The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Pasco commissioners approve 5-cent gas tax

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Major road projects in Pasco County have funding once again after outgoing commissioner Henry Wilson Jr., negotiated a hard no vote against a 5-cent gas tax increase to a yes.

Pasco County commissioners needed four out of five to approve the additional tax, which would raise $8 million annually for road projects that would’ve otherwise been delayed. Wilson, who voted against the tax last year with Commissioner Jack Mariano, decided to make the change after a personal appeal by Commissioner Ted Schrader, and an agreement to end the tax if state lawmakers present a new revenue source.

“We’re all in a lose-lose situation, primarily me,” Wilson said during Tuesday’s afternoon meeting in Dade City. “If I say yes to the gas tax after I said no every single time before, I will be labeled as a flip-flopper. If I say no to it today, I’m ostracized by the people who are trying to build here.”

Wilson, however, says he makes decisions based on the future of his two children. Schrader says he does the same thing, but feels that passing the tax on to property owners through a millage increase would put too much burden on residents, and not share the cost of building new roads by all the people who use them.

“Unfortunately, my children could not find adequate employment in Pasco County, and they are working in other places,” Schrader said. “I would suspect that you would elect for your children to have those opportunities to have good high-paying jobs in this immediate market area, and that is one thing that maybe you would contemplate.”

Wilson offered a compromise based on his work in Tallahassee to release some of the state-collected real-estate transfer fee. During the election, Wilson had pushed for that money to be made available to counties like Pasco so that it could be applied to roads.

By many estimates, Pasco County could receive $18 million each year from those fees if it were released by the Legislature, which would then be split with the school board. Still, the $9 million would be more than the $8 million a 5-cent gas tax would raise.

David Goldstein, one of the attorneys representing Pasco, said that he could add language to the gas tax ordinance that would allow such a tax to end if those funds became available to the county, and was approved by both state lawmakers and county commissioners. Wilson said the proposal stalled in Tallahassee during the last session because the majority of commissioners didn’t express support for the effort.

With the change, Wilson joined Schrader, Pat Mulieri and Kathryn Starkey to support the 5-cent gas tax. That means the commissioners will no longer explore raising property taxes to fund roads this year.

Mariano continued his opposition to the tax, saying there were other options the county could consider, and that this would have too much of a negative impact on business.

For more details on the discussion and the decision, pick up the Sept. 17 edition of The Laker/Lutz News.

San Antonio takes St. Leo to court over development

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San Antonio is taking St. Leo to court — that is, unless St. Leo town officials work out a settlement with its neighbor instead.

City officials in San Antonio filed a suit against St. Leo in Pasco County’s Sixth Judicial Circuit claiming town officials there violated its comprehensive land use plan and development codes by allowing what San Antonio has called an “industrial style” facility in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

The conflict is over a proposed plant operations facility on property owned by Saint Leo University off Pompanic Street.

“The construction of the facility at this location is inconsistent with the rural character of the community and the adjacent residential uses,” said Brian Bolves, San Antonio’s attorney, in a release.

The placement of the facility violates the provisions of St. Leo’s land development code, Bolves said, since it is being constructed on a hillside overlooking Lake Jovita. It would be visible from State Road 52, McMullen Drive, Lake Jovita and Pompanic, which the lawsuit says conflicts with St. Leo’s code designed to protect hillside views in the area.

A request for comment from St. Leo attorney Patricia Petruff was pending return.

Bolves is asking a judge to stop Saint Leo University from building the project, claiming it will create a “hazardous condition endangering the lives of the residents of the community and general public,” according to a release.

Yet, Bolves says he’s trying to avoid going to court. He has invited St. Leo officials to sit down and negotiate — as long as no work is done on the Saint Leo project during those negotiations. Otherwise, Bolves said he will have the lawsuit served on St. Leo’s mayor, Richard Christmas.

The Saint Leo facility, according to the lawsuit, would be 16,000 square feet of offices and storage and warehouse space. It would include 15 on-site parking spaces, with a single access point for both cars and trucks on Pompanic.

Kim Payne, a spokesman for Saint Leo University, told The Laker/Lutz News the school is “committed to constructing the plant operations building and look forward to beginning the project soon.”

St. Leo approved the university’s plans on Aug. 11. Bolves has given St. Leo until Sept. 15 to respond.

Updated 9/8/14, 11:01 p.m., to include comment from Saint Leo University.

Veterans lobbying for where in Pasco new VA clinic should go

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The men and women who have served our country during times of war, or in case of war, have been fighting a new conflict to ensure they have access to the federally provided health care they were promised.

But now part of that battle might turn into a turf war between the west and east sides of Pasco County.

