Letters to the editor for Saturday, October 22, 2022

Wrong place for an urban space

I am writing in opposition to the Brightshore Villas project. District 5 is a rural area with spaces for animals and gardens/fruit trees. However, the developers of this SRA are converting it to an urban space. Here is what no one is talking about:

1. Traffic – Immokalee Road is only two lanes in that location: one in each direction. Accidents occur as impatient drivers overtake at high speeds. So why add MORE cars?

To avoid traffic, drivers will take Everglades Boulevard instead. This residential area has kids playing, walking, biking or being bussed to school. Increased traffic puts them at risk.

2. Little maintenance – before Hurricane Ian, the Everglades Boulevard area experienced severe flooding in the last two months. Dredging to improve drainage has NOT been done. The county advised the residents they were on a waiting list with no timeframe for resolution.

Properties on Red Hawk Lane opposite of the SRA flooded but that road is unpaved, creating a waterlogged, muddy mess. If you build in that area, excess stormwater will flood Immokalee Road outside of the project zone.

3. The environment – the SRA preserve areas are small patches at the edges of the parcel. Displaced animals go to areas where food is accessible…usually unsecured trash cans. With the growing population of District 5, this means more negative human/wildlife interactions, not less.

4. Affordable housing – why build it where there is no bus service? Not everyone can afford cars.

So how does this benefit the residents of District 5?

Shanta Ramlakhan, Naples

A vision for Fort Myers Beach

If you want to see how Fort Myers Beach will look in three years, you only have to focus your gaze on Mexico Beach Florida, a town that got hit with Michael three years ago.

Three years later and it has not come back and never will. They tried to build back what they had but don't have the money or the tools to accomplish it. Additionally, only the very rich can afford to build at the location so there are no service people to work in the restaurants or hotels. Fort Myers Beach's future is there for all to see if our regional leadership doesn't take the time to think and plan. No business can wait around for three plus years to recover and still not have any tourists visiting.

FMB will never be what it was, but it could be better. Why not contact the architects that planned and designed Rosemary Beach Florida, a traditional neighborhood plan designed by Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, FAIA of Miami.

Their vision was to create a community that captures the discarded values of 50 years ago, values that have been replaced today by gridlocked, automobile-dependent suburbia. Cars and pedestrians have always been a problem on FMB. Maybe there is an alternative that can be implemented that will make FMB a more livable walkable community that exists with the Gulf instead of always fighting it. It's going to cost money to do the planning but can the island NOT afford to spend and plan for a better island?

Beverly Jablonski, Fort Myers

Bonita needs Jude Richvale

The day after Hurricane Ian hit Jude Richvale came over to our home with a large container of hearty homemade vegetable soup, a delicious Polish pumpernickel bread and a bottle of home grown fresh mango puree. Louise and I had dinner with him and enjoyed the nourishing soup and the company. The next night he brought over and blended tomatoes, garlic and herbs to make cold gazpacho soup.

In the many years I have known Jude he has fought with integrity and courage for the people of Bonita. I know that the recent loss of his wife Kathy caused him immense grief. Yet he stood up and continued his campaign for City Council.

The only reason he is running is because he loves Bonita and wants to help the city overcome its monumental water problems. As a scientist, I can tell you that his published water plan is remarkable and should be studied in detail by experts. It promises to reduce flooding, beach pollution and cut water costs by about $400 per year. I also liked his article “A New Vision for Old 41” that shows the way to an organic quaint and popular downtown.

Jude’s compassion, intelligence and imagination are vitally important in this critical time for Bonita. Please look at his website jude4bonita.org and see for yourself. Bonita needs him now.

Alex Grantt, Former city councilman and founding member of the City of Bonita Springs

Vote for Collier school incumbents

Gov. DeSantis has stealthily worked to reduce allocations for Florida public school students. His focus instead has been to increase public tax dollars going to private schools. Voucher proponents proudly claim Florida is the leading state in the nation for providing public tax dollars and tax credits for private schools.

The governor has also repeatedly misled the citizens of Florida by claiming to make significant increases public school teachers’ salaries. The Florida Department of Education reports that the average Florida teacher salary in the 2020-21 school year was $51,166.57 and in the 2021-22 school year was $51,598.82. This is an increase of $432.75. The Florida DOE and the NEA report that Florida teacher salaries rank 47th in the nation. Not surprisingly, the enrollment of education majors has plummeted at Florida universities. It’s worth noting that former school board member and now candidate Lichter voted against a salary increase for Collier teachers.

The current school board has prioritized funding teacher compensation. Collier teacher salaries rank 2nd of the 67 Florida counties. Collier students and teachers earned an A-rating again this year. These outstanding students, teachers and citizens of Collier County deserve the best leadership possible. Vote for competence, experience, and commitment. Vote for incumbents Jen Mitchell, Jory Westberry and Roy Terry.

