Lady robber, 78, sign of senior woes; Koepka & LIV-PGA spat; Florida not free w/ DeSantis

Seniors harmed by Legislature's unintended consequences

Many seniors are at risk because of the Senate Bill-4D building safety law.

It states all reserves must be fully funded by the end of 2024, causing assessment fees to increase drastically. Increased fees have not only priced seniors out of their homes, but made it much more difficult to sell their homes.

A more caring and compassionate governor and Legislature would have drafted a bill that would have considered this rather than a knee-jerk response to the collapse of the Surfside condominium building. It was a devastating tragedy and my heart breaks for the victims and their families.

That was a 13-story building; Martin County has a four-story limit. Our low-rise condominium is subjected to the same regulations for mid- and high-rise buildings. With many fewer units, the low-rise condo owner bears a greater cost than those larger buildings. This has started a mass exodus with many owners selling their condos.

Unfortunately, it is too late to avoid the disastrous effects of this bill. The savvy buyer is asking for substantial reductions in price to offset increased fees.

While recognizing the good intent behind this bill, its repercussions will echo throughout the state for years to come.

The Department of Elder Affairs stated: “As our elder population grows, we have a special responsibility to serve and respond to the needs of this dynamic and valuable group.” Yet not one of our legislators has come forward on behalf of the seniors affected by this new law.

Does financial security have to be sacrificed to ensure safety? All safety hazards should be addressed and resolved and the mandatory inspections called for in the bill address that. However, the added burden of fully funding reserves in such a short time is callous and an undue burden on the Florida condominium owner.

Anne Immesberger, Stuart

Insurers not as bad off as they say they are?

The news is all about how the insurance companies lost $14 billion with the two hurricanes last year.

This is not truthful. They may have $14 billion in claims, much of which they will not pay, but they didn't lose all of that. So the insurance companies and legislators are again hitting the homeowners up for megaprofits.

Let's look at actual statistics. There are close to 10 million homes in Florida and, according to state's own records, 67% are insured. Again, according to state records, the average homeowner's policy costs $2,385. Doing the math, the insurance industry took in almost $16 billion on homeowners' policies. Now the $14 billion it alleges as lost are claims ― many will be paid, but even then, there is a surplus of $2 billion.

I'm registered as an independent, but I must admit I had a tendency to vote Republican. But not anymore. It is just not fair to the people in Florida to continually get hoodwinked, lied to and cheated by the state's elected Republicans.

Edward Marasi, Port St. Lucie

What have we learned since Sandy Hook?

I remember when the horrible gun massacre of Sandy Hook happened and Americans were sad upset and angry.

Wayne LaPierre, head of the National Rifle Association, counseled calm as he said these emotions by Americans were temporary. He and his loyalists, including many in Congress, went back under their rocks. The calm came again and again and again and ad infinitum.

Nothing changed except the names and rising numbers of preventable gun-massacred children, teachers and grieving families.

Joan Fox, Vero Beach

Seniors in financial quicksand find bizarre win-win alternative?

In today’s e-edition of The Guardian comes a tale of a 78-years-young woman robbing a Lees Summit, Missouri, bank by requesting handover of $13,000 in small bills. Doesn’t such a request slow a robbery and raise the chance of being caught?

I suspect her getaway vehicle was red or yellow, maybe even hot pink, and her intention was to be caught. Several years ago, a male senior robbed a bank in St. Lucie County and was caught readily, in part because his getaway pickup was red. I think his intention was to get caught.

Life in prison is much easier than on the street, probably even in the level of a skilled nursing facility the destitute old and infirmed can expect.

Both cases suggest a plan for my fellow seniors in financial quicksand.

Certainly the for-profit industry running our federal penal system would appreciate the extra clientele.

RIchard C. Silvestri, Fort Pierce

Hypocrisy abounds over perceived LIV-PGA conflict

I think golfer Brooks Koepka is correct when he says the extent of animosity between LIV and PGA players is exaggerated and fueled by the media, and columnist David Whitley offers a perfect example. He and many others are passionate about the PGA Tour and are full of righteous indignation, but they are foolish, naive or both.

LIV is a business, albeit a failing business. For decades we were told that PGA players were independent contractors, and it was that self-determination that made it possible for LIV to secure top players like Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and others.

I make no distinction between that business model and contracts between club manufacturers and players. Rory McIlroy won the bulk of his majors using Titleist clubs, was paid a fortune to go to Nike, then left for TaylorMade. Why isn't loyalty relevant for this kind of "lily pad" hopping?

As far as association with the evil regime is concerned, the U.S. government has an ongoing $100 billion arms deal with "the Kingdom," and Boeing just signed a $37 billion contract for 121 passenger jets. Nary a word is spoken about those deals. And Saudi ownership or sponsorship pervades European soccer and Grand Prix racing. So it's up to individuals, not governments or multinational corporations, to display geopolitical outrage.

The hypocrisy is mind-boggling.

Rod Ralph, Vero Beach

DeSantis peddling conspiracy theories

I worked at The Federal Reserve Bank of New York for almost 10 years and in the financial services Industry for more than 40 years.I can tell you unequivocally that Gov. Ron DeSantis' rantings about how the Federal Reserve will create a currency that it will utilize to control how much gasoline you can purchase and to limit your gun purchases is pure fantasy.I wonder if he is just making stuff up to rile up the far right-wing base or does he really believe these wacky conspiracy theories?Either way, he is demonstrating that he is unfit to be president of the United States.

Richard Sheehan, Vero Beach

GOP lawmakers, jurists taking away our freedoms

We now live in a world where an ultraconservative judge in Amarillo, Texas, feels he can ignore the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and issue a stay on the sale of an abortifacient medication that has been safely used for 23 years.

Thankfully, his usurpation of power has been negated by a more learned judge. The far-right religious conservatives in this country have been at work for more than 30 years to take away the right of a woman to make decisions concerning her own body and they are now on the cusp of succeeding in their total assault on women's rights.

There has been no comprehension of the cause of a certain pregnancy or any empathy for the circumstances that a woman might be facing in order to continue a pregnancy. These are private decisions between a woman, her partner and her physician.

There are laws in this country today that forbid an elective abortion even in the cases of rape or incest. There are laws being sought that would even prosecute those women who would travel across state lines to receive needed medical care.

This ridiculousness is simply about control. The "threat' of women being autonomous, of being strong and powerful in the workplace, of being capable of decision-making on their own, has some wishing for a return to the days of keeping women "barefoot and pregnant" to control them.

If you care about yourself, your children and your grandchildren, why not vote for those who are more progressive and see the future of our country clearly? If you care about freedom and individualism, consider that most of the current GOP cares for neither of those ― unless it involves their own "freedom" to dictate to others.

Sharon E. Garland, Hobe Sound

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Ignoring Sandy Hook; Koepka & LIV-PGA spat; DeSantis Florida not free