Real people

In the mail yesterday, I received my residential TRIM notice. I'm pleased to say that my Ad Valorem rate is expected to be reduced by $170.17 for this year. After shuffling through the rest of my mail, I found a very nice campaign flyer from Jeff Stabins. The inside subtitle from Commissioner Stabins' flyer really fit the mood which said, "Commissioner Jeff Stabins...A regular guy trying to help real people solve their problems with common sense solutions". Well, Jeff, you sure helped our household with lowering our property taxes. Thank you.

Rock

This morning's Hernando Times had an article that highlighted the judicial candidates f0r Group 11 of 5th Judicial Circuit. Candidates, Ric Howard and Rhonda Portwood apparently have turned an usually quiet judicial race into a real confrontation for this seat.

Apparently, Ric Howard threw the first proverbial "rock" by minimizing Ms. Portwood professional credentials early in the race. Rhonda Portwood then criticized Ric Howard for what she perceives as harsh and undo punishment in his courtroom.

After watching Ric Howard in action at last week's Hernando County Chamber Forum, it is very apparent that the tensions in this race run very high. Ms. Portwood was unable to attend this event and was strongly condemned by Ric Howard during his remarks. Mr. Howard's appearance at this forum took on the tone of arrogance and reeked of a self-serving attitude that did not appear to bode well with many in the public.

Dynamic

The Greater Hernando Chamber of Commerce candidate forum last night was a major success. All candidates with primary opponents featured in this forum were fairly questioned by editors of the two local newspapers. Editor, Mike Konrad represented the Hernando Times at the forum, with his count-part from the Hernando Today, Chris Wessel, asking pertinent questions of the candidates.

Hernando County School Board candidate, Gene Magrini had the opportunity to enlighten the public about his extensive professional background in human resources and the management of budgets in the excess of $180 million. Gene has three children enrolled in Hernando County schools, unlike his opponents, which gives him real insight on the inner-workings of the school system. His professional world experience in management and coaching is a plus for this position.

Although judicial candidates are restricted under non-partisan rules, Denise Lyn gave a powerful presentation for her bid in the 5th Circuit Judge, Group 3. Ms. Lyn is even an Air Force veteran who received a commendation medal for her service.

It was rather amusing to watch the candidates for the congressional seat, 5th district. Mr. Werder arrived late and fumbled with his presentation. John Russell is now trying the softer, gentler approach trying to convince the public he is not an angry individual. Grandma Carol should have used the money she paid to have her name placed on the ballot for a fantasy, vacation cruise.

The three candidates for county commission that stood out above all the rest in the forum were Jeff Stabins / district 1, John Druzbick / district 3 and Billy Healis /district 5.

Jeff Stabins clearly pointed out the fiscal conservative nature of his current term while illustrating 25% reduction in Ad Valorem taxes to the homeowners of this county under his tenure. Mr. Stabins briefly pointed out his economic incentive plan to jump start the economy in his presentation and explained that any reduction in impact fees was not feasible due to necessary capital improvements. Mr. Stabins indicated that all taxpayers would have to make up the short fall in impact fees if the impact fees were temporally reduced for builders. Jeff clearly shined in his positive presentation at this forum.

John Druzbick's campaign pledge included his desire to have true zero-based budgeting in Hernando County. Mr. Druzbick strongly stated that the county government should be a "pay as you go" system and indicated that he would continue with the consolidation of departments when elected commissioner. John's dynamic presentation that gave him a distinctive edge over his opponents.

As a newcomer to the political scene, Billy Healis started off slightly nervous in his presentation but it was obvious that he clearly relaxed after he mentioned his wife and children in the audience. Mr. Healis' articulate presentation was the highlight of the district 5 race discussion, with his pledge to work for the betterment of the entire county, unlike his opponents that have played to the special interests in the community. Billy presented a refreshing change from the far, right wing, fringe element of his counterparts in this race.

Laurie Pizzo and Anthony Palmieri, along with Morris Porton of the governmental affairs committee of the Chamber, worked tirelessly so the public had the opportunity to become informed on the candidates. All the volunteers at the Chamber of Commerce should be commended for this forum which gave the public a real-life peek at the candidates in the primary election on August 26, 2008.

Amendment 5 pulled...

Amendment 5 has been removed from the ballot by U.S. Circuit Court Judge John C. Cooper from Leon County. Judge Cooper wrote in his opinion, “The court finds that the ballot title and summary provided in the proposition for Amendment 5 fail to fairly inform the voter, in a clear and unambiguous language, of the chief purposes of the amendment and the language of the title and summary, as written, is misleading in the foregoing respects".

Survey

The Greater Hernando Chamber of Commerce sent out a questionnaire for county commission candidates that can be viewed on their website.

Even though this candidate survey was geared toward the business community, it gives a clear prospective to the public about the professional manner of each candidate. Most candidates answers were clear and concise, typed in a neat, business-like manner. Several exceptions to these answers were that of Mr. Jim Adkins who chose to hand write short, incomplete answers to his questions, compared to the long, drawn-out response of Chris Kingsley that never really got to the point.

Anyway, check it out for yourself and drawn your own conclusions at:

http://www.hernandochamber.com/?page=survey

***Don't forget about the candidate forum being presented by the Chamber of Commerce tonight (6 p.m) in the County Commission Chambers.

Enjoy

Billy Healis, candidate for county commission, district 5 will be having a meet & greet in downtown Brooksville tomorrow, August `15th, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Main Street Eatery. Billy will be on hand to welcome the public and discuss his campaign for county commissioner. So stop in, ask your questions, and enjoy a free desert and beverage on Billy!

Safety sake

Did anyone read Frances Earl's drivel in the Hernando Today this morning? Ms. Earl's delusional ranting was a lame attempt to justify the past, irrational actions of John Russell who is candidate for House Of Representative, district 5. This is the same John Russell that has been banned for life from ever visiting Mickie Mouse at Disney World because of his aggressive behavior several years ago. What part of lunatic does Ms. Earl not comprehend with her self-proclaimed warrior of peace? Ms. Earl should have noted that any one attending a campaign event where Mr. Russell is appearing should be inoculated for safety sake. Watching Mr. John Russell in action is like witnessing a pit bull with rabies...

Journey to Ireland

In the wee hours Sunday morning, I disembarked a flight home from JFK Airport. This was the last leg of my nine day journey to Ireland. If I had to use a one word description of my trip it would be spectacular!

This trip of a life time was made even better because my daughter went with me. We traveled by car from Dublin though Wexford, Waterford, Cobh, Killarney, and concluded our trip in Shannon. Having never driven on the left had side, this journey was even more exciting because the roads are barely wide enough for one vehicle. The entire country uses a system of roundabouts, instead of traffic signals, which makes for very interesting travel. Even though we were driving a small, fuel-efficient diesel vehicle, the approximately $11.00 per gallon would make any one stand up and take notice.

One stop at the Waterford Crystal Factory gave my credit card a real work-out. The tour included the entire manufacturing process of their fine crystal making process. Even though I am apprehensive about heights, my daughter and I climbed the 108 steep, spiral steps at the Blarney Castle and the views were nothing less than superior. The Cliffs of Moher presented another challenge to tackling heights but the photos we took were well worth our efforts.

