Tough luck, kids. That goes for your parents, too. Oh, ya, let’s not forget your teachers, the ones who will still have a job. You may not understand the word “transparency” but it has no meaning in this instance anyway.
Face it, boys and girls, education is just too darned expensive – you’ll just have to make do with what’s left over from the budget cuts set forth by the Hernando County School Board. Your quality of learning will be hit hard but you’re not likely to realize it until you find yourself at a disadvantage if you should actually graduate with an honorable grade point average and try to make it on your own in the job market. It will be even more of a challenge if you venture outside the state of Florida where education is already considered one of worst in the nation.
Yep, hard economic times put hardships on everybody’s backs. Eventually, Mom and Dad might have to taxi your little bodies to school if school bus routes are reduced or eliminated. You might find yourself hoofin’ it, wearing down the tread on your sneakers.
You would have to be very careful walking to school because there aren’t always sidewalks or sufficient street lighting, so wear bright colors and reflectors (that’s cool!) and a helmet with a flashing red light. Safety first.
But don’t worry, little ones. Mom and Dad won’t put you such danger. Either they or some other adult will make sure you’re not in harm’s way because they love you so very, very much. They might moan and groan at the inconvenience or even get angry but it won’t be directed at you. Try to understand that their jobs could be in jeopardy if they should be tardy at getting to work. You know what tardy is and how it can affect your attendance record – not good. For them, it could mean losing their jobs (money) and that would affect the security of you family’s home – even worse.
But, hey, kids, with the budget cuts you’ll have the opportunity to make more friends because class sizes will increase. To heck with the teacher, he or she still has to perform their jobs as best they can with much less to work with.
You might have to accept last year’s school books with torn pages and all kinds of scribbles, some of which will have to be blacked out because they might contain nasty words or pictures.
Lads and lasses, you’re about to learn some very important lessons, ones that will help prepare you for the eventual introduction to living on your own as you enter the adult job market. A four-day school week, if mandated by the school board, could give you some insight on how those extra hours on the “job” give you an extra day off – and another stress on Mom and Dad thanks to extra daycare expenses. Just like adults, you’ll find it’s no vacation because you’ll end up spending part of the day doing household chores. Unfortunately, you’ll have the extra task of catching up on homework. I agree, that’s pretty yucky but it’ll be necessary just as your teacher will have to spend even more time than he/she’s already doing to grade papers after school hours.
All of these changes will help prepare you for adjusting to the job market, however many years before you graduate. By the way, don’t count on going to college – the cost of higher education is even more expensive and, for now, your parents might not be able to add to your college fund. I pray they aren’t forced to dip in your learning nest egg just to make ends meet.
Maybe Mom and Dad might have to give you a private lesson of money management by putting a bunch of pennies in a pile and divide them into smaller groups. One for food. Clothing. Doctors. Car expenses. Cable. The biggest pile will be for housing, including electricity and water (nothing is free). Then watch closely as they take away a few pennies from each pile, because of lost wages or higher expenses, and you might understand that there’s not as many pennies to go around.
You’ll pass the lesson with a gold star if you live your life as a penny-pincher.
[I’d like to express my appreciation for Hernando Today’s website for providing me up-to-date news and information. The numbers of on-line reader comments prove that I’m not the only one. Although there are no Monday and Tuesday printed editions, Hernando Today’s reporters’ jobs are never done.]
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
It's All About The Money
On February 18, 2008, Jason Morgan Blair caused the death of Anthony Morales with a hit-and-run accident. Jason comes from a family with long-time local connections with other families who are well-off as compared to the day labor jobs that Anthony held throughout his shortened life.
I can't relate to such a loss but I can offer some comments on a dissimilar situation of another case of leaving the scene of an accident, albeit with a harmless case resulting in property damage.
Two years ago I accompanied a friend, David, through a court process that resulted from a car accident. He had experienced a “blowout” and lost control of his car. It was along Elgin Blvd east of Mariner in the wee hours of the morning where the street lighting is poor and a driver’s perception of road conditions can be impaired. He had struck construction barriers, became disoriented and came to a halt where he felt it was safe to pull over on the shoulder of the road.
John, a resident along that stretch of Elgin witnessed David’s unintended “destruction” of his mailbox and went in pursuit of the culprit, parked in front of my friend’s car and snatched the keys from the ignition while David was attempting to change the shredded tire.
