Letters to the editor for Saturday, July 8, 2023
Let voters decide Lee Health status
Lee Health is one of the largest and oldest not for profit public health systems in Florida serving the community since 1916. There is legislation moving through Florida state government promoted by local Republican legislator Jenna Persons-Mulicka to change state law to allow Lee Health to change from a Not For Profit Public Health System controlled by voters to a Public-Private system. One of the main purposes of community owned and managed hospitals and health care systems like Lee Health is to provide health care services to all people under the purview of a board that is elected by citizens of the community; the proposed change would eventually eliminate this.
Lee Health is not the politician's health system, it is the citizens of Lee County’s health system. A change this significant needs to be voted on by Lee County voters, not done in board rooms and Tallahassee offices. The proposed change erodes local control of health care, and sets up a situation that too many face in America where health care profits and institutional growth are more important than patient care.
Daniel Becker, Fort Myers
Lee Health proposal: Who benefits?
If a majority of the 10-member publicly elected Lee Memorial Health System Board and Lee County commissioners vote in favor then our public hospitals will be converted to a private nonprofit entity. The voters will have no veto power to protect our health system. The new entity will be run by a private board (which could include the same health board members that vote for the conversion). All of the actions taken by the new board will be done in private without voter input and not subject to Florida’s Sunshine Law.
The question is who benefits from this huge waste of time and effort designed primarily to remove our hospitals from the oversight of the voters and their elected representatives?
Apparently we missed the discussions about this during our recent travels. Can someone please direct us to any investigations that have been done about this? The whole thing seems fishy and has a bad smell to it!
Robert Geltner, North Fort Myers
Pickleball plan a bad idea
As Pelican Bay Foundation (PBF) continues to push its aggressive plan to construct and manage pickleball courts in Pelican Bay Community Park (PBCP), a timely article appeared on the subject in the New York Times on June 30. The article “Shattered Nerves, Sleepless Nights: Pickleball Noise Is Driving Everyone Nuts” summarized the burden on impacted neighborhoods and arrived at a clear conclusion; siting pickleball courts in residential neighborhoods is disruptive, detrimental, and destructive regarding the quality of life for nearby residents. These two quotes succinctly summarize pickleball’s impact: “It’s a torture technique” said one resident, and “living here is hell,” said another. Construction experts quoted in the article stated that sound barriers were not only expensive but also rarely work. For Collier County to cede control of a public park for 30 years to the whims of a private entity is unconscionable. The PBF plan sacrifices green space for more concrete less than half a mile from the beach. In the context of potential hurricane damage, this plan is shortsighted. Meanwhile local citizens are trying to convince the Army Corp of Engineers to find “natural” solutions for hurricane flooding (CC Coastal Resilience Project), yet the PBF scheme contradicts that strategy — why destroy green space and replace it with concrete courts and parking spaces? That plan certainly won’t protect residents or facilities from losses due to flooding. Here’s an idea: Let these dedicated pickleball players find established courts to play on or ask PBF to build new courts far outside of residential neighborhoods. Let’s not “torture” residents who made a hefty investment in their homes and have an expectation of reasonable peace and quiet in “paradise.”
Kim R. Finer, Naples
'Not In My Back Yard' Syndrome
One classic definition of mixed emotions is when your 15-year-old daughter comes home with a Gideon Bible.
Add to that outgoing Lee County Manager Roger Desjarlais’ comment regarding the over $1.1 billion in federal H.U.D. money coming directly to the county for hurricane relief.
“I don’t know if that’s a blessing or a curse. To tell you the truth, it’s a bit of a double-edged sword to try and determine how to spend the money in a way that would allow us to develop and recover."
Now what do you think he might mean by that?
My guess is that Mr. Dejarlais’ “curse” is that 70% of it must be earmarked for low and very low income housing, a “negative priority” for our county government over the years.
The reason is only partially the N.I.M.B.Y. issue. As might be expected, developers and well-placed county residents draw back at suggestions that low income housing be sited anywhere near their “back yard” real estate interests. Even a casual glance at the map shows that the county tightly concentrates this sort of housing closer to downtown and in North Fort Myers. The 68-unit St. John’s Village in south county is designated for the mobility-impaired, not for the poor at large.