Kathleen Fogarty, chief of the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, shares some of the issues her facility has faced in recent months during a packed town hall meeting of veterans hosted by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, right. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Kathleen Fogarty, chief of the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, shares some of the issues her facility has faced in recent months during a packed town hall meeting of veterans hosted by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, right.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Veterans gathered at the West Pasco Government Center last week to tell U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis where they want to build a new consolidated center made possible thanks to a Veterans Affairs bill signed by President Barack Obama last month.

The bill has set aside $1.3 billion to create or expand 27 VA clinics around the country, including Florida’s only new one — a planned 114,000-square-foot facility that would consolidate five existing locations on the west side of the county.

Many veterans have come to depend on having those centers in New Port Richey and Port Richey, and some are balking at the idea of moving the new consolidated center into Land O’ Lakes, or even into Zephyrhills or Dade City.

No plans have been finalized, or even proposed, on where this new facility would take place. But a majority of those speaking up last week were pushing for the government to take over the former Community Hospital campus in New Port Richey. That hospital shut down in 2012 after its owner, HCA Healthcare, opened the new Medical Center at Trinity on State Road 54 just east of Little Road.

But bringing that building up to the standards needed for a new VA clinic could be costly.

“We tried to get Community Hospital about seven years ago,” said one veteran, Paul Rizzo. “We met with the VA, and they turned us down, because they said the building was unsafe. It was only built for one floor, but it’s three floors.”

Despite that, Rizzo wants to have the new clinic there.

“I still say that Community Hospital is one of the best places that we could use,” he said. “It’s been standing there for 50 years now, so how is that unsafe? They say we need a complete overhaul of the building there, but what we really need is a complete overhaul of the VA.”

The Land O’ Lakes area has also been shared as a possible location for a new VA clinic, since it’s in central Pasco. However, east Pasco also remains on the radar simply because of the available land out there in case VA officials decide to build something new.

But getting out that way might create as many problems as simply going to the James Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, some say. Plus, a clinic already exists near Florida Hospital Zephyrhills. That facility will not be a part of the consolidation, officials said.

“Most people, especially disabled veterans, have financial problems, and transportation is a huge factor in their lives,” said Lauren Price, an Iraqi war veteran who is one of the founders of the VeteranWarriors advocacy group. “We have some limited mass transit here in West Pasco, and there is much more minimal mass transit that gets out to Trinity. And before someone offers all that real estate out in Dade City or Zephyrhills, I will remind them that the only mass transit out there are the mud swamp runs.”

Despite hosting the town hall, Bilirakis will have minimal input on where the new facility will be located, he said. That decision, instead, will rely on the VA department itself, which also will receive an additional $10 billion to outsource some of the care to private doctors when VA officials get behind. It also gives Robert McDonald, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs secretary, the power to remove senior executives not meeting expectations more easily than before.

Congress put the legislation in motion this past summer after a series of reports highlighting backlogs in service and other problems at VA hospitals around the country. A government investigation found some of those hospitals were guilty of flubbing appointment lists while supervisors turned a blind eye.

The report, however, said there was nothing connecting the delays created by that activity with preventable deaths.

But some of the veterans in New Port Richey still feel like they’ve been treated improperly by the system. However, James Haley VA Medical Center chief Kathleen Fogarty said many of the delays and problems experienced locally are from the sheer volume facilities like hers have taken on.

“I am very pleased to tell you that all of our clinics were audited, and we did not have any discrepancies in the scheduling,” Fogarty said. “But will I tell you that we don’t have any waiting lists? Absolutely not.”

That’s because her system handles 89,000 unique patients every year, she said. Haley has 4,000 patients a day, and conducts 42,000 consultations a month.

“I am very blessed to have the University of South Florida a bridge away from me,” Fogarty said. “They don’t have a hospital they use to train all of their doctors. We are the primary facility they use, which is a great thing for us because I think we get the best doctors out there.”

Besides where the new consolidated clinic should be located, the more than 100 veterans who attended also shared some of the services they’d like to see there. That includes urgent care, physical therapy, radiology, women’s care and greater access to dental, Bilirakis spokeswoman Summer Robertson said.

If any other veterans wants to express their preferences on where the clinic should go and what should be there, they can call Bilirakis’ office at (813) 501-4942, or send an email to the congressman through his website at Bilirakis.house.gov.

Published September 3, 2014

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Health care providers offer prescription for better services

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There’s no easy fix for the challenges facing today’s health care system. But there are some steps that can improve its overall performance, panelists said at a roundtable discussion hosted by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis.

Bilirakis hosted two 21st Century Cures roundtables at The Bethany Center in Lutz last week. One focused on health care from a patient’s perspective. The other took a look at the issue from a provider’s point of view.

