Cape Coral stipends, DeSantis grandstanding among topics concerning SWFL residents

Letters to the editor should be 250 words or less. Include your name and city or community of residence. Guest opinions should be 600 words or less and include a brief summary of the author’s credentials relevant to the topic. Guest opinions may include a head shot of the author. For the Fort Myers News-Press, email submissions to mailbag@news-press.com and for the Naples Daily News to letters@naplesnews.com

Doctors leaving Florida

As a retired educator and mother of two doctors, I would like to give a little insight to Senate President Passidomo into why there might be a problem retaining doctors as they seem to be leaving Florida as they finish their residency programs. I think she needs to look no further than the recent laws enacted by the Florida Legislature beginning with the six-week abortion ban and continuing with the restrictions on treatment for transgender youth, and pending legislation on vaccine restrictions. Then there is their support of the false COVID information and vaccine hesitancy spewed by Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo.Most doctors coming out of residency are young. Many are starting families or have young children. Doctors are smart; when they observe the interference that the Legislature brings to medicine, added to revisionist history being taught and banned books, perhaps they conclude that their families would flourish in a more enlightened state. Good luck attracting all those OB/GYN's you need to welcome all those new Floridians!

Barbara Almli, North Fort Myers

DeSantis grandstanding

Would anyone else besides Ron DeSantis refuse 320 million of OUR federal monies for our roads and infrastructure?The answer is no. We are the only state that won’t take this money designated for reducing emissions and improving existing roadways.Meanwhile, on December 5, 2023, the governor asked for 14.5 billion dollars to be budgeted from our state monies for transportation projects!Sounds like the governor is grandstanding at our expense. In a press release, Florida Department of Transportation said the DeSantis rejection of $320 million dollars was “due to the continued politicization of transportation funding being pushed by the Biden administration."Taking on Disney is costing state taxpayers millions in lawsuits, now again we will be paying lots of money for our roads to “own the liberals.”A. Gilbert, Saint James City

Panther protection

Purchasing "Protect the Panther" license plates is no doubt a good source of funds for Florida panthers.

But will more money prevent FWC, government and other conservation organizations from continually giving in to more and more development which depletes the panthers' habitat?

"Capt." Jack Zinke, Cape Coral 

Cape Council stipend

Every voter in Cape Coral should be made aware that when the Council went to take a vote on the 11 items in the Consent Agenda, Representative Steinke left the Council room so he would not have to be on record as voting for their massive, UNDESERVED raise, I mean "stipend."  The fact that when this vote was brought up for a vote, the 11 agenda items were not even discussed.  It took mere seconds for the council to vote themselves a raise AND authorized over $1 million more in spending.  Now City Council is saying that this is the way all consent agenda items are voted on.  I believe this is in violation of the rules, and if not, it should be.  I have sadly come to the conclusion that we no longer have a representative government in the Cape.  We have a council that totally ignore the people and their wants.  The idea that they work for us has been thrown in the trash, they do as they please without any citizen oversight since they disbanded virtually all citizen boards.  They apparently don't want anyone peeking around the curtain to see what they are planning to DO TO US, not for us. Democracy in Cape Coral is nonexistent.  And as to the installing of Mr. Carr, the LAST thing we need on the council is another Realtor who won't be happy until every blade of grass in the Cape is built on.

Marie Kavanaugh, Cape Coral

Biden shouldn't run again

Fellow Democrats, I like Joe Biden.  I support the platform he won with.  He should not run again.

Biden’s grades are not great.

Inflation: C/C+; Yellen was way off the mark in ’21, and we’re still recovering.

Afghanistan: D-; he tried to get us out of there as veep, but he’s holding the bag.

Ukraine: B/B-; they should have gotten the jets and everything they needed 15 months ago; tragically trending down. Biden doesn’t even have the chops to humiliate Mr. Self-Appointed “Moses,” Mike Johnson.

Relations with Israel: C, Netanyahu is a disaster. Joe should  get that aggressive nationalist out of there.

Climate change: B, many elements of the general public remain unconvinced and endanger all of us.

Unity of the Democratic Party: C+, Enthusiasm gap.

A traitor who wants to overthrow the United States remains at large. He quotes Hitler and cites Putin as an authority on democracy. His advisors describe rounding up millions of poor people and “crushing” opponents with glee. Biden’s personal response, effectively crickets.