Within minutes a squad car from the HCSO was on the scene. Let me correct that… there were multiple police cars. While David was being questioned and told to step away from his car, the group of policemen was leisurely chatting with John. They stood laughing, surely a bunch of “good ole boys” who had known each other for years.
The ensuing legal process found David in front of the Honorable Judge Scaglione, who I address in earnest. Although he had a clean driving record, David was chastised as none before him even though other offenders with long lists of traffic infractions were kindly moved along in the court process.
Leaving the scene of an accident was valid but the charge of property damage of an estimated thousand dollars was bogus. As I did too much of the legwork for David’s attorney, I found the only “destruction” was that the mailbox had been dislodged from the post, still securely planted in the ground. The thing was that that same mailbox had been reattached to the post, albeit a little dented but it fit well with already rusted condition.
The Discovery Report had other bogus information, such as David having traveled up and down Elgin, out to Cortez and back again. True, his disorientation created the situation whereby he left the scene of the accident but that was about it. In the end of the drawn out process and a fairly inept lawyer, David was put on a six-month probation instead of a year, but the biggest blow was that the $250 fine and doubled, to which the lawyer conceded was “the best he could do”.
With his eventual discussion with a probation officer, he explained that it was “all about the money”. This may not be the specific case with the hit-and-run death of Anthony Morales by Jason Blair but when you talk about the difference between his well-to-do family as compared the status of Mr. Morales, a day laborer, it’s pretty much along the same line of reasoning.
For the Morales, though, it’s not about the money; it’s about the death of a loved one. No amount of money can bring the 35-year old man back in the loving arms of his family. Their concern that Jason Blair will get special consideration due to the differences in the clash of society classes is justified, especially when Jason’s father is a former FHP trooper and has long time influential local contacts.
Multiple crashes and prior suspensions and the revocation of his license should prohibit his driving a motorized vehicle for a very long time. His sentence deserves no leniency. The court ruling should honor the words that the elder Blair used in an interview. The court should resolve "to do what the Lord" judges to be just.
May I suggest to the Morales family to remember the case of the death of Ron Goldman and the eventual acquittal of O.J. Simpson. Nothing will compensate for the loss of Anthony, but a civil lawsuit against Jason Blair might be the only means to come to terms with the reality that ultimately “it’s all about the money.”
I can't relate to such a loss but I can offer some comments on a dissimilar situation of another case of leaving the scene of an accident, albeit with a harmless case resulting in property damage.
Two years ago I accompanied a friend, David, through a court process that resulted from a car accident. He had experienced a “blowout” and lost control of his car. It was along Elgin Blvd east of Mariner in the wee hours of the morning where the street lighting is poor and a driver’s perception of road conditions can be impaired. He had struck construction barriers, became disoriented and came to a halt where he felt it was safe to pull over on the shoulder of the road.
John, a resident along that stretch of Elgin witnessed David’s unintended “destruction” of his mailbox and went in pursuit of the culprit, parked in front of my friend’s car and snatched the keys from the ignition while David was attempting to change the shredded tire.
Within minutes a squad car from the HCSO was on the scene. Let me correct that… there were multiple police cars. While David was being questioned and told to step away from his car, the group of policemen was leisurely chatting with John. They stood laughing, surely a bunch of “good ole boys” who had known each other for years.
The ensuing legal process found David in front of the Honorable Judge Scaglione, who I address in earnest. Although he had a clean driving record, David was chastised as none before him even though other offenders with long lists of traffic infractions were kindly moved along in the court process.
Leaving the scene of an accident was valid but the charge of property damage of an estimated thousand dollars was bogus. As I did too much of the legwork for David’s attorney, I found the only “destruction” was that the mailbox had been dislodged from the post, still securely planted in the ground. The thing was that that same mailbox had been reattached to the post, albeit a little dented but it fit well with already rusted condition.
The Discovery Report had other bogus information, such as David having traveled up and down Elgin, out to Cortez and back again. True, his disorientation created the situation whereby he left the scene of the accident but that was about it. In the end of the drawn out process and a fairly inept lawyer, David was put on a six-month probation instead of a year, but the biggest blow was that the $250 fine and doubled, to which the lawyer conceded was “the best he could do”.
With his eventual discussion with a probation officer, he explained that it was “all about the money”. This may not be the specific case with the hit-and-run death of Anthony Morales by Jason Blair but when you talk about the difference between his well-to-do family as compared the status of Mr. Morales, a day laborer, it’s pretty much along the same line of reasoning.
