July letter of the month
Related News/Archive
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Sunday’s letters: Facts don’t support Israeli claims
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Wednesday’s letters: School safety is paramount
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Vote for July’s Letter of the Month
July’s winning letter was written by Louise Raterman, who wrote about fertilizer use in Hillsborough.
Stop or tax the pollution
If the Hillsborough County Commission refuses to enact a seasonal ban on fertilizer application — which most of our municipalities have — then it should affix a tax of, say, $10 per bag to cover cleanup costs after rain rushes nitrogen-loaded fertilizer into our rivers, creeks, the bay and the gulf. The unnatural stimulation of microscopic and plant growth kills fish and sea grasses and helps make Red Tide. It’s expensive to remove the nitrogen once it gets into water. Why should we who don’t use fertilizer have to pay recovery costs?
True costs of summer fertilizer use include the loss of recreation revenues when county parks cannot rent canoes because of the suffocating plant growth. At Lettuce Lake Park last year, a potential $1,000 a day was lost for six months because of inaccessibility. Forward to July 2015, and the passage is again closing.
When Al Higginbotham chaired the Environmental Protection Commission in 2009 and was given opportunity to lead on this issue, he said that he wanted a clear signal from the governor first and that he wanted to hear from all the other communities before acting. He didn’t want Hillsborough County to be first.
Well, almost every Gulf Coast community has enacted this commonsense seasonal ban. We’re not first now; no worries. We may be last.
Louise Raterman, Tampa
Best to stay flexible on resort tax dollars | Aug. 3, editorial
Debt is not flexible
As a longtime member of the Pinellas County Tourist Development Council, I commend the Times editorial board for weighing in on a very important decision regarding uses of the tourism tax moving forward.
However, there are two points that need clarification. Your assertion that the Tourist Development Council is “dominated by hotel interests” is wholly inaccurate. In fact, the TDC board — which is appointed by the Board of County Commissioners — is designed to make sure not one interest can dictate policy: five elected officials (including the chair of the County Commission), four hoteliers and three tourism-related industry representatives.
Second, I agree that flexibility should be the guiding principle regarding the use of tourist development taxes. We need to have the ability to move resources around as situations dictate. From oil spills to hurricanes to worldwide economic crisis, many factors beyond our control can change the face of tourism overnight. For every dollar we commit to long-term bonds on capital projects, we forfeit the same amount of flexibility required to deal with these contingencies. Simply put, there is nothing flexible about long-term debt.
As the local tourism industry continues to set new records, we should remember the successful growth strategy and appropriate mix of capital versus promotional funding that got us where we are today. Any commitment over 40 percent for debt, and let’s not kid ourselves, if it is available it will be spent, will cause reductions in Visit St. Petersburg Clearwater’s operating budget.
Anthony Satterfield, vice president of operations, Alden Suites; Pinellas County Tourist Development Council member, St. Pete Beach
Florida voting chief vows to communicate better | Aug. 1
Actions are the problem
Does Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner seriously think that his problem is a lack of “overcommunicating,” whatever that is? We understand fully what Detzner is doing. Rather than making voting easier and encouraging participation, he has tried to purge voting rolls, cut polling places, limit hours and days for voting, and eliminate off-site dropoff points for returning ballots. He has “overcommunicated” his efforts to restrict voting very clearly, and we now learn that he handed over access to privileged files to 14 unauthorized individuals and totally failed to maintain the state’s computerized voter registration records system. He needs to be ousted from office soon enough to avoid another 2000-style fiasco, with Florida once again becoming the laughingstock of the nation.
Stephen E. Phillips, St. Petersburg
Where should Tampa Bay’s downtowns find inspiration? Check out Raleigh, N.C. | Aug. 2
Start with streetcars
Raleigh, N.C., started its shift to regional transit by resurrecting the downtown streetcar, one that served daytime workers and eventgoers during the day and night. It was so successful, with commerce and residences springing up along the route, that increased tax revenue collection equaled the investment in six years. Raleigh has now incorporated a light rail line to the suburbs into this original streetcar line.
Tampa is taking heed by studying the positive impact of extending its streetcar into downtown, making it less dependent on conventioneers and partiers. St. Petersburg used to have a streetcar downtown and could follow Raleigh’s lead by resurrecting it. The current “looper trolleys” (buses) get stuck in traffic like any other vehicle and cause traffic backups with their frequent stops along crowded Central Avenue and Beach Drive. Federal funding is available for streetcar projects, and the time is now to explore the possibilities and, as the Times suggested, look to Raleigh.
Connect the two authentic streetcar lines with a public ferry, and we will be cited as a source of inspiration for other cities like Raleigh is today.
Rand Moorhead, St. Petersburg
Pinellas to fight wage theft | July 31
Enforcement needed
Kudos to Pinellas County for leading the way in the fight against organized crime in the forms of wage theft and extortion. The unanimous vote demonstrated how dire the need was recognized to be by the County Commission.
However, and I write this as a resident of Pinellas County since 1973, without enforcement power, especially of both businesses and government, Pinellas County residents might still suffer. For example, at regional public employers such as state colleges or community colleges, very often faculty members are asked to work off of the clock, participate in mandatory unpaid training and other forms of institutional wage theft. If one raises a concern, they will no longer be offered teaching contracts and be blackballed within the local community. Thus, enforcement power must be included.
Robert J. King, St. Petersburg
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