“Who else could beat Trump?!”

With Joe not running, great candidates will emerge quickly. Governor Whitmer, Senator Klobuchar, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Beto O’Rourke, Gov. Gavin Newsom, Tim Ryan etc. can all free us from the cobwebs of complacency created by Biden’s incumbency and Trump’s supposed “unelectability.”

The Religious Right is ready to rule. We cannot let that happen.

Trump said he only wants to be dictator on Day One.  There will be no Day Two.

Michael Sales, Ed.D., Naples

Election interference

Colorado v Trump: What a complete and utter load of cobblers.  Talk about election interference.

This will be overturned in the Supreme Court.

Liberals are so scared of Trump and they are desperate.

Michael Adler, Miromar Lakes

Colorado court decision

Republicans are apoplectic about the decision of the Colorado Supreme Court disqualifying former President Trump from the ballot due to the “insurrection” clause of the 14th Amendment. The GOP view is reflected in remarks of  the ex-president’s primary rivals like Nikki  Haley and Chris Christie lamenting that the outcome of presidential elections should be “decided by voters,” not judges.

Okay, but where were they in 2020 when five Republican-appointed  justices of the Supreme Court in the Bush v Gore case stopped the ballot counting here in Florida  and handed the election to George W. Bush.

Why weren’t they advocating then that the election should be “decided” by votes cast by Floridians rather than jurists in the nation’s capital.

They weren’t because it depends,  as the saying goes, on whose ox is being Gored.

Marshall H. Tanick, Naples

Malignant cultural tumor

America’s radical left is guided by Marxist intellectuals enshrined in America’s universities and many high schools.These teachers of destruction emulate Lenin’s use of education to build a wall ofseparation between parents and their children, one so effective as to allowa reshaping of America’s young minds.By converting American schools into progressive socialist-Marxist re-educationcamps, the radical left anticipates that it will be able to trigger a cultural transformation within the next generation. The curriculum would no longer includeWestern civilization, civic education and other courses essential to one’s linkagewith American institutions and values. If this malignant cultural tumor is allowed tometastasize, it will eliminate individual liberty as exists in the 21st Century.Beginning in the mid-1960’s, the left made a concerted effort to take over ourcolleges and universities and as they’ve taken control they’ve trampled free speech,virtually banished conservative professors and turned our schools into little morethan huge megaphones for anti-American rhetoric coast to coast.The people who work in today's mainstream media merely mirror what they’vebeen taught at these leftist universities. Objectivity and fairness have been totallydisregarded in their reporting. The mainstream media has become the propagandamachine for the Democrat Party and nothing more. There is a strong parallel betweenthe political news reporting in Russia and the United States. One-sided bias rules the day.

Leon Savickas, Naples

Hate-filled agenda

I find it comical how Republicans continue their infiltration to dumb down Americans to believe their agenda is for the people. Not once do they mention solutions but continue their “Christian” and hate-filled agenda in our democracy and our schools.

For you to vote for anyone without any plan except to ban books and prosecute people that look or think differently is beyond disgusting.

How did you become so hateful. This is a manipulative maneuver used by Hitler and current communist leaders to control the masses. Sound familiar? Repeat.. repeat.. repeat. Just like water torture.

Now in Florida we have a narcissistic couple trying to control your party and schools. Arrogant and sexual abusers.  Beyond disgusting.

Defund government payments to private and charter schools that restrict learning. Let your kids learn with open eyes and hearts.

Democracy works. Let teachers teach. Learn how to accept difference and keep your “church” at home.

Christianne Murphy, Bonita Springs

Lightning round

It’s time for another lightning round!

Urgent Legislation – Funding for arms for allies (Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan) and for full control of our southern border should be packaged in the same bill. Biden should take leaders from both sides of the aisle to Camp David and stay with them until a comprise agreement is hammered out.

Israel vs Hamas – The U.S. must continue to support Israel, our strongest ally in the Mideast. Hamas must be destroyed, otherwise they will reconstitute and attack again in the future. Time and again, Palestinian leaders in Gaza and the West Bank have thrown away opportunities for a two-state solution. I suggest a three-state solution: give Gaza back to Egypt and the West Bank back to Jordan, or at least let them rule until militants in both territories are suppressed. Israel stays as it is.