For the Morales, though, it’s not about the money; it’s about the death of a loved one. No amount of money can bring the 35-year old man back in the loving arms of his family. Their concern that Jason Blair will get special consideration due to the differences in the clash of society classes is justified, especially when Jason’s father is a former FHP trooper and has long time influential local contacts.
Multiple crashes and prior suspensions and the revocation of his license should prohibit his driving a motorized vehicle for a very long time. His sentence deserves no leniency. The court ruling should honor the words that the elder Blair used in an interview. The court should resolve "to do what the Lord" judges to be just.
May I suggest to the Morales family to remember the case of the death of Ron Goldman and the eventual acquittal of O.J. Simpson. Nothing will compensate for the loss of Anthony, but a civil lawsuit against Jason Blair might be the only means to come to terms with the reality that ultimately “it’s all about the money.”
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Happy New Year, Hernando
As the New Year is fraught with alarming realizations that the worst of times are yet ahead for global economies, it doesn’t appear that all is lost to bad timing for Hernando County, which is not to say that that there’s sure to be plenty of times for negative commentaries in the coming months. For now, there’s no time to dwell on pessimism when there’s plenty to cheer about with some very promising local developments.
Merely a month ago, Pasco County Administrator John Gallagher expressed his interest in proceeding with the County Line Road improvement project. This was greeted with unabated joy from Commissioner David Russell, County Engineer Charles Mixon and Administrator David Hamilton, who initiated the discussion with Gallagher to get the ball rolling.
For the time being both counties have to put this on a “wish list” but Gallagher expressed his determination to make it come to fruition when he pointedly gave his expectation that Hernando County get ready, get set and be ready to go within a matter of months. The two counties, plus the Florida Dept of Transportation, are the main players in providing funds but, unless the bottom falls out of President Obama’s plans to upgrade America’s infrastructure, stimulus dollars from the federal government will help defray Hernando County’s 60% share of the $50M projected cost.
As a result of the long-awaited road improvements along County Line Road, good fortunes can be expected at the Hernando County Airport, just north on US 41. The new 5,600 sq ft building of the Office of Business Development is a showcase where Director Mike McHugh can finally conduct business at a permanent location rather than at a rented space that was miles away from this hub of the county’s commercial interests. This will allow McHugh and Airport Director Don Silvernell to work more closely to attract and accommodate new business ventures to the AirPark, RailPark and Industrial Park.
With the Airport in such close proximity to the SunCoast Parkway, US 41, County Line Road and Spring Hill Drive it will reinforce the claim that Hernando County is the “Business Gateway to Tampa”. I-75 and US 19 are other main transportation arteries in the County.
This past month, Chasco Machine and Manufacturing Inc, which manufactures aerospace precision parts using state-of the-art “computer numerically controlled” (CNC) equipment, announced that it will relocate from Port Richey to the Industrial Park on Spring Hill Drive. As part of the total 90,000 sq ft building complex being built by Regent Properties, the 24,800 sq ft office to be occupied by Chasco will meet its need to expand, including an additional ten employees to the present seventeen. Business incentives and affordable housing were taken into account for the decision of Jeff Roth, owner of Chasco, to move the business to Hernando County.
Mr. Roth is partnering with the Nature Coast Technical High School to promote an engineering curriculum that will support the future employment needs of his business, and that of other manufacturing companies.
A year ago, Precision Alliance Company, another leader in the CNC industry announced its goal to bring over 100 precision machine manufacturing businesses to Hernando County during the next five years. It too is working with Nature Coast Technical High School to meet future job needs with average wages ranging from $30,000 to $40,000.
And where might these prospective new residents reside? Although there are plenty of unoccupied houses throughout the county, seeking a home loan can still be a challenge. Unfamiliar with local residential housing areas, relocated employees might rather get a feel of the county by initially renting.
Hernando County Commissioners just approved a master plan to build “affordable workforce housing” on 40 acres at the northwest corner of Cobb Road and Fort Dade Avenue. With a planned total of 408 units, there’ll be plenty of space for newcomers to call home.
[Take special note that affordable workforce housing was a recurring theme of Diane Rowden, deposed incumbent District 3 County Commissioner in the 2008 general election. As she stated at the height of the building boom, in 2005, “Affordable is not a bad word.” Instead of over 10,000 future home sites being approved these past three years, if her ideas had been heeded there would be fewer vacant properties, unoccupied homes and unrealized dreams. Hernando County business interests did not afford her the proper respect for such foresight. Voters even more so.]