Richard Woodruff, Naples

Cult of cruelty, nihilism, violence, lies

The writer of “Poison from the left” (10/20/22) mischaracterized my mailbag letter as “extremely hateful and ridiculous” (“Why you should vote for Democrats,” 10/15/22). Specifically, I wrote the Republican Party had become a “cult of cruelty, nihilism, violence and lies.” I stand by my remarks. To wit:

CRUELTY: Trump separated migrant children from parents without making provisions to reunite families. DeSantis lured vulnerable Venezuelan asylum seekers and dumped them on Martha’s Vineyard. The repeal of Roe endangers women and impels victims of incest and rape to give birth.

NIHILISM: Republicans abandoned former bedrocks including fiscal responsibility, free trade, international alliances, moral rectitude, and respect for law. Trump absconded with state secrets to Mar-a-Lago, and Rubio called it a “storage issue.” Multiple Republicans have denied science, climate change and public health principles.

VIOLENCE: Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in response to “Stop the steal!” and other incitements. Trump threatened “I think if it [criminal indictment] happened, I think you’d have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps we’ve never seen before.”

LIES: The Democratic Party is not socialist, communist or Marxist. Even Ivanka acknowledged under oath that Trump “frankly” lost the election. The press is not “the enemy of the people.” Teachers are not “groomers,” nor do they promote gender fluidity or CRT.

The fault, dear writer, is not in my letter, but in your party. I respectfully implore Republicans to think deeply before supporting candidates who pledge fealty to the cult of Trump, instead of allegiance to America.

Connie Holzinger, Fort Myers

'Soft intimidation' directed at letter writer

The Naples Daily News recently published a letter to the editor from me titled, “Lying, Cheating and Stealing.” In it I highlighted how the leadership of the Republican Party (and much of the party itself) has now fully embraced a strategy of lying and accepting lying about things big and small and does so shamelessly. This has happened in part because Mr. Trump and his acolytes, to include Florida’s governor, have firmly established that party members will willingly accept those lies if it enhances their chances of gaining and holding power. I cited glaring examples from both men. Interestingly, I just recently received a personal, handwritten letter responding to that letter from a gentleman whose return address listed an address not far from my residence in Bonita Springs. I have no idea how he obtained my personal address. I am sure it took some detective work on his part. The letter was, for lack of a better descriptor, a “soft intimidation” letter. First, by acquiring my address, he wanted to announce to me “I know where you live." For the record, I am not intimidated. The letter itself was peppered with the phrase “people like you,” attributed my position on lying, cheating and stealing to “being afraid that Trump will run again in 2024,” asserted that I “hate Trump and Republicans in general” (Not true. Some of my closest friends are Republicans), labeled Joe Biden as part of “the Biden crime family” (a favorite Fox “news” talking point and as usual, devoid, to the best of my knowledge, of any provable facts) and labeled the FBI and Robert Mueller (decorated Marine veteran) as liars. Finally, his letter culminated in informing me that Trump did more for Blacks and Hispanics than Obama and Biden combined, another Fox “news” talking point. This last statement took me back to my days as the son of sharecroppers growing up in the South. My parents were repeatedly reminded of how grateful they should be to the white landowner who cheated them year after year in an effort to ensure their economic lot did not improve to the point where they would be able to leave him and deprive him of the semi-slave labor to which he had become accustomed and which served to enrich him and his family, and probably still does to this day. Had the letter presented factual evidence to support his efforts to refute my letter, I would have been more receptive and might have even replied. Over four years as a Naval Academy midshipman, 30 years as a Marine, a short stint as a law enforcement officer, two years following 9/11 instructing communities around the country on how to respond to weapons of mass destruction attacks and eight years as an intelligence community operative traveling the world defending this country against terrorism, I consider myself a patriot who is wedded to the truth, not “alternative facts,” better known as lies. I know firsthand that lies, which have to be sustained by more lies, can eventually result in someone dying. Witness Jan. 6. In that same vein, any political office attained through lying to voters ultimately and inevitably harms those same voters. If we all recognize and call out the liars each time they lie, regardless of party, maybe we can get to a point where, in our politics, the cheating and the stealing that naturally follows the lying, can also be reined in. Otherwise, that old Marine saying prevails about hearing but saying nothing about friendly, lethal fire from artillery or an airplane that is being planned on the exact position in which you are sitting; Silence gives consent. I don’t give consent to liars, cheaters and thieves and never will.

Thomas Minor, Bonita Springs

A lose-lose proposition

According to this morning’s news, the Biden Administration has decided to scrap its principled stand of recognizing Venezuela’s legitimately elected government in favor of usurper Nicolas Maduro, who sized power illegally about four years ago.