Antisemitism – “From the river to the sea” is hate speech and it is awful to see antisemitic demonstrations on elite college campuses and by members of Congress. More college presidents should lose their jobs and “the Squad” in Congress should not be reelected.

Abortion – The cancellation of Roe v. Wade (that had legalized abortion) has led to a bevy of new rules in all the states. At the least, Congress should adopt protections for women from states with tight antiabortion laws who travel to states with looser or no rules to have abortions. Florida’s rules are much too tight and will severely harm DeSantis, should he be the Republican nominee for president.

Guns – Drivers' licenses from any state are recognized in all other states. The Supreme Court has reaffirmed the 2nd Amendment, so gun laws should be standardized by Congress across all the states and territories. The 1st Amendment (free speech) has exceptions, such as not shouting “FIRE!” in a crowded theater. Similar exceptions exist for the 2nd Amendment, such as prohibiting felons to possess firearms, which exceptions should also be standardized by Congress.

Presidential candidates – Within a few months we will know the likely Republican and Democratic nominees for president. Right now, the likeliest are Biden and Trump, but both have significant legal problems to deal with. Hopefully, and for the good of the nation, neither should run. I like Nikki Haley and I suppose Gavin Newsom would run.

Ira Cotton, Naples

Shameful actions

Well now, I last year mentioned Sec. 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. I think it should apply to "any" politicians that took part in trying to halt a free and fair election. This in my opinion should obviously apply to our local representatives, who voted against the certification of the voters' will. Remember this was shown to be part and parcel to the violent insurrection that very same day. I can only imagine how historians will speak on this. Shameful actions taken by power hungry people. That's sad!

Robert Jenkins, Naples

Left slant of letters

I would say I was surprised at a recent letter suggesting that conservatives were too stupid to write letters to the editor and that's why there are fewer of them in the paper, but I really wasn't. I was with him on the first part where he suggested the possibility that the editors who select the letters might have a built in bias. Given the fact that the majority of mainstream media leans left, this would be a reasonable possibility. I also wondered about the left slant of letters and I have spoken with many people in the community regarding this issue. Last fall, while working on a campaign for a local election, I asked why the majority of letters leaned left. They said it was because conservatives don't read the Naples Daily News. Conversations I have had with other conservatives confirm this. Slipping subscription rates over the last several years could suggest that people are turning to the internet for their news and most people no longer read a print edition of a newspaper. Considering that Naples is a right leaning community, it's unfortunate that our main newspaper does not reflect the values that the community holds. Back in the day, we used the term "silent majority." To the letter writer who implied that conservatives are too stupid to articulate an opinion, how'd I do?

Allison Spataro, Naples

Important services

I am writing today to inform you of the critical importance the Home and Community Service Based Waiver, commonly called the iBudget Waiver, funded through the Agency of Persons with Disabilities, plays in the lives of those individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. My twin boys’ benefit from these services, and I have experienced firsthand the positive impact they receive.

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have two options for their long-term health care needs: (1) an institutional setting or (2) services through the Home and Community Service-Based Waiver. The iBudget Waiver Program plays a crucial role in fostering independence and providing essential supports for these individuals to lead fulfilling lives in their own community. Florida is ranked 49th because this program has not had adequate attention or funding. The Waiting List to enroll for the iBudget Waiver has approximately 22,000 individuals with the average wait time from 10-20 years!

I'm a native to Collier and a mother of four, with twin boys facing severe autism. II was raised in paradise, in the heart of Freedom Town USA, and my greatest desire is for all my kids to enjoy the same opportunities. My encounter with the waiver program was sparked by a traumatic incident at my son's school, where he faced a life-threatening accident. Despite reaching out to the Agency for Persons with Disabilities for assistance, their initial promise of a lifeline turned into a bureaucratic ordeal, leaving my family drowning in paperwork. I tenaciously pursued the program, but it took an agonizing 385 days for my boys to finally receive the help they needed.

However, the path to securing assistance was riddled with challenges — from limited provider options to bureaucratic hurdles and even instances of fraud. The struggle culminated in my reaching out to legislators for advocacy. My story underscores the need for legislative improvements to ensure families facing crises can access essential services promptly. The support of our legislators can make a profound difference in the lives of families navigating the complex landscape of disability services.