The most memorable stop on our journey was at the Dunbrody Abbey School of Cookery. Proprietors, Pierce and Valerie McAuliffe, were marvelous hosts for our afternoon of Irish-inspired cooking lessons. My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed this Irish couple's warmth and hospitality. Their cooking lessons provided an in-depth look at the foods of Ireland. We came away from their school loaded with recipes of brown bread, scones and savory tarts.

All in all, the most treasured memory of my visit to Ireland was the quality time spent with my daughter whom I miss having close because she lives in Seattle. This vacation will be always be ingrained in our memories. We will forever remember seeing the Leprechaun in Killareny that rainy afternoon that brought us the luck of the Irish!

GBW Fair Tax talk

**Media Advisory**
REP. BROWN-WAITE TO HOST FAIR TAX TOWN HALL MEETING IN PASCO COUNTY
Rep. John Linder, Author of the FAIR Tax Legislation, to Attend as Special Guest Speaker

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – U.S. Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-05) today announced that she will host U.S. Rep. John Linder (GA-07) for a town hall meeting on Wednesday, August 20th designed to help area residents learn more about the issue of tax reform, specifically the Fair Tax proposal. At the event, attendees will be able to ask questions on tax reform, learn more about various reform measures pending in Congress, and share their views on the topic. Rep. Linder is the author of the Fair Tax legislation, and the bestselling co-author of The Fair Tax – Saying Goodbye to the Income Tax and the IRS.

Rep. Brown-Waite is a co-sponsor of H.R. 25, the Fair Tax of 2007 and an advocate of fundamental tax reform as a catalyst for economic growth and job creation. At the event, Rep. Linder will discuss the Fair Tax, an innovative proposal he introduced that calls for the elimination of the federal income tax and the creation of a national sales tax. For more information about the legislation, please visit www.fairtax.org.

DATE: Wednesday, August 20, 2008

TIME: 2:00 – 3:30 pm

LOCATION: Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church
Rosary Hall
2348 Collier Parkway
Land O’ Lakes, FL

WHO: Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (FL-05)
Rep. John Linder (GA-07)

Candidate forums

Upcoming candidate forums:


Tuesday, August 5th, 6:00 p.m.
School Board Candidate Forum Q&A
Sponsor: Nature Coast Republican Women’s Network
Location: Oak Hill Hospital, 4th floor conference room

Wednesday, August 6th, 3:00 p.m.
School Board Candidate Forum Q&A
Sponsor: Wellington Republican Club
Location: Wellington Club House

Wednesday, August 13th, 6:30 p.m.
Candidate Forum
Sponsor: Ridge Manor Community Association
Location: 34240 Cortez Boulevard, Ridge Manor

Thursday, August 14th, 6:00 p.m.
Candidate Forum
Sponsor: Hernando County Chamber of Commerce
Location: County Commission Chamber, Hernando County Government Center

Interesting...

I received this via email from a very staunch conservative & thought you might like it:


INTERESTING DATA JUST RECEIVED ON TAXES

This is something you should be aware of so you don't get blind-sided.This is really going to catch a lot of families off guard. It should make you worry.Proposed changes in taxes after 2008 General election:

CAPITAL GAINS TAX

MCCAIN 0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples)

McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.

OBAMA 28% on profit from ALL home sales.

How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit,

you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement

and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community,

28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes. This

proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on

the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.

DIVIDEND TAX

MCCAIN 15% (no change)

OBAMA 39.6%

How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama become president. The experts predict that 'higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.

INCOME TAX

MCCAIN (no changes)

Single making 30K - tax $4,500

Single making 50K - tax $12,500

Single making 75K - tax $18,750

Married making 60K- tax $9,000

Married making 75K - tax $18,750

Married making 125K - tax $31,250

OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)

Single making 30K - tax $8,400

Single making 50K - tax $14,000

Single making 75K - tax $23,250

Married making 60K - tax $16,800Married making 75K - tax $21,000

Married making 125K - tax $38,750

Under Obama your taxes will more than double!

How does this affect you? No explanation needed.

This is pretty straight forward.

INHERITANCE TAX

MCCAIN 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)

OBAMA Restore the inheritance tax

How does this affect you?

Many families have lost businesses,farms and ranches,

and homes that have been in their families for generations

because they could not afford the inheritance tax.

Those willing their assets to loved ones will lose them to these taxes.

NEW TAXES BEING PROPOSED BY OBAMA

* New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet

* New gasoline taxes (as if gas weren't high enough already)

* New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity)

* New taxes on retirement accounts and last but not least....

* New taxes to pay for socialized medicine so we can receive the same level of medical care as other third-world countries!!!

School board forum

HERNANDO COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUM

HOSTED BY THE


NATURE COAST REPUBLICAN WOMEN’S NETWORK


TUESDAY ~ AUGUST 5, 2008 ~ 6PM
MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING ADJACENT TO
OAK HILL HOSPITAL (ENTRANCE C)


CANDIDATES SPEAKING ARE
GENE MAGRINI AND ROBERT NEUHAUSEN

ALL GUESTS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND. FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT PAT MCNIFF AT 352-666-8972 OR EMAIL AT PKMCNIFF@SURFMK.COM

Prosperity

Economist, Hank Fishkind proclaimed that our county was in recession at the Hernando County Board of Commissioners meeting on July 22, 2008. After listening to Mr. Fishkind's presentation, which included a long list of statistical data for his recession claim, he suggested that the county government increase our sales tax by 1 cent and to get creative in raising additional money with more MSBU's.

Obviously, Mr. Fishkind believes in the philosophy that we can tax our way to prosperity by raising sales taxes, and additional fees through MSBU's, in Hernando County. Dr. Fishkind sounds like the democrats in Congress that want to add 10 cents tax for fuel. Congressional democrats are using the logic that less fuel is being purchased so they need to raise more money through taxes for transportation funds. Congressional democrats apparently haven't heard anything about supply-side economics. People are buying less fuel because the price is so high and now democrats in Congress want to raise the taxes. Go figure!

President Ronald Reagan was quoted in his farewell address to the Nation as saying, "Common sense told us that when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it. So, we cut the people's tax rates and the people produced more than ever before". Hopefully our county commissioners will keep this quote in mind when they begin to discuss an economic stimulus package to jump start Hernando County and put people back to work. A reduction of impact fees, and additional Ad Valorem reduction for property owners using local contractors, would surely spur the economy better than a raising the sales tax and MSBU rates.

Food for thought...

I received the following information from my brother last week & thought you might find it interesting:

George Bush has been in office for 7 1/2 years. The first six the economy was fine.

A little over one year ago:

1) Consumer confidence stood at a 2 1/2 year high;
2) Regular gasoline sold for $2.19 a gallon;
3) the unemployment rate was 4.5%.
4) the DOW JONES hit a record high--14,000 +0D
5) American's were buying new cars, taking cruises, vacations o'seas, living large!...


