Leftish push; students, DeSantis toxic mix; car insurance skyrockets; walkability | Letters

Put people first, champion walkability on Treasure Coast

The Treasure Coast has a unique opportunity to create walkable cities and neighborhoods as it grows.

Before writing this, I walked four hours in Alicante, Spain. I traveled on a boardwalk that extends miles along the coast and connects towns.

Then, I strolled on another tree-shaded trail to eat at a restaurant. An additional bicycle and electric scooter path is next to the two car lanes.

As the years go by, residents notice fewer cars.

Why? Because locals can enjoy comfortable walks and alternative forms of transportation.

Our Florida culture fits right in with the preferred choice of golf carts, bicycles, e-bikes and walking.

Instead of building more roads and prioritizing cars over people, we can create a walkable Treasure Coast.

We can add more shade trees, benches and places to rest.

Towns don’t squeeze gated communities next to each other, but instead have plazas, cafes, bakeries and parks in-between. Communities can create wide paths to encourage more pedestrians.

Our cities can add more signage and lower speed limits, then increase speed bumps in tight areas to protect people.

The fresh air is excellent for our health and minimizes traffic. If fewer people drive, public transportation is sustainable (for 70 cents, I can visit Spanish towns 30 minutes away by taking buses that comes every 15 minutes).

Walkability creates a better community and a better society. But it can only happen if we put people first and champion walkability.

John Paul Hernandez, Port St. Lucie

ICYMI -- more of your letters: Not racist to return paddle, prayer; Trump & DeSantis; debt issue; Reagan legacy

Sticker shock: Homeowners insurance got you down in Vero Beach, elsewhere? Paying attention to the rest of your bill?

Dark clouds loom over insurance in the Sunshine State

Thanks to Laurence Reisman for his column on Florida auto insurance.

We had two vehicles, and when the rates for both went up to $2,873, we decided to downsize to one car. Well, we thought the new rate was supposed to be $1,833, which the isurance company billed me in April. What a surprise when in May, it sent me new bill for $2,265 for one car!

I checked a few other auto insurer sites, but it was not worth changing for the $100 difference.

Now we get notice that our homeowners insurance company will no longer insure houses more than five years old. I cannot imagine what the rates will be trying to find new insurer.

Thanks again for a great column.

Elaine Pianka, Palm Bay

Here's another reason why insurance so costly

In response to the recent column on automobile insurance, I'd like to add one more factor that has led to these high rates: The state agency that is supposed to regulate the insurance industry is a captive of the insurance industry itself.The various insurance "reform" bills that have become law (except for the most recent) all benefited the industry and not you and me as policy holders.This isn't an unusual situation. Florida Power & Light Co. has much more power than the state Public Service Commission. These industries also are politically active, supporting candidates for office who are sympathetic to them.This domination by regulated industries over the state agencies charged with regulating them is true in many states.

Mark Weinberg, Fort Pierce

Satire: School parents demand end to children’s exposure to DeSantis

Citing serious emotional, intellectual and spiritual harm, Florida parents today petitioned school boards across the state to ban any mention of Ron DeSantis in books, social media and video.

“Our children come home traumatized at the very mention of his name,” the parents emphasized. “These bright youngsters have no idea how ‘The Bathroom Nazi,’ as they call him, can pretend to be such an expert on everything from Black history to medical care for transgender children, be wrong on all of it, and still enjoy the adoration of their grandparents in The Villages.”

The petitioners included parents of gay and transgender children, parents of children of color and others simply concerned that their children not be taught that history is something a politician is allowed to just make up as he goes along.

“I’ve tried to teach my children the difference between fiction and non-fiction literature, but Ron DeSantis has made that all but impossible,” stated one exasperated parent. Another stated, “when Jesus said, ‘As you do to the least of us, you do to me,’ I don’t think he was talking about all his billionaire mega-donors.”

Reaction was swift from Moms for Incivility, among the governor’s staunchest supporters.

“How dare this tiny, vocal interest group attempt to subvert the will of our tiny, vocal interest group?” they stated.

When reached for comment on the effort to remove him from all school libraries and curriculums, Gov. DeSantis stated:

“I have a nice bonfire planned for all the banned books currently taking valuable storage space away from my campaign literature. My pledge to destroy leftism begins in the time-honored way, with my friends ‘The Moms’ given the honor of lighting the first match.”

Stephen Osiecki, Vero Beach

DeSantis' 'war on woke' shows ugly side

In response to a recent letter, I have a few comments and questions:

Who are "those" calling for a Disney movie featuring a gay student to be shown in fifth-grade classrooms?

Who is presenting children with the "theory" there are more than two genders? What behavior is an attack on religion, home, family and American culture?

Who is "demanding" books featuring sex, gender "theories," etc., be placed in elementary school libraries?

My logic is different than the writer of the aforementioned letter. Her statements seem to echo those of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who continues to vilify Disney in his politically motivated fake war on woke. In my opinion, his statements contain homophobia, transphobia and general nastiness. If there are people of "religion" upset by the world changing to accommodate and accept all genders, perhaps they need to pray to their particular God for the ability to love and accept all humans, not just the ones they deem appropriate.

We are at a crossroad in our country. Do we really want to dictate behaviors to others? Do we want to continue to cast others asunder because we don't understand their sexuality? Is there no empathy or sympathy available?

Finally, book banning and burning was a part and parcel, along with the annihilation of a large portion of Europe's Jewish population, of the Nazi regime's path to ultimate power. More intelligent and more accepting minds put a stop to their bigotry then; how sad we see the ugly head of hatred again.

Sharon E. Garland, Hobe Sound

Stop leftist push, let people live their lives

When will the leftists give up?

We don't want it, we don't like it, we will ignore it. Leave us alone.

If we want electric cars, we will look into it.

If we want transgenders, we will look into it.

Leftists can't force us to do what they want; we are intelligent humans just trying to get by day by day in an atmosphere of forced leftism.

The leftists will lose; let it go. We, the people, will live our lives the way we want, not the way they want. Our vote will win.

Stop pushing the left's ideas on us. We know what is best. The media must tell the truth, open the gates and let all the people know what is going on in our great country. The time has come to tell the truth.

Barbara Bischoff, Vero Beach

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Lefties try; students, DeSantis bad mix; car insurance zany | Letters