The Newscaster/Nature Coast News
PAGE 11 - July 27, 2011
Yankeetown Mayor's Report
Editorial - Opinion - Commentary
A Guest Commentary by Yankeetown Mayor Dawn Clary
Letter to the Editor:
Tarmac - The motion to dismiss Yankeetown’s Writ of Certiorari which requested
What’s in the Inglis Piggy Bank is anyone’s guess? Just compare the budget
the court to have the County’s decision to approve the Tarmac mine quashed, was denied
handouts; you will be so confused that everyone will shy away from asking questions. The
by the Levy Court. Therefore the case will continue and the Judge set a hearing date for
information is not in the same order, data columns are not in sync nor the same, accounts
August 8th at 2:00pm in Bronson. To have dismissed the case the judge had to assume that
are comingled and there is no year-end budget forecast with explanations.
everything that was alleged in Yankeetown’s complaint was true and that it did not still have
We have Cougar Mountain software which is ideal for municipalities. Yet we are
sufficient legal basis. Based upon that criterion, the motion failed.
afraid to use it. So, what do I mean? Simply, it has budget reports that combine data into
Levy Nuclear Units - The Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing
one form. The standard reports are superior to what you have in front of you. Also, em-
in Tallahassee starting on August 11th and continuing over many dates in August, (10-12th,
bedded it the General Ledger package is Report Writer which enables you to pick data
15-19th, 24-26th), to review the estimated project charges that Progress Energy Florida
elements and combine them in one report. So ask yourself, why don’t we use the tools?
(PEF) has submitted for the Levy County Units for the year 2011 and also the projected
We will never be able to figure out what is going on unless we have reliable infor-
costs for 2012. The Commission is looking at other years as well. They will also review
mation presented by department compared to the budget , this year actual by month, actual
PEF’s management of their existing nuclear unit Crystal River Unit 3. At this time I haven’t
year to date, last year actual by month, last year actual to date, plus a comparison both in $
gotten to the bottom of when exactly these issues may be addressed as they are also review-
terms and %. The object is to get a monthly report that makes sense. Plus a monthly written
ing Florida Power and Light stuff, apparently first on the agenda, but it may be beneficial to
overage explanation. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
send someone to the meeting just to get the first hand straight skinny. I might also remind
You will most likely hear statements like the following if you suggest a change,
everyone that the NRC has a very good web site which tracks the progress and status of the
“this is always how we do it”, “are you a C.P.A.” and other nonsense like this. If the aver-
applications for proposed nuclear plants all over the country including Levy. For very in
age person can’t understand the budget then Inglis failed. I believe that our current and past
depth info, check out NRC.gov.
Commissioners have a limited understanding of our financial statements. Why, because
Millage Rate Set - The tentative millage rate of 2.6742 per $1000 has been pro-
they continually allow monthly statements to be late and almost never ask questions. I bet
posed for Yankeetown taxes. The rate was set after the General Fund Budget had been
it’s different at home?
worked through and we did pretty good job considering our revenue is down due to the
So before you watch the planned D Merritt “dog and pony computer show”, try to
economy. This tentative rate will still have to go through public hearings before it becomes
understand the handouts on your own? Come on, take the challenge!!!!!
official. The Budget is also not final and will go through hearings before it is finalized and
For most of our residents you receive the Newscaster on Wednesday, but, it’s available on
a few numbers are not yet in although we have pretty good estimates. The millage applies
line Tuesday afternoon. I have no way of knowing if any of the above will be mentioned at
to the General Fund only, as the Water Budget is supported through user fees. The Council
the meeting but I plan on seeing this budget process through till the end.
has yet to really get into the water budget in earnest. Check town postings for upcoming
Let’s find out together how many compartments the real Piggy Bank has? Re-
workshops and hearings. Good Night and Good Luck
member the term, “Guns or Butter”.Please forward suggestions to Commissioner Tom
Brennan (Liaison Budget & Finances)
William A. Monteverde, Inglis
Letter to the editor:
Re: “Praying for wisdom in desperate times...”
The previously elected mis-managers of public funds have successfully removed
any prospect for hope out of our childrens’ future. lnstead of having trillions (yes, trillions
of dollars of surplus, held in escrow) to guarantee the ease of future generations, we have
a debt load, so great of a burden, that it is already impossible to repay, by this or any future
generations.
Apparently, most of the mistakes have been made in an effort to achieve political
correctness. lt appears as though wisdom, like Elvis, has left the building. lf we spend more
than we take in, we can only view that philosophy as “foolish,” technically described as
insolent or bankrupt.
lf we, as individuals, ran our households like the Federal Government runs theirs,
we would all be living in cardboard boxes in a ditch. Going down this road is bad enough,
but why do we feel it’s acceptable to accelerate, unrestrained, to our own demise?
So many people surrounding us are apparently oblivious to the current crisis that it
makes me think that the in-country conflict is really one of opposing world views. Timeless
wisdom tells us that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” Regardless of which side
of this division you are on, the division itself is undeniable. Reason tells us that this situa-
tion cannot endure, this house cannot stand.
Moving on, I would rather that we would refrain from erroneous labeling of Re-
publican or Democrat, conservative or liberal. After all, both parties clearly promote a glo-
balist, socialist agenda, at the cost of national sovereignty and individual prosperity. in-
stead, I propose we resurrect terms that actually have meaning - competent or incompetent.
With that having been said, all of the leadership of recent decades has been incompetent! lf
that were not so, we would not be suffering through the current crisis.
I, too, believe that it is time for a change, and I , too, am so audacious as to have
hope. The only hope for this once great Republic, is the only hope for any other, to yield to
the wisdom that only God can offer. Praying for wisdom in desperate times...
Robert White, Inglis
Buddy & Fred's Hardware
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