A Conspiracy Theory

There is a vast array of conspiracy theories. JFK, Jimmy Hoffa, UFOs, Pearl Harbor, Marilyn Monroe and AIDS are just a few of modern times. And how about 9/11 and global warming? People can be very imaginative, and manipulative, going to great extremes to prove their point with the twists and turns of a controversial subject. Validation might be in the confines of their minds but there will always be those who share in those beliefs.

Notoriety can bring small fortunes. Books. Movies. TV documentaries and way too many talk show programs highlight media coverage. Many theories are resurrected decades beyond their origination. And still speculation doesn’t resolve the issue.

Don’t rack your brains trying to come up with a conspiracy of a positive nature. Most likely, it will be a fruitless effort. Most, if not all, theories are brought about by paranoia.

I suppose I fit into that psychological profile because there are some very interesting developments of late that deserve consideration. I might be overly assumptive, but Hernando County may very well have it’s own conspiracy coming to light at a very opportune time. Let me explain.

Human Resources Director Barbara Dupre has been given a lump-sum payoff in exchange for the honorable decision to resign from a position she has held for ten years. Her escapades include such tidbits as mismanagement, nepotism, the use of email to solicit petition cards and failing to implement recommendations to bring efficiency to the department’s policies and procedures that would have benefited the county and its employees. This had gone on for eight years.

Utility Department employees have been suspended, with pay, for their part in harassing co-workers with racial slurs and innuendos. A supervisor gave his resignation rather than face disciplinary action. The seriousness of the situation is demonstrated by the involvement of the EEOC. Dupre’s ineptitude in addressing the issue is another of her supposed incompetence.

Emergency Management Department has its own problems, the full extent of which has yet to be played out. Former department secretary Stephanie Anderson gave herself overtime pay that was unwarranted, unverifiable and to the amount of nearly $10,000 worth of compensation. The involvement of the Hernando County Sheriff’s Department and the State Attorneys office shows the seriousness of her actions. Anderson’s arrest may not be the sole result of the ongoing investigation.

Emergency Management Director Tom Leto is on paid administrative leave. His oversight of the department has been put in question.

County Administrator David Hamilton is overseeing the developments of all of these situations. He has to be admired for being ambidextrous though these and other challenges that he has inherited due to the actions and inaction of previous Administrators.

Is it possible that this all began during the time period that Bonnie Dyga held the Administrator position, when Barbara Dupre was hired? Did subsequent Administrators Paul McIntosh, Richard Radacky, John Gallagher and Gary Kuhl take part in what has recently been brought to light? Perhaps each of their early departures from their positions was, in part, due to the goings on in county government. Perhaps they had reached a point whereby they could no longer turn their heads away from too many improprieties in too many departments.

Is it not something more than a coincidence that the dismissal of certain employees are occurring at a time when County Budget Hearings are to begin; at a time when the hiring of replacement employees could result in lower monetary compensation that could ease the budget crisis; at a time when unemployment is at a level whereby replacements may accept whatever pay the county offers? Will the full extent of these matters ever be realized?

And the final kicker-question, Have I become an integral part of this conspiracy?

Fasano Fizzles for Hernando County

Although it’s an interesting prospect, the very thought that a $25-million dollar manufacturing plant would be built in Hernando County seems to have come out of nowhere, as in a fairy tale. The annual pay scale of $45,000 to $50,000 makes you wonder if there’s a decimal point missing, making the figure $500 per week, which would bring more in line with jobs that pay little more than minimum wage.

The company, Coastal Caisson with its headquarters in Odessa, FL, is owned by the Bauer Group and makes industrial equipment for the oil industry. The company’s expertise lies with the design and construction of various foundations that can withstand the frigid temperatures of winters, the adverse environment of desert sand with temperatures in excess of 120-dgrees Fahrenheit, and the turbulent conditions of the salty seas.

The 200 jobs that the venture could bring to Hernando County would bring a windfall of opportunities of employment in a county too reliant on the limits of retail and construction industries. Public administration, i.e. local government, also has carries too big a share of employment for the county, as does transportation, utilities and hospitality services. Professional and business, and manufacturing are areas that need to be developed to take the county out of its humdrum, ho hum existence.

The prospects of being awarded what could possibly be a once-in-a-decade opportunity are slim, at best. The original site that Bauer is still considering is outside Houston, but Coastal Caisson and Pasco County economic development officials have brought interest to the area. Enterprise Florida is also playing a large role in promoting the manufacturing facility. With an excess of $400-million dollars in State funds to invest in local and regional economic development, eFlorida (http://www.eflorida.com/) will be a large force to bring the prospect to fruition.

Odds are that if any location were to be chosen in Florida, Pasco County would be given more serious consideration. Zephyr Hills and Lacoochee are just a few miles from Coastal’s headquarters in Odessa. Zephyr Hills is too much of a retirement community, somewhat restricted in possible locations. Lacoochee would be the most ideal site, in closer proximity to Odessa.

State Senator Mike Fasano, whose political endorsements favor Pasco and Pinellas Counties over Hernando and Citrus, has already contacted Governor Charlie Crist for his support of this business opportunity… in Pasco County.

There appears to be no rational reasoning as to how Brooksville has been placed among the possible sites for the 100-acre facility. The land is available, a realty group would be elated at the prospect but the existing infrastructure may not be accommodating.

It appears that Hernando County is destined to remain a bedroom community to take commuters to points outside the area. The best possible scenario would find qualified jobseekers in the area that could zip down the Suncoast Highway for the 30-mile trip for the higher paying positions. That is, if there are any qualified prospective workers here.

Another possible bright side would find those who might work at the proposed facility making their homes in Hernando County. As mentioned, the Suncoast is a prime commuter trail. The cost of living is more accommodating. There are many unoccupied vacant homes, some in bankruptcy, some that developers are willing to discount just to cut their losses before economic conditions worsen. Of course, there are also some 8,000 homes sites that have been approved in the past year at Hickory Hill, Sunrise and Lake Hideaway subdivisions.

At a time that is demanding of a broader tax base than at any other time in its history, Hernando County can only gawk, drool, lay back down and go back to sleep. Complacency among local government and business “leaders” puts their selfishness above what would be best for the overall economic development in the community. As time passes, the likelihood of anything other than increases in the number of residential housing and retail espousing grows exponentially.

Where does Hernando County go from this point in time onward? You might ask Senator Mike Fasano (District 11), Senator Paula Dockery (District 15), House Representative Robert Schenk (District 44), or House Representative Ron Schultz (District 43).

When you shake it all around and turn it upside down you will finally come to the realization that:

(a) The Largest Available Contiguous Parcel of Industrial Zoned Land in Hernando County is

0 acres

(b) The Largest Available Contiguous Parcel of Industrial Zoned Land in Pasco County is
260 acres

(c) 100 acres are required for the facility.

There is no more debate on the subject.

[ This blog entry is in response to an article titled "Brooksville Hopes to lure $25 million facility" written by Hernando Times Staff Writer Chuin-Wei Yap. To view this article that was printed in the March 21,2008, edition of the Hernando Times, please go to http://www.tampabay.com/news/growth/article427459.ece. ]