Letters to the editor for Saturday, June 25, 2022

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Frank Mann was larger than life

Frank Mann was a joy to know and the genuine article. A "Fort Myers Original," the facts of his lifelong service to us and to Florida are now a not-insignificant part of the historical records, but those facts will never capture his energy, gusto and warmth. Frank loved what he did because he loved our area and the good people who live here. Politics was just the way he expressed it.

I am certain that I am but one of very many who knew Frank personally and are deeply saddened by his death. He was larger than life, and now our lives seem just a bit smaller.

"The memory of the righteous brings blessing!"

Rabbi Bruce Diamond, Fort Myers

Myra Janco Daniels a legend in the arts

In Memoriam: Myra Janco Daniels: She was so intelligent, with boundless drive, energy and ideas. As Edward Villella (founder of Miami City Ballet and former principal dancer at New York City Ballet) once told me, “You don’t say ‘No’ to Myra.”

She even managed to get a big grant toward construction of the original Pelican Bay building from the State of Florida which rarely gives arts grants!

Jan Denenholz Silver, Naples and Southampton, NY, charter member of the Phil’s Committee of 1000

Support clean water amendment

Floridians know a historic number of manatees died last year. Most starved to death because polluted water has killed the seagrass they feed upon. In “future is grim,” (6/23) The News-Press reported “Nonprofits are racing to plant seagrass in parts of the Indian River Lagoon where they hope the water quality is decent enough to cater to the needy aquatic plants.”

Hoping water quality will permit the seagrass to survive is not a solution. Stopping the continued pollution of the IRL is the solution. But the state has failed to do that as it has likewise failed with Lake O, the Caloosahatchee River, Biscayne Bay and hundreds of our once pristine springs. It prefers to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on trying to clean up pollution after it permitted it to occur in the first place.

What’s needed is a well-crafted law with which we can hold our government accountable when through action or inaction it permits the degradation of our waterways. A proposed “Right to Clean and Healthy Waters” constitutional amendment is such a law. Sign the petition to qualify it for the 2024 ballot at floridarighttocleanwater.org.

Or drop by Millennial Brewing in downtown Fort Myers Saturday evening and sign the well-crafted amendment while you drink MB’s well-crafted beers. Kudos to both MB and Calusa Waterkeeper for holding this event.

Joseph Bonasia, Cape Coral

Nightmare proposal for Riviera Golf Estates

I am a senior, and have lived in Riviera Golf Estates for 15 years. I bought a house on the golf course, costing me $100,000 more for this lovely view. Now the course owner wants to develop the land into housing.

The plan he has submitted is atrocious. The course weaves in and around our homes. It is not in a separate area. Because the owner is ignoring building codes and setbacks, my view will be an 8-foot wall and the rear of a two-story house 20 feet from my backyard. Others with golf course views will be equally destroyed, ruining our home values. The owner says he must do this so he can get all the housing he needs. I say, why should he ruin our community to satisfy him?

However; the most reprehensible is that he plans to fill existing lakes on the east side with dirt to build on, and dig new lakes in the west side. We are on a flood plain. Our lakes are the drainage for our whole area. Where is he going to drain existing water to in order to put fill for building? Where is the dirt going to go while new lakes are dug?

Our greatest concern is flooding. The elevation required for new construction is 3-4 feet above our homes. It is bad enough in a hurricane, but with this new development we will have perpetual flooding This nightmare will ruin all our property values.

Pamela Cannon, Naples

Grateful for kindness on Captiva

I want to thank the good Samaritan who found my key fob on Captiva this Wednesday, took the time to find my car by seeing which car it opened and then leaving the key on the beach house porch. You saved my birthday from disaster and showed me the world still has kind people!

Gayle Sloper, Cape Coral

Bamboo Village communication insufficient

If we have learned anything from the recent public discourse about the Bamboo Village Project (BVP), it is that well-intentioned actions are missing the mark.

It is understandable that people in influential positions (Bonita Springs City Council members, in particular) are frustrated with the relatively recent interest expressed about the BVP by a group of concerned citizens.

While there is frustration on both sides of the debate, the breakdown in communication, and perceived lack of engagement by citizens at the “appropriate” time speaks to a much larger issue. This issue is that our traditional means of communicating with citizens is no longer adequate, sufficient, or most importantly, responsible, in the modern world.

