Dunes can protect beaches; more transparency from tax collector: Letters, Nov. 20, 2022

Rebuild the dunes on area beaches

Look at the picture below to see what happens when you don’t build over the dunes. You have a beach after a storm!

Perhaps Vero Beach officials should re-design Humiston and Jaycee Park beaches and rebuild the dunes by setting back the walkways and road like at the Gables in Vero Beach. Other condominiums should copy the dunes there.

Gretchen Cover, Vero Beach

Letters to the editor reflect freedom of speech

Your Letters to editor section is a good thought stimulator. It used to be irritating to read so many negative comments about my heroes.

It’s easy to agree The Press Journal seems biased in favor of the liberal establishment. We can also conclude it is a reflection of your audience. Your reputation as a liberal newspaper is justified. That comment is not meant to be derogatory. You can be whatever you want to be.

Concerning to me is when letters conflict with personal ideologies. But my thoughts have taken a different path recently. For now, as a country with freedom of speech, we can say or write whatever we want. (Public displays related to Christianity may be an exception.).

What should please us is that a significant number of citizens are involved enough to take the time to write opinions, even if contrary to what many of us believe. If a writer doesn’t mind inflation, high energy costs and electric cars, that’s his or her business. We all have friends we disagree with. They’re still friends.

We should be glad that we are living in a country where freedom has not yet been condemned; however, we are not living in the "good old days" now. Risks and challenges confront all of us. Everyone is affected in some way by incredible, expanding technologies.

A moon settlement may be a good idea after all. It could be the beginning of a new, perfect world — until Russia, China or other power-seekers arrive.

Clement Woodhull, Vero Beach

More transparency from tax collector

The column discussing the need for more openness from the Martin County Tax Collector's office regarding the cyberattack a year ago was excellent.

When the incident occurred, I was one of many who wondered if records were compromised and, in general, what was going on. The "Honorable" (as she calls herself) Tax Collector Ruth Pietruszewski stonewalled the media's attempts to get some basic answers.

It is wrong for any public official to refuse to let their constituents know if their personal information is at risk, and it is wrong to continue to hide what happened.

I don't know Ms. Pietruszewski, but I always chuckle when my tax bill comes with instructions to make my check payable to her personally as tax collector.

Jo Baxter, Palm City

Put democracy ahead of all else

I believe the MAGA crowd is a threat to democracy. They pose a threat to a democratic form of government when they attempt to gain power by lies and deceit.

It is more than disconcerting that the Republicans have chosen to follow a person devoid of character; a person closer to Vladimir Putin than to his own Republican leadership.

President Joe Biden got through to the voters regarding the threat of losing our democracy and many of our rights that we have taken for granted.

Right wing media have cited the dismal performance by Republicans, laying it at the feet of former President Donald Trump. The midterm vote was not a complete repudiation of Republican policies because basically they do not have any policies. It does indicate that Trump and his followers have failed to gain the trust of the majority of Americans.

Though we may look at fellow citizens warily, we should avoid venomous feelings. And though we may disagree regarding wokeness or whether all of our citizens receive equal treatment under the law or whether or not our gun laws should be strengthened, we should strive to put our democracy ahead of everyone and everything.

Roy Bickford, Vero Beach

Proud of Republicans' stand against abortion

As a Republican, I admit to disappointment in the midterm election results. That said, we can and should celebrate significant victories in (at the time this letter was written) likely capturing the House as well as significant mandates in Florida and other sanctuaries of sanity.

But much more than anything else, I have never been prouder of my party for doing the right thing and dying on the aborticide (that right, aborticide, not abortion) cross. Better to die with honor than to live the rest of one’s life as a life-taking hypocrite.

Beyond that, the future for Republicans looks bright if we can learn from our mistakes.  One, we need to either do away entirely with early voting fraud, or fight fire with fire and learn to cheat in the same way. Two, we need to get rid of the RINO imposters in our party like Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Lisa Murkowski, and a few others.

If these things happen, we’ll be just fine.

Barry Godofsky, Port St. Lucie

Willing to lighten Jeff Bezos' load

If Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is really having a hard time giving away his fortune, I would be happy to help him by taking a million or so off his hands.

T.F. McDonough, Vero Beach

Mother Nature does not ask for my tax dollars

I agree with recent letters that we should not use tax dollars to replenish beachfront property. It reminds me of the person who moves to the end of an airport runway, then complains about the noise and wants the airport moved.

This is water we are talking about. Ever hear of the Grand Canyon? Water dug it. Take a look at a waterfall. Where the water cascades into the river below is the deepest part. A small jet of water will eventually cut steel.

Shorelines and inlets have moved with the tides over the eons. Let nature take its course. I know municipalities all want "clean beaches." Leave beaches in their natural state. Seaweed piled up eventually holds sand down, collects sand, and then builds dunes sea oats grass, seagrape trees, etc., to help with this natural process.

Mother Nature does not ask for my tax dollars to replace natural items.

The coastal construction line needs to be re-evaluated and shifted inland based on new vertical datum. That would be the NAVD 1988 levels being used in southern counties instead of the 1928 NGVD levels in use around the rest of the state.

These benchmarks show that mean sea level (MSL on your elevation certificate) has risen more than 1.5 feet in those 50 years. Keep in mind, tidal flow in southern Florida may be 3 to 5 feet. In the Bay of Fundy it is over 50 feet. That is a six-hour change from low to high. Where you live makes all the difference.

Jeff Hamilton, Sebastian

Representation through constructive dialogue and civil discussion

We live in a complex world with interconnected parts. Unfortunately, our educational, civic and ethical systems have not provided tools needed for many to understand our environmental, economic and political complexities, seen in citizens and public officials alike.

We see record-breaking environmental disasters from climate change almost every day. I have personally watched the sea level slowly rise for decades. Yet many think it is more important to burn whatever suits them than conserve and adapt for a safer and less expensive future. Why is it better to spend hundreds of millions on resiliency and repair rather than address the causes?

Why is mask freedom more important than business' and local community’s ability to do what is best for their customers and communities and express their opinions without government discipline? And why in America should state governments tell us what we can and can’t talk about or question at any age or punish individuals or companies for expressing their opinions? Look at life in Russia, China or Iran to see what authoritarianism means for its people.

The factors leading to the current inflation are the result of years of selfish short-term thinking throughout the system. What is good for current quarterly profits or this election cycle is not necessarily best for the long term. Example, oil countries and companies are making huge profits, but refusing to increase production to lower the cost for consumers.

Most religions are based on love, morality and tolerance, not the selfish, hateful lies we see permeating our country. These are being advanced by selfish individuals lusting for money and power.

Our constitutional democracy is based on representation through constructive dialogue and civil discussion. This is needed for our country now and in the future.

Frank Wacha, Stuart

Strive to build a more perfect Union

Recently there has much discussion in our country regarding how we should view American culture and tradition.

Traveling back in time has been a popular sci-fi device and often portrays the ability to create change. With that said, should we become alert to what is occurring in the Ukraine and direct our concern and energy toward President Vladimir Putin's underlying intent?

Perhaps it is the beginning of a return to the former Soviet Union. This would represent a prime example of what "building back better" may constitute: a return to a time in which their citizens were victimized and/or prosecuted if total allegiance to the ruling party was not accepted in daily life.

From the beginning our country hailed the concept of forming “a more perfect Union"

as a grand endeavor always striving to move forward for the benefit of all.

Gary S. Weiner, Port St. Lucie

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Stopping beach erosion; openness from tax collector: Letters, Nov. 20