It certainly appears that Hernando County is about to realize its goal to diversify its tax base with jobs on the cutting edge of manufacturing technologies. Expect our local economic recovery to come around sooner than most communities. Remember, the New Year is a mere three weeks in the making. The future is ours for the taking. So, have a Happy, Hernando!
Merely a month ago, Pasco County Administrator John Gallagher expressed his interest in proceeding with the County Line Road improvement project. This was greeted with unabated joy from Commissioner David Russell, County Engineer Charles Mixon and Administrator David Hamilton, who initiated the discussion with Gallagher to get the ball rolling.
For the time being both counties have to put this on a “wish list” but Gallagher expressed his determination to make it come to fruition when he pointedly gave his expectation that Hernando County get ready, get set and be ready to go within a matter of months. The two counties, plus the Florida Dept of Transportation, are the main players in providing funds but, unless the bottom falls out of President Obama’s plans to upgrade America’s infrastructure, stimulus dollars from the federal government will help defray Hernando County’s 60% share of the $50M projected cost.
As a result of the long-awaited road improvements along County Line Road, good fortunes can be expected at the Hernando County Airport, just north on US 41. The new 5,600 sq ft building of the Office of Business Development is a showcase where Director Mike McHugh can finally conduct business at a permanent location rather than at a rented space that was miles away from this hub of the county’s commercial interests. This will allow McHugh and Airport Director Don Silvernell to work more closely to attract and accommodate new business ventures to the AirPark, RailPark and Industrial Park.
With the Airport in such close proximity to the SunCoast Parkway, US 41, County Line Road and Spring Hill Drive it will reinforce the claim that Hernando County is the “Business Gateway to Tampa”. I-75 and US 19 are other main transportation arteries in the County.
This past month, Chasco Machine and Manufacturing Inc, which manufactures aerospace precision parts using state-of the-art “computer numerically controlled” (CNC) equipment, announced that it will relocate from Port Richey to the Industrial Park on Spring Hill Drive. As part of the total 90,000 sq ft building complex being built by Regent Properties, the 24,800 sq ft office to be occupied by Chasco will meet its need to expand, including an additional ten employees to the present seventeen. Business incentives and affordable housing were taken into account for the decision of Jeff Roth, owner of Chasco, to move the business to Hernando County.
Mr. Roth is partnering with the Nature Coast Technical High School to promote an engineering curriculum that will support the future employment needs of his business, and that of other manufacturing companies.
A year ago, Precision Alliance Company, another leader in the CNC industry announced its goal to bring over 100 precision machine manufacturing businesses to Hernando County during the next five years. It too is working with Nature Coast Technical High School to meet future job needs with average wages ranging from $30,000 to $40,000.
And where might these prospective new residents reside? Although there are plenty of unoccupied houses throughout the county, seeking a home loan can still be a challenge. Unfamiliar with local residential housing areas, relocated employees might rather get a feel of the county by initially renting.
Hernando County Commissioners just approved a master plan to build “affordable workforce housing” on 40 acres at the northwest corner of Cobb Road and Fort Dade Avenue. With a planned total of 408 units, there’ll be plenty of space for newcomers to call home.
[Take special note that affordable workforce housing was a recurring theme of Diane Rowden, deposed incumbent District 3 County Commissioner in the 2008 general election. As she stated at the height of the building boom, in 2005, “Affordable is not a bad word.” Instead of over 10,000 future home sites being approved these past three years, if her ideas had been heeded there would be fewer vacant properties, unoccupied homes and unrealized dreams. Hernando County business interests did not afford her the proper respect for such foresight. Voters even more so.]
It certainly appears that Hernando County is about to realize its goal to diversify its tax base with jobs on the cutting edge of manufacturing technologies. Expect our local economic recovery to come around sooner than most communities. Remember, the New Year is a mere three weeks in the making. The future is ours for the taking. So, have a Happy, Hernando!
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Times Just Keep On Comin'
Whew! I can rest a little easier today than yesterday, knowing that The St. Petersburg Times/Hernando Times are in good order for meeting my expectations of being a primary source of news for the foreseeable future.
The cause of this most glorious bit of news? I received a reminder from the Times’ circulation department requesting that I kindly forward payment in full for the annual renewal fee so that I can have continued, uninterrupted delivery of the daily paper. I was a little befuddled because I was almost certain payment had already been made a week earlier. I quick trip through my account website proved me correct, and lo-and-be-hold I even had a positive credit of $73.43!