A panel of health care providers discusses ways to improve health care delivery to patients. Reducing bureaucracy, increasing funding and encouraging innovation are some of their suggestions. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
A panel of health care providers discusses ways to improve health care delivery to patients. Reducing bureaucracy, increasing funding and encouraging innovation are some of their suggestions.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

At the Aug. 22 session, “Spurring Innovation, Advancing Treatments, and Incentivizing Investment,” Bilirakis asked panelists to talk about regulatory roadblocks and other issues that hinder patient care.

The providers had plenty of suggestions for Bilirakis and his congressional colleagues to consider as they set policy in Washington, D.C.

Dr. David Morgan, the chief executive of the University of South Florida’s Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, told Bilirakis the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s patients must improve. About one in five people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s do not have the disease, Morgan said.

The disease can be accurately diagnosed with PET — positron emission tomography — scans, but those are expensive and generally not covered by insurance, Morgan said. Proper diagnosis is important not only for treatment of patients, but also to ensure that clinical trial results are not skewed by including patients in the trials who do not have the disease.

Morgan also sees reform needed in the way clinical trials are conducted. The current approach takes too long and costs too much, he said.

Other health care providers agreed that changes are needed regarding clinical trials. They also called for changing the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory practices.

Dr. Clifton Gooch, of USF’s Morsani College of Medicine, said the FDA needs to focus on simplicity, transparency and consistency. Standards for clinical trials must become more flexible. The current approach looks for a particular outcome with a specific group of people, but it fails to consider how the drug benefits a sub-population.

As the nation moves toward more personalized medicine, “we need to approach nontraditional trials,” agreed Dr. Thomas Sellers, the center director and executive vice president for the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

“We really need to bring the right drug to the right patient at the right time,” Sellers said.

Dr. Richard Finkel, chief neurologist at Nemours Children’s Hospital of Orlando, said the focus must be greater on patient-centered cures.

“Patients are willing to accept different levels of risk. But the FDA doesn’t look at it that way,” he said. “They are very risk averse.”

A patient with a short life expectancy, for instance, may be willing to accept a much higher risk than someone who has a slow-developing disease, Finkel said.

There are various roadblocks in the research arena, panelists said.

“Funding is dismal,” Sellers said. Not only is that hurting research on specific treatments, it’s also hurting the entire research arena.

“A lot of people are getting out of the (research) game,” Sellers said, which he characterized as a “major casualty.”

Even when there is money, the grant process takes too long, panelists said. Those selecting grant winners also need to broaden their thinking, Sellers said.

“They’re not selecting for innovation. They’re not selecting for bold ideas,” Sellers said.  “Somebody has to be pushing the envelope.”

Finding money to pay for pilot trials is difficult, too.

“The trouble with pilot trials is that nobody wants to pay for them,” Gooch said.

There’s also a need to reform the regulatory process used by the FDA, panelists said. Improvements are needed not only in speeding the time it takes to get a new drug to market, but also in regulatory processes involving the development of new medical devices.

Lisa Novorska, chief financial officer for Rochester Electro Medical Inc., said her company can know how to improve a device, but can’t pursue those improvements because of the costs to comply with FDA requirements. The FDA plays a valuable role in protecting the public, but it also creates paperwork nightmares for small businesses, she added.

The agency’s inspections also can force small companies to lose valuable work time as employees are occupied answering questions on issues that seem compelling.

Geary Havran, president of NDH Medical and chairman of the Florida Medical Manufacturers Consortium, agreed. The FDA should focus on high-risk issues, not those with little or no risk, he said.

As Sellers put it: “I think the question is: What’s a reasonable amount of oversight?”

The medical device manufacturers also are calling to an end of the medical device tax, which they say has a disproportionate negative impact on smaller companies.

Payment for medical services is another huge issue.

“The payment issue is sometimes as much of a barrier as regulations,” said Glen Hortin, clinical pathology medical director of the southeast region for Quest Diagnostics.

Diagnostic tests play a substantial role in guiding physician decisions, Hortin said.

“There’s a possibility of destroying people’s access to lab tests, if the payments are cut too much,” Hortin said.

Many tests that have been developed could help doctors diagnose their patients more accurately, but are too expensive for patients to afford and are not covered by their insurance plans.

In the long-term, the nation needs to shift from operating on a “sick-care” model to placing a greater emphasis on prevention, Hortin said.

Bilirakis believes the private sector can help solve some of the problems facing patients today. Incentives are needed to spur private investments in health care, he added.

“Regulations can stand in the way of private investments in health care,” Bilirakis said. “The bottom line is the potential for reform is huge.”

Published August 27, 2014

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Patients offer their perspectives on needed health care reform

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Before she became ill, Ashleigh Pike was a vibrant young woman who delighted in teaching elementary school children.

