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The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Washington

Mixed local reaction to new defense spending bill

December 4, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The U.S. House passed the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act during a lame-duck session, but not all lawmakers are in support.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, said the bill presented a “troubling dilemma for me and my colleagues.”

“After speaking with local veterans and military leaders in my community, I cannot vote for reduced benefits and a reduction in a pay raise for our service members,” Ross said, in a statement. “There needs to be a proper balance of military compensation, training and equipment, but this NDAA does not meet that requirement.”

Instead, Ross said, it decreases the military pay raise Ross voted for earlier this year, and increases the cost of prescription drugs.

“We already ask our military to make incredible sacrifices for the security of our nation. We must look at other areas of the budget before we put more of a financial burden on our war heroes.”

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, however, highlighted the $7.7 billion that will go to MacDill Air Force Base. It also provides $26 million in additional funding for behavioral and psychological health programs and initiatives, specifically for special operations forces.

“We are concerned about higher suicide rates among special forces compared to (the) military overall,” the Tampa Democrat said in a statement. “Additional resources for behavioral and psychological health for special forces will build upon our community efforts to seek solutions in military and veterans suicides.”

The vote, which took place through a motion to concur on a amendment to H.R. 3979 written to address protections to volunteer firefighters and emergency responders. It passed 300-119, with 87 of the House’s 201 Democrats voting against it.

Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, the only other local Congressman in Washington, joined Castor in voting for the bill.

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Dennis Ross, Gus Bilirakis, Kathy Castor, Lakeland, MacDill Air Force Base, National Defense Authorization Act, Palm Harbor, Tampa, U.S. House, Washington

Zephyrhills poised to name Spillman permanent fire chief

October 10, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Four months after being named the interim fire chief, the Zephyrhills City Council is set on Monday to make Daniel Spillman’s job at the head of the city’s fire rescue department permanent.

Spillman took over the department in June when Verne Riggall — under fire for how he had run the agency over a two-year period — resigned before city council members could vote on whether to terminate him.

Spillman interviewed for the permanent position Sept. 22, and competed against Capt. Ralph Velez and former Pasco County fire service officer Stephen Smith for the job, according to city documents. The three made their bids for the job in front of a selection committee that included Zephyrhills city manager Steve Spina, city human resources director Sandra Amerson, former fire captain Scott Winters, and Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce executive director Vonnie Mikkelsen.

Velez has been a captain with the fire department for more than seven years, according to an online social media profile, and also has served on the board of Main Street Zephyrhills Inc. between 2005 and 2011. Velez has spent 24 years total with the Zephyrhills fire department, according to published reports, and graduated from Zephyrhills High School in the early 1980s.

Smith spent six years as a training chief for Pasco County Fire Rescue, according to an online business profile, and retired from that job in 2010. He’s currently a charge paramedic and trainer in Manatee County, and has consulted with and worked as an expert legal witness for EDT Corp., for nearly 25 years.

Spillman joined the Zephyrhills fire department in September 2013 after spending more than a year as a fire chief in Escambia County. He received his bachelor’s degree from Florida International University, and a master’s degree from City University in Bellevue, Washington, according to his resume.

As city manager, Spina has the power to appoint and even remove the chiefs of both the fire and police department, as long as he has a simple majority approval from the city council.

Riggall worked in High Springs as the fire chief the same time now former Zephyrhills city manager Jim Drumm led that city’s administration. Drumm resigned his job in Zephyrhills less than two months before Riggall after realizing he didn’t have the council’s support to continue as city manager.

Before he left, however, Drumm already had considered investigating issues in the fire department under Riggall. Spina continued the investigation after he took over as interim city manager, and said there were problems in how Riggall staffed fire engines and emergency response vehicles. Some of the staffing records also showed there were not enough workers on hand to safely respond to necessary calls, Spina said, and even they didn’t have all the appropriate equipment they would need.

The fire department was suffering from low morale, as well, and Riggall reportedly did not keep regular office hours, Spina’s report at the time said. Instead showing up at non-traditional times so that he could work around his wife’s schedule.

