Letters

On May 20, we were reminded that natural disasters of all kinds can bring devastation on a massive scale. In just a few seconds, the lives of Moore, Okla., residents were changed by an EF5 tornado that destroyed entire buildings while injuring or killing residents as they took shelter.

We can’t prevent natural disasters, but we can prepare for them. By being ready and knowing what to do in a disaster, we can minimize risk, reduce the time it takes to recover and, most importantly, prevent the loss of life.

The current county commission has decided the solution to the loss of revenue from property taxes and Duke Energy is to create new taxing mechanisms. The new processes are called Municipal Service Taxing Units (MSTU) and Municipal Services Benefits Units (MSBU). The various commissioners argue these fees apply to all property owners and are fairer because homestead exemptions do not apply. However there are already exceptions to the first MSTU they have supported.

I am taking a great class on the Constitution of the United States. It’s sponsored by the North Suncoast Republican Club and it meets every Wednesday at the Homosassa Library. The instructors are Shirley and Pat Miketinac, retired public school educators, and they are doing a tremendous job.

Thursday, April 25, I got off work a little early so I stopped at Winn-Dixie to get a broasted chicken for dinner. The parking lot was being resurfaced, so there weren’t many parking places except the last two rows. As I parked and got out of my car, another woman came out of her car.

I said, “People are waiting so long for a parking spot just to get closer to the store, and I can’t believe people wait that long for a spot when there is parking back here.”