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Don't blame U.S. Postal Service for tax day trouble

Editor's note: The first six letters today are all in response to "Postal Service dismal April 15" letter to the editor published April 21.

Postal Service does great work

I hope the letter writer is not living in a cocoon! The majority of the people living in this world know that the economy's in the bucket. The U.S. Postal Service is no exception. While the government is bailing out the banks, the Postal Service is producing its own revenue, with no help and it is still required to contribute to reducing the national deficit.

As for the price of a stamp (44 cents), maybe he shouldn't use the postal service. Just put 44 cents worth of gas in your car and try to deliver that letter yourself and see how far you get.

As for the delay in mailing tax forms, don't blame the postal service. How long has he known taxes were due by April 15?

R. Allen, Land O'Lakes

Do taxes earlier, read the paper

The poor letter writer. His wife had to drive around wasting expensive gas trying to find a post office open late Thursday, April 15. If he had looked in the newspaper, the offices and closing times were listed.

However, I imagine he was so busy working on his taxes, which he knew were due on April 15, that he didn't have time to look at his newspaper. If he had put his taxes in his mailbox that morning before he left for work, they would have been postmarked April 15.

I would suggest that next year he do his taxes a little earlier and stop blaming the U.S. Postal Service for his procrastination!

Pauline Riffel, Land O' Lakes

Why wait till the tax deadline?

The letter writer had 4 1/2 half months to do his tax forms and then he complained the U.S. Postal Service had normal hours on April 15.

He complained about the cost of postage. Does he have any idea at all how much it costs the Postal Service to stay open late because of people like him? He is one of the reasons that postage is so much and we all pay because of procrastinators like him.

Jerry Shirer, New Port Richey

Late hours boost cost for post office

In response to the letter writer mad at the Postal Service for not staying open later on April 15, it is costly to stay open later. We receive everything to get our taxes done in an ample time before April 15, therefore there is no reason to wait for the deadline.

A lot of people's mentality is that if they owe the government money, make it wait and send the taxes in on April 15. Stop procrastinating and get taxes done as early as possible.

How would you like it if someone did late shopping and you were told you have to stay later?

Charles Sluizer, New Port Richey

Tip for 2011: Mail returns earlier

The writer was so mad because the U.S. Postal Service office was closed when his wife went there after work, on April 15, to have her taxes postmarked. Tax Day is, and has always been, April 15. If his wife mailed their taxes from her work (I'm assuming she has postal delivery and pick-up) and gave it to the carrier, it would have been postmarked by midnight.

Why did the couple, and all the other irate residents, wait until the last minute ?

Unless you're living under a rock, you should know that the Postal Service is facing hard times, as well as every other organization in the country. Why should it pay overtime to have employees postmark envelopes?

Do you think stores should stay open on Christmas day because you didn't get all your Christmas shopping done?

Next year, Tax Day will again be on April 15 and there's a good chance post offices will close at their regular times. Be on the safe side and mail yours on April 14.

Kathy Koebler, Hudson

Postal Service is not to blame

When I read the letter complaining about the Postal Service not keeping a branch open late on April 15, I was very annoyed. I am not a fan of the Postal Service but do not think it should have to pay employees overtime because people do not take responsibility.

If you are a working adult you know this date is the same each year. It was too bad the writer's wife had to drive to Tampa to mail the items, but maybe next year she and many more will not wait until the deadline.

Ceil Witt, New Port Richey

SR 56 extension work drags on

Construction on the State Road 56 extension has to go down as the biggest fiasco for the state Department of Transportation and Pasco County. Five years, and still not a complete 5 miles of road.

Three Empire State Buildings or a new stadium for the Rays could have been completed in that time. Meanwhile the ground breaking has been made for a New Pasco Hernando Community College campus and an 80-bed hospital near Wiregrass Ranch High School.

I see a half-completed strip of highway with no construction vehicles in sight. Construction is going like gangbusters on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and the State Road 54/Interstate 75 overpass, yet we can't complete a 5-mile road. Let's get the lead out.

