Brightline blues; DeSantis, GOP asks, but won't reply; Vero Beach road | Letters, Jan. 25

Brightline will give our communities major challenge unless ...

Anyone who has lived for any length of time in the northeastern United States knows the value of the commuter rail/train system.

It moves thousands of commuters and vacationers between work and play daily. Commuters and vacationers alike rely on trains to deliver them to destinations all over the country.

Two blocks from my front door in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, where I used to live, I could hop a train to New York; Boston; Washington; Chicago; Tucson, Arizona; and beyond. I've used the Auto Train from Florida to Virginia and enjoyed dinner and movies, all the while avoiding the chaos that can be interstate 95.

In the Northeast, communities have had generations to develop a healthy respect for moving trains and safety at railroad crossings.

Here's the rub: U.S. train technology hasn't advanced much since it was first developed in 1830s. It still uses the conical wheelset design on steel track.

By contrast, the Japanese use a system designed to elevate the trains using electromagnetic force. There is no sound except for a faint hum and a silky smooth ride at 200 mph.

Anyone living or commuting daily past or near a Brightline crossing has undoubtedly seen the signs warning that Brightline trains may exceed 80 mph at these crossings. What on earth compelled Florida to grant such an unsafe speed through so many crossings?

In rural areas, I can understand and appreciate a fast and safe commute. In densely populated areas within our communities, speed kills.

Common sense tells me that lowering the speed through these many crossings will save lives and prevent tragedy.

Bart Hollobaugh, Jensen Beach

Twin Pairs: Vero Beach City Council should bring out lawn chairs

I read with interest Laurence Reisman’s column Jan. 13 on the Twin Pairs and could not agree with him more.

I live in unincorporated  Indian River County and drive to work in downtown Vero Beach most every week day. The three lanes of eastbound State Road 60 are filled every morning when I go to work, any time between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.

I think these rear-view City Council members would see the folly of their decision to eliminate lanes if they would take their lawn chairs downtown any weekday morning and sit in the parking lot of City Hall for a couple of hours and in the afternoon around 5 move their lawn chairs over to the west, at the post office.

If you put up the orange barrels as a test, it could become a health hazard as traffic could be backed up to a standstill back past St. Helen Church in the morning, and in the afternoon it would be a real mess.

Reese Brackins, Vero Beach

Republicans ask for money, but ...

I received a letter today from the Florida GOP asking me for money to help the Republican Party. This has got to be a joke!

I have written to our:

• Governor, Ron DeSantis; received April 8, 2021.

• Senator, Rick Scott; received April 9 2021.

• Senator, Marco Rubio; received April 7, 2021.

• Senator, Gayle Harrell; received April 7, 2021.

• Congressman, Matt Gaetz; received April 12, 2021.

• Representative, Brian Mast; received April 7, 2021.

• Representative, John Snyder; received April 7, 2021.

As of this date, not one — I repeat NOT ONE — of them has made any attempt to reach out to me. This tells me what I have suspected for a long time: Our representatives do NOT care what we, the people, actually think. They do NOT uphold and defend the people's Constitution. All they do is stand around griping and complaining about how bad the Democrats are, but have no clue how to fix the problems, let alone do anything.

Of course, they will spend all the time they can in front of cameras bolstering their images and self-righteous egos, pretending to care. All of them preach that we have a rule of law to follow, and that no one is above that law.

I hope someone actually reads this and would give a darn.

Larry Ewing, Stuart

Saga of Biden classified papers leads to questions

As I watch the saga of the discovery of the President Joe Biden documents unfold, I continue to remember that these documents are from his terms as vice president.

If Biden were not in the White House, they would still be in a forgotten file cabinet somewhere.

Which begs the question: How many other vice presidents have confidential documents in their files they don't know are there?

Joan Fox, Vero Beach

Despite programs, Florida felons not easy to rehabilitate

Letter writers have every right to offer their opinions about prisons, but those opinions should not be built out on misleading factoids.

Here are some facts:

• The Florida Department of Corrections operates 145 facilities; a mere 7 are in partnership with private firms.

• FDOC issues a concise annual report showing a plethora of "rehabilitation" programs offered each to every prisoner.

• FDOC has just 83,000 felons under supervision, less than the 100,000 felons typical when Florida's population was half of today's.

• Florida has reduced its violent crime rate to just 35% of what former Gov. Jeb Bush inherited his first day of office.

Imagine a county sheriff having to monitor just several hundred FBI NICS-listed folks within that county's zip codes, shown historically to commit up to 90% of violent crime.  Those listed are forbidden to purchase or possess a firearm, hence there's validity to 24/7 "stop and frisk" laws. They work well whenever applied with vigor!

Criminals are habitual. Society has had little success getting them to become good citizens.

Jim Matthews, Tequesta

Pharmaceutical commercials: Dr. 'Google' more knowledgeable than your physician?

Here's an idea: Why should advertising touting prescription-only medication be sent to the general population who have no idea about it or its potential value?

If individuals believe their physician isn't aware of this medication or doesn't understand its potential value, they need to find a different and better physician. The pharmaceutical advertising that blinds us on TV does nothing more than interfere with a trained physician's ability to provide proper advice, while it wastes time trying to explain information that is intentionally difficult to understand.

Granted, there may be a few cases where these ads have resulted in assisting with a correct diagnosis and follow up prescription, but I suspect that it is not the norm.

Dr. "Google" does not know more than your trained physician. If that is the case, you need to look elsewhere for a better physician.

For the most part, prescription medication advertising to the general public is useless and counterproductive. Why not restrict the advertisement of pharmaceuticals to over-the-counter products?

If some of us feel qualified enough to attempt to override of our physician, we can always seek Dr. "Google" and move forward from there.

Gary M Lavorgna Ph.D., Vero Beach

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Down on Brightline, DeSantis, GOP, Vero Beach plan | Letters, Jan. 25