Letter to the Editor for January 16, 2010

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Letter to the Editor for January 16, 2010

Opinions

Friday, 15 January 2010 12:47

2009 in review
To the editor:
Let’s review some of the past occurrences in Osceola County.
In 2007, I wrote a letter to the editor in reference to the 5-cent gas tax. At that time, I totally opposed it. I had asked (County Commission) Chairman Ken Shipley not to support this tax so that the SunRail (choo-choo to nowhere) would not be funded.
Now, this year with a new commission, we have a conductor to the SunRail (we all know who that is). Now the gas tax is back on the table. With the layoffs the county has had and probably more on the way, we are looking to put our residents into the poorhouse a lot faster than Washington. Let’s look at the following list:
• Unemployment on the rise: 12.7 percent in November 2009.
• Fortune 500 companies filing for bankruptcy protection.
• Banks closing their doors.
• The increase of property taxes.
• Closing libraries.
• Increasing registration and new tag fees.
• $80 per barrel of oil (this translates to $2.69 to $2.72 per gallon of gasoline and rising).
• Outrageous utility bills are like having a second mortgage.
• Record high foreclosures.
Now we have to raise $27 million dollars for SunRail. Why?
What is the urgency and necessity for this choo-choo? How about if we look at pay cuts from the top in the county, so that we can use that money and hire some of our people back?
How about if we go to a four-day workweek or cut hours back to 32 per week so that we can hire some of the people who were laid off?
How about some common sense?
How about more transparency and accountability?
Maybe we should look at all the broken promises from this commission. What happened to taking care of our own first? That's right — I mean Osceola County businesses. Let's offer contracts to out-of-state vendors like we do at Osceola Heritage Park to make a few measly dollars. Shame on this commission for not following through during these hard economic times with our local companies.
How will this choo-choo benefit us? Look at Amtrak, it's always in the red. Anything that government has a hand in is usually in the red. Look at the postal service.
We Osceolans are having it a lot harder having to cope with these economic issues. While the previous commissions were concerned with tourism, they forgot that industry would have been a good thing. Think about all the land that’s available here in Osceola County. I have not seen any one of the former or present commissioners try to solicit any major company other than Lowe’s Distribution Center.
Remember, the 2010 and 2012 elections are around the corner. Let these public officials know how you feel.
Tony Ferentinos
Kissimmee