But American's wanted 'CHANGE'! So, in 2006 they voted in a Democratic Congress & yep--we got 'CHANGE' all right.

In the PAST YEAR:

1) Consumer confidence has plummeted ;
2) Gasoline is now over $4 a gallon & climbing!;
3) Unemployment is up to 5% (a 10% increase);
4) Americans have seen their home equity drop by $12 TRILLION DOLLARS & prices still dropping;
5) 1% of American homes are in foreclosure.
6) as I write, THE DOW is probing another low~~11,100--

$2.5 TRILLION DOLLARS HAS EVAPORATED FROM THEIR STOCKS, BONDS & MUTUAL FUNDS INVESTMENT PORTFOLIOS!

Party Affliation

The deadline to register or change your party affiliation for the primary election is today at 5 p.m. Florida is a closed primary state which means that you must be registered with one of the major parties in order to receive that party's ballot in a primary election. If you are registered non-party affiliation, your ballot will contain only non-partisan races in the primary.

Hopefully, no one decided to jump on this local rendition of "Operation Chaos" to throw the results of our Republican Primary Election. Hernando County Taxpayer's Alliance, with the assistance of local talk radio, has been promoting the idea of swaying the primary election, by having democrats, and the non-party affiliated, change their party status to skew the results of this partisan race for Republicans. Their flawed logic is, 'if your candidate of choice does not get elected in the primary, than you have no one to vote for in the general election'.

It is kind of ironic that these are the same individuals that railed on Senator Paula Dockery last spring for her legislative attempt to have Florida become an open primary state...

Gov's endorsement

Governor Charlie Crist has officially endorsed Ginny Brown-Waite in her bid for re-election to the U.S. House of Representative. Governor Crist was quoted as saying, "I am honored to endorse Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite for Florida's Fifth Congressional District. I know Ginny to be of the character and integrity necessary to serve as a member of Florida's Congressional Delegation. Her commitment to public service is apparent in her dedication to the citizens of her district and her steadfast loyalty to reflecting their values in her work."

Way to go, Ginny!

First, best, class ever

Well, it looks like one of my fellow members of Hernando Leadership Class 2003 has high aspirations. Judge Stephen O. Rushing has submitted an application for two open vacancies on the Florida Supreme Court. Steve is one of 50 statewide that made Friday's deadline to submit an application.

It will be interesting to see if Steve has an inside tract to Governor Charlie Crist since they both were raised in St. Petersburg. Steve served as a judge in Pinellas County before moving to Brooksville with his family over six years ago. Steve was employed as an attorney with SWIFTMUD before Governor Jeb Bush appointed to his current position of Hernando County judge in 2004. Steve has since been re-elected to that judicial position.

Mickie Smith, CEO of Oak Hill Hospital, who was the cheerleader of the 2003 Leadership Class, dubbed us "the first, best, class ever" and this title certainly applies to Judge Stephen O. Rushing. Good luck, Steve!

Imagination

In this morning's Hernando today article, titled "Candidates cough up..." the reporter is attempting to imply Lauralee Westine is trying to influence an election,with her campaign contribution to Commissioner Stabins. This veiled implication of Ms. Westine is a real stretch of this newspaper's imagination.

Lauralee Westine is a strong, conservative republican. In fact, my husband and I ran into her at the Pinellas County Republican Executive Committee dinner that hosted Rudy Giuliani last fall. Yes, we went to another county and spent money to support our candidate of choice in Pinellas County, just like Ms. Westine has done by spending her money with the Stabins campaign, another strong conservative republican.

It looks like the Hernando Today is attempting to make news, instead of reporting the news!

ISO

Spring Hill Fire Commissioner, Leo Jacobs was quoted in this morning's Hernando Today as saying, "The county's score is incremented and I don't want people to be misled. The eastern region of the county does not have the same ISO rating". Mr. Jacobs was talking about the Hernando County Fire Rescue's new ISO rating.

I find it very ironic that Mr. Leo Jacobs, a Spring Hill Fire Commissioner is more concerned with truth in advertising than the Hernando County Fire Rescue about this new ISO. The public needs to be aware that anyone not located within a five mile radius of a HCFR station will not see a reduction in their homeowner's insurance because our ISO has not changed in these areas.

Thank you, Mr. Jacobs for making sure the public is aware that this new rating for HCFR does not include their entire district. It needed to be stressed that those of us who live in the rural eastern section of Hernando County are not affected with these new rates and our ISO still remains at 9 or higher...

Era of Jeff Webb

Over the last several quarters, Media General has been restructuring their Tampa Bay investments. Media General is the parent company of the Tampa Tribune/Hernando Today. These changes at Media General are a trend for the majority of print media across the nation. In fact, about a month ago the St. Petersburg Times indicated that they would be streamlining their operations by offering incentive packages to their senior staff. Most major newspapers are now online for the convenience of their readers and are under going dramatic changes in the way they do business to the public.

A streamlining, incentive package has been offered to, and accepted, by Hernando Times, Editor of Editorials, Jeff Webb. Mr. Webb said they (the Times) dangled a very irresistible carrot to persuade him into early retirement. After 30 years in the newspaper business, Mr. Webb intends to kick back and relax while he explore his options. Jeff is calling his upcoming departure from the Hernando Times his "first retirement" before he embarks on a new career.

It will be sad to see the era of Jeff Webb editorial columns come to an end in the Hernando Times. While Jeff's wit over the years has been a delight to some, others have bristled at the very mention of his name which only proves that he did his job extremely well as the editor of editorials for the Times.

Good luck, Jeff, in the next chapter of your life!

Oh...

Did you see the photo of Diane Rowden in this morning Hernando Times, practicing as an amateur mermaid for an upcoming fundraiser at Weeki Wachee Springs? Can everyone say, "Oh Mah Gawd" in unison, please? May we suggest, Diane, you just write a check to this fundraiser because your temporary position as a mermaid is not a very flattering picture...

Critical element

From all the grumbling of local candidates, it looks like Annie Williams' office is having trouble once again. At least four candidates have attempted to pick-up absentee labels over the last several days but were turned away because the supervisor of election did not have them (labels) completed in time. These absentee ballots are a critical element to any campaign and need to be provided to the candidates from the SOE's office in a timely fashion. Candidates time their mail-outs to coincide with the absentee ballot requests thorough the Annie Williams office. Without the labels being provided in a prompt manner, the candidates are a disadvantage by not being able to reach the absentee voter. Hopefully, this problem will be rectified immediately before it directly harms any candidates chance's in the upcoming Primary Election.

Slick used car salesman

Has anyone heard the latest campaign ad from Barrack Obama? If we hadn't heard enough out of this plagiarist, we now have to endure Obama's cheap imitation of America's greatest conservative President who was Ronald Reagan. Obama is attempting to coin the phrase of "shining beacon on a hill" as his own in this campaign ad and it rolls off his tongue like a slick used car salesman.