This 2024 Legislative Session, I urge our legislators and our community leaders to prioritize the continued funding of the iBudget Waiver Program. This is a lifeline for those depending on it, and cuts or limitations will significantly impact the well-being of this vulnerable population. Let us stand together to advocate for the sustained support and improvement of programs that make a substantial difference in the lives of these individuals.

Stephanie Nordin, Naples

Hypocrisy is stunning

The hypocrisy is stunning. Bridget Ziegler, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, the far-right organization that believes public school teachers are indoctrinating our children to hate their country and question their sexual identity, apparently has a penchant for threesomes.  Her sex life is her business until she sets herself up as an arbiter of decency and says she and her cohorts will decide what’s appropriate for our children to be reading. Moms for Liberty is best known for their efforts to ban books from school and classroom libraries.

Christian Ziegler, Bridget’s husband, another “family values” Republican, and head of the GOP in Florida, stands accused of rape and sexual battery against a woman he and his wife have sex with.  When she refused another tryst, he allegedly raped her.  Governor DeSantis has called for his resignation.

Bridget Ziegler refuses to resign from her seat on the Sarasota school board, despite a resolution passed by her colleagues urging her to do so and intense pressure from community members and many others. She is notoriously anti-LGTBQ; apparently in her view there’s nothing “gay” about a threesome with another woman.  But she considers it her mission to protect our children from pornography.  Tell you what: I trust teachers and school librarians; I don’t trust Bridget Ziegler and her husband and those who defend them.

Ray Clasen, North Fort Myers

Dictatorship

Question: How long does it take to establish a dictatorship?Answer: One day.Source: Donald J Trump

Bob Ford, Fort Myers

Unfit to be president

Liz Cheney and Cassidy Hutchinson: Trump is unfit to be president. Trump claims that he will be a dictator from DAY 1 if re-elected. Be careful what you wish for because you might get it - your loss of freedom, destruction of our Constitution-based Democracy.Real Republicans Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger exposed on TV for months the treasonous attacks January 6 on our U.S. Capitol. On that day Trump’s cultish sycophants injured 150 police leaving five dead while attempting to stay in power. Trump claimed he could kill anyone (on Fifth Avenue) and not be held accountable (above the law).USA’s democracy is threatened apocalyptically by Trumpism/Christian Nationalism lies and deception mediated through Fox News and social media. Listen to the advice of people who know sociopathic hatred/power seeking of Trump. Watch Liz Cheney’s and Cassidy Hutchinson’s (Trump’s White House aide) honest insightful demeanor on TV warning American voters of the dangers of another Trump presidency.The silence of the Republican pseudo-leadership in Congress to condemn Trump’s commitment to destroy our democracy is deafening indeed. Members of Congress failed to impeach Trump and their oath of office to defend the Constitution of the USA. Believe Liz Cheney and Cassidy Hutchinson stating that Trump is unfit to be president.William Pettinger M.D., Bonita Springs

Antisemitism

Much has been said and written about the congressional testimony of college presidents from Harvard, MIT, and the University of Pennsylvania. Their responses to a straightforward question about overt antisemitism on their campuses may have been disgraceful, but they were carefully prepared, honestly represented the will and intent of their institutions, and are only the tip of the iceberg. The same response could have come from the presidents of Duke, Brown, Princeton, Swarthmore, NYU, Rice and scores of other private or state colleges and universities.

To be realistic, college presidents have limited authority to set policy. Their primary job is to raise money. Two major sources of funds are the federal government, which requires compliance with race obsessed DEI mandates and tolerates their exclusive weaponization against Jewish students, and Arab monarchies with suspect motives. We downplayed their influence and outright ignored the old/new culture of Jew detestation they fostered until latter day brownshirts parading in the streets forced our attention. After all, what happens on campus stays on campus; except we have discovered that we all live on campus.For the first time in the history of the republic there is an unspoken concern that the United States, following in the footsteps of countries we called home for hundreds of years, could become unsafe for Jews. That, not the public turpitude of a few academics, is the tragedy.Allen Menkin, M.D., Naples

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: DeSantis grandstanding, Biden run concerning to SWFL residents