Wednesday, February 14, 2007

I came to Zephyrhills, Florida in 1955,as a thirteen year old.One of the first things I noticed was a poor attitude toward children,by citizens and by government as a result of pressure by citizens.I don't think it was my imagination,for the subject was often discussed among the schoolchildren and there had been no such thing where I came from.I had read fairy tales where miserly, angry grinch like characters existed.I have,over the years watched many shortsighted ,visionless and uncaring decisions affect the young,the poor,the helpless and the powerless of Zephyrhills.In recent years,some things have been improving,such as the building of sidewalks, a water park and a skate park.Of course we have had some stymieing of the usage of these.It is always easier for police and other government officials to get governmental leaders to restrict citizens than it is to admit the inability to police and demand more officers and equipment.This is one of the prime tenets of establishing a police state.Apathy of citizens is another.Zephyr Park is a very sore spot with me. The miserly approach and the unwise decision for the city to run a business caused the nursing home "Zephyr Haven" to be placed where there should be more park area and more parking for people to use the park called Zephyr Park.Presently even the public property in the rear of Zephyr Haven has been restricted from parking by the public.The Alice Hall building should never have been placed where the additional park and parking was needed.This beautiful park has been treated as though no one but a few residents of Winters trailer park would walk over next door and spend a few minutes.Owners of property on the southeast side of the park should be approached to buy their land for parking use.I Have been seeing musicians and onlookers turn away after finding no parking within reasonable distance,by the dozens,for weeks during the winter.Because of the fact that Zephyr Haven was placed where parking is needed,full usage of the park is impeded.I would like to see part of Winters park Become Zephyr Park,especially that portion which is a flood plain, shielded by the ugly dike.NPUBLICI

Monday, February 12, 2007

Property Taxes

In the state of Florida corporations and the wealthy are holding land,waiting for opportune times to develop or to sell to developers.One of the ways these people pay low taxes, while holding land for gargantuan profits,is to plant trees and declare the land as agricultural greenbelt,which is taxed at a far lower rate than market value is.Green belting trees is a good thing,when it is not abused,because it preserves farms and it provides pulpwood from managed rather than old growth.Most often,what happens in Florida is that land held on forested greenbelt is sold or developed and the trees are bulldozed into piles and burned.I have seen acre after acre of trees large enough for pulpwood,bulldozed and burned.There should be no such tax shelter.Forested Green belt should have past taxes become due at market value,from the time the trees were first green belted,when the trees are not used as pulp wood.The taxes should become due to the owner at the time of the trees destruction.Notification by sellers of the amount of due tax,if the trees are not used as pulpwood or lumber, should be made law,with the penalty for not doing so being that the seller pays the increase of taxes.NPUBLICI