President Ronald Reagan's farewell address to our Nation emphasized "American is a shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere". President Reagan spoke of the "Shining City" his entire political life, emphasizing his image of our Nation as a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger that oceans, windswept, God-blessed and teeming with people living in harmony. As a Christian, Ronald Reagan freely spoke of the origin of "shining beacon on hill" which was from John Winthrop's (governor of Massachusetts Bay colony in 1630) book "A Modell of Christian Charity". President Reagan fondly quoted Winthrop's book that spoke of the "city on the hill with, eyes of all people upon us" throughout his entire political career.

Try really listening to the words that roll off the lips of Obama and you will understand that this individual is nothing more than a pre-wrapped, plagarist package being marketed by the liberal media...

No different

Well, it looks like nothing has changed in the seedy side of local politics with the underworld activity of a few political party members. Complaints have gone unnoticed for years from candidates that have attempted to run legitimate campaigns in the republican party, only to be bushwhacked by party insiders at every turn before the Primary Election. It looks like this year is no different than any other year.

This afternoon, the following email was forwarded to my attention, concerning several county commission candidates. Nothing would be out of the ordinary with the information except that the email was sent by the chairwoman of the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee. One can only imagine how many emails went out at the hands of this individual.

I have pasted this email below, in part, so you could see for yourself the dirty tricks campaign that is being waged behind the scenes to smear viable candidates by the local party chairwoman, with the assistance of the Hernando County Taxpayers Alliance's founder:

From: anatrinque@tampabay.rr.com

To: ;

Subject: Fw: Taxpayers Alliance News To You!Date: Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:56:28 -0400

-----Original Message-----

From: lhayward@tampabay.rr.com [mailto:lhayward@tampabay.rr.com]

Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 9:12 PM

To: lhayward@tampabay.rr.com

Subject: Taxpayers Alliance News To You!

Hernando County News: The local realtors association in Hernando County has endorsed for County Commission Jeff Stabins (incumbent) and John Druzbick (recently off the School Board). Do you believe it? Apparently the association believes that these people have represented the realtors well and want more of the same. If you are a realtor, would you please let me know what you think of these endorsements? If you are in agreement with these folks I sure would like to know the arguments. Perhaps I'm not seeing the whole picture. It is the Alliance's intention to remove, if we can, each of the current county commissioners running this year and not to replace them with candidates that are just like the ones we are replacing.

I changed my party affiliation today from NPA to Republican in order to be able to influence the primary election. So, if you want to vote in the primary and make a difference in the commission race you must be registered as a party member by the 28th of July. Remember the most important race is the primary. If there's no one good to vote for in the general election, it'll be our own fault. Independents and NPA's cannot vote for Republicans or Democrats in primary races. You can only vote for non-partisan seats, Judges etc. Let me know if you need clarification.
Let's save our county and our State.
Together we can do it.
--Linda Hayward

http://www.hernandocountytaxpayersalliance.com/

lhayward@tampabay.rr.com

Paid political advertisement paid for by Hernando County Taxpayers Alliance

8172 Shaw Road Brooksville, Florida 34602

Approved by Hernando County Taxpayers Alliance

Does the Hernando County Taxpayers Alliance have the right to promote their positions? You bet they do, but this should not happen at the hands of the chairwoman of the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee. All republicans in the Primary Election should have an equal chance at winning the vote. This equal chance should come without a dirty tricks campaign being waged by several republican party insiders...

!

Congratulations go out to

Spring Hill American players

aka Team Florida

in the Dixie World Series

You guys rock!

Archaic mind-think

This morning's article in the Hernando Times in reference to State Attorney's Office targeting individuals who file false domestic violence abuse claims should sent shivers up the spine of any rational individual in this community. Apparently, the Hernando County Supervisor for the State Attorney's Office, Don Barbee has decided to prosecute individuals who have filed reports of domestic violence when the alleged victims have second thoughts on following through with the criminal prosecution of the suspected offenders, they will then be charged with making false police reports and perjury.

This archaic mind-think of Mr. Don Barbee is a throw back to the 1950's when everyone closed their windows and doors to victims of abuse because it was every one's dirty little secret to just look the other way. Before this community allows itself to revert back to this despicable era, a thorough investigation of Mr. Don Barbee's office needs to take place to determine exactly how many false claims are actually made about domestic violence. In this research, the facts need to reveal if the apparent victim was mentality abused into changing their mind at the hands of the abuser.

Debbie Andrews, executive director for the Dawn Center was quoted in the same article as saying, "The word will get out and you can only hope the true victims won't be afraid to come forward". Mr. Barbee looks like his office needs to under go sensitivity training to determine who the real victims are in this community. The first test case in this new policy for Mr. Barbee is charges against Tara Whitaker for filing a false police report and perjury for an incident against the alleged abuser who just so happens to be a a sheriff's deputy. Is this case of the state attorney's office protecting their own at all costs? Thank goodness Peyton Hyslop is the attorney of record for Tara Whittaker"s case.

This mind-think of Mr. Don Barbee should be overwhelming rejected by the community, with a resounding call for his immediate resignation from the position of supervisor at the State Attorney's Office. If this is not done, State Attorney Brad King needs to immediately terminate the employment of Mr. Don Barbee.

Spare no expense

Has anyone seen the photo of James Adkins, dressed in bib overalls, with his arm around his cow? This home-town, farm-boy photo has been seen on some of Mr. Adkins campaign literature around Brooksville. While meaning no disrespect to our farming interests in this community, what does a photo of Mr. Adkins hugging his cow have to do with his bid for the district 5, county commission seat?

Besides this campaign literature, it looks like others are beginning to question just who the “real” James Adkins is after reading Dan DeWitt’s column in this morning’s Hernando Times. Relying on his memory as the prior beat reporter for the city of Brooksville, Mr. DeWitt’s column accurately reported this previous side of James Adkins’ spending practices as the former fire chief of city of Brooksville which did not include his current “ax the tax” mentality.

James Adkins has a long history in Hernando County “with this spare no expense approach” in the name of fire departments. A large expenditure not listed in Mr. DeWitt’s column was Brooksville Fire House #2 located in the city’s DPW compound at 600 S. Brooksville Avenue. This firehouse was built under the watchful eye of Chief Adkins, and is now being used for excess warehouse space for the city utility department. The city taxpayers contributed to this un-needed capital expenditure for many years, much in the same way the county citizens will pay for the 28% increase for HCFR by the approval of Mr. Adkins’ silence on this issue. His “silence” in the atrium of the county building that day spoke volumes about where his personal allegiance lies in Hernando County.

Did this cow in Mr. James Adkins campaign literature somehow have a subliminal message for the taxpayers of Hernando County? Maybe we should be relieved that he wasn’t milking the cow in that photo…

Non-partisan

Even though the Hernando County School Board races are considered non-partisan by Florida Statutes, everyone always wonders what side of the fence the candidate hails from before casting their vote. If you are looking for a strong conservative candidate in the district 4 school board race then Gene Magrini may be the right fit for the position.

As a 15 year resident of Hernando County, Mr. Magrini certainly has the experience based on his professional background in human resources. He has successfully managed budgets in the excess of $180 million. In fact, he was the director of human resources and sales for the 2002 Super Bowl Champion, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mr. Magrini hopes to bring his common sense approach to issues for true win-win solutions of complex issues as a school board member and has promised not to compromise at the expense of the students, parents, or the taxpayers.