Now she lives life from a wheelchair, with her mother providing her full-time care.

Ashleigh Pike, left, looks on as her mother, Beth Pike, describes the impacts that Ashleigh’s illness has had on the young woman’s life. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Ashleigh Pike, left, looks on as her mother, Beth Pike, describes the impacts that Ashleigh’s illness has had on the young woman’s life.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“On the outside, I look fine,” the former teacher said. But, “my quality of life has been greatly compromised.”

The young woman suffers from a form of dysautonomia, a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system. That system controls automatic functions of the body, such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, kidney function, temperature control, and dilation and constriction of the pupils, according to Dysautonomia International’s website.

Pike was one of several panelists at a roundtable discussion of health care issues, as seen from the patient’s perspective.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis hosted the session on Aug. 19 at The Bethany Center in Lutz to help inform his work as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Healthcare subcommittee. Later in the week, Bilirakis hosted a second roundtable, focusing on health care issues from the point of view of providers.

The first 21st Century Cures Roundtable, “Patients and the Patient Perspective,” put a human face on the often complicated and frustrating experiences that ill people have in trying to find treatments and cures for their conditions.

Colleen Labbadia shared the heartbreaking story of her young son, who has been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive condition that is always fatal. Labbadia urged a greater degree of flexibility for clinical trials in the effort to find ways to treat and cure the condition.

“Each loss of function is like a little death,” Labbadia said. “Parents like myself, we’re willing to accept significant risk.”

Dr. Samantha Lindsey advocated for Alpha-1 patients, such as herself. Alpha-1 is the most common known genetic risk factor for emphysema, and also can lead to liver disease, according to the Alpha-1 Foundation’s website.

Anyone who has been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should be tested for Alpha-1, the website recommends.

Early diagnosis can make a tremendous difference, Lindsey said.

“Even though I look healthy on the outside, my lungs are like the lungs of a 104-year-old,” she said.

Gretchen Church and her husband, Michael — who both suffer from Parkinson’s disease — were at the session to advocate for better medical treatment for people who have the conditions.

“I probably don’t look like I have Parkinson’s, but believe it, I do, ” said Gretchen Church, of the Parkinson’s Action Network.

The couple said that Bilirakis and his congressional colleagues should help people with Parkinson’s by making it possible for these patients to use telehealth services — a remote form of health care delivery.

Telehealth services would make life easier for Parkinson’s patients who often have trouble getting around, Church said. It also would reduce financial burdens.

One obstacle to telehealth are current state licensing requirements that require doctors to be licensed in the state to serve patients there, Michael Church said. The problem is that many people live in states where there are no doctors specializing in movement disorders.

“For the Parkinson’s community, telehealth has the potential to be powerful,” Gretchen Church said. It could help people live independently longer, she added.

Dr. Wayne Taylor, a leukemia survivor, said there’s room for improvement in the matches for clinical trials. Taylor, a physician from Hudson, underwent a clinical trial, and once he was in remission, he was able to undergo a double umbilical cord transplant.

In a double umbilical cord transplant, the blood-forming stem cells collected from the umbilical cord blood of two babies is used for blood stem cell transplantation. One umbilical cord would not provide sufficient stem cells for the transplant.

When it comes to clinical trials, Taylor believes more people could benefit from better matching.

Patricia Stanco, a regional care manager for the ALS Association’s Florida Chapter, posed some questions for Bilirakis and his congressional colleagues to consider:

“Is there a smarter way to do research? Is there a common-sense approach to access?”

She also wonders if changes can be made in Food and Drug Administration regulations.

“There are surely ways to get more shots on goal for research,” Stanco said.

Janice Starling, a kidney transplant recipient, was there on behalf of the American Association of Kidney Patients.

“If people in Congress would do more of what we’re doing right now, we’d get more help,” Starling observed.

She noted that Medicare often doesn’t cover treatments that are effective, or will cover them only for a specific period of time when more time might be necessary.

“What is going on? Why can’t we get the help we need?” Starling asked.

Dr. David Lubin, a recently retired physician from South Tampa, also offered some observations from the audience.

“Insurance companies and big pharma are in control of medicine,” Lubin said.

With the vast array of illnesses, Lubin said, it takes “almost Solomon-like” wisdom to know where to direct efforts and resources.

From a personal perspective, Bilirakis said he’s watched family members and friends suffer from rare conditions that have no cures.

“The right thing to do is to help our people, our patients,” Bilirakis said. “I want to take the politics out of this.”

Published August 27, 2014

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Wilson ousted by Wells, Moore heading to November

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There hasn’t been an incumbent victory in Pasco County Commission’s District 4 seat since 2002. And that streak will continue through at least 2018.

