Book ban logic? Blame GOP commission, DeSantis for hurting Martin; add ice rink | Letters

Limit litigation; invest in solutions to fix Indian River Lagoon woes

You've documented only part of the problem in your recent editorial about the Indian River Lagoon and manatees; what are the solutions?

Some background: Florida's population has grown more than 50 times; from 400,000 in 1900 to more than 22 million today. According to Dr. Brian Lapointe of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, 40% of homes are connected to septic, not sewer systems. About 10% of those septic systems leak, contributing about 50% of total pollution. Agriculture contributes about 12%; stormwater runoff from streets and parking lots contributes the remainder.

Leaking septic systems would be a minor problem if not for 2,400 miles of canals and drainage ditches dug in the past 125 years. Impounding Lake Okeechobee and channelizing the Kissimmee River radically changed the hydrology of the entire state. The amount of water flowing the length of the state was reduced 75%, but the water didn't disappear; it was redirected to the coasts. The watershed area of the Indian River Lagoon nearly tripled.

Now, when we experience a major rain event, pollution from the septic systems, arsenic, lead and mercury-based compounds used 70 years ago in the farms, groves and ranches and stormwater from the streets, parking lots and lawns of homeowners flood into the lagoon, which has no currents to flush the pollutants out to sea.

These problems must be solved, but I suspect the technology to cheaply solve these problems has not yet been developed. The cost of septic-to-sewer conversions is beyond the means of most people. Heavy metals can be extracted from stormwater, but at a cost of thousands of dollars per pound.

I suggest we invest in finding economic solutions to these problems rather than lawsuits.

James Henderson, Vero Beach

DeSantis, Cabinet allow Browardization of Martin County

Having been born in Miami and raised in Broward County many years ago, I saw firsthand how out-of-control growth destroyed the quality of life down south.

I moved to Stuart from Broward many years ago to escape the urban sprawl, the massive traffic and the crime.

Congratulations, supporters of Gov. Ron DeSantis. They will reap what they sow. DeSantis and his Cabinet have overruled a judge to allow urban sprawl to destroy Martin County. My kids were born and raised here. Now as adults they will watch the destruction just like I did in Broward. The quality of life here in our great county will drastically go downhill from here.

Crime and traffic are what you voted for. Crime and traffic are what you will get.

Don Whisman, Stuart

Ice rink would benefit Treasure Coast in many ways

I am writing to point out that the Treasure Coast does not have an ice rink. The closest ones are in Palm Beach to the south and Rockledge to the north. I believe an ice rink would be a valuable asset to our community and would provide a number of benefits, including:

• A place for people of all ages to enjoy ice skating. Ice skating is a great way to get exercise, have fun and socialize. It is a popular activity for families, children and adults alike.

• A home for local hockey teams and figure skating. The Treasure Coast has a growing population of hockey fans from the north. An ice rink would provide a home for local hockey teams and figure skating groups. This would give our community a sense of pride and identity.

• An economic boost for the area. An ice rink would attract visitors from all over the region, for hockey and figure skating tournaments, who would spend money on hotels, restaurants and other businesses. This would create jobs and boost the local economy.

It is a project that would benefit our community in many ways.

Mike Cielinski, North Hutchinson Island

Citizens risk bankruptcy in appealing governor, Cabinet land-use decisions

I agree with your editorial that the governor and Cabinet should not determine legal issues in a challenge to a comprehensive plan amendment, like the rural lifestyle amendment approved after Martin County Commissioner Stacey Hetherington promised to oppose the amendment while campaigning for re-election, but cast the deciding vote for approval after the election.

A resident can challenge a comp plan amendment by filing an action in court or by initiating administrative review.

Several years ago, the Legislature allowed developers to recover attorneys’ fees from citizens if a judicial challenge is unsuccessful. A citizen could file an administrative challenge without paying developers’ attorneys’ fees if a meritorious challenge is unsuccessful ― until this year. It is now equally risky for a citizen to file an administrative challenge.

In an administrative challenge, the Division of Administrative Hearings assigns an administrative law judge to conduct a hearing. The administrative law judge issues a recommended order that is adopted as a final agency order if the ruling supports the agency’s position. But when the ALJ rules in favor of a citizen, the recommended order is sent to the governor and Cabinet to issue a final order.

The ALJ agreed with citizens in the rural lifestyle challenge, but the governor and Cabinet voted to issue a final order in favor of the developer without hearing testimony or reviewing evidence.

A final order can be appealed in court, but a citizen may be ordered to pay attorneys’ fees that can literally bankrupt an unsuccessful appellant.

The system is designed to discourage citizens from challenging local government orders. Deep-pocketed developers can write off the cost of defending challenges to build profitable projects.

Citizens may face financial ruin if they challenge bad government decisions that threaten their homes, their community and their quality of life.

Virginia Sherlock, Stuart

Republican Martin County commissioners to blame in Cabinet land-use mistake

With regard to your editorial on why the governor and Cabinet should not hear comprehensive plan appeals:

What’s clear is a governor’s Administrative Commission has no business being the final arbiter of local zoning questions. With the exception of Gov. Ron DeSantis and the attorney general, none of the Administration Commission are lawyers so they have no business conducting what amount to judicial reviews.

