Northpinellas: Incorporation issue is a matter of math

Palm Harbor for years has been the stepchild of county government. All the rhetoric about how much we receive in benefits from the county doesn't take into account the property and service taxes collected from the residents and businesses of Palm Harbor and the percentages of that money that are actually expended in the community. The county has not been forthcoming with that information, and I believe that an assessment of that fact would show that we've been almost totally neglected.

Case in point: Clearwater builds a spanking new library, funds a new baseball stadium, builds and then destroys a roundabout, and operates the Long Center for physical activities with a swimming pool and workout facilities, all for millions of dollars.

Palm Harbor hardly has funds to repair an antiquated air-conditioning system or a leaking roof at the library. It has to rely on a host of dedicated volunteers to supplement the minimal, underpaid staff at the library.

Palm Harbor has an activity center, but it is underfunded and has to scrounge for every penny available. The Recreation Department is maintaining itself on a hit-or-miss basis without the increased dollars it needs to expand for the benefit of residents.

I, for one, would like the county to come clean and tell us exactly how much of our many millions of tax dollars are being returned to us as a percentage of our contribution to the county coffers. They owe it to the 75,000 people who live here.
-- Marvin Graff, Palm Harbor

Palm Harbor should take ownership

Re: Should Palm Harbor be a city?, story, Jan. 12.

I was very disappointed in the article on the Palm Harbor Incorporation Feasibility Study. The article seemed more interested in shooting the messenger than presenting the message. Also, some comments made by County Commissioner Susan Latvala are not only inaccurate, but also inappropriate coming from an elected commissioner.

None of the major findings of the feasibility study were even discussed. For example, that the Palm Harbor CDP (Census Designated Place) appears to be paying at least $5-million to $6-million more for law enforcement service than if a Palm Harbor city were to contract directly for those services. And that a city would receive more than a million dollars from the state's Municipal Revenue Sharing Program. And that the unincorporated area is receiving only a fraction of the allowable amount from the Pinellas sales tax (Palm Harbor's additional share would be more than a million dollars, for a total of about $3.2-million).

Unincorporated Palm Harbor is like a family renting. As a renter, we don't have control of our property and don't build up any equity. The question appears to be what happens when it becomes cheaper to own than to rent. Common sense would dictate that you investigate the question of owning instead of renting.

The study indicates that more of our tax dollars are going out than are coming back to the Palm Harbor area. It appears that a substantial amount of our tax dollars is being used to subsidize the county's general revenue fund.

Some people have asked, Won't this just create another layer of government? The answer is no. It would be taking an existing layer of government, the hat that the seven-member County Commission wears, and moving it closer to home.

Palm Harbor, if it were incorporated, would have greater control over service delivery in the area. Land use and management could be changed to take into account and preserve the small-town atmosphere of Palm Harbor. The feeling of taxation without representation would be eliminated, and greater fiscal control of the tax burden would be accomplished.
-- J. Scott Fisher, Palm Harbor

Incompetence doomed annexation vote

Re: Vote to annex country club is delayed, story, Jan. 21.

Although I am a resident of Clearwater, I live on a border with Largo. I find it astonishing that the administration of Largo, which months ago in a paroxysm of political correctness fired someone who appeared to be an exceptionally well-qualified firefighter, now has bungled the Cove Cay annexation vote because it cannot conduct a simple survey and cannot understand simple voting rules.

Does anyone get fired for such gross incompetence? Or is termination reserved only for competent city employees who make a throwaway comment that some panicked city official turns into what has probably already landed Largo in unnecessary litigation?

The Largo administration should focus on performance, not extraneous issues.
-- Jeffrey P. Meyer, Clearwater

Use lights on bicycles at night

On a recent weekend as I bicycled home in the dark, I met bicyclists on several occasions. None of them had lights on their bikes.

One man received a "Bicycles Are Vehicles" flier a year ago, so he knew the laws but still didn't have lights.

The parents and teachers of the teenagers I saw had never taught them the laws on night riding. So the teenagers didn't know that they could get a citation as well as get hit by motorists who can't see them.

Some small children were bicycling on the sidewalk as their parents walked beside them. The parents' reason for not having lights on the bikes was that they don't go out in the dark often.

Please don't make excuses. Florida law requires you to have a white headlight that can be seen from 500 feet in the front. The law also requires you to have a red reflector and taillight that can be seen from 600 feet on the back.

Long-lasting lights save money on batteries. If you want rechargeable batteries, try nickel-metal hydride batteries. They aren't as finicky as other rechargeables.

If you buy the lights and reflectors at a bicycle shop, most shop owners will install them on your bike for free. Often, shop mechanics can jury-rig more taillights on your bicycle if you need increased visibility.

The first time your child gets a bicycle, put lights on it. Instill at an early age that when the sun starts going down, the lights go on. If you teach children when they are small, they'll know what to do and why to do it when they are teenagers and adults.

Bicycle safety studies throughout the United States show that you have the greatest chance of being in a crash with a car when you bicycle on the sidewalk. That's because every time you come to a driveway, crosswalk or alley, you have an excellent chance of getting hit by a car.

Many motorists do not look for pedestrians or bicyclists when driving over sidewalks and crosswalks. Some motorists forget to turn off their signals; others forget to turn on their signals.

What increases the problem in our area is that everyone is taught from first grade on to "get on the sidewalk so you won't get hit by a car." So bicyclists aren't looking either.

In addition, large plants and man-made structures block the view so motorists and bicyclists can't see each other. So you still need lights even if you bicycle on the sidewalk.
-- Kimberly Cooper, St. Petersburg

Hospice workers help with grieving

Re: When grief descends, help is a call away, story, Dec. 25.

Counselors from Hospice of the Florida Suncoast are the handmaidens of hope for grieving folks who have lost a loved one. Their thoughtful words leave loving footprints on hearts.

What they do is as wise as it is humane. Humane convictions from people who never detour from decency can alleviate much human suffering and emotional misery. Brotherhood promotes a positive, changed climate.

Hospice workers improve the state of affairs. Bless them for their special successes in helping people get proper perspectives.
-- Robert B. Fleming, St. Petersburg

Note to readers

With local election campaigns under way in several North Pinellas cities, it is time to remind our readers of the St. Petersburg Times' policy regarding election-related letters to the editor: The Times does not print letters that endorse or criticize announced candidates for city offices; however, the Times is happy to receive and print letters that focus on campaign issues.
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