Good luck, Mr. Magrini...

Home run

The Hernando County Associations of Realtors have really have hit a home run this year with their choice of conservative candidates. This organization officially endorsed Sheriff Nugent, John Druzbick for county commission, district 3 and Gene Magrini for the school board, too. These candidates were selected on their knowledge of issues, their action plan, and their ability to articulate these plans.

Way to go, guys!

Key endorsement

It really looks like the Hernando County Realtors Associations has done their homework on this year's line-up of candidates. Local candidate, Shirley Anderson received their key endorsement for Hernando County Supervisor of Elections race.

You go, girl!

Grandstanding

The Board of Hernando County Commissioners will begin discussion on the 2008-09 budget tomorrow morning. One item on their morning agenda deals with the proposed reduction in impact fees which is scheduled for a 10 a.m. public hearing. No matter how you feel about impact fees, you will have to admit the local economy needs a jumpstart to put people back to work in Hernando County. No one knows for sure if impact fee reductions is the appropriate vehicle to achieve an outcome to get people back to work in this county but 4 out of the 5 commissioners should be given credit for holding this public hearing.

Numerous ideas are being tossed about to achieve results to stimulate our local economy. In fact, Commissioner Stabins has been working diligently on an alternate method that may be a better advantage for the citizens of Hernando County. It is good to hear that most of our commissioners are working in a positive fashion to critically evaluate our local economic crisis in this county.

One commissioner has chosen to act in a rogue fashion to fill the county commission chambers with individuals in a quasi-political rally for re-election to oppose this reduction of impact fee reductions. Below is an email campaign letter from Diane Rowden, detailing her intentions at tomorrow's impact fee public hearing that was sent out via email and her campaign blog:

Subject: Impact fee reduction

Dear ,

The Hernando County Commission will be meeting on July 15, 2008 to discuss the reduction of impact fees.

Where:

Board of County Commission Chambers

20 North Main St.

Brooksville

County Commission Meeting

When: July 15, 2008 @10:00am

If you're concerned about the future of our county, please come to the meeting and let your voice be heard. We already know the builders and developers will be at the meeting in full force pushing their agenda for a reduction in impact fees.

This reduction in impact fees has only one effect: it increases the profits of the builders and developers.

The negative impact on our county would be substantial. It sacrifices our future and our infrastructure for builders and developers who have no long-term investment in our county.

The only way to offset such a reduction in impact fees is raise taxes! This puts the burden squarely and solely on Hernando County taxpayers while allowing the builders and developers to walk away.

In the final analysis, there is no need for their greed!

I urge you to come out on July 15, 2008 and let your voice be heard.

Sincerely,

Diane Rowden

Hernando County Commission District 3

10350 Fulton Avenue

Brooksville, FL 34613

(352) 573-4178

Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Diane Rowden, Democrat, County Commission, District 3

The taxpayers would like to see some creative results of our commissioners not this political grandstanding for re-election by Diane Rowden.

Approval

The candidate screening committee for the Hernando County Association of Realtors, Inc. selected Jeff Stabins as their candidate of choice for county commission, district 1. Their letter of approval stated that they strongly supported Mr. Stabins for his ideas and would be contributing to his campaign in the near future.

Way to go, Jeff!

You be the judge...

This week, the three republican candidates for Hernando County Commission, district 5 were interviewed on local talk radio. Each of these three candidates had diverse positions in how to govern as the next county commissioner for district 5. Each interview was radically different from their opponents, due in part to the style of interview by the talk show host.

Billy Healis was the first candidate to be interviewed on local talk radio. While Mr. Healis was quite pleasant in his interview even though it was quite apparent that the talk show host was using a combative manner in the effort to antagonize his guest. Although Billy Healis is a newcomer to the political arena, he handled the tough questions poised to him by this talk show host and his call-in listeners. Mr. Healis answered some difficult questions concerning budget issues. He thoughtfully answered one question on the upcoming impact fee reduction with candor, without dancing on the partisan wire to make a point. Mr. Healis platform could be best described as centrist, in nature, because he is looking at Hernando County as a whole, instead of as partisan hack we have all become accustomed to in past election seasons.

James Atkins was the second candidate on this talk show host and the tone could be best described as the good old boy, wink-wink interview. Mr. Atkins has been campaigning since 2004 for this county commission seat so it was unimaginable he could not answer a simple question relating to mandatory garbage pick-up. The talk show host covered for him saying this was a really difficult question. Too bad no one asked Mr. Atkins why he sided with the Hernando County Fire Rescue last year when they asked for (and received) a 28% fee increase from the citizens, especially since Mr. Atkins is well known for his ax-the-tax routine when it fits his agenda. Mr. Atkins was also painfully unaware that the Hernando County Fine Arts Bandshell Bash committee offered free entertainment in downtown Brooksville once a month. Mr. Atkins interview could be best described as the SSDD or same stuff, different day or no new ideas.

Candidate Michael Robinson's interview was one of respectful indifference by the talk show host and his listening audience. Mr. Robinson seemed to talking at the audience instead of hearing their needs in the discussion. He has focused his campaign platform on charter government as the save-all, cure-all, for Hernando County woes in these tough economic times. The talk show host asked critical questions of this candidate, too, but his answers seemed out of touch with the general viewpoint of Hernando County citizens. Mr. Robinson related a major portion of his discussion to that of his days in Philadelphia as a police officer many years ago.

These three republican candidates, with three diverse viewpoints, will need to be judged by the public. The newcomer, Mr. Healis has the appeal of a centrist candidate who wants to govern from the middle for the betterment of the majority. Mr. Atkins is clearly a far right wing candidate who has a rigid viewpoint especially when it suits his personal needs in his campaign. Michael Robinson is all over the map in his general assessment and seems oblivious to the needs of the citizens. In less than two months, we will know who will take on the incumbent in the General Election. Hold onto to your hats, this may be a bumpy ride!

Summer Youth Festival

Are you ready for positive hip-hop music and exciting drum performances? Well, make plans to attend the 1st Annual Summer Youth Festival on July 12 (tomorrow) at the Bandshell Bash on Ft. Dade in Brooksville. This event is being sponsored by the Hernando County Anti-Drug Coalition and the Hernando County Sheriff's office in conjunction with the HC Fine Arts Council. The fun kicks off at 4 p.m. and runs until 8 p.m.

The entertainment includes drum performances by B.L.A.S.T. and a full performance by Strength of the Young. This fun event is free to the public and includes crazy competitions, giveaways, a live DJ, skits and youth speakers to talk real issues that affect kids today.

Did I tell you the event is FREE? So come on down and join your friends for this 1st Annual Summer Youth Festival tomorrow at the BandShell Bash located behind the library on Howell in Brooksville.