The city council will make the final decision during its regular meeting Oct. 13 at 6 p.m., at Zephyrhills City Hall, 5335 Eighth St.

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Bellevue, City University, Daniel Spillman, EDT Corp., Eighth Street, Escambia County, Florida International University, Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, HIgh Springs, Jim Drumm, Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., Manatee County, Pasco County, Pasco County Fire Rescue, Ralph Velez, Sandra Amerson, Scott Winters, Stephen Smith, Steve Spina, Verne Riggall, Vonnie Mikkelsen, Washington, Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills City Council, Zephyrhills City Hall, Zephyrhills High School

Fact Check: Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera’s campaign visit to Zephyrhills

September 30, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera made a campaign stop on behalf of Gov. Rick Scott in Zephyrhills Sept. 22, speaking in front of the Conservative Club of East Pasco.

Throughout his stump speech, Lopez-Cantera attacked Scott’s Democratic opponent, former Gov. Charlie Crist, but also made some other claims as well. 

For the complete story of Lopez-Cantera’s campaign stop, read the Oct. 1 edition of The Laker/Lutz News.


 “The high-speed rail was a project that is about $2 billion, but that would not have covered the cost of the project. And you know who would’ve been on the hook to cover the cost of the project? All of us.

“Look at California. They took the federal money, and they have not laid one inch of rail in their state for high-speed rail. They’re hundreds of millions of dollars in the hole. They raised the gas tax 6 cents just to cover the expense.

“And that is still not going to cover the cost, that is projected to be around $100 billion.”

President Obama announced construction of high-speed rail routes in several states, including Florida, in 2009 as part of his overall stimulus package to help jumpstart the nation’s lagging economy.

Florida was set to receive more than $2 billion, while California was gearing up to receive $8 billion in federal funds. However, while the federal dollars were expected to cover the cost of the Florida route’s first phase between Tampa and Orlando, the California contribution was just a fraction of the $68 billion needed to build the entire line in the state, that had been planned for decades.

The California project took a big hit last January, however, when a state judge there ruled the government could not sell billions of dollars in bonds that would’ve helped finance the project, according to the Washington Post.

In August, the New York Times called the high-speed rail project a failure, claiming the Obama administration spent $11 billion on the project, with nothing to show for it. However, Michael Grunwald from Time magazine disputed that report, saying just $2.4 billion has been spent nationwide, and that major construction of the first high-speed rail lines are just beginning after years of planning.


“In the next two years, you can expect another $1 million in tax cuts, and this is not a Charlie Crist rhetoric tax cut. Another $120 million will be cut in taxes if you have a cellphone. Your cellphone bill will go down.

“And we’re going to eliminate the manufacturing sales tax once and for all, so that we can continue to attract manufacturing jobs to our state, because those are good, high-paying jobs.

“We are going to get a constitutional amendment passed that if your (home) value does not go up, your property taxes will not go up. It is not fair.”

The Tax Foundation, a non-partisan research think tank based in Washington, D.C., has called some of these policies a “mixed bag.”

The constitutional amendment, for example, would require the approval of 60 percent of voters. At the same time, this would affect local government revenue, not state government revenue, said Lyman Stone of the Tax Foundation.

“Restrictions on property tax assessments can reduce local taxation, but only if there are also restrictions on property tax rates, effective standardization of tax-assessing practices, and strict limits on other local revenue sources,” Stone said. “Otherwise, if property taxes are ineffectively capped, localities will just raise the same revenues through less transparent means, like excessive fees, fines, or budget gimmicks that just push expenses further out.”

However, in the same analysis, Stone praised the proposed reduction in cellphone taxes. Florida, he said, has the fourth highest taxes on cellphone usage, and would bring the state closer to norms experienced elsewhere in the country.


 Drug testing those people receiving state funds “was passed in 2011, and has been challenged by liberal groups since then. We are still appealing it. There is an injunction in place that doesn’t allow (the state to enforce drug-testing) until it makes its way through the courts.”

