and they appeared to excuse her for the change in party affiliation during her current term. Since there are no opponents to David Russell(R) and Jaime Wrye (D) in county commission, district 4 race, their recommendation from the Times will be done at the end of October. So, everyone, hold on to your seats (and wallets) as we slide into home base for the 2006 Primary Election. Please remember to vote, your voice will make a difference for Hernando County's future.

Staged campaign stunt

Hernando County Commission Chairwoman Diane Rowden was quoted in this morning's Hernando Times as saying, "I don't think that their agenda right now is for the best interests of the people of Mitchell Heights. They are just trying to incite additional fears." Ms. Rowden was referring to the 6 or so protestors in front of the old Hernando DPW site yesterday morning. This handful of protestors said they were there to protest the scheduled demolition of old buildings on site that should begin today. First, the clean-up at this site was not fast enough, now it is going too fast for the Mitchell Heights Health Awareness and Restoration Board. Since the county officials have been following proper protocol with clean up efforts, and public notification at the old DPW site, there was no reason for this protest. This "protest" appears only to be a staged campaign stunt to promote county commission candidate, Ronnie McLean, and both newspapers took the bait by publishing his photo on their front pages. Other discouraging information about this incident was that of Brooksville city councilman Frankie Burnett participating in this stunt, stating that it was a failure of the county to communicate with the neighbors of Mitchell Heights. The public would have been far better served if Mr. Burnett had expended his energy, in his capacity as an elected official, by telephoning Commissioner Rowden or county administrator Gary Kuhl to inquire about the demolition process. There is enough blame to go around for the delay in cleaning up the hazards at this old DPW site but manufacturing media coverage, by holding a protest to incite fear in the neighborhood, is an unacceptable means of promoting a cause, or candidate.

No authority under the law...

Hernando County Supervisor of Elections, Annie Williams, stated in the newspaper on Wednesday that her office can only levy fines and does not have investigative powers. By statute, the Florida Department of State has the enforcement powers for campaign rule violations but does not investigate. If both of these statements are true, then just who protects our electoral process in Hernando County? If Annie Williams does not investigate, or enforce the rules, then it must be safe to assume that her duties are merely that of a clerical status, holding no authority under the law to protect our election system. Ms. Williams stated that any campaign finance complaints against candidates must be filed with the Florida Commission on Ethics. Does this mean she relies on a system of one candidate turning in another candidate, for any perceived violations, during the campaign because that is not under her job description? What happens when violations are handed to Ms. Williams? Does she just ignore them? The answer is yes. For example, a situation involving a civic activist named Linda Hayward has been ignored after two requests to Ms. Williams. You see Ms. Hayward is promoting an issue of lower Ad Valorem taxes countywide, by handing out flyers with candidate statements from Steve Mattingly, Wayne Dukes, Augie Peretti and David Russell. This $500.00 in-kind contribution to these candidates for advertising purposes is for the intent of promoting a single issue of significantly lowering Ad Valorem taxes. Ms. Hayward checked with Annie Williams before having these items printed for the proper required disclaimers but was not advised to file the appropriate financial disclosure forms with the SOE's office. For that matter, Steve Mattingly, Wayne Dukes, Augie Peretti and David Russell neglected to include this $500.00 in-kind contribution in their July 28, 2006 financial documents. Florida statutes clearly defines this rule:

106.071 Independent expenditures; electioneering communications; reports; disclaimers.--
(1) Each person who makes an independent expenditure with respect to any candidate or issue, and each individual who makes an expenditure for an electioneering communication which is not otherwise reported pursuant to this chapter, which expenditure, in the aggregate, is in the amount of $100 or more, shall file periodic reports of such expenditures in the same manner, at the same time, subject to the same penalties, and with the same officer as a political committee supporting or opposing such candidate or issue.

Florida has been seen as the laughing stock of the world for election errors. Who can ever forget the missing chad, the hanging chad, the dangling chad, repeated over and over in the news in the 2000 election until everyone in Florida wanted to put a bag over their head in shame. We do not need that type of disgrace in Hernando County with our electoral process. If it isn't Annie Williams, the Supervisor of Elections job, then whose is it?

A little ironic

As I was driving to work this morning something interesting caught my attention. It was campaign signs. It is not unusal to see campaign signs littering the right of way, and the state forestry property in my neck of the woods because this happens every election season. What mystified me was the name(s) on the campaign signs. The majority of these illegal signs belonged to candidates for judicial positions. It is a little ironic to have a person running for a judicial position that has not read the sign ordinances. Just in case the Hernando County Code Enforcement sends someone out to look for these signs, please stop for several seconds to inspect the courthouse lawn. A faded banner of the Hernando County Parks Department has been swinging from the palm trees for over a month and it needs your attention...

August Bandshell Bash

The Bandshell Bash will feature JT Curtis and the Silver Eagle Band on August 12th from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Bandshell Bash takes place at Hernando Park located at 204 East Fort Dade Avenue in downtown Brooksville. JT Curtis and the Silver Eagle Band has opened and performed with some major stars like: Brooks & Dunn Lonestar, Toby Keith, Lynard Skynard and the Allman Brothers. This event is fun for everyone because the music is always rated "family friendly". Bring your lawns chairs and your appetite because they usually have several food vendors. The Brooksville Cruise-In of antique hot rods are also on display during the event.

Newcomers make mistakes...