But more than the “Not In My Back Yard” Syndrome, a federal grant that compels county government to create lots more new low income housing in the county runs counter to local government’s historic vision of what this county should be: a home for the winners in the game of life, a part time playground for seasonal residents and visitors, but a not a diverse rapidly developing full-fledged metropolitan area. To quote one county commissioner, “we’re no San Francisco!”
Hence Mr. Dejarlais’ “curse.”
Bruce Diamond, Fort Myers
Living his best life at dog park
A milestone is coming up for one of our dearest Naples Small Dog Park Community members. On July 19, Stuey, a rat terrier who has attended the park a great deal of his life, will celebrate his 19th birthday. His father, Fred Glein, is undoubtedly responsible for his health and longevity. Although Stuey is almost completely blind and deaf, he still enjoys his time at the park almost daily since the park opened. Somehow Stuey manages to be buddies with all the other four-legged visitors to the small dog park. His life is richer and longer for that.
Thank you to Stuey's father and unofficial CEO of the park, Fred, who ensures that all the dogs have fresh water and some love each time they visit.
In addition to that, a shoutout to the Park Maintenance employees, who maintained the dog parks -- both big and small -- to make sure all dogs have an enjoyable visit to brighten their lives. Most of the dogs who attend the park have very devoted owners, but the Parks and Recreation Department has certainly made it easier for these dogs to live socialized and fulfilled lives.
Judy Castel, Naples
DeSantis and the god complex
While Mr. Biden has repeatedly said, “Don’t compare me to The Almighty, just the other guy,” Mr. DeSantis has unabashedly hoisted himself up as sent from God. Witness Mr. DeSantis’s recent political ads informing us all that on the 8th day God looked down on his planned paradise and said I need a protector, so God made a fighter (meaning Mr. DeSantis of course). Mr. DeSantis also issued a biblical admonition (not surprisingly, taken totally out of biblical context) for MAGA to put on the full armor of God. Mr. DeSantis’s most recent ad depicting him with rays coming from his eyes is far too ridiculous to warrant further mention here. I knew a few officers in the Marine Corps who had a god complex. Those officers could be found eating their meals before ensuring the troops were fed, praising those whose rank exceeded theirs while castigating those with lesser rank, taking credit while passing blame and in wartime, the ones mostly likely to check the positioning of their name on the promotion list for any upward movement against the casualty lists of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. The god complex will do that sort of thing to you. I personally think Honest Abe had it right when he said that it’s not whether God is on our side, but rather whether we are on God’s side. Mr. DeSantis frequently invokes God's name in the same breath that he castigates and implicitly encourages violence against what those the Bible itself refers to as "the least of these." Watching Mr. DeSantis is more reminiscent of one of those old antebellum portraits of a powerful slave holder, with Bible in hand, emerging from church, nodding approvingly while peering up at a nearby tree where some unfortunate captured runaway slave was being hung. They, much like Mr. DeSantis, no doubt felt that God was on their side, too.
Thomas Minor, Bonita Springs
Women's right to choose
James Madison, an architect of our Constitution, in 1789, gave a speech proposing amendments which would ultimately become the Bill of Rights -- the first 10 amendments. In that speech, Madison stated: "It has been observed, also, against a bill of rights, that, by enumerating particular exceptions to the grant of power, it would disparage those rights which were not placed in that enumeration. But… that may be guarded against.” So Madison included the Ninth Amendment: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” This means that, under our Constitution, unenumerated rights get the same respect as enumerated rights.
Among the “unenumerated rights” are the universal rights to health and health care. These rights have been recognized worldwide as resolutions promulgated by United Nations.
In 1979, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. It was the first human rights resolution to explicitly mention family planning, requiring nations to develop family codes that guarantee women's rights "to decide freely and responsibly on the number and spacing of their children and to have access to the information, education and means to enable them to exercise these rights.”
As evidenced by these resolutions, women’s rights to health, health care and family planning are accepted worldwide. These rights are among “unenumerated rights” which are "retained by the people” as contemplated by the Ninth Amendment. Why does our Supreme Court fail to recognize women’s rights to health and health care? Because the court has become politicized. It ignores our Constitution In deference to political positions.
The Supreme Court lost its legitimacy when it abandoned women’s right to choose under Roe v Wade.