A federal judge last December struck down the law forcing welfare recipients to be drug tested, saying the law violated the Constitutional protection against unreasonable searches. It was similar to a ruling made in Michigan in 2003 that put many proposed drug-testing policies on hold for several years.

The suit that led to the decision was put together by the American Civil Liberties Union, a group generally described as “liberal,” on behalf of a U.S. Navy veteran, Luis Lebron, who had filed for public assistance and was asked to submit to testing.

The New York Times reported late last year the program cost far more than it saved, finding less than 3 percent of those tested with positive results for narcotics.


“We talked about how we increased funding for education the last three years, and how Gov. Scott was a champion of a $480 million pay raise (for teachers). That was not a bonus but a pay raise.”

The raises, according to Scott, would amount to $2,500 per teacher, and up to $3,500 for those deemed “highly effective.” However, while the Legislature did approve a measure that would make an additional $480 million available to school districts, it’s still up to county school boards — not the states — on how that money will be distributed, if at all.

Also, the allocated money is not just for teachers in the classroom. It’s also for guidance counselors, social workers, psychologists, librarians, principals and assistant principals, according to the bill, which means at least some of the money is earmarked for those who aren’t in front of students.

Scott has pushed for increased education funding in recent years, but that came after he slashed the education budget in 2011 by $1.3 billion. In fact, despite his most recent increase, education funding per student is still below the levels under Crist in 2007, according to Politifact.


“Charlie (Crist) doesn’t want anyone to remember that he was governor for four years, and what the state looked like when he took it over. It had a 3.5 percent unemployment rate, and when he left, it was much higher. He is going to say it was the global recession, and that it would’ve happened to anybody. That is not true. The same time that Florida lost 830,000 jobs, there was another governor who focused on jobs, and they added 200,000 jobs. And that was Texas.”

Crist moved into the governor’s mansion in January 2007, enjoying an unemployment rate of 3.5 percent. However, by that July, it had climbed to 4 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As the Great Recession went into full swing, unemployment would rise to 4.8 percent after Crist’s first full year in office, and then 8.8 percent after his second.

Florida’s unemployment rate peaked at 11.4 percent in December 2009, and started to drop by April 2010.

When Scott took office in January 2011, the unemployment rate already was declining, dropping to 10.9 percent. It would take nearly three years for Scott to see unemployment rates drop below 7 percent, which it finally did in September 2013, but has plateaued around the 6.3 percent mark since last December.

In terms of what states weathered the recession better than others, Texas did gain attention for its job growth. However, many of those jobs, according to news reports, came in the oil and natural gas industries, which took only a minor hit during the recession.

Florida, on the other hand, was hit hard by the crash of the housing market, losing many jobs in that field — something Texas was able to absorb.

Last July, NPR reviewed job growth in all 50 states between January 2008 and May 2014, using data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. During that time, North Dakota had the biggest job growth at 21.2 percent, followed by Texas with 8.4 percent — both taking advantage of growth in the petroleum industry.

In total, 18 states and the District of Columbia saw positive job growth since the time the recession was in full swing, but none of them are Florida. The Sunshine State is ranked 38th in job growth since January 2008, tied with Maine, showing it’s still short of reaching its pre-recession levels by 1.7 percent.

Of the 19 states and territories that have seen positive growth since the recession, eight are led by Democrats, and seven by Republicans. Two other states — Oklahoma and Iowa — went from Democrat to Republican governors during that time span, while two others — Minnesota and California — went from Republican to Democrat.


“The first two years, he was chasing the vice presidency and not focusing on the state. The second two years, he was running for a United States Senate seat.

“And he is the first governor in the history of Florida to not run for re-election.”

Charlie Crist was touring and campaigning with John McCain after the U.S. Senator won the Republican nomination in 2008, and many news outlets said Crist was one of the contenders to possibly accompany McCain on the presidential ticket, especially since that could help deliver Florida in the presidential election.

McCain, however, chose Sarah Palin instead, and would go on to lose to Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the November race.

