Guided by emotion

To the editor:

While I agree with Mr. Ferentinos’ comment in his “Your View” letter that everyone is entitled to an opinion, I get tired of opinions that are communicated in a public forum that state misinformation and emotion to make a point.

Mr. Ferentinos attacks the Osceola County Commission for deciding to put on the ballot an additional 1 percent county sales tax to pay for road work.  He bolsters his argument by asking that if the commission wants the people to decide matters, why didn’t they allow the residents of BVL to decide if they wanted to be incorporated by having that issue on the ballot?  

Let’s get the record straight on that issue. The County Commission had no say on the BVL incorporation issue. That was a state issue and the Osceola county legislative delegation in its December meeting rejected supporting the BVL incorporation and agreed not to put the issue on the ballot.

By using misinformation to support good conclusions such as no more taxes or programs that need to be funded with taxpayer money (choo-choo to nowhere), Mr. Ferentinos has only transformed the issue from a factual one to an emotional one.

Yes, I agree the commission punted on this issue by deciding to put it on the ballot. This country is founded on the fact that we are a republic and that we vote for our elected officials to make these tough decisions for us. If we do not like their decisions, we, the electorate, have an opportunity to vote them out at the next election. Mr. Ferentinos’ conclusion that the ballot should also have an option for the voters to decide on a decrease in the tax again is using emotion to make his argument. In these economic times, or for that matter any time, who wouldn’t vote for a decrease in taxes?

Let’s stop using emotion and misinformation to make a point. Come this November, let’s put people in office who will make the tough decisions and vote for lower taxes, no mandates from government for programs that are not supported by the majority of the voters. Vote for no new taxes, smaller government, a strong defense and family values.

Jeffery A. Goldmacher
Kissimmee

Editorial baseless

To the editor:

Your editorial (Aug. 7) excoriating those who oppose the county’s proposed sales tax increase was baseless and uncalled for. In response to your plea to stick to the facts, here are some important facts:

Fact 1: The local media has consistently backed previous sales tax increases, and I see no indication that this trend is going to change this time around.

Fact 2: Our local elected officials do not have the strength of will to oppose a tax increase that is essentially corporate welfare for their biggest political contributors: the developers who need the county to make road improvements so they can build massive new developments on cheap land in the middle of nowhere. So far, only Commissioner John Quinones has gone on record against it, so I really don’t see this changing this time around.

Fact 3: Mike Horner and

the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce have consistently pushed sales tax increases and there is no indication that this is going to change this time around.

Fact 4: The Republican Party was not willing to oppose the last sales tax increase proposal and there is no indication that this is going to change this time around. No one expects the Democrats to oppose a tax increase.

It is difficult in this county to take a stand against entrenched special interests. When I led the charge last time, I was attacked much like Tony Ferentinos is now. I support his effort to get the facts out and hope he can withstand the coming on-slaught from the right as well as the left to once again defeat a misguided attempt to transfer hard-earned money from our beleaguered citizens to fat-cat developers.

Scott Brooks
Kissimmee