TBARTA

TBARTA will be hosting a community workshop in Hernando County on July 31, 2008 at the Holiday Inn Express located at 3528 Commercial Way in Spring Hill from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This workshop is for public input on possible future modes of transportation in the seven county radius of TBARTA that consists of Hernando, Citrus, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Manatee and Sarasota Counties. These modes of transportation include but are not limited to light rail, bus rapid transit, commuter rail, high occupancy vehicles and toll lanes for future travel in this seven county region.

This workshop by TBARTA is an effort to develop a transportation master plan for the west central Florida region, per the state mandates of the Legislature. TBARTA was recently awarded $2 million in start-up money when Governor Crist signed the new budget into law. Please plan on attending this community workshop if you have an opinion on how our future transportation needs should be met in the Tampa Bay area. Call TBARTA Infoline at 813-217-4048 for any additional information.

$200.00 fee

A classic case of government out of control was printed in an article titled "Fireworks display raises question" this morning's edition Hernando Today. Its rather ironic that Commissioner Kingsley is being criticized for exhibiting common sense for telling Mr. James Nico to proceed with their fireworks display at their church function on 4th of July to celebrate America's birthday. This fireworks display consisted of sparklers and bottle rockets, not pyrotechnics that needs professional supervision.

Apparently this matter has been turned over to supervisors in the Hernando County Development Department to verify whether an ordinance has been violated by Mr. Nico's church group. Seems to me the only thing that upset the Development Department was their inability to collect the $200.00 fee from Mr. Nico so his church could celebrate the 4th of July.

When did it become illegal for anyone to light sparklers and bottle rockets in celebration of birth of our Nation? Remember, these are the same sparklers and bottle rockets that are sold under the big tents in supermarket parking lots by the permission of our county government.

Bow out

Just in case you haven't heard, Jim King has decided to throw in the towel after questions began to surface about his personal resume. Mr. King was a republican candidate for Congress for the seat currently being held by Ginny Brown-Waite. He decided this week to bow out of the race when the Hernando Times broke a news story that questioned his background.

Every one just needs to know that this decision by Mr. King to withdraw from the race came after the close of pre-qualifying period so his name will still appear on the Republican Primary Election ballot in August. So when you go to vote, just remember that Ginny Brown Waite will be the only valid candidate in the Republican Primary.

Call the bluff

Who is that guy, the mild-mannered individual with the personality of Clark Kent but the intestinal fortitude of Superman? Why, this super hero is our new county administrator, David Hamilton. All joking aside, Mr. Hamilton deserves our praise, based on the sneak preview of his proposed budget on Tuesday.

Although I don't agree with all aspects of his proposed budget, Mr. Hamilton deserves a big atta-boy for taking the bull by the horns, so to speak, to present a plan to restructure our county government. Many past administrators, and commissioners, alike, have talked the talk but failed to walk the walk when it came to this type of leadership.

Even though David Hamilton does not have the legal authority over the constitutional officers budget, he should get a gold medal for suggesting our county streamline services to reduce expenses paid by taxpayer dollars. Sadly, Sheriff Nugent doesn't seem to agree with Mr. Hamilton's 21st century approach to financial management.

Sheriff Nugent was quoted as saying, "He (David Hamilton) needs to dwell in the house he has responsibility over and we're not his fix." David Hamilton is justified in attempting to "change the culture of the operation" since Sheriff's Nugent's budget constitutes at least one-third of the General Fund dollars that he is responsible to present to our county commissioners.

It's time that all constitutional officers set aside their egos and step up to the plate to assist Mr. Hamilton in his streamlining process for our county. Saving dollars for items like technical services and human resource services should be considered a must for the taxpayers footing the bill. Governments share services on inter-local agreements so why can't the constitutional officers do the same with the county administrator?

David Hamilton has made a good start within his purview just by judging his proposed budget. Now maybe its time he calls the bluff of the constitutional officers to hold their budgets within the scope of our financial needs in this county. Yes, the constitutional officers can petition the Governor but how far do you think that will get them in this slow economy?

So, Mr. Hamilton, put on your cape and save our metropolis since the constitutional officers do not have Kryptonite in their arsenals after all.

Identity...

Here's a conundrum for you.

If Florida State Statutes prohibit public records from including the names, addresses and phone numbers of law enforcement officers, past or present, to protect their identity from the bad guys then why does the Hernando County Sheriff's Department allow deputies to drive vehicles home to park at their residence? Isn't this practice in direct conflict with the law written to protect our law enforcement officer's identity?

Infomerrcial...

This morning, Ray Neilson spoke for approximately 20 minutes on his local business, Green World Path, Inc. at the Hernando County Board of Commissioners meeting. This was a regular agenda item to discuss Mr. Neilson's business interest with organic products in the green movement. Do I think everyone should be conscientious about our environment? You bet, I do but I don't think 20 minutes of free, public air time for a local business was the appropriate use of our tax dollars.

So the next time a business needs a plug on public television, just call Commissioner Chris Kingsley to see if you can be added to the county agenda for your Infomerrcial...

Bravo, John Druzbick!

John Druzbick hit a home run at the Hernando County Commission this morning with an incentive package to put our community back to work. Mr. Druzbick's presentation laid out the current job market crisis in our county, relating it back to the local business industry. On-going commercial projects in our county are being performed by contractors from out of county and state. These contractors buy all their materials out of county, bring in their labor force, and actively push local contractors out of the market.

John Druzbick's economic incentive package is simple. Temporary impact fee credits should be given to property owners who exclusively use local contractors for their projects. These impact fee credits would entice property owners to hire locally to put our work force back to work. Local contractors will hire locally. People will spend money locally. Businesses will benefit locally. This incentive package will impact everyone in our community from the grocery stores, to the gas stations, to realtors, to the local movie theaters.

"Bravo, John Druzbick, Bravo!"

Hernando County government is already seeing the negative effects of this job crisis in our county by collection of lower sales taxes, lost jobs and home foreclosures. This economic incentive package of Mr. Druzbick's will put people back to work. With this incentive package, local businesses will buy material locally which generates the lion's share of sales tax revenue for Hernando County government. This sales tax revenue is a portion of the General Fund necessary to operate government.

The St. Petersburg Times ran a lead article on Sunday morning outlining the job crisis in Hernando County and Mr. Druzbick has created the solution necessary "to re-ignite our local economy". Now all he has to do is convince the county commissioners that his economic stimulus package will be the jump start our community needs to put it back on the right track for a rewarding future.

What a brilliant plan, John Druzbick!

Here we go again

Here we go again! It looks like the founder of the Hernando County Taxpayer Alliance has ginned up another superficial endorsement from her political action committee. This time it is for Wayne Dukes, county commission candidate, district 3. Are we suppose to be impressed by this hollow endorsement? Well, we aren't, and we should all stand up in unison and say so what, again.

Just to set the record straight, the Hernando County Taxpayer Alliance did not interview all the county commission candidates in district 3, or for district 5 race, for that matter. Any legitimate organization would have interviewed all candidates to weigh the data equally before endorsements were ever made on a candidate or race.