Sally Lam, Naples
Clowns, crazy people and idiots
Wow, The News-Press seems to paint two completely different realities in one week, which is the act of a crazy person. First, I read about the 40-year-old woman who is working three jobs, yet she can’t pay her rent, so she had to move in with her brother. She said that soaring prices, caused by massive inflation, have caused her to leave her home. The American dream is a nightmare for this lady, along with 80 million Americans who didn’t develop a marketable skill that brings in at least 70 grand a year. Funny, all this started the day the liberals and Joe Biden took over.
Then, I read that the liberals in the White House are so proud of what they have done to the economy that they call it “Bidenomics.” This is part of what the White House idiots said: “For 40 years people have been clamoring for an approach to the economy that puts working people at the center.” Really? A 40-year-old working three jobs can’t afford a roof over her head in Biden America, 80 million people have been pushed into desperate poverty by Bidenflation and these clowns are trying to sell the idea that Biden is looking out for the working class.
Then, everything started making sense when it was reported that a white powder was found by the Secret Service in the West Wing.
Jeff Naslund, M.Ed., Fort Myers
We can curb gun violence
This past holiday weekend, the Fourth of July, brought more mass shootings across our country. A weekend when enjoying gatherings with friends and family, to celebrate the freedoms this holiday represents, is once again marred by senseless gun violence.The statistics are overwhelming. Today, guns are the leading cause of death for American children and teens. That's ahead of car accidents, accidental poisonings and cancer! Annually in America 2,500 children die by gun homicide. And, for younger children, under 13, this will most likely occur at home. 70% of children know where the parents keep their gun.This epidemic is uniquely an American issue. The gun homicide rate in the U.S. is 26 times higher than other countries. When our amazing country loses over 43,000 people a year to gun violence -- yes, 43,000! isn't it time to say "enough is enough"? What's the tipping point?
These acts are preventable. There are commonsense approaches that we can take while still preserving the Second Amendment. Without penalizing responsible gun owners: Expand background checks for ALL gun sales, including online sales. They work! And, with today's technology, it's far easier than ever before. Eliminate the Charleston loophole. Roughly 4,000 illegal gun sales take place due to this loophole. (Require notification to the FBI if a firearm is sold through the Charleston loophole until legislation can close the loophole.) Ban assault weapons.The trauma of gun violence on our citizens and communities is immeasurable. We need to do the right thing. Not just for today, but for our future. We CAN change these statistics and make it safe for a child to go to school, to play outside in their neighborhood, and for friends and family to gather to celebrate our incredible country on the Fourth of July.
Susan Tucker, Naples
Democrats' alternate universe
A recent letter-writer to the Mailbag says the following: "In the alternate universe in which many Republicans live, enforcement of tax laws and firearm regulations would not take place; Hunter Biden would not even have been prosecuted, let alone pled guilty if those GOP solons had their way."
Let's be clear -- in the alternate universe in which many Democrats live, Hunter Biden is allowed to plead guilty to three relatively minor infractions (with no jail time foreseeable), while the millions of dollars he and his family have made through improper business dealings is ignored by the spineless prosecutor who was assigned the case. Don't be fooled by the "shiny object" they want you to look at -- try to see the whole picture!
Dave Bridgeman, Alva
Liberal hypocrisy
I find it very easy to find so-called news articles on a daily basis regarding the transgressions of a governor who will never be president. However, I had to go page B5 today to find the news that confirmed that the current president’s administration used their power over the social media sites to suppress and censor free speech during the last election cycle. Not to mention that you and your USA Today parent jumped up to help pull that anti-conservative wagon. Tell me how this is an example of the “democracy” you and your liberal friends are trying to save. You are a very slow learner if you think a one-party government will require your services.
Don Rader, Naples
Suicide missions required?
To the retired armchair bravado cop writer who lamented the not guilty verdict of the first responding officer's actions or inactions to the mass school shooting, I have one simple question. Which U.S. government agency, military unit, police or fire department requires suicide missions from its employees or members?
David Liebenguth, Fort Myers
Impressive tribute
I was so impressed by the Macy's Fourth of July Celebration in New York. It was an unbelievable display of patriotism, music and pride for our nation.The music and performances by all was truly outstanding. Kudos to Macy's for a truly inspirational tribute to our great country.
Patricia Waclawsky, Naples
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Saturday, July 8, 2023