Raymond Kobasko, Wesley Chapel

Mandate deposits on cans, bottles

Voluntary recycling will not work. I live on a street with 20 houses, of which five put out blue bags for recycling. Of those, two are snowbirds and not here year long.

I feel it's time to require deposits on bottles and cans. I would suggest 10 cents on plastic and aluminum and 20 cents on glass. Glass bottles shatter when hurled from moving vehicles. Most are beer and liquor and shouldn't be open in moving vehicles anyway.

Laura R. Richards, Holiday

Deposit will keep plastic from trash

Concerning the talk of a tax on bottled water, why not place a refund of 3 to 5 cents on all plastic bottles containing drinking liquids?

This would eliminate much trash and furnish money to whose who collect the plastic containers.

Jeanette A. Brown, New Port Richey

Why can't county have beach park?

Shouldn't Pasco County be ashamed that we cannot have a beach that is suitable for our residents? I'm not only talking about little Hudson Beach but is that the best that Pasco can come up with?

With all that shoreline and the size of Pasco County, shouldn't they be able to provide us with a nice park and beach area? What will it take for the residents of Pasco County to insist that we also have a nice park and beach area along our Nature Coast? How can all the other counties do it and not us?

Nancy Losurdo, Hudson

Recession is respite for peaceful dream | April 22 Michelle Miller column

'Outside' shoes stay out of house

I have a view similar to Michelle Miller's in the back of my house, except mine is over a lanai. I couldn't have described it as eloquently as her, she is truly a wordsmith.

One thing that caught my eye was the tracking of brown pollen in the house that gets stuck to your shoes. I can't imagine wearing outside shoes in the house. I know that when she lived up North she didn't track ice, snow, salt and chemicals into the house.

There's a sign by my front door that I copied from homes in Keihi Maui. It delivers the message quite succinctly. "Please remove shoes when enter, no take better pair when leave.''

Thomas Karcher, New Port Richey

After SB 6 veto, vote is for Crist

I am a registered Republican but have never hesitated to cross party lines, unlike my father, whose boyhood hero was Theodore Roosevelt, and who remained loyal to the party.

I did vote for Gov. Charlie Crist, but this time I have really been torn. No more. His veto of SB 6 reminded me that he still has courage to stand up for his beliefs and I know how difficult this veto was. I am not a teacher, but a senior citizen. I have friends who are teachers and I have felt their anguish.

Now perhaps, those who are supposed to represent all the people will put everything aside and come up with a bill for the good of the educators, their charges and the betterment of our schools. Surely, they have the willingness to do that or perhaps Tallahassee is not for them.

Catherine Russo, New Port Richey

Contractor is charged with fraud | April 15 article

Senior citizens doubly deceived

My husband and I both fell victim to Nicholas Stanko to the tune of $5,200 for a blacktop driveway to be installed at our home. The work was never done and after several months we contacted a lawyer for help to retrieve our money.

A double whammy. The lawyer we hired was Jessica Miller, who is currently in custody for keeping funds from her clients. We gave her $500 as a retainer fee that we never saw again.

I hope Stanko will get his due, as did Miller.

We hired the contractor in August 2006. I was 73 and my husband, 77. After many phone calls, disappointments and broken promises, we didn't know where to turn. This matter was taking a toll on our health. How can you put a price on that?

After seeing the April 15 article, I hope both my husband and I get the chance to stand up in court and face Stanko. I hope justice will be served and retribution given to those who were deceived.

Carol Sonosky-Gonzalez, Hudson

Pasco does well in cheerleading

My granddaughter is in Coconut Creek Florida Cheer. Saturday, April 17, we drove to Daytona Beach to watch her team perform at the Cheer International Championship Competition. When we got there they were calling out the awards for some of the teams that were done with their routines.

We heard Pasco Elite, then a team from Hudson, and second place win for a team from Port Richey. It was exciting to hear that three teams from our area were involved in this.

I'm sorry I didn't see any of them perform, but I know all the very hard work, dedication and time every one puts in to this — parents included.

Great job. You should all be proud of yourselves.

Joyce Peck, New Port Richey

Don't blame U.S. Postal Service for tax day trouble 04/22/10 [Last modified: Thursday, April 22, 2010 8:02pm]
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