Letters to the Editor: June 19, 2022

Vero’s big plans start 1 way, turn out otherwise

What kind of shell game are they running in Vero Beach? First, they pay off Marina debt with FP&L largesse (taxpayer money) and plan to refurbish it. Everyone agrees; it’s been neglected for years.

Then — without sunshine — it becomes a three-phase, multimillion-dollar deal with capital and general fund financing. The actual marina renovations come years from now and will benefit few city taxpayers.

Dock expansion? I remember when someone wanted to build homes with docks on the river. His plan was stopped based on potential damage to the Lagoon. The Lagoon is in terrible condition now, so much so that the city has upped stormwater taxes. What changed?

The city has a bad record at business management from the electric company and contentious water/sewer services to the existing dilapidated Marina. Where are the market statistics and credible projections for marina services demand? Where are the environmental impact studies and mitigation costs? You don’t expand a business on a pipe dream with OPM: Other People’s Money.

Then without an “action item” on the meeting agenda and no public comment, they generously vote to gift the school district $1 million (taxpayer money). Some of what was wanted for Three Corners is now conveniently pushed to the new school recreation project, and a developer can build more commercial space at Three Corners. Like the marina plan, Three Corners started out one way and turned out another — a big 99-year developer’s dream. Who exactly benefits from these projects?

Along with snarky council members, there’s a city employee at the council meetings heckling the taxpayers. When his boss was asked about it, he claimed free speech rights — on the taxpayers’ dime. And these people want to be re-elected or elected to new positions? Stewards of public money they should never be.

Susan Mehiel, Vero Beach

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Martin County ‘rural lifestyle’ amendment is back for a vote Tuesday

This Tuesday, June 21, the Martin County Board of County Commissioners will be reviewing a significant change to the Comprehensive Plan, the same Rural Lifestyle Amendment they tabled in April. They know that the seasonal taxpayers and many voters will be unaware and not be at the meeting to look them in the eye.

At stake is a change to the unincorporated area, potentially 70,000 acres or more of agricultural land that could potentially be rezoned for high-income development and golf courses. All outside the Urban Service District, urban sprawl at its worst, and still the commission hasn't addressed the needed worker housing that will service these developments or habitat fragmentation.

As I was writing this I received a memo from Martin County about water restrictions, and it brings back memories of other water woes — the algae pollution that ruined our river. Yet our commission is welcoming more golf clubs and resort developments, a concept written by a non-resident developer without ever having sponsored public workshops. Included as backup in the agenda are plans for green-ways and avoiding urban sprawl. It's too bad they weren't incorporated into our Comprehensive Plan.

Geraldine Genco Dube, Jupiter

Republicans should want more Martin County residents to vote

There are lies, big lies and then there's Democrat Party propaganda.

One of the pieces of Democrat Party propaganda we saw this week was a piece put out by the Democrats in Martin County showing Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Brian Mast leading some kind of effort to keep people here in Martin County from voting.

If there is any assertion any more asinine than that one it would simply boggle the mind. In Martin County for last four presidential elections the Republican candidate for president received 56% in 2008, 57% in 2012 and over 61% in 2016 and 2020. Why would Republicans at any level attempt to keep such voters from coming to the polls? Again, it boggles the mind but it seems that Democrats, on a national, state and local level, will never allow an asinine assertion to get in the way of their propaganda.

So this member of Martin County's Republican Executive Committee invites all those who received this asinine piece of propaganda to fill out the registration form contained therein and enroll Republican as do most of your neighbors. Vote in the Republican primary on Aug. 23 and in the general election against inflation and the policies that have caused it. By doing so you swat the lies away.

David S. Levine, Hobe Sound

High-capacity magazines a common denominator in many mass shootings

Solving problems requires diagnosing their cause and applying appropriate remedies. The common denominator of mass shootings with multiple fatalities is the use of assault rifles and handguns with high-capacity magazines. The simplest solution to reducing the number of victims of such mass shootings is to eliminate high-capacity magazines. Gun lobbies, the gun industries and some gun owners will scream that this is an unconstitutional assault on their rights. I beg to differ.

My recollection was that the magazine of my father’s 16-gauge Winchester Model 12 pump-action shotgun was modified to accept only two shells. As dad long ago departed to the Happy Hunting Ground, I checked with my uncle to verify this. Indeed, to comply with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, shotguns used for hunting waterfowl in the United States must be modified to hold only three rounds.