Less than a year later, Republican Mel Martinez resigned from his U.S. Senate seat some four years after winning it, and Crist appointed his chief of staff, George LeMieux — who many largely saw as a placeholder for Crist — and Crist soon after announced his intentions to run for the seat.

When it became obvious Marco Rubio was going to win the Republican nomination two years later for the senate seat, Crist would stay in the race as an independent, eventually losing to Rubio in 2011.

Crist, however, is not the first governor in history to not run for re-election. Assuming Lopez-Cantera was only referring to sitting governors eligible to seek re-election (which would exclude the likes of Lawton Chiles and Jeb Bush), C. Farris Bryant chose to serve just one term as governor, and did not seek re-election in 1964. He would be succeeded by another Democrat, W. Haydon Burns, in a two-year term in 1965.

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: American Civil Liberties Union, Barack Obama, California, Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Charlie Crist, Conservative Club of East Pasco, D.C., District of Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Luis Lebron, Lyman Stone, Maine, Michael Grunwald, Michigan, Minnesota, New York Times, North Dakota, NPR, Oklahoma, Orlando, Politifact, Rick Scott, Tampa, Tax Foundation, Texas, Time, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Navy, Washington, Washington Post, Zephyrhills

MOSI wins national award from Noyce Foundation

August 4, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa has been selected as one of just seven museums in the country to receive the Bright Lights Community Engagement Award from the Noyce Foundation.

The award recognizes science centers, children’s museums and natural history museums that have done what it considers to be an outstanding job of engaging with their local communities, especially in areas like science, technology, engineering, art and math. It comes with an undisclosed monetary prize said only to be above $100,000.

“For decades, MOSI has been engaged in the issues of Tampa and the region, with particular emphasis on underserved and at-risk populations, and those who work with them,” said Ann Bowers, chair of the Noyce board of directors, in a release. “Outreach and community engagement are not a separate department at MOSI, but embedded in its organization culture and actions. Commitment to community and improving lives permeates everything this institution does.”

The goal of the award, according to the foundation, is to discover and shine a light on those willing to embrace their communities in new and profound ways. A panel of 15 judges helped select the winners.

MOSI provides more than $3 million annually in free passes, scholarships and memberships to those who cannot afford them. In addition, MOSI works with educators, Head Start teachers, families and children to increase science interest and improve science inquiry, according to a release.

“Our impact on students in the Tampa Bay community and beyond through outreach programs, scholarships and trainings, allow us to bring fun, interactive STEAM education to those who might not otherwise make it to our science center,” said Molly Demeulenaere, MOSI’s vice president of growth, in a release. “This award will allow MOSI to continue its mission of being an educational resource with an emphasis on underserved communities.”

Other museums winning the Bright Lights award include Explora in Albuquerque, New Mexico; the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul; the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California; the Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia, Washington; The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia; and The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California.

The Noyce Foundation was created in 1990 to honor the memory and legacy of Robert N. Noyce, co-founder of Intel and inventor of the integrated circuit, which fueled the personal computer revolution and gave Silicon Valley its name.

The Bright Lights award and donation will allow MOSI to continue reaching underserved populations with initiatives like scholarships, outreach programs, teacher trainings, and science assemblies to help meet the needs of families and schools with limited resources.

For more information on the Museum of Science & Industry, visit MOSI.org.

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Albuquerque, Ann Bowers, California, Explora, Hands On Children's Museum, Intel, Minnesota, Molly Demeulenaere, Monterey Bay Aquarium, MOSI, Museum of Science & Industry, New Mexico, Noyce Foundation, Olympia, Philadelphia, Robert N. Noyce, San Jose, Science Museum, Silicon Valley, St. Paul, Tampa, Tampa Bay, The Franklin Institute, The Tech Museum of Innovation, Washington

Zephyrhills council takes aim at fire chief

June 6, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Update: Published reports state that Verne Riggall resigned as the Zephyrhills fire chief on Friday, leaving the city council with the job of appointing an interim chief Monday night.