We can thank our so-called Republican commissioners in Martin County (like Doug Smith) for not pushing fellow Republicans on the state Administration Commission in the right direction.

As the editorial noted:

“The Administration Commission allowed five minutes each for attorneys representing the county and the plaintiff to make their cases (three minutes for their initial presentations, plus two minutes for rebuttals) as well as three minutes for an attorney representing a developer with a vested interest in seeing the comprehensive plan amendment upheld.

"Then, without further discussion, the Cabinet members shot down the judge's ruling, much as they had done in January when a similar case involving plans for a Costco store in Stuart was before them.”

Paul Vallier, Stuart

Substitute teacher: More video cameras would help

This school year has ended, and as a substitute teacher, I'm glad it's over.

This is one of the most difficult jobs I have ever done. I have had multiple experiences of having things thrown at me. I've been followed to my car and had students lie to protect themselves. On May 16, I spoke to the Martin County School Board about the Florida State Legislature House Bill 1055, "Video Cameras in the Classroom."

This bill was presented by Broward Rep. Bob Rommell. After a year of wallowing in the House, he said there were no teachers or administrators who showed any interest, and it "died." The only way I knew about it was to Google "Video Cameras in Classroom."

School districts need to help keep our teachers in their chosen profession by seriously considering and passing this extremely important bill.

Jenene Skrupky, Port St. Lucie

Good reasons to change Constitution, increase voting age

It is accepted science that the human brain is not fully cognitively developed until we reach our mid-20s. That is why automobile insurance companies charge us higher rates until our 25th birthdays.

Of course, there are exceptions, but rational decision-making increases with age. Our founders knew this, without the fancy definitions or research. That is why, when writing the Constitution, they set the following age requirements for national officeholders:

House of Representatives: 25

Senate: 30

President: 35

No matter what your political views may be, it should be recognized that many young people tend to make more emotional decisions than rational ones. Therefore, it would be wise to raise the voting age back to 21, with an exemption for 18-year-olds who are serving in the military.

All of us would benefit from such an adjustment. I believe that such an amendment to the Constitution would garner broad support.

Joseph Florio, Port St. Lucie

Through relocation, Republicans encourage illegal immigration

It seems to me prominent Republicans (such as Rich Lowry, editor, National Review) are patting themselves on the back for the success of busing immigrants from border states to big cities.

I do not believe they realize their efforts are one of many motivations for individuals to flee their homelands.

Why do I write that? Once one has made the perilous journey and entered the United States, one may be fortunate to be bused to a location that will offer one a better life.

So, instead of patting themselves on their backs, Republicans should beware of the consequences of their actions.

Ronald D. Roberts, Sebastian

Value traditional viewpoints with regard to school movies, books

In reading letters to the editor, it always causes me to wonder if many writers ever took an introductory course in logic.

A perfect example is those calling for a Disney movie featuring a main character who is gay to be shown in fifth-grade classrooms. Critics blasted the movie as indoctrination “in a year of woke disasters for Disney.”

Religious families were offended, as were others who do not think presenting children with the theory that there are more than two genders is valid. I have yet to examine any scientific basis or statistics for such traditional denial, and parents want such matters as sex left to the home and family. Therefore, many Americans look upon such behavior as attacks on religion, home, family and American culture.

American schools have been losing ground for decades, and now are in the 20s in reading, science and mathematics, when we formerly held positions at the top of world testing. Government schools need to return to the subjects they must be ignoring to preach what many of us think are unsupported theories on sex and gender.

Even more interesting is the fact that the movie in question, “Strange World,” was not released in the Middle East, China, Indonesia, Turkey, Nigeria, Uganda and other countries because of its LGBTQ storyline. In many of these countries, practitioners might receive a death sentence for LGBTQ practices. Logic tells us Disney must respect the beliefs and practices of foreign cultures and not our own.

This is similar to those demanding books featuring sex, gender theories, etc., be placed in elementary school libraries and call it book banning if school boards choose age-appropriate shelving. To throw the term “book banning” around when one has not even read Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" or seen the movie is ironic.

Audrey Taggart, Hobe Sound

Florida legal system doesn't help children

I'm familiar with a paternity case my relative filed against his girlfriend. She left in January and opened a case in Palm Beach. Both counties are fighting to keep it in their jurisdictions and my relative has not seen his child in more than four months.

No court date has been set. I wrote to both courts and keep getting the runaround. The lawyer says it’s the courts and the courts say it the lawyers.

I called Gov. Ron Desantis, whose office took my information because he signed a bill for fathers' rights in April 2022, but I have not heard back.

I feel like this child is being used as a weapon and nobody is doing their jobs.

The bills passed are meaningless, as there's been no direction to us on what we need to do. Lawyers want retainers and drag along paperwork. All documents asked for have been provided by my relative's side. My relative is upset as he is not a deadbeat dad.

He used to see his daughter every day and night since she was born. The mother seems to have fled.

We cannot understand Florida's process in paternity not being a concern for this child. Her father is so important in her life.

Kim Ryckman, Port St. Lucie

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Book ban logic? Blame GOP, DeSantis for hurting Martin | Letters