Advertisement

Letters: Mike Fasano's column missed the mark

 
Published Sept. 14, 2016

Fasano column missed the mark

I appreciate Mike Fasano's efforts over the years in trying to represent citizens to ensure that they are treated properly by government agencies and corporations. However, he really missed the mark with his guest column in the Tampa Bay Times Pasco section on Aug. 26.

I have been a member of the Meadow Point Community Development District board for almost 14 years and have prepared our budget for the last 12 years, so I am about as educated about CDDs and their budgets as one can be.

In our case, the Tax Collector's Office collected $1,215,893 in fiscal year 2015 assessments. For that, we were charged $24,167. In November 2015, we received a refund of $2,480, amounting to .002 percent of the assessments collected.

This $2,480 went into the general fund, which is used to pay the bills of the CDD. Had we issued checks to the 1,500 or so property owners, considering mailing costs and the costs associated with producing the checks, each property owner would have gotten pennies.

The column implied that this money is not being used for the benefit of the CDD. CDDs are subject to annual audits. In my opinion, funding homeowners association projects would not be a proper use of CDD funds. As he pointed out, HOAs are independently run and funded.

As far as property owners knowing and being involved in the decision-making process, the budget is adopted at a public hearing, advertised in the Times, in our community newsletter and on our website. The proposed and adopted budgets are also posted on our website. We also keep our property owners advised of what their assessments are used for in other ways.

Dennis Smith, Wesley Chapel

Don't forget the Pasco candidates

As a previous subscriber to the Tampa Tribune, I was disappointed to see your recommendations for political candidates did not include the Pasco County elections.

Please consider including Pasco in future interviews and recommendations.

Laure Taylor, Land O'Lakes

Give east Pasco more coverage

My concern is the lack of coverage in the Tampa Bay Times for east Pasco. This is despite the fact that Wesley Chapel, which has a current population of about 144,000, would be one of the largest cities in Florida if it were incorporated.

Besides the fact that I live in Zephyrhills, I am much more concerned about news in east Pasco and would much rather see stories about Zephyrhills, Dade City, San Antonio and Wesley Chapel than stories about New Port Richey, Port Richey, Hudson or Trinity.

Nils Lenz, Zephyrhills

To see real magic, make your own

For most of my adult life, I thought there was no such thing as magic. I looked at it as deceptive misdirection, prestidigitation of surreptitious technology posing as magic.

In fact, most of what we all consider magic is just that. But there is real magic in this world. It is all around us, but we just don't see it.

There was a guy who used to stand out in the cold all day long singing Christmas carols in front of the Walmart while he rang a bell next to the kettle. What magic made him smile and sing while so many ignored his pleas for charity? He himself was one of the many poor souls that needed that help so desperately.

What magic makes a person make an anonymous donation of blankets and food to a family whose home just burned down, or the person who buys a doll for the little girl down the block who lost her daddy? What about the magic that happens when someone volunteers to play Santa Claus at the local homeless shelter?

I am not talking about mailing a check to the Red Cross. I am talking about getting down and dirty, totally anonymous. Give of yourself, even if you don't have an extra dime to spare. You can donate your time and talent. You can volunteer to help cook and serve holiday dinners for the needy; you can answer phones at a crisis center.

Your help is desperately needed and appreciated at so many different places by so many people and even animals. So if you want find out where the real magic is, make your own. I guarantee that you will find real magic!

Nick Rizzo, Wesley Chapel

Stormwater tax pays for nothing

Why do we in Moon Lake have to pay $62 a year for a stormwater tax when we have no drains, no fire hydrants? There is no place for the water to go. We just sit here and wait for it to drain into the ground.

I realize there is nothing that can be done at this time. But why do we have to pay for something we do not have and will probably never have? Where can you go and pay for something and not get it? You would be calling the police. Who has an answer to this?

Donald Talbot, New Port Richey