Setting the record straight

To the editor:

First, I would like to set the record straight: Jay Wheeler never asked me to run for the Osceola County School Board. I ran because as a continuing contractor with the School District, I knew exactly how things worked.

As a contractor, I had a meeting with someone in Facilities about something that should not have been allowed. I was told that if I pushed it, I would be blackballed. I continued on my path, was never given work again and knew we needed to stop the politics and do what is right.

Thomas Chalifoux Jr., who had seat 2, was my neighbor; he placed me on the audit committee and then encouraged me to run for the seat.

Second item, I did not direct staff, I did, however, tell them to do what is right. These two families tried since last school year to get things resolved. No one would listen. These families are not even in my district, they are in St. Cloud. However, the need to do what is right is countywide for us. I spoke with them. I will not reveal much as we are talking about students and confidential information.

Please note that I did, in fact, follow proper procedure and spoke with all the correct staff members, including the principals. They all knew the facts and they were invited to the meetings that were set up with the parents and the schools. No one got involved or asked questions; they just wanted to follow the rules.

I am an advocate for the students and parents and will continue. We have to do what is right. There are two sides to every story and most of the time the school is correct and the parents need to understand. I approached these two the same way. However, that is not what happened here.

Family one: The child missed seven days of school with approval from the school to visit family out of state. They have a terminally ill sibling and wanted to get the family together. The student was put on probation 10 months after the fact for missing more than five days. Yes they were put on probation months after the offense and, in fact, this school year not last school year when it occurred. (P.S.: This a 4.0 student.)

Family two: The child has had several problems at the school since last year. The dad is estranged and the fear of abduction is real. The safety of our students needs to be first and foremost under any circumstances. This school let the 7-year-old student go as a walker when the student is a car rider. When I questioned that, the principal said: “How do you expect us to watch 800 students.”

There is a lot more to both of these stories and it would make your blood curl. In the interest of space and confidentiality, I have kept it brief. I am sure both parents would share their stories. If the very folks that oversee our children will not protect our children and lead by a good, trusting example, then we, as public officials, need to.

I do not care what School Board rule says about directing staff. My concern is the welfare and safety of our children and I will protect them time and time again. If you cannot do what is right, what can you do?

I will not be intimidated; I will continue to seek the truth and do what is right.

Remember, the same methods will always yield the same results.

Cindy Lou Hartig
Kissimmee

On the economy

To the editor:

Today, we are facing one of the worse economic crises this country has seen in decades.

The unemployment is rising relentlessly — the last-known figure was 14.7 percent for Osceola County. If we take those who are under-employed and those who have exhausted their benefits, we are probably looking at 20 percent unemployment. Food stamps have increased 31 percent in our county since last year — it seems like more residents are depending on them to feed their family.

This county can spend money on softball fields in Harmony where they could have put them near Osceola Heritage Park. That would have made more sense being closer to the Florida’s Turnpike. We can spend a lot of money buying property at a time when money is tight. We can also spend $28 million supporting a train that will not support itself.

My question is, how many county residents will ride this train on a daily basis? How will we pay for this train? Why aren't we using that $28 million to boost up our economy?

I have filed papers to run for the County Commission district 3 for 2012. What I would like to propose is a five-year plan for no impact fees on business. Businesses do not impact our community, they just help.

Let's put the choo-choo to nowhere where it belongs, in the scrapyard. Let's take that $28 million and use it for small business here in Osceola County. Put it out as if it were a Small Business Administration loan to stimulate the economy. This will open up a lot of the empty storefronts and hire a lot of our unemployed.

Like I've always said before: Let's take care of our own first.

Tony Ferentinos
Kissimmee

Painting a picture

To the editor:

After reading the article on Oct. 7 about the ordinance Osceola County commissioners are proposing to combat graffiti, I was outraged at the solutions the commissioners have come up with.

If this ordinance is passed into law, it will be a slap in the face of the residents of Osceola County. It will also be another reason to finally throw all of the incumbents on the commission to the curb and replace them with officials who think about the concerns of the people who put them there.

How convoluted is the logic to expect the owners of property that have been targeted by bands of thugs with spray cans to clean up the vandalism themselves, or face stiff fines or possible liens on their property?

Where is the accountability of law enforcement to step in and abate “the sense of lawlessness and fear,” which this graffiti creates? Where is the accountability of hoods that are creating this artwork? Why couldn’t there be an ordinance proposed that would make the fines for such crimes very stiff and the cleanup to be the perpetrator’s responsibility instead of punishing the victims?

Instead, the commissioners chose to take the easy way out and place the blame on the taxpayers that are paying for protection from the crime in the first place. They feel that the temerity of the owners to place their fences and buildings in the path of these innocent artists is uncalled for.

The police should be practicing more crime-prevention techniques. Be proactive and target the offenders. The News-Gazette in its editorial said it clearly: “Graffiti art is still a crime.” The act is the crime, not the result. When you become a victim of a home invasion, will the county commissioners then try and pass an ordinance that would fine you for being asleep during the crime?

Commissioner Michael Harford would have you believe that the people doing the spray painting will know we are going to cover the graffiti and we won’t tolerate it. That will have those “rascals” running scared. They wouldn’t dare deface another person’s property again.

Commissioner John Quiñones hopes that this ordinance will be “well received by the community.” I truly believe you are barking up the wrong side of the “fences being sprayed” on this one, commissioner. Try addressing why the county has the resources to fund a graffiti abatement program but has nothing with which to stop the crime in the first place.

The voters of Osceola County need to remove this poor excuse for a legislative body, one by one, and to send a message to stop wasting time and get down to the work of the people. Take out the trash in November.

David Walczak
St. Cloud

Health care reform

To the editor:

The new Health Insurance Law is the most important legislation ever passed by Congress. It will save an average of over 44,000 lives per year. United States House Republicans recently pledged to repeal this law.

I had a friend who recently died because he didn't have any insurance. His doctor had informed him he needed to have a heart by-pass operation or he would have a heart attack. Not one doctor or hospital would help him. While at work, guiding two fisherman, he died from a severe heart attack.

The new law will improve and ensure continuity of patient care for everyone with much lower premium increases than over the past decade when premiums have more than doubled. Use common sense and support those who voted for the Health Insurance Law.

William Thompson
Kissimmee