Zephyrhills Fire Chief Verne Riggall followed his former city manager, Jim Drumm, from High Springs. But he might soon be following him out as well.

Steve Spina, who replaced Drumm on an interim basis as Zephyrhills city manager, wants the city council to remove Riggall from his job as the city’s top firefighter. And that decision could come as early as the council’s meeting Monday night.

“There is a clear lack of coordination and communication in Zephyrhills Fire Rescue, and a lack of support and respect for the chief from the personnel I interviewed,” Spina said in a memo to the council. “This chief is not bringing people together in a way that is critical in ensuring the proper response of emergency personnel, and the provision of timely and adequately equipped rescue vehicles. There is a clear sense of dysfunction and morale issues that impacts the day-to-day operations, and I believe hampers the ability to provide top notch fire rescue services.”

Riggall was named the city’s fire chief in 2012, a year after resigning from a similar job in High Springs after finding his position was being eliminated from the city budget. Drumm had already left his job there as city manager, and moved to Zephyrhills. Riggall followed soon after, first stepping in as an interim, and six months later, offered the job permanently.

That vote in April 2013 had everyone patting each other on the back, according to published reports. A group of firefighters had even attended the council meeting, cheering Riggall on. Then council president Kent Compton said Riggall’s credentials were “decades in the making.”

But a lot has changed in a year. Drumm resigned this past April after learning he would not have enough votes on the council to renew his contract. And before he left, Drumm was starting an investigation of Riggall, who some said had lost the confidence of his firefighters.

Many of those issues were spelled out in Spina’s memo. One of the biggest concerns was how Riggall was staffing fire engines and emergency response vehicles. Some of the staffing records showed that there were not enough personnel on hand to safely respond to necessary calls, and even they didn’t have all the appropriate equipment they would need.

If a problem had arose, Riggall said a backup unit or one from Pasco County could help, but relying on such help was problematic, Spina said.

Another issue involved the hours Riggall worked. His shift would sometimes include late nights and weekends — something he reportedly said was to better accommodate his wife’s schedule.

“Department heads should be available during the day to respond to city council, the public, staff and the city manager and other department heads,” Spina wrote. “Most people will not try to contact the chief at 9 p.m., or on weekends.”

Spina said when he asked Riggall how he would correct these issues, he was told that Riggall would “try to improve communications.”

In a second memo to the council ahead of Monday’s meeting, Spina outlined his investigation, which also included interviews with fire union representative Michael Richards, Lt. Kerry Barnett and City Clerk Linda Boan, along with “several other” fire department employees.

Riggall was placed on paid leave June 2.

Spina is asking the city council to fire Riggall, which only requires three of the five council members to agree. If that does happen, Spina has also recommended an interim fire chief: Daniel Spillman.

Spillman, according to Spina, joined the city’s fire department last September after spending more than a year as fire chief with Escambia County. He received his bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and a master’s degree from City University in Bellevue, Washington, according to his resume.

Monday’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. at Zephyrhills City Hall, 5335 Eighth St.

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Bellevue, City University, Daniel Spillman, Eighth Street, Escambia County, Florida International University, HIgh Springs, Jim Drumm, Kent Compton, Kerry Barnett, Linda Boan, Michael Richards, Pasco County, Steve Spina, Verne Riggall, Washington, Zephyrhills, Zephyrhills City Hall, Zephyrhills Fire Rescue

Bilirakis to host veterans town hall meeting

May 30, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis is inviting veterans to attend a town hall meeting for what he’s calling a “candid conversation” about their experiences with local Veterans Affairs offices.

The event will take place June 5 at 10 a.m., at New Port Richey City Hall, 5919 Main St., in New Port Richey. Although it’s focused on veterans, it is open to the public.

Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, said in a release that he wants to hear directly from veterans regarding access to care and any delays they may be experiencing from VA hospitals. That feedback will then be used to “inform his legislative approach” in trying to improve those conditions in the future.