In this morning newspaper, Supervisor of Elections, Annie Williams was quoted as saying: "That is not uncommon for newcomers to make mistakes. We do have candidates that periodically need a little more help than others because it's new to them." Ms. Williams also stated that she did not if Ronnie McLean would face any fines but she would sit down with him on Thursday to correct his campaign reports. Possibly the Supervisor of Election could ask Mr. McLean why his treasurer failed to report contributions to his campaign last April and May, even though campaign finance laws require prompt reporting on his campaign treasurer's report, as prescribed by Florida Statutes. Another valid question Ms. Williams should ask Ronnie McLean is why he knowingly signed a Waiver of Report stating that he had no activity in his campaign for the reporting period of April through July when he had accepted $2,275.00 for that period. Another pertinent question that the SOE's office should ask Mr. McLean is why his designated campaign treasurer did not sign his treasurer report, dated July 28, 2006. One more point of interest that should be brought to Mr. McLean's attention is the incomplete report filed on July 28, 2006 that did not have the full addresses of all his contributors, nor did it have the required sequencing numbers. The SOE could also ask Mr. McLean why his printed campaign literature is not reflected in his treasurer report and why it (literature) does not contain the legal disclaimers reguired by law. The newspaper stated that it was unclear whether Mr. McLean would face any fines by the Supervisor of Elections office. Strict laws are written in Florida Statutes (104 to 106) to govern electors, elections, campaigns, campaign committees, etc. The following is the statement that every local candidate for public office is required to sign with the Supervisor of Elections Office. I,_______________________ , candidate for the office _______________________; have received, read and understand the requirements of Chapter 106, Florida Statutes. The campaign treasurer is required to certify that campaign records are true and correct, by understanding it is a first degree misdemeanor to falsify a public record (ss.839.13 F.S.) Hopefully, our Supervisor of Elections, Annie Williams, will stand behind her statement: "It's not something that should be taken lightly."

2006 Veterans Appreciation Parade

My thanks go out to the Brooksville City Council for waiving the associated fees and insurance for our 6th Annual Veterans Appreciation Parade at their meeting last night. Our parade is to honor all our veterans, including those currently serving to protect our freedom worldwide. The parade is scheduled on November 11 at 10 a.m. in downtown Brooksville. As the parade coordinator, I would like to thank the American Legion/Post 99 for allowing us to conduct our meetings in their facility again this year. Thanks also go out to Bob Haa at WWJB for his continued support of this peoples parade. Bob has invited Chief Tincher and I to promote this parade on his morning talk show every year. Hopefully, with community support, we can out-do ourselves over last year's parade. Last year we had floats, lots of participants, many veterans groups, military vehicle, Vietnam Veterans on motorcycles, even a float from Pinellas county, along with the Hernando High School Band (and much more). Please watch for the flyers in your area (soon) with the details. Stay tuned for more developing information in the coming weeks!

Fire Master Plan

Last night at the Brooksville City Council meeting, Karen Nicolai, Clerk of Hernando County Court, invited Chief Mossgrove to participate in the Hernando County Master Planning Project for Fire and Rescue Services. Ms. Nicolai requested that the city council allow Chief Mossgrove to participate in the meetings. A consensus of the council was approved after guarantees were given that the city would not be taken over by the county. The city attorney, David LaCroix, assured them (council) that this would not be possible without the prior approval of the Brooksville City Council. Chief Mossgrove welcomed the invitation by Ms. Nicolai and gave a run down on why his input would be beneficial to this committee. It seems Chief Mossgrove has prior experience in writing fire master plans since he just completed one for the city last year. Ms. Nicolai indicated that an RFP (request for proposal) would go out soon for a consultant to participate in these planning meetings. She also indicated that after a consultant was on board Gary Kuhl would not be participating in these meetings and her office would only send a representative. All countywide fire chiefs have been invited to participate in this master plan process. For a fair outcome, it is important that representatives from the High Point Fire District, Hernando Beach Volunteer Fire Department and the Tri-County Fire Department also be included these meetings. It is great to see that our fire safety will finally be reviewed by an analytical screening committee of all the top fire people in our county, without the background noise of local politics.

DCA meeting

The Florida Department of Community Affairs will meet this Thursday afternoon, August 10th, in Tallahassee to discuss the Hickory Hill Comprehensive Plan Amendment for Hernando County. Listed below is the address and phone numbers for your convenience:


Department of Community Affairs
Division of Community Planning
2555 Shumard Oak Blvd
Tallahassee, FL 32399-7018
(850)488-8466 / Secretary
(850)487-4545

USDCA is located in an Office Park complex.

Outstanding Contributions

Hernando County may soon become famous through the hard work and determination of Brian Brijbag. Mr. Brijbag has done in-depth research of the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker and has gotten the attention of WEDU / Tampa for a future program to promote arts, nature and conservation. Mr. Brijbad is working on a 60-minute program about the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker that is meant to entertain and educate the public. The sandhill terrain of the Withlacoochee State Forest is the home to these endangered Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers. Grants have been applied for to promote this project for this WEDU broadcast and hopefully it will picked up as a national program through PBS. Mr. Brijbad is a current member of the Hernando County Fine Arts Council, the host of Hernando Culture (seen on the local Brighthouse channel 19), an Adjunct Professor at PHCC and on the Bandshell Bash Committee. Mr. Brijbag was also recently hired as the new Re-development Coordinator for the city of Brooksville. Everyone should be very pleased to have Brian Brijbag in our community for his outstanding contributions countywide.

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.