PoliticalAgenda-Mike Wells Jr
Mike Wells Jr.

Henry Wilson Jr., who surprised everyone four years ago to unseat incumbent Mike Cox, was no match for Mike Wells Jr., who took the election in the open primary Tuesday, and will become the newest member of the county commission later this year.

With all precincts reporting by 9:32 p.m., Wells had 68 percent of the vote, while Wilson finished with 32 percent.

Wells is the son of former county commissioner and current property appraiser Mike Wells Sr., and raised a little more than $86,000. Wilson far exceeded his collections of 2010, bringing in donations of $40,000.

Everyone was able to vote in that commission race since there was no November challenger, and the winner would take his seat on the commission.

Mike Moore
Mike Moore

In the other county commission race, Mike Moore took the first step in his bid to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri in District 2.

Moore took 55 percent of the vote to slide past former state Rep. Ken Littlefield and Zephyrhills financial analyst Bob Robertson. Once again, money talked, with Moore topping the $100,000 mark in donations, far ahead of either competitor.

“I am humbled by the support our campaign has received from so many people from across Pasco County,” Moore said in a statement. “Now we look forward to the general election in November, and I am excited about the opportunity we have to share our campaign message with even more voters in the coming weeks. We are focused on creating jobs and building a better future here in Pasco County, and I look forward to seeing each of you on the campaign trail.”

Moore will now face Erika Remsberg in the general election. Remsberg, running as a Democrat did not have a primary opponent.

Modem trouble caused the winners to have to delay their celebrations a little bit, as the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections office had to wait nearly 30 minutes for the final six precincts to start providing their finished reports. Beyond that, counting was quick, and returns flowed in rapidly — most within the first 30 minutes after polls closed.

In the lone school board race, Steve Luikart easily brushed off a challenge by former Pasco County Department of Health director Marc Yacht to win re-election. Luikart had 73 percent of the vote, compared to 27 percent by Yacht.

Pasco County Commission, District 2
Mike Moore –      12,080 – 55%
Ken Littlefield –     6,015 – 28%
Bob Robertson –   3,721 – 17%

Pasco County Commission, District 4
Mike Wells Jr. –      29,009 – 68%
Henry Wilson Jr. – 13,553 – 32%

Pasco County School Board, District 5
Steve Luikart – 29,721 – 73%
Marc Yacht –    11,150 – 27%

Circuit Judge, 6th Circuit, Group 1
Susan St. John – 25,787 – 66%
Laura Snell –       13,522 – 34%

Circuit Judge, 6th Circuit, Group 2
Alicia Polk –                  22,274 – 55%
Ken Lark –                    11,769 – 29%
Alan Scott Rosenthal – 6,472 – 16%

Circuit Judge, 6th Circuit, Group 16
Kim Sharpe –       22,072 – 54%
Brian Battaglia – 18,622 – 46%

Circuit Judge, 6th Circuit, Group 21
Phil Matthey –     21,437 – 53%
Amanda Colon – 18,908 – 47%

Circuit Judge, 6th Circuit, Group 35
Bruce Boyer – 25,371 – 65%
Jon Newlon –  13,936 – 35%

It’s time to vote! Primary election day is here

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Precincts all over Pasco and Hillsborough counties as well as the rest of the state are welcoming voters today as candidates find out whether they’re moving on to November, winning their seat outright, or packing up and going home.

Whether a Democrat, Republican or independent, there is a ballot for everyone, at least in Pasco County where at least one race — Pasco County Commission District 4 — is an open primary race between Republicans Mike Wells Jr. and Henry Wilson Jr. That means all registered voters can choose between the two, no matter what their party affiliation, or lack thereof, is.

The winner of that race will earn a four-year term. Wells, son of former Pasco County commissioner and current Pasco County property appraiser Mike Wells Sr., is looking to win his first election in his first try. Wilson is trying to become the first incumbent to win re-election in District 4 since Steve Simon in 2002.

All voters also will have a chance to decide a school board race between Marc Yacht and incumbent Steve Luikart. Yacht is a former director with the Pasco County Department of Health. Luikart is a former educator and school administrator, and is seeking out his second term.

Democrats and Republicans will have a chance to make their selections for governor. On the Republican side, incumbent Rick Scott is in a primary race against Yinka Abosede Adeshina and Elizabeth Cuevas-Neunder. For the Democrats, it’s former governor Charlie Crist against Nan Rich.

Republicans will have one other race to look at, the primary for the District 2 county commission seat to see who will run in November to succeed the retiring Pat Mulieri. Ken Littlefield, Mike Moore and Bob Robertson are all looking to get that nomination, with the winner facing Democrat Erika Remsberg in a couple months.

