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Opinion

  • Cut it out and get to work

    I don’t have a high opinion of the work being done by the U.S. Congress. With that said, I really like our own congressman, Rep. Rich Nugent of Brooksville.

    Washington has turned into a cesspool of special interests, where doing the business of the people appears to be the last thing on anyone’s mind. But that Rep. Nugent is friendly, open to your ideas and the father of a bunch of kids who are off fighting for us in the Middle East.

    How could you not like him?

    But Congress as a group is another story.

  • Anonymous complaint roils Kenney

    THE ISSUE: Commissioner JJ Kenney fighting mad about anonymous allegations.
    OUR OPINION: Attacks scurrilous, but an unfortunate reality of politics.

    Most people justifiably get mad when someone makes charges that question their integrity or that of their family members. It is particularly galling when allegations come in the form of a publicly posted anonymous letter.

  • Homosassa sewer project makes sense

    THE ISSUE: Phase V water quality program for sewers in Homosassa.

    OUR OPINION: It’s the right thing to do.

    We’ve all experienced it: We know something is the right thing to do, but we’re reluctant to tackle it because of the annoyance factor, the inconvenience and/or the cost. Thomas Huxley expressed it well: “Do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.”

  •
    North Korean rocket a gift to the...

    By Jean H. Lee
    AP Analysis

  • Play a part in Tera’s legacy

    THE ISSUE:Tera’s Legacy Poker Run raising money to benefit Hospice of Citrus County’s pediatric program.

    OUR OPINION:Go if you can; offer support.

  • ENDORSEMENT REBUTTAL Smallridge: I’...

    When I was appointed to the Citrus Memorial Hospital Board by our Florida governor and confirmed by our Florida Senate, I inherited a situation where the bill to the taxpayers had recently quadrupled, from $1.7 million to more than $7 million per year and the millage rate had been increased from 0.265 mil to 1 mil in 2005.

    The citizens of Citrus County were being charged millions of dollars to cover the public hospital’s presumed budget shortfall for charity care.

  • Editorial Board Endorsements

    EDITORIAL BOARD ENDORSEMENTS
    The Citrus County Chronicle Editorial Board has endorsed the following candidates in the Aug. 14 primary elections. Early voting ended Saturday; vote Tuesday in your designated precinct.
     County Commission Dist. 1 — Dennis Damato  Schools Superintendent — Sandy Balfour
     County Commission Dist. 3 — Joe Meek  School Board — Susan Hale
     County Commission Dist. 5 — Charles Poliseno  Public Defender — Mike Graves

  •
    Key words: Solitude, excitement,...

    BY Melissa Walker
    Special to the Chronicle

    Solitude, sacrifice and suffering — These are some of the words runners participating in the Run for the Money use to describe the weeklong, 180-mile journey from Tallahassee to Lecanto. Why are these volunteer runners subjecting their bodies to the agony of U.S. 19’s hard, hot, and lonely stretches of roadside miles in 90-plus-degree heat?

  • Bold claim is cause for reality...

    By the Chronicle Editorial Board

    THE ISSUE: Political claim.
    OUR OPINION: Embellishment comes with critics.

    No doubt, state Rep. Jimmie T. Smith is a likeable, accessible lawmaker.

    School officials will affirm that he reaches out to them and is curious about their concerns.

    With that, however, Rep. Smith now touts in campaign literature, “no state legislator today — in either party — is a stronger advocate for public education than Jimmie T. Smith.”

  • New members needed now on hospital...

    By the Chronicle Editorial Board

    THE ISSUE: Appointments to hospital board.

    OUR OPINION: Time to make them.

    We have an unhealthy situation at the county hospital in Inverness.

  •
    Facts about county budget

    In an effort to correct the factually inaccurate and misleading comments in Sound Off and letters to the editor concerning the county budget, I offer the following budget facts:

    1. Ottawa Avenue was paid for by gas tax, not from property tax and has had no impact on our general fund budget.

    2. Impact fees, which are paid for by new home and business construction, cannot be used to replace declining property tax dollars. Impact fees are used for funding facilities such as roads, parks and libraries.

  • Campground can’t be a money-loser

    By the Chronicle Editorial Board

    THE ISSUE: Chassahowitzka River Campground.
    OUR OPINION: Use comes at a cost.

    For those disgruntled about having to pay a price to enjoy the Chassahowitzka River Campground: Unlike county government, those now managing the property can’t bank on tax dollars to offset the cost of doing business.

    For that matter, taxpayers shouldn’t relish the loss of $140,000 since 2005 while the county was managing the campground on Southwest Florida Water Management District land.

  • An olive branch in hospital feud

    By the Chronicle Editorial Board

    THE ISSUE: Hospital Foundation board offers to include Trustees in strategic planning.
    OUR OPINION: A break in the fighting — a good step toward healing.

    The community has lost patience with governance battles at Citrus Memorial. That’s why it was such a bright spot to read recently that the Citrus Memorial Health Foundation operating board invited the public Citrus County Hospital Board’s trustees to its upcoming strategic planning session.

  • Allocation could put dent in bay...

    THE ISSUE: Senator procures $100,000 for King's Bay cleanup.

    OUR OPINION: Wonderful News.

    State Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, deserves credit for his concern about water quality. His latest endeavor is music to our ears and the melody must be sounding exceptionally sweet to Art Jones.

  •
    Citrus County at a crossroads

    The economy in Citrus County, as well in the state of Florida, and the entire United States, is in a very difficult
    situation. In Citrus County, we are at a crossroads with our economy. We have two options, two paths we can choose as a community.

  •
    Fishing? Was it for fun or was it...

    Those of you who are regular readers of my ramblings know I have one sibling, only one — my good brother William. He’s almost four years older.

    When we were little fellows, no one thought we looked alike at all — he was blessed with our mother’s Cherokee-based skin color, her dark brown eyes and he sported a head full of thick, coal-black hair, while I, on the other hand, resembled our father with a fair complexion, green eyes and somewhat thin, blond hair.

  • Redistricting a matter of political...

    President Lincoln said that “you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” Maybe so, but one can fool a majority of today’s voters most of the time. The proof is everywhere to be seen: Nationally, the least-qualified candidate ever to run for the presidency was elected by a majority on the basis of “hope” and “change.” Only after the election did it become clear that the “hope” was meaningless and the “change” was a remaking of the country to a welfare state.

  • Thank you for leaving a health care...

    Chris Pool
    Special to the Chronicle

    Nov. 15, National Philanthropy Day, is a day set aside to recognize and pay tribute to the great contributions that philanthropy makes in our communities.

    You may not realize this, but Citrus Memorial Health Foundation is no stranger to the goodness of others as we’re a 501(C)3 charitable organization. In fact, over the past few years we’ve made great strides, all thanks to the kindness of local donors.

  • Beverly Hills shows how to tackle...

    THE ISSUE: Mow It program.
    OUR OPINION: Civic association takes bull by horns.

  • Mobile unit a good goal but wrong...

    By Chronicle editorial board

    THE ISSUE: Hospital Board purchase of mobile medical unit. 

    OUR OPINION: Noble goal, but wrong approach.

    While many of us are enjoying comfortable chairs in our adequately-heated homes after finishing good meals, there are plenty of folks in Citrus County for whom that’s more wish than reality.