In other words, we're abandoning the international rule of law to allow for the importation of notorious dirty oil from a tyrant rather than pumping our own readily available product. A tyrant, I might add, whose abusive action results in the flow of numerous Venezuelans across our southern border. This is a lose-lose proposition if ever there was one.

This decision rests squarely on President Joe Biden's shoulders. As former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates is quoted saying about Joe Biden, “He’s gotten every foreign policy issue wrong in the past 30 years.” And Barack Obama said, “Don’t ever underestimate the ability of Joe to “mess" things up.” I hope a newly elected Congress can somehow stop this abandonment of our principles.

Bill Korstad, Naples

Guardian angel to the rescue

My sister encountered a flat tire and pulled over safely. She did what any person would do, she called her roadside assistance line and asked if someone could help her. Now mind you we both were schooled by our Dad on how his girls were going to be able to change a tire. But that was quite a long time ago.

With the storm surge many automobiles were under water. The tow trucks are very busy towing autos to areas so insurance adjusters can perform their due diligence to help the many impacted people here in Southwest Florida. No one was coming. Almost 24 hours passed, no one came. So I drove my sister to her car and I started flagging people down. This is where the guardian angel comes in. After several attempts to ask people to help this ANGEL Mike happens to drive by. I asked him, “Do you know how to change a tire?” With no hesitation he said sure! He backed his pickup and jumped out. In about 10 minutes he was finished. We attempted to compensate him for his great assistance. He wouldn’t hear of it. I asked him may I please buy your lunch? No once again.

I asked him, may I hug you? He said that I can accept! My sister hugged him as well. In passing we said ahh…. Boise, Idaho a conservative state and he proceeded to say you bet! My sister and I said, yeah, you are one of us! And when Trump comes back we will soar to the highest heights! He also commented on Gov. DeSantis and how he rocks!

He jumped in his truck and said he was here to help the great state of Florida! He is an insurance adjuster! Also he wants to help the hurricane victims!

Nancy Pudelsky, Bonita Springs

Manipulative right-wing rhetoric

If you think holding Trump accountable will restore democracy, think again.

The extreme right wing used Trump to stack the courts, to appoint justices of the Supreme Court and federal judges who will do their bidding. Trump thought his appointees would protect him from his corruption, criminal behavior and election fraud.

But those justices are part of and beholden to the extreme right, not Trump: They are going to throw Trump under the bus. Trump will be in court forever fighting a variety of credible civil and criminal charges, with a reasonable prospect of conviction.

By not protecting Trump, it will appear that judges uphold democracy over partisan interests. Not true; they are steadily undermining our constitutional protections and ruling in favor of culturally divisive laws.

They are dismantling the ability of federal and state agencies to regulate business and industry. They have been removing environmental protections, consumer protections, along with reproductive health care and voting rights.

Decades of well-funded extreme right-wing propaganda has incessantly labeled regulation of capitalism as the same thing as socialism and used scapegoating of minority and vulnerable groups as a way to gain power.

As a consequence, many Americans believe that protecting minorities, consumers, employees, and the environment is socialism; they vote against regulation of capitalism, and against their own interests.

Current Republican candidates spout that same extreme right-wing rhetoric. They give lip service to defending Trump’s lawlessness because they need his voters.

But these candidates, like our own DeSantis, are smart enough not to engage in personal corruption or violate criminal laws. They have learned from Trump how to skillfully scapegoat vulnerable minorities, manipulate laws and the electorate to further erode free and fair elections, our economic rights, and constitutional rights.

Judy Freiberg, Naples

Modern day cultural Marxists

Many of your progressive readers like to tell us of the “threats to our democracy!” or our “democracy is under assault!” These are the taglines that progressive activists and your modern day cultural Marxists like to use. As a reminder, Thomas Jefferson said, "Democracy is nothing more than mob rule..." which is why we live in a representative Republic. Something these progressives seem to forget or don’t want you to remember. When Democrats/progressives appeal to "democracy," they are appealing to the emotion of what "the mob" wants in the moment, which is a terrible way to lead a society.

Lawrence Hughes, Fort Myers

State in crisis needs federal help

As I watched Gov. DeSantis and President Biden tour devastated areas of Fort Myers, I was reminded of former Gov. Chris Christie and President Obama's joint visit after Super Storm Sandy. Not surprisingly, both Republican governors welcomed federal assistance for addressing these storms' catastrophic impacts. I would speculate that both governors recognized the necessity for a strong federal branch of government endowed with financial, logistical and human resources to help individual states return to a pre-disaster status. Clearly, no state, by itself, is equipped to deal with disasters of similar scope without outside aid. Ergo, a strong federal branch exists (and acts) for states in crisis. To paraphrase President Lincoln's biblical quote "A nation divided cannot stand." I would suggest that a lone state cannot withstand widespread disaster.

James L. DeBoy, Fort Myers

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Saturday, October 22, 2022