When heading out to the polls, Pasco County elections supervisor Brian Corley says to remember that Florida law requires two forms of identification at the polls containing a signature and a photograph. A driver’s license, which has both, would be enough to satisfy the requirement, Corley added.

Those without proper identification will be given a provisional ballot. In order for that ballot to count, however, the voter will have to show proper identification no later than 5 p.m. on the second day following the election.

The Laker/Lutz News, honored earlier this year by the Florida Press Association for its local government coverage, has extensively covered the Pasco County elections. To get caught up, click on any of the links below.

Nearly 6,000 turn out for early voting – 8/23/14
Wilson still collecting checks from development community – 8/22/14
Moore tops $100,000, makes district race most expensive – 8/22/14
Littlefield not ready to retire from public service just yet – 8/21/14
Moore brings big voice to Pasco, but is ready to listen too – 8/21/14
Community service morphs into government service for Robertson – 8/21/14
Campaign Crunch: Candidates reveal where their dollars are coming from – 8/14/14
Wells seeks next generation of leadership on commission – 8/14/14
Wilson depending on divine hand in re-election quest – 8/14/14
Let them go? – 8/7/14
County’s vo-tech program needs some TLC, Luikart says – 8/7/14
Yacht says school district needs protection from itself – 8/7/14
Corley warns of ‘misleading information’ from voter group – 7/18/14
Simple ways offered to make voting hassle-free – 7/17/14
Voters are mad, and it could affect turnout this November – 7/3/14
Littlefield challenges experience of his commission opponents – 7/3/14
Mulieri endorses candidate to replace her – 7/2/14
Voters can ride the bus for free to polls – 6/26/14
Commission race an open primary, other candidates qualify – 6/26/14
Paperwork snafu costs Diaz chance for Tallahassee – 6/20/14
Voters to decide between Wells, Wilson in August – 6/20/14
Moore tops Wells in monthly campaign financing – 5/13/14
Wells comes out swinging in commissioner race – 5/8/14
Altman officially files for school board re-election – 5/7/14
Mike Wells challenges Henry Wilson for commission seat – 4/4/14
Commission candidate among those appointed to planning council – 4/1/14
Commission candidates (mostly) avoid elevated toll road debate – 3/7/14
Wilson not convinced Pasco needs elevated road – 2/6/14

Moore tops $100,000, makes district race most expensive

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With just days before voters will choose just one of three candidates to represent the Republican ticket in the Pasco County Commission District 2 race, Mike Moore will clearly take the fundraising title after a final push this week put him over $100,000.

Mike Moore is a Wesley Chapel-based entrepreneur that says he can bring his business experience to the Pasco County Commission. He faces a primary against Ken Littlefield and Bob Robertson in an effort to succeed the retiring Pat Mulieri on the commission. (Courtesy of Mike Moore)
Mike Moore

Combined with the efforts of fellow Republicans Ken Littlefield and Bob Robertson, the three candidates have raised $134,348, already making it the most expensive District 2 race in the past decade. It tops the $121,111 raised in the 2006 election, and the $116,669 collected in 2010 — both won by Pat Mulieri. And those numbers included the general election.

Moore goes into the primary election day with just under $103,400, picking up $4,400 between Aug. 9 and Aug. 21. That includes $1,000 from the political action committee HCA West Florida Division, and $1,500 from Orsi Development and Springfield Homes in New Port Richey.

In all, Moore has spent just under $100,000 of that, with less than 45 percent of those funds — or $44,376 — staying inside Pasco County. Moore spent nearly $50,000 on advertising, all but nearly $3,000 of it, however, with a Ponte Vedra Beach company called Majority Strategies Inc. He also spent more than $15,000 — or about 15 percent of his money — with an Odessa company called Capital Consulting.

Robertson picked up a little more than $2,000 in his final two weeks of campaigning ahead of the primary, bringing his total to just under $15,600. That includes $500 each from Dobies Funeral Homes in Holiday, as well as listed Tampa property manager Lloyd Riales and also Eric Gilbertson, a volunteer director with the Samaritan Project of Zephyrhills.

Bob Robertson has stayed closely involved in the community, and wants to continue being the public advocate Pat Mulieri was on the board. In fact, the Zephyrhills financial analyst earned an endorsement from Mulieri heading into the Aug. 26 primary. (Courtesy of Bob Robertson)
Bob Robertson

Robertson has spent $14,270 of those funds, half of it locally. However, business cards and signs, among other things, were purchased outside the county — and sometimes the state — including $921 to a Texas company called Signs on the Cheap, and just under $2,300 to Delivery Signs of Orlando. Robertson, however, did do social media and other work locally with the Wesley Chapel company The Busy Buddy to the tune of $1,155.

