The surrogate
It begins with a woman who yearns for a baby and another who is willing and able to give her one. You can imagine the motives of the prospective parents. But what about the woman willing to carry a baby, give birth and then walk away?
Friday Night Rewind It doesn't matter which team you cheer for. We've got video previews of every high school football program in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando County.
Hillsborough County has the money to buy thousands of dollars' worth of food and drinks every year for county officials who plop by the government's luxury skybox at Raymond James Stadium. Yet the fourth-largest county in America's fourth-largest state cannot afford to pick up roadkill.
This is not Haiti or Bangladesh. The county will spend $4-billion this year on everything from the sheriff to the libraries. Yet it scratched $66,000 for an employee to collect dead animals from the road. An administrator dismissed the move, saying an animal carcass was "not really a public health issue." Is he kidding? Bury it or bag it, he said: "Some (services) have to be cut."
The cities of Tampa, Temple Terrace and Plant City will continue to pick up animals within their respective boundaries. But across the remaining 909 square miles of unincorporated Hillsborough — roughly 90 percent of the county's total area — residents are on their own. That's bush league, and the stench should reach even the skyboxes at Raymond James.
[Last modified: Oct 08, 2008 04:49 PM]
Comments on this article
by grady
Oct 8, 2008 4:49 PM
All this hand wringing over these so called budgets cut turns my stomach. There was no tax cut, no budget cut. But there were pay raises for all government employees.
by Barbara
Oct 8, 2008 1:51 PM
Use a little common sense. Unless it's a cow, get off your lazy a$$es and throw it out yourself! How hard can it be?
And, the drinks and snacks should be cut too. We should all have to 'suffer' together.
by Terri
Oct 8, 2008 1:08 PM
it is all about who you are and what your title is...us little folk, dont matter to the county...drink on boys, what goes around comes around....
by Juno
Oct 8, 2008 1:07 PM
Will they make an exception when SuperBowl visitors are here. This is truly ridiculous, who are the rednecks that decided this. This is why Tampa will always just be another little city. Too bad, really, this city has great potential but....
by Rich
Oct 8, 2008 11:35 AM
We can afford to pamper all our local stars, we just can't manage to keep standard issues that any other county might. Our priorities "chicken wings for commissioners over services for residents" show the concern these men hold for you.
by TechRider
Oct 8, 2008 11:34 AM
66 Grand to pickup roadkill? If they find the money, tell me how to apply for the job!
by Arlene
Oct 8, 2008 11:32 AM
The winter snowbirds will be arriving soon. I just wonder what they will think of budget cuts for employees to collect roadkill. I really don't think they will be impressed.
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