The primary reason for contacting the Times’ Customer Care Department was to seek the address of my local carrier. Even though the gentleman had sent me a Christmas card in appreciation for my patronage, I had misplaced the envelope with the name and address. Although the Representative explained that it isn’t normal practice to give out such proprietary information, he too had to delay a bit of thankful compensation for the time and effort of the carrier due to a shortfall in payday funds. We both agreed it would be an unexpected New Year windfall for the dedicated carrier with a late payment, so he provided the information post-haste.
The gentleman and I carried on a conversation in excess of fifteen minutes - I had made a momentary friend! I queried him on how a carrier is compensated for his efforts. He gave me general information but explained specific information were unknown to him. He did tell me that carriers typically handle deliveries of two to four hundred newspapers per day - more on Sundays.
When I mentioned the plight of newspapers and how circulation is on the downside of profitability and how I had contacted another newspaper about a delivery problem and that a District Manager told me their customer service reps are offshore employees, The Times’ Rep assured me he is right here, locally, and that the founders would be aghast at such an un-American activity.
Unlike the myriad of other newspapers, The Times is free of debt other than maintaining their office buildings. The Tribune Company and The New York Times, in particular, are well-known dailies experiencing doubtful futures, but not so The St Pete Times! I was so relieved that a primary source of news is guaranteed to be my morning comrade for as long as I should pay the price of the subscription.
The credit balance? It’s strictly to my benefit that if I should decide to discontinue delivery (no way!) I will be reimbursed for the unused portion of the yearly fee.
So, as a gesture of good will toward to my newspaper carrier, a check is now in the mail. And the Times’ Customer Care Rep? I ended the call with A Very Happy New Year to you, too, Randall!
The cause of this most glorious bit of news? I received a reminder from the Times’ circulation department requesting that I kindly forward payment in full for the annual renewal fee so that I can have continued, uninterrupted delivery of the daily paper. I was a little befuddled because I was almost certain payment had already been made a week earlier. I quick trip through my account website proved me correct, and lo-and-be-hold I even had a positive credit of $73.43!
The primary reason for contacting the Times’ Customer Care Department was to seek the address of my local carrier. Even though the gentleman had sent me a Christmas card in appreciation for my patronage, I had misplaced the envelope with the name and address. Although the Representative explained that it isn’t normal practice to give out such proprietary information, he too had to delay a bit of thankful compensation for the time and effort of the carrier due to a shortfall in payday funds. We both agreed it would be an unexpected New Year windfall for the dedicated carrier with a late payment, so he provided the information post-haste.
The gentleman and I carried on a conversation in excess of fifteen minutes - I had made a momentary friend! I queried him on how a carrier is compensated for his efforts. He gave me general information but explained specific information were unknown to him. He did tell me that carriers typically handle deliveries of two to four hundred newspapers per day - more on Sundays.
When I mentioned the plight of newspapers and how circulation is on the downside of profitability and how I had contacted another newspaper about a delivery problem and that a District Manager told me their customer service reps are offshore employees, The Times’ Rep assured me he is right here, locally, and that the founders would be aghast at such an un-American activity.
Unlike the myriad of other newspapers, The Times is free of debt other than maintaining their office buildings. The Tribune Company and The New York Times, in particular, are well-known dailies experiencing doubtful futures, but not so The St Pete Times! I was so relieved that a primary source of news is guaranteed to be my morning comrade for as long as I should pay the price of the subscription.
The credit balance? It’s strictly to my benefit that if I should decide to discontinue delivery (no way!) I will be reimbursed for the unused portion of the yearly fee.
So, as a gesture of good will toward to my newspaper carrier, a check is now in the mail. And the Times’ Customer Care Rep? I ended the call with A Very Happy New Year to you, too, Randall!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Up and Coming....
Another year of blog entries.
There's no telling for sure what tidbits of interest may pop up this go-round.
It's kinds doubtful I'll be at a loss for words but I might get washed out, wiped up or go spread-eagled across the floor.
Actually, I'm not feeling very creative right now... I've got some other blogs to set up and it gets to be too time consuming (cry baby, me) when I could actually be writing about SOMETHING.
There's no telling for sure what tidbits of interest may pop up this go-round.
It's kinds doubtful I'll be at a loss for words but I might get washed out, wiped up or go spread-eagled across the floor.
Actually, I'm not feeling very creative right now... I've got some other blogs to set up and it gets to be too time consuming (cry baby, me) when I could actually be writing about SOMETHING.
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