VA hospitals have been under fire recently because of long delays in care, and reports of “secret waiting lists” where some veterans waited longer to see a medical professional than what was reported to the federal government. Bilirakis and other lawmakers, primarily Republican lawmakers, called for Veterans Affairs secretary Eric Shinseki to resign. Shinseki did that Friday, citing his presence to being a continuing distraction that could hamper efforts to correct many of the problems there.

The overburdened hospitals have dated back to before the Obama administration however, and have only become bigger problems with the influx of new patients stemming from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

“I have spent the past several months participating in oversight hearings in Washington regarding the failures of the VA throughout the country,” Bilirakis said, in a release. “Having spent a great deal of time at facilities in our community over the last several years, I know that there are many wonderful public servants at our local VA offices. However, I need to hear directly from those who matter most, our veterans and their families, in order to get the clear picture regarding how these systemic national problems may be impacting my constituents.”

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Eric Shinseki, Gus Bilirakis, Iraq, New Port Richey, New Port Richey City Hall, Palm Harbor, Veterans Affairs, Washington

Flags flown at half-staff Thursday

May 15, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Gov. Rick Scott has ordered flags to be flown half-staff Thursday at all local and state buildings throughout Florida to honor law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty.

It’s a mark of respect, Scott said, for “all law enforcement officers who have heroically given their lives to protect and defend us.”

Thursday also is Peace Officers Memorial Day, which was first signed into law by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. As part of that observance, National Police Week continues in Washington D.C., which will includes tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world.

Part of that week long of events include a memorial service which first began in 1982 that features 120 survivors and supporters of law enforcement.

The Officer Down Memorial Page reports that 105 officers were killed in the line of duty last year, including seven in Florida. So far this year, there have been 42 deaths nationwide, with three of them in Florida. That includes Florida Highway Patrol trooper Chelsea Richard, who was struck by a car on May 3.

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Chelsea Richard, D.C., Florida, Florida Highway Patrol, John F. Kennedy, Officer Down Memorial Page, Rick Scott, Washington

In Print: It’s a week filled with art, roads and the Guv’na

May 14, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Trevor Nichols is heading to Washington, D.C. And it’s thanks to Coach Keppel.

That’s Land O’ Lakes High School cross-country coach Kris Keppel, of course, who served as the inspiration for a pencil drawing Nichols made that earned him accolades from U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ Congressional Art Competition.

“I really wanted to give my coach something as a gift, something he could have to remind him of me,” Nichols told reporter B.C. Manion.

Keppel is battling pancreatic cancer, which has inspired not just the athletes on his team, but the entire school as well.

Read what Coach Keppel had to say about the drawing, and check it out for yourself in this week’s print edition of The Laker/Lutz News. Or you can read it online by clicking here.

Anyone who has ever had to pull out onto Land O’ Lakes Boulevard knows that it’s not for the timid. And that’s why some residents in the community of Silver Lakes off Fletch and Barcellona roads are not too keen about a 100-home project proposed for Curve Lake that could make it even harder for people to get in and out of the neighborhood.

More agricultural land in northern Land O’ Lakes could be history if Pasco County approves the rezoning of more than 68 acres just off Fletch Road south of Caliente Boulevard. Southern Crafted Homes wants to build 100 homes there off Curve Lake. (Staff photo by Michael Hinman)
More agricultural land in northern Land O’ Lakes could be history if Pasco County approves the rezoning of more than 68 acres just off Fletch Road south of Caliente Boulevard. Southern Crafted Homes wants to build 100 homes there off Curve Lake. (Staff photo by Michael Hinman)

“The thing is truly the safety issue of getting in and getting out,” Silver Lakes homeowner Bobbi Smith told reporter Michael Hinman. “There’s no way you can have all those homes, and have just one road to get out.”

A recent Pasco County Development Review Committee meeting addressed some of the traffic issues, and liked the idea of eventually connecting the community with Caliente Boulevard in one direction, or Ehren Cutoff in the other. But there’s a big obstacle in the way of that, and you can read about it in this week’s The Laker, or read the e-edition right here.