When it came to advertising, Robertson spent far less than Moore, just $233, or less than 2 percent of his total expenditures.

Despite Friday being the deadline for final primary campaign reports, Littlefield did not file his financials by 6 p.m. with the Pasco County supervisor of elections office. Before that, he had raised $10,450 — about half of what he did four years before in his primary against Mulieri. That includes about $7,600 Littlefield put in of his own money, and not including about $9,000 in a listed in-kind donation on his own behalf for what he said was printing and postage.

Ken Littlefield, during his years as a state lawmaker, giving a speech on the floor of the state House in Tallahassee. Littlefield wants to continue serving government at the Pasco County Commission. (Courtesy of Florida House)
Ken Littlefield

Littlefield spent $10,300, with 57 percent — or $4,967 — taking place locally. Most of his non-local spending was done through Gulf Coast Imprinting in Largo.

After being asked by The Laker/Lutz News about why there was a delay in filing, Littlefield said via email that he was just getting home from work, and planned to file “after dinner.”

Republican voters will have a chance to choose from among the three candidates Aug. 26. The winner will face Democrat Erika Remsberg in the general election.

Robin Williams’ suicide sparks important conversations

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While the death of Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams has prompted expressions of sadness from around the globe, some local grief and suicide prevention experts said the loss also has stimulated important conversations.

Suicide-depression-r100When news hit that Williams had taken his own life Aug. 11, the celebrity’s death sparked discussions about suicide, mental illness and grief.

Williams’ death is tragic, but it has focused attention on a topic that many people would prefer to avoid, said Betsey Westuba, chairwoman of the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition.

“When I say the word ‘suicide,’ I find people will change the subject. I call it the ‘S-word,’ because people want to run away from it,” said Westuba, who also facilitates a group that meets in Lutz for people who have lost a loved one to suicide. “The point is, it’s real. It’s out there.”

To help combat the problem, people must become more alert to signs that others are thinking about suicide, and must be willing to step in to do what they can to help, she said.

Jason Tompkins, a licensed clinical social worker, said the death by suicide of a well-known personality, such as Williams, can serve as a catalyst to raise awareness to help prevent suicides.

“A high-profile suicide starts a lot of conversations with people who would not be having this conversation,” said Tompkins, who coordinates the annual International Survivors of Suicide Loss Conference.

While Williams’ death has received worldwide attention and prolonged media coverage, there have been hundreds of suicides around the country that have occurred since Williams died, Tompkins noted.

Up to 39,000 people die by suicide in the United States each year, Tompkins said. That works out to more than 100 people a day.

Deaths by suicide tend to raise many questions, Tompkins said.

“A lot of the questions that I hear in the aftermath of suicide: ‘Why did they do it? How come we couldn’t stop them? Didn’t they know that we loved them?’” Tompkins said. “Those are the types of questions that, years later sometimes, people wrestle with.”

Grief is a common reaction to deaths of all kinds, said Grace Terry, founder of Grief Resolution Resources of Tampa. It’s not uncommon, either, for people to feel a certain measure of regret for things they should or shouldn’t have done before their loved one passed away. Those regrets can be magnified when the death is by suicide.

“I believe that friends and families of those who die by suicide have a particularly difficult grief challenge,” Terry said. “No matter what the circumstance or situation, people who have loved ones die by suicide have a crushing sense of guilt.”

People wonder how someone like Williams — who was talented, rich and famous — could reach a point where he would end his life.

“When someone is incredibly depressed, it doesn’t matter how wealthy they are or how much fame they have,” Terry said. “Really, none of that matters if someone is clinically depressed.”

There are ways to help people — both those who may be considering suicide and those who are coping with the loss of a loved one through suicide — the experts said. Treatment is available, Terry said. And in many cases, those who seek professional help can get better.

“Depression can be mild, moderate or severe,” Terry said. There are times when it becomes life-threatening and life-ending, she added.

If you suspect someone needs help, it’s important to respond, Terry said.

“Express your concern in a loving way,” Terry said. Offer to go with them to see a doctor or attend a support group.

Be direct, Westuba said. If you suspect someone is suffering through depression, ask, “Are you suicidal? Are you having suicidal thoughts?” Then help them find professional help.

There are some actions to avoid, Terry said.

“Do not nag. Do not scold. Do not shame people,” she said. “Do not tell people, ‘Get a grip. Get over it.’ Or, ‘Pull yourself up by your bootstraps.’ That does more harm than good.”

Those who take their own lives generally have impaired judgment, said Terry, who at one point in her life was clinically depressed and considered ending her life.

“People who attempt to complete suicide are usually in so much emotional pain that they have no capacity to consider what pain their action might cause someone else,” she said.

