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THE SUNCOAST NEWS

Published: November 14, 2009

State Sen. Michael Fasano is taking Pinellas County to task for failing to implement a program he shepherded through the Legislature. County officials should continue to take their time.

Fasano, the New Port Richey Republican who is president pro tempore of the Senate, is miffed because Pinellas has not yet implemented the program to help first-time buyers make house down payments and cover closing costs on mortgages. The state money is a bridge loan meant to help until their $8,000 income tax credit from the federal government arrives.

Pinellas is the only county in the state not on board, to which Fasano says, "Pinellas County needs to get their act together and needs to implement this program."

Or maybe not. May we be rude enough to suggest government trying to put people into houses they really can't afford is what has gotten us into the current economic mess? Many of the owners of houses around the nation now being foreclosed on received anti-foreclosure assistance from the federal government earlier this year.

Pinellas officials say they're actually trying to implement the loan program but state officials are making it difficult and the two sides have been going back and forth for months. Let those disagreements continue.

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