Finally, it’s election time again, and some Lutz “politicians” are looking for voters willing to buy their candidate into victory. A debate among the Lutz Guv’na candidates May 10 looks to raise more than $10,000 for local charities.

“It’s a silly, community spirit, wonderful thing for Lutz,” current Guv’na Suzin Carr told reporter Michael Murillo. “It’s supposed to be tacky. It’s supposed to be off-the-cuff crazy.”

Who’s running? Find out in this week’s Lutz News, or read it online by clicking here.

All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.

If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: B.C. Manion, Barcellona Road, Bobbi Smith, Caliente Boulevard, Curve Lake, D.C., Ehren Cutoff, Fletch Road, Gus Bilirakis, Hillsborough County, Kris Keppel, Land O' Lakes Boulevard, Land O' Lakes High School, Lutz, Michael Hinman, Michael Murillo, Pasco County, Pasco County Development Review Committee, Silver Lakes, Suzin Carr, Trevor Nichols, Washington

Florida first state to demand a single-subject Constitutional convention

May 1, 2014 By Michael Hinman

The first step in many to call the nation’s first Constitutional convention in nearly 230 years is on its way to Washington D.C., after a proposal from state Sen. Wilton Simpson earned approval from both the Florida House and Florida Senate.

S.M. 368 calls for an Article V Convention — named for the section of the U.S. Constitution that allows states to start the amendment proposal process. This particular convention would demand the U.S. Congress only consider and pass bills with a single subject. The goal is to eliminate the many unrelated riders that get attached to bills, amendments that may not have been passed otherwise on their own.

“This is about having the federal government start conducting themselves in a professional manner,” Simpson, R-Trilby, told The Laker/Lutz News back in January. “Most of the frustration we have with our government is that you have something like a spending bill in Congress. They always add on several hundred millions of dollars of something that has nothing to do with the subject they are dealing with. And as a citizen of the state of Florida, I am tired of our federal government being operated this way.”

What made it through the Legislature is not necessarily a bill, but instead a “memorial.” It demonstrates Florida’s support of a specific measure, in this case calling for a convention, and does not require the signature of Gov. Rick Scott.

However, that does not mean delegates should start making travel plans. At least 33 other states will have to pass similar or identical memorials before such a convention could be scheduled.

A convention of this sort is just one way to amend the Constitution, but one that is typically not used. In fact, the last time a convention was called this way, it was 1787, and that was to write the U.S. Constitution itself in Philadelphia.

Congress can propose Constitutional amendments, and then have them ratified by the states. However, if Congress doesn’t introduce such an amendment — which supporters of this movement believe Congress wouldn’t do — then the fallback position is to have states call for the convention directly.

The passage of the memorial was great news for W. Spider Webb Jr., a former Tallahassee lobbyist who founded the activist group Single Subject Amendment.

“Both parties are guilty about the use of riders,” Webb said in January. “We are not trying to give Congress a black eye. We are trying to improve the way Americans view Congress.”

Webb now plans to take the newly approved memorial to the national stage as he tries to convince other states to do the same thing.

“If Florida passes this, then other states will take a more serious look at this,” Simpson said earlier this year. “Doing a Constitutional amendment is such a large task, I think it will pick up momentum as more states pass it.”

Many state governments already prevent riders on bills, either by requiring bills to be single-subject, or giving governors the power to veto specific portions of a bill, and approving the rest.

President Bill Clinton tried to accomplish this at the federal level with a line-item veto act introduced by Republican U.S. Sen. Bob Dole in 1996. However, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that law unconstitutional in 1998.

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, D.C., Philadelphia, Rick Scott, Single Subject Amendment, Tallahassee, Trilby, U.S. Congress, U.S. Constitution, U.S. Supreme Court, W. Spider Webb Jr., Washington, Wilton Simpson

How much will it cost this year to pay taxes?

March 11, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Taxpayers looking to hire a professional to complete their 2013 tax return can expect to pay an average of $261 for an itemized Form 1040 with Schedule A, according to a new report from the National Society of Accountants.