Although it appears the city likely followed the minimum requirements for informing residents about the BVP, we are still left with a largely ineffective, and most certainly, inefficient discourse. The fact remains that had the traditional means of communicating with citizens worked, we would not be experiencing the ongoing contentious public debate. The important steps of engaging citizens and valid polling, earlier in the process, would have mitigated much of the frustration we all now feel.

Our methods for seeking public comment are in a time-warp that is decades old. I dare say that more people have heard about the city’s plans for the BVP through Facebook, and Nextdoor over the last two months (as evidenced by a recent Survey Monkey poll by the concerned citizens group) than heretofore city communiques.

I am not arguing we abandon the traditional means of communication. I am arguing that if the role of our elected officials and public servants is to represent the majority of citizens, then we must do a better job of aligning our communication with how many citizens receive their information today.

The citizens of Bonita Springs deserve no less.

Barbara Ryan, Bonita Springs

Short-term rentals aid Marco economy

Those who oppose short-term rental have no idea the economic devastation they will cause on so many levels. The service industry will be annihilated. What I have found is people who live on Marco full-time are the ones who least frequent restaurants, shops, etc. It is the tourists who come for short-term vacations who spend most of their mornings going out to breakfast and nights eating out; spending money on souvenir shops, mini golf, the movies and adventure tours, etc.

My husband and I took our family to Marco, Thanksgiving of 2020, for the first time, stayed in Airbnb, fell in love, and six months later invested in a house that was the neighborhood eyesore for over 30 years. The renovation took over a year. Our dream is to retire there in the next three to five years, and be an asset to the island and the community. Without rental income that will not be feasible. Why not let other families like ours enjoy paradise, even if it’s for just a week?

Angelisa and Pete diPalma, Marco Island

Poorest children harmed by decision

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis decided not to order COVID 19 vaccines for Florida children ages 6 months to 5 years. This decision will only affect the state’s poorest children who get their vaccinations from the public health department.

This COVID vaccine has been approved by the FDA and CDC and recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In addition, a recent study revealed that even mild Covid 19 can lead to substantial brain changes. This finding is significant since over 13 million cases have reported in the U.S. to date.

Leaving poor children without access to the vaccine is irresponsible.

Juan R. Puerto, M.D., Immokalee

Michelle McLeod for balanced development

I am a full-time resident and business owner in the Bayshore area. I have been fortunate to have had a full and rich corporate career that allowed me to travel the world and live in many great locations. A few years ago I attended a meeting where several speakers talked about the vision for the future of the Bayshore Area as an art and culture destination. As a lifelong collector of art this appealed to me as a great opportunity to invest in the community in which I live. So a year ago I opened an art gallery on Bayshore Drive. While the CRA has been active in supporting the positive transformation of the area, I also expected my county commissioner to be supportive of the development of this artistic small business focused area. I have not found this to be the case with Penny Taylor. It seems that only large developments can get her attention. I believe it is time to change the commissioner in District 4. I am supporting Michelle McLeod as she has a history of supporting balanced development.

Catherine Ehrenberger, Naples

Switch parties to save Florida

I finally did it. My husband has been after me to do it for eight years. But I couldn't bear the thought. I changed my voting party from Democrat to Republican.

Why? Florida has become a deeply red state, so if it is a foregone conclusion that the majority of our elected officials are going to be Republican, then I want to have a say over which ones make it out of the primaries and into the general elections. Now all we need are some sane, moderate, thoughtful-thinking, ethical Republicans to run in the primaries.

I encourage you Democrats to consider switching parties. Together we can bring Florida back from the brink of insanity!