The Hernando County Taxpayers Alliance finally complied with the regulations for operating a political action committee. Well, they sort of complied, by filing a treasurer's report with the supervisor of elections office on March 31, 2008. The contributions reported for this organization are $425.00 for the first quarter of 2008. Linda A. Hayward is listed as the treasurer along with five contributors. There are no expenditures for the bus trips to Tallahassee organized by the Hernando county Taxpayer alliance or any other related expenses listed in this report. There is no record of in-kind contributions prior to January 1, 2008 for a website that has been operation since 2007 for this political action committee.

This superficial endorsement of Mr. Dukes did not include some pertinent facts about his background in Hernando County. He is a retired federal government worker on a pension. Mr. Dukes was a registered democrat when he entered the district 3 race before switching his party affiliation to republican. Even though Mr. Dukes is running in district 3, he resides in district 1 in Hernando Beach. In fact, Mr. Dukes ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner in district 1 as a democrat, finishing last in a field of three in his democrat primary in 2006.

Very flexible

Last Friday night, I finally got the opportunity to ask Billy Healis, Hernando County Commission candidate, district 5, a question that came up while talking local politics with an elderly friend of mine. This friend really likes Billy Healis but had concerns about his ability to do the job as county commissioner while being employed at Wal Mart. I explained to her that the county commission position is classified as a part time job but told her I would ask Mr. Healis to clarify his position. I asked Mr. Healis how he intended to juggle two jobs if he was successful in his bid for county commission and here is his response.

Billy Healis said, "When elected, the Hernando County Commission will be my top priority. The citizens of Hernando County can be assured that my position at Wal Mart is very flexible so I will be able to take on any task which will be required of me as your next county commissioner. Wal Mart is what I do, it is not who I am. When elected as your next commissioner for district 5, I pledge to make decisions based on what is right for the entire county. Decisions, I may add, that come down to quality of life issues for every one's future, for your family, as well as mine. I truly am running to make Hernando County a better place to live."

A little more heat

The Republican Chili Cook-off on Friday night was a well attended event. Every Republican running in this year's election was there from Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite to Hernando County Commission, District 5 candidate, William "Billy" Healis. There were only two no-shows for this event. Sheriff Nugent's opponent did not attend and Ginny's opposition chose instead to have a stunt double to dish up chili.

It was nice to see a lot of old friends and talk to a few new ones, too. Every table had crock pots full of chili, hand made by the candidates, along with a long table of sweets for dessert. Flo Boles and Susan Wahl served as cashiers at the door while former county commissioner, Paul Sullivan was the master of ceremonies for the event. The beverage bar was manned by the state Republican committee people, Gail Samples and Tom Hogan. Frank Colletti was also serving soft drinks for anyone that bellied up to the bar.

John Druzbick, candidate for district 3 county commission was being assisted by several lovely ladies who included his wife Debbie, and his supporter, and friend Laurie Pizzo. Ginny shared a table with Shirley Anderson who is a candidate for supervisor of elections. Don't tell anyone but my husband thought Shirley's chili was the best in the place. He should know because he taste-tested just about every one's there. Billy Healis and Alvin Mazourek looked like they were having a great time visiting with their supporters, along with Jeff Stabins who had a crowd around his crock pot clamoring for more chili.

Some candidates had bowl of crackers and jalapenos for those daring to have a little more heat with their chili. From the satisfied look of the crowd, it appeared that they all had enough to eat at this affair. The only item missing was a bowl of Tums!

House radio address

What a coo for our congresswoman! Ginny Brown-Waite was privileged to deliver the House Republicans' weekly radio address for her firm stance on relaxing the rules on offshore drilling to help all of us. See below:

Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite of Brooksville is delivering the House Republicans' weekly radio address, and she uses the air time to call for more oil and gas exploration. The party's presidential candidate, John McCain, this week called for lifting the moratorium on drilling off the coast of Florida and most other states, which Gov. Charlie Crist and many other Republicans quickly supported.Here's a snippet: "Watching gas prices rise from $2.32 a gallon in January 2007 to $4.08 this week, I am firmly convinced that Americans today face a new hostage crisis. Instead of a 1970s style OPEC embargo, however, American families and the United States economy are being held hostage by a Democrat Congress that refuses to explore for more oil and natural gas. Sadly out of step with the wishes of the American public, the majority does not get it; two new polls this week show that a clear majority of the American people wants to explore for oil, but Democrats have so far said nothing but No, No, No."The House Republican Conference weekly radio address is sent out to hundreds of radio stations and other media outlets nationwide.

Hot air

Boy, it has really been a hectic week but at least I don't have to cook dinner tonight. My husband and I have tickets to the Republican Chili Cook-off in Masaryktown at 6 p.m. tonight. The Republican candidates will be bringing chili for this event which should prove to be an interesting affair. Hot air from the candidates and heartburn from the chili, "what more could you ask for?"

Bistro

Several days ago my husband and I ate dinner at the new restaurant in downtown Brooksville called the Bistro. It is located directly across from the old courthouse on Broad Street. It is nice to finally have a restaurant that stays open in the downtown district after the sidewalks are rolled up.

Our dinner of blackened grouper was quite pleasant except for the vegetable served with the meal. Even though I love broccoli I found theirs undercooked and very woody in texture. The fish was seasoned nicely and cooked to perfection, as was the baked potato. Each meal cost $15.99 and was served with a house salad. The owner made her way around the table to introduce herself to welcome everyone to the Bistro which was a very nice touch. I can't say enough about the wait staff who were very attentive throughout the meal, as well as being very courteous to the diners.

The only drawback in the Bistro is the noise level in the restaurant. The high ceilings and tile floor made it difficult to carry on a conversation without distraction from the other diners. Even though it is a little loud, and the broccoli was a little tough, I recommend everyone stop in to enjoy our newest restaurant in Brooksville to try the cuisine for yourself.

New hostage crisis

I received this email a few minutes ago and thought you might like to tune in to hear Ginny discuss our oil crisis on Neil Cavuto on Fox or on Todd Schnitt on AM970 this afternoon:

Dear Anna Liisa,

I will be appearing TODAY, Wednesday, June 18, 2008, on FOX NEWS "Your World with Neil Cavuto" from 4:28 to 4:40 p.m. It will be a live broadcast from the US Capitol where I will be talking about America's new hostage crisis. Neil and I will be discussing how the Democrats are holding our families and our domestic energy reserves hostage to their liberal energy agenda. Later this afternoon, I will be on the Todd Schnitt Show from 5:15 - 5:20 pm Broadcast on AM 970. We will be talking about opening our vast domestic energy reserves for production now. Please tune in.

Thank you,

Ginny

Rising gas prices

Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite's remarks from the floor of the House of Representatives on rising gas prices last night.

Approximately 7:17 – 7:19 pm, Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Brown-Waite, G. (R-FL): “To address the House for one minute. Be able to revise and extend my remarks.”

THE SPEAKER PRO TEMP ORE: “Without objection.”