“The IRS says it takes an average of four hours just to complete and submit a Form 1040,” said John Ams, executive vice president of NSA, in a release. “You have to ask, ‘How much is your time worth?’”

Fee information was collected in a survey of tax preparers conducted by the NSA. The tax and accounting firms surveyed are largely owners, principals and partners of local “main street” companies who have an average of more than 26 years experience.

Other average fees include:

• $218 for a Form 1040 Schedule C (business)
• $590 for a Form 1065 (partnership)
• $806 for a Form 1120 (corporation)
• $761 for a Form 1120S (S corporation)
• $497 for a form 1041 (fiduciary)
• $667 for a Form 990 (tax exempt)
• $63 for a Form 940 (federal unemployment)
• $142 for a Schedule D (gains and losses)
• $165 for Schedule E (rental)
• $196 for Schedule F (farm)

The cost to prepare a Form 1040 with Schedule A varies by region, typically costing $270 in the south Atlantic region, which includes Florida and eight other states and territories. The most expensive was in the Pacific region — states like Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington — at $303, while the cheapest was in the east north central region — Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin — at $238.

Of those surveyed, nearly 90 percent of accounting firms offer prospective clients a free consultation, which could be worth well more than $100. Also, 60 percent of firms do not require payment until returns are completed. Others may require a portion of the fee upfront, or payments throughout the tax return process.

All the fees, of course, assume the taxpayer has gathered and organized all necessary information. Extensions could cost an average of $44, while expediting a return could cost around $78.

For more information on how to find tax preparers through the NSA, visit www.NSAcct.org, or call (800) 966-6679.

Filed Under: Updates Tagged With: Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, IRS, John Ams, Michigan, National Society of Accountants, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin

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01/19/2021 – Best of crafts

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will present a “Best of Craft Tuesdays: Playlist” on Jan. 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Check out a video at Facebook.com/hughembrylibrary or Facebook.com/newriverlibrary to learn about some of the craft programs that are worth revisiting from the past year. For information, call 352-567-3576, or email Danielle Lee at . … [Read More...] about 01/19/2021 – Best of crafts

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The Pasco County Library Cooperative will present “Virtual Backyard Gardening with Jo Ann” on Jan. 19 at 2 p.m., via Zoom. Registration is required to receive an email on how to join the meeting. For information, email . … [Read More...] about 01/19/2021 – Virtual gardening

01/20/2021 – Library story times

The Pasco County Library Cooperative will offer these upcoming story times: Jan. 20, for birth to age 5: Participants can tune in anytime between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., at Facebook.com/hughembrylibrary or Facebook.com/newriverlibrary, to hear “Private I. Guana.” For information, call 352-567-3576, or email Danielle Lee at . Jan. 21 at 10 a.m.: “Virtual Baby Time with Miss Cindy.” Visit Facebook.com/cplib. Jan. 21 at 10 a.m., for ages 2 to 5: “Virtual Story Time with Miss Jenn.” For information, call Amaris Papadopoulos at 727-861-3020. … [Read More...] about 01/20/2021 – Library story times

01/20/2021 – LOL Book Club

The LOL Book Club from the Land O’ Lakes Library will meet on Jan. 20 at 2:30 p.m., to discuss “Beartown” by Fredrik Backman. Register online for a Zoom link, which will be sent out via email a day ahead of the discussion. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 01/20/2021 – LOL Book Club

01/20/2021 – Mouse bookmark

Learn to make a folded paper mouse bookmark on Jan. 20. Participants will use the art of origami to make the bookmark. Watch the instructional slide show, all day, on the South Holiday Library Facebook page. … [Read More...] about 01/20/2021 – Mouse bookmark

01/21/2021 – Gasparilla History

The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will host a virtual session entitled “The History of Gasparilla” on Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m., for teens and adults. Those that tune in can learn the legend of Jose Gaspar, intertwined with facts, fallacies and fantasy. The program will be presented by Carl Zielonka in partnership with the Tampa Bay History Center. Registration is through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org. … [Read More...] about 01/21/2021 – Gasparilla History

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