The death of a comic genius that brought so much joy to others illustrates what a pervasive and potentially deadly force depression can be.

“What comes out of all of this is that we never know when someone is suffering suicidal thoughts,” said Westuba, who facilitates a group called Healing After a Loved One’s Suicide. “It’s a very complex situation.”

The group meets at Suncoast Kids Place in Lutz, which is part of Van Dyke Church. Westuba leads a group for adults, but another group for teenagers is expected to begin meeting in September.

Such settings can be helpful for people who are coming to terms with their loss and their grief, Tompkins said.

Even if there are no easy answers, he added, “It does seem very helpful and beneficial to be able to have a place to ask those questions.

“I think that it’s important to remember that grief is a process,” he said. “It’s not like a light switch” that can be easily turned off and on. “For many survivors, the sad part lives on for a long time.”

Suicide Hotline: (800) 273-8255
Local 211 hotline: Visit 211.org and enter your ZIP code to find help for all sorts of issues.

WHAT: Healing After a Loved One’s Suicide
WHO: Adults, 18 and older
WHEN: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the first and third Wednesday of each month
WHERE: 17030 Lakeshore Road, Building G, Lutz
COST: Free
INFO: Suncoast Kids Place, (813) 990-0216

Warning signs
People who die by suicide often show one or more of these warning signs before they take action:

• Talk about wanting to kill themselves, or say they wish they were dead
• Look for ways to kill themselves, such as hoarding medicine or buying a gun
• Talk about a specific suicide plan
• Feel hopeless or having no reason to live
• Feel trapped, desperate, or needing to escape from an intolerable situation
• Feel like they’re a burden to others
• Feel humiliated
• Have intense anxiety or panic attacks
• Lose interest in things, or lose the ability to experience pleasure
• Experience insomnia
• Become socially isolated and withdrawn from friends, family and others
• Acting irritable or agitated
• Show rage or talk about seeking revenge for being victimized or rejected, whether or not the situations seem real

Those showing these types of behavior should be evaluated for possible suicide risk by a medical doctor or mental health professional.

Source: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

August 20, 2014

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Arthur Kirk Jr. retiring from Saint Leo

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Saint Leo University is bracing to lose a longtime leader as president Arthur Kirk Jr. says he will retire after the 2014-15 academic year.

“While presidents often get credit for success, I am most proud of those at Saint Leo who embraced our mission, practiced our values, and pursued our vision, never fearing change, and working tirelessly to create a successful and sustainable university for the 21st century,” Kirk said, in a release. “The faculty, staff, trustees, alumni and friends have all been an integral part of what stands today as the third largest Catholic university in America.”

Arthur Kirk Jr.
Arthur Kirk Jr.

When Kirk first joined Saint Leo as its president, it was known as Saint Leo College, and had a student body of a little more than 7,400. However, in his nearly 18 years, that number has more than doubled to 16,450 students served by more than 240 faculty members, and offering 48 degree programs, from the 22 available when Kirk first started.

Kirk’s tenure also included the founding of the Center for Online Learning, which serves students all over the world. The physical campus itself continues to grow as well, with 11 new buildings over the years, and three renovated buildings, adding 70 acres and nearly 1 million square feet of new facilities.

Retiring was not an easy decision for Kirk, according to a release. And he said he would miss the students more than anything else.

“They stand as role models by practicing our core values while on campus, and then living them in the world as alumni,” Kirk said. “Saint Leo University is not about a president; it is the collective seeking each day to go from good to great. I will miss leading and working with such a wonderful collection of men and women with purpose.”

Saint Leo’s board of trustees already has contracted with an executive search firm, Witt/Keiffer, to help find a successor to Kirk. The search, they said, will be nationwide.

“The board of trustees takes seriously its role in finding the next leader for these dedicated people, and most importantly for our students,” said Cindy Brannen, the board’s chair, in a release. “The university can never repay Dr. Kirk for all he has done at Saint Leo, but we will start by working diligently to appoint a president who shares the university’s commitment to its mission, values and vision, and embraces his legacy of hard work and dedication.”

Kirk became the eighth president of Saint Leo in 1997 after serving as president of Keuka College in upstate New York. He had begun his administrative career at Kean University in New Jersey where he served as assistant director of the division of college development, and director of alumni affairs. He also served as director of development and planning for Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey, and directed the college’s off-campus, non-credit and curriculum development programs.

Kirk moved on to become the executive vice president and chief financial officer of College Misericordia in northeastern Pennsylvania, before getting the nod to lead Keuka College in 1984.

He received his bachelor’s degree and his master’s degree in administration from Kean University. He earned his doctorate from Rutgers University, writing his dissertation on small college survival strategies.