Why are ducks entitled to better protection from mass slaughter than school children, supermarket shoppers, churchgoers, or any other flock of people?

President Biden should immediately declare that humans are ducks. After all, we are sitting ducks. Next, impose magazine restrictions on all weapons used for killing people. Yes, all guns. By creatively using existing regulations we can immediately protect our children, fellow citizens, and ourselves from the threat of yet another mass casualty event.

Is this a sarcastic parody? No! In the 1870s America had strict laws against animal cruelty but, because of prevailing social norms, there were virtually no laws protecting children. Stories of horrific child abuse fueled public outrage, and lead to the enactment of child protection laws. Our situation is similar. We have gun regulations to protect ducks but not people.

A country that will not protect its people is doomed to failure. Quack!

Ric Stange, Fort Pierce

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Mental illness is stigmatized enough without tying it to violence

In the aftermath of a tragedy, scrambling to make sense of the damage is understandable, but this often leads to a “blame game” where cause and effect can be misinterpreted, exaggerated, or invented to suit various agendas.

As an example, gays suffered the stigma of being the originators of AIDS in the 1970s, which neatly fit a homophobic and religious position that homosexuality is inherently wrong and sinful. Following the shooting at the Uvalde elementary school, the notion that mental illness is the culprit for the excessive incidence of gun violence in the United States similarly places blame broadly on a population that arguably are not responsible for it.

Mental illness is already misunderstood and stigmatized, and contributes only minimally to violence, let alone gun violence. Just as mental illness is gaining recognition as a phenomenon that requires support for treatment, it now risks being relegated — again — to the realm of the unacceptable, even the criminal.

Mental illness can range from mild depression and anxiety to severely impairing disorders; sufferers do not constitute a monolithic group prone to violence. Data from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area studies conducted in the United States (Swanson, 1994) indicate only 4% of violence is attributable to people with a mental illness. In fact, research points to the mentally ill more often being victims than perpetrators of violence.

While violence resulting in loss of life cannot dismiss mental illness as a causal agent, the public undoubtedly exaggerates the strength of the relationship between major mental disorders and violence. This deflects from efforts to effectively identify root causes of gun violence and misplaces blame. It stigmatizes a diverse population that was just beginning to emerge from the shadows as one that warrants understanding and increased access to mental health services, which remain out of reach for most.

Susanne Haase, Stuart

D.C. A/C: When we're hot, we're hot, and POTUS needs to feel the heat, too

If President Biden really wants to know how the American people feel, he should experience the same things they experience.

So I would like to know, if and when I am without air conditioning in Florida this summer due to rolling outages that are being predicted, whether the White House is going to shut the A/C off as well. If they can continue to run the A/C there at the White House because of generators, then I would also like to know how they are going to continuously replace the propane to run the generator which in turn will run the A/C and all other electric appliances.

Jo-Ann Scotto, Vero Beach  

The U.S. is lacking in leadership to challenge Russian brutality in Ukraine

Maybe you had an opportunity to view pictures and videos of the on-going Russian brutality and criminal treatment of the Ukrainian people. These visual confirmations of the aberrant Russian behavior are indeed difficult to view. However, it is more difficult to imagine that these atrocities are being observed and tolerated by President Biden, Gen. Mark Milley and the heads of all the NATO countries. This total leadership group has not once seriously rattled its sabers or issued a strong coordinated retaliatory position.

Never has the United States reduced its leadership standards to such a low level and accepted the barbaric behavior of a foreign leader. There is no action or suggestion of action to bring world leadership together and confront the evil that is being cast on the Ukrainian people. In truth, for the U.S. and our allies, there is no Sgt. York, no PT-109 JFK, no Harry Truman, or Winston Churchill in our midst. JFK stood firm during the Cuban missile crisis, and the Soviets backed off. Unfortunately, our standards have fallen far below a world leadership class.

The war in Ukraine has now slipped from the headlines and news highlights. In truth, we have left their fate in the hands of the advancing Russian force. Despite their courage and leadership, several hundred thousand Ukrainians will die before this is over. Vladimir Putin will get what he set out for, including the armaments that we have shipped to Ukraine. The world leadership will offer nothing to change the situation. We may not like it, but history will look harshly at this total embarrassment. China is watching.

Ray Grochowski Vero Beach

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Letters, June 19: Guns, Vero funds; Martin comp plan; lies; A/C in DC