Letters to the Editor

+ Where are the reforms?
Dear Editor:
Let us not forget the local four-year surtax — now the third in your county — with the majority of it going to extra salaries and, therefore, the big question with Scott’s proposal. OK, then, how would that work? Some districts have surtax, most going toward extra fiscal-year salaries.

So, how is that going to be implemented, if passed, with some having local school district surtax and some not? What a mess and more inequality. Can we remember the old saying, “the more things change, the more things stay the same.” Welcome to Flor-a-Duh. And by the way, where are the term limits for those well paid (overly paid) part-time school board members? Where are the reforms?
Norm Lupo
Sarasota

+ A call for action
Dear Editor:
Your article and the interview with Kevin Burns (“County to re-work noise ordinance,” Jan. 31) imply that Siesta Key does not have a noise pollution problem. We have a severe problem. Blasé Café and other bars regularly hire bands that play on outdoor stages with excess amplification. Those of us who live at the Beach Terrace can often hear music through closed windows with our TVs blaring, and we are several hundred yards away. This is not a debate about A-scale versus C-scale measurements; enforcement by the sheriff’s deputies or county code officials; or revisions to the county code, all of which need attention. It is about a local merchant failing to respect its neighbors.
Rodney Linford
Siesta Key

+ Crosswalk info needed
Dear Editor:
We are pleased that the Florida Department of Transportation has recently installed six crosswalks along Midnight Pass Road. We make it a habit to use those special crosswalks. It is quite noticeable that there are pedestrians who ignore these safety areas and cross a few feet from them. Because many of these people are tourists, we would recommend that The Observer run a feature article on these new safety crosswalks and their safety benefits and to encourage the Siesta Key Condo Association and other to provide a handout to each new arrival that talks about how they work.
Ann and Jerome Seigel
Siesta Key