Jan Symroski, Sanibel Island

GOP beyond redemption now

After watching the Jan. 6 hearing on Tuesday, my heart was breaking for Shaye Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman. All they were doing were their jobs as election workers and because of Trump and his minions they were harassed, threatened by those who believe the Big Lie. They’re just ordinary people, doing their job, minding their own business and suddenly, they’re thrust into chaos, fear for their lives, targeted by extreme rightists. Dare I say, white supremacists. Scary, chilling, bloodcurdling, horrifying, intimidating. I can’t even begin to understand how these women's lives have been disrupted to a point of scared to even leave their home. And to be told that you have to leave your home because the president of the U.S. has targeted you and the mob is after you -- how unbelievable that must have been and still is. I was so outraged, angry and sad for Shaye and Ruby. And I am so outraged at the GOP party for allowing the continuation of this outrageous degradation of their party. The GOP party IMO is beyond redemption now. I hope in the coming months that Shaye and Ruby can find peace, that they can have family and friends surround them with love and protection. And I send them my heartfelt thank you for standing up, speaking out to the world that they were just doing their job, doing what was right. They deserve our admiration, our respect…nothing less.

Beth Summer, Naples

Dems, media inflate Capitol riot story

It is painful to watch this professionally scripted dog-and-pony show that the Democrats call an investigation of an insurrection. How do you attempt to overthrow an armed government with nothing more harmful than pepper spray? You don’t, yet the Democrats would have you believe that the very halls of our government were threatened and nearly came tumbling down! In fact, the only person to die that day by violence was a rioter shot dead by a Capitol police officer. Night after night the Democrats and their loyal cohorts, the mainstream media, continue to beat this dead horse.

But what the Democrats and the MSM gloss over like they never even happened were the summer riots of ‘20 in dozens of American cities. Now you’re talking real carnage and violence. Scores if not hundreds of local shops looted or burned out. Police stations and federal buildings assaulted. Dumpsters and cars, including police cars, set afire and officers attacked. Innocent bystanders not supporting the riots and shop owners defending their property were beaten and even killed. Not just night after night mind you but month after month all over America. And all of it turned a blind guy by the Democrats and the mainstream media.

That single riot at the Capitol is small cheese in comparison.

Gary Marsh, Estero

Die-hard Trumpers woefully misguided

Of course die-hard Trumpers don’t want to hear of or watch the hearings but the amount of evidence and testimonies brought out to date are both chilling and disgusting. Their hero and his feckless cohorts went so far to trample the Constitution that they encouraged and demanded swing-state lawmakers to break the laws concerning election tampering. They gave out home phone numbers and email addresses which enabled his thugs to leave vulgar texts and actually picket their homes terrifying family and neighbors. All of these illegalities were performed with ZERO, that’s correct, ZERO evidence. How can millions of followers actually believe the election was stolen on the sole utterance of one man? I get criticized for questioning their intelligence so you can fill in the blanks if you can come up with a better description.

Glenn Chenot, Cape Coral

Hearings giving Trump what he deserves

The system works! Watching the Jan. 6 hearings is evidence that you can run but you can't hide.

Crooks in high places may last longer but eventually they are flushed out. Witness Gov. Blagojevich and all the other Chicago/Illinois politicians who have gone to jail for malfeasance and monkeying with elections.

Donald Trump may never go to jail, but in my opinion he will never again be a serious candidate. I voted for him because I was impressed with the brash personality and manufactured image, and with his impact on things of import.

He has proven to be of no higher caliber than Harvey Weinstein or Bill Cosby or Jeffrey Epstein or all the other creeps who take advantage of power and position to injure others. And we have been injured by him as a nation. The system, while slow to react, has arrived to protect us and oust the bad actors.

Many will criticize the hearings as a witch hunt, and they will go hide with their guns and booze and cigarettes and resurface again when we let down our guard as we typically do when things get right, which they kind of are not right now.

Congratulations to those who stood up against their political inclinations and blew the whistle. Hopefully we are on the comeback trail and will forever discredit Donald Trump and his misinformed supporters.

Charlie Berry, Naples

Trump support baffling

Can anyone tell me why a poll shows that 59 percent of the people think that Donald Trump should be tried in criminal court for his actions and lack of them over the Jan. 6 insurrection and the GOP is still considering him a candidate in 2024.

Newsweek reports that Trump is favored to beat Biden. Newsweek also reports that in polls when DeSantis is matched against Trump, Trump is forecast to take the GOP nomination. How hard up for candidates for president is the GOP, to expect a prisoner to represent their party? Although the more I think about it, the more it seems appropriate.

Once the midterms are over, you will see how irrelevant Donald Trump is.

Roger W. Quagliano, Estero

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Saturday, June 25, 2022