Brown-Waite, G. (R-FL): “Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise today to share the absolute disgust that my constituents have with the inability of this Majority to do anything about rising gas prices. Today I received this letter from a constituent in Wesley Chapel. His name is Benjamin and he's more than ready to drill for oil and natural gas here in the United States and certainly off the coast of Florida. His message is, “it's time to drill our own oil now.” That’s very clear. But in case you don't get the message, he was also kind enough to include a drill bit in his envelope so he thought we should start drilling right away. Madam Speaker, if Benjamin gets the need for increased domestic production, why doesn't this congress? We need to promote efforts to drill in ANWR, drill in the non-protected areas of the Outer Continental Shelf, support new refineries, and promote nuclear power. Instead the Democrat Majority wants to raise your gas tax by as much as 50 cents a gallon as the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee recently suggested. Madam speaker, we need to listen to Benjamin and to our other constituents who don't want our taxes raised. Thank you, I yield back the balance of my time.”

Lost moment

The photo in this morning's Hernando Times of the crying mother, standing behind a fence, really says it all. As a mom, this photo really tore at my heart. I can't imagine the pain these parents felt last night after being locked out of their children's graduation ceremony at Hernando High. The administration of Hernando High needs to answer one fairly simple question which is, "why did you hand out approximately 1,800 tickets for this ceremony without having an adequate facility to hold the expected crowd?"

It doesn't matter how it was done in past years at Hernando High, this year was important to these graduates and their families. Lames excuses can never give back this lost moment for these parents. Shame on Principal Betty Harper for proceeding with this ceremony without finding a way to have all parents view the ceremony first hand!

SOE election

As this year's local campaigns kick into high gear, one more familiar face will be present with the fall line-up. Next week, Gus Guadignino will be filing all the necessary documents to make a second run for Hernando County Supervisor of Election position. He made an unsuccessful run for this position in 2000 as a republican. Now running as a no-party candidate, Mr. Guadignino will join Annie Williams (D) and Shirley Anderson (R) on the General Election ballot in November.

GBW signs on

Yesterday, I received the following text Charlie Keller who is a staff member of Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite's office in Washington, DC. I pasted the entire text of this House floor speech of Congresswoman Brown-Waite. This text from Mr. Brown-Waite's House floor speech speaks for itself:

Rep. Brown-Waite (R-FL): “I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker I rise today on behalf of H. Con. Res. 336, a common sense resolution that expresses support for one of the greatest segments of the American population, the disabled American veteran. Back home in Florida, I represent nearly 110,000 veterans, the second highest number of any Member of Congress. As you might guess, many of these brave men and women are disabled; either injured in battle or in the course of their service in the United States military. Disabled veterans are cared for by the military professionals at the VA. They also band together in veteran organizations like the Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, or Blinded Veterans Association. However, there is no federal recognition in place for Americans specifically to remember the deeds and heroism of disabled veterans. The concurrent resolution before us today calls for the establishment of a Disabled American Veterans week and shows all disabled veterans that Congress does not forget their bravery and actions in service to our great nation. You know, every weekend I return home to Florida to meet with my constituents and hear their needs and concerns. And what I can do to serve the men and women in the fifth congressional district. I often hear words of thanks for voting to drill for oil in ANWR and in the Outer Continental Shelf, or I get asked what Congress is going do to stop the outrageous increase in the cost of gasoline that we’ve seen since our colleagues across the aisle took over in the House and Senate. However, the most poignant stories I hear are oftentimes from veterans. As you might expect, I attend dozens of veterans' events throughout the eight counties in my district. It is indeed at these events I hear stories of courageous deeds, heroic actions, and lives forever changed by the ravages of war. Disabled veterans have given so much to this nation with their blood, sweat, and tears lying on the battlefield, from Germany to Korea to Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. This resolution calling for a Disabled American Veterans week shows the thousands of men and women who served with honor and distinction that Congress will see that their memories and deeds are never forgotten. I thank my colleague, Mr. Altmire, for introducing this resolution and I would hope that all Members of this body can support such a worthy passage for disabled veterans. Thank you and I yield back me the balance of my time.”

Surprise...

As Gomer Pyle used to say, Surprise, Surprise, Surprise! Looks like the Hernando Today got scooped with a real news article by the Hernando Times while focusing on their stories being fed to them by the local civic activist about the Hernando County legal department. Yes, the Hernando Times hit a home run this morning with their headline article about the newest blogger in town, assistant county attorney, Kent Weissinger. Both, Barbara Behrendt and Shirl Kennedy, should get the employee of the week award from the Hernando Times for their investigative journalism.

Mr. Garth Collar was quoted in this article, calling Mr. Weissinger's ethics "A-List" and to that I will add he's a very nice person, too.

Mr. Weissinger indicated that his blog was an alternative to the "two dead-tree media sources" in the Times article. Although I do not agree with Mr. Weissinger's analogy of the two local media sources, I will say that their "tanker loads of ink" are drying slightly on the rural highway, as the internet super-highway provides a more main stream approach to instant information.

"Welcome to the Blogoshere, Mr. Weissinger!"

Integral piece

Yesterday, I attended the TBARTA meeting at Silverthorn. The Florida Legislature mandated that a comprehensive, regional master plan be formulated July 1, 2009. TBARTA was created on July 1, 2007, to carry out these mandates, with representatives from Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Hernando County presenters at this workshop including Ron Pianta and Dennis Dix from the Planning Department . Mike McHugh also gave a detailed presentation of the economy development impact, relating to transportation.

Although much of the information was already public record but it was interesting to hear the interaction between the panel participants which included Commissioners Rocco and Russell, along with many other guests. Pam Iorio, mayor of Tampa, was present along with Ronnie Duncan, Pinellas County Commissioner. Sonnie Vegara, citizen member representing Hernando County on the TBARTA board was also in attendance at this meeting.

This presentation was meant to highlight Hernando County's ability to link to the 7 county, TBARTA district in future, with a mass transit program. The panel listened to Mr. Dix's presentation about THE Bus which included routes, funding and tentative future plans. Mr. Pianta gave an overall view of the growth which included our comprehensive land use map and Mr. McHugh gave a detailed report of business development with the county

Just a hint to anyone who has not attended a local MPO meeting or workshop, THE Bus is an integral piece of the puzzle for the future Regional Master Plan which has been mandated by Florida Legislature, with TBARTA at the helm.

Omitted to inflame

This morning's editorial in the Hernando Today, "County needs to drasticallly cut the attorney budget" is a complete distortion of the facts. Several articles have been written about the county legal department in the Hernando Today and it quite apparent that much, fact-based information has been omitted to inflame the public.

First of all, utility rate payers are not "footing" the entire salary on the assistant county attorney, Kent Weissinger. His salary is being justified by a cost sharing method which supplies other necessary legal services for the utility department, like human resources and litigation. These cost-sharing services, which use other county attorneys, have been estimated to be 50%. This method frees up Mr. Weissinger's time by 50% to allow him to work in other areas, like his participation in the Planning and Zoning Commission meetings. This method of sharing legal services also eliminates the cost of administrative services by the clerk of court's office.

Does the legal department need to pull in their belts in this lean economy. You bet they do, but necessary reductions should not be formulated by news articles fabricated by a self-proclaimed civic activist who is quickly becoming a public nuisance in our community...