Letters to the editor for Saturday, October 8, 2022

Paradise interrupted

Everyone called this a slice of paradise. From the funky vibe of Fort Myers Beach to the palatial homes in Naples and everything in between. Sanibel and Captiva were a slice of Florida’s Caribbean islands. We live just east of I-75 and were spared the resident-killing storm surge, just intense winds, rain and repairable damages. Thousands lost everything and many lost their lives. But as Americans do, we pull together. It will take months and years to rebuild from the ravages of climate change and a future for the new Southwest Florida. In addition to the efforts of fire, police, EMTs, linemen/women, we have seen the churches step up to minister and feed the multitudes of the afflicted. It’s still paradise, just interrupted not lost.

Laurence Jacks, Estero

Jude Richvale for Bonita council

I recently moved back to Southwest Florida from the country of Estonia with the promise of a job as chief maintenance engineer at The Sanibel Inn. After two weeks on the job, the Sanibel Causeway was destroyed by Ian. I was lucky to reconnect with my friend Jude Richvale after I heard that his wife and my good friend Kathy Walters recently passed away. Jude was kind enough to offer me a place in his home and assistance in finding work as a handyman helping some of his friends repair storm damages.

Since then, I have read Jude’s Water Plan for Bonita (News-Press 2/2/2022). It is clearly an effective ways to reduce flooding and red tide. Storing sweet summer storm water in ASR Wells before it goes out to sea is a winner. Retrieving that water in winter and saving us about $400 yearly on BSU bills is a no brainer.

Another one of Jude’s articles “A New Vision for Old 41” (on jude4bonita.org) is creative and insightful and would inspire businessmen to create an organic, popular and quaint downtown.

Jude has given much thought to the issues in Bonita and that shows a deep love for the people and for nature. His opponent issues platitudes like “I am for clean water” and a “safe city” but offers no plans.

Jude has my vote for the Bonita District 5 Council seat. For all of our sake's, I hope he has yours too.

Peter Madisson, Bonita Springs

Mouth soap for president and mayor

The hot mics of President Biden and Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy blowing out filthy and ungodly words reminded me of my southeast Alabama 1971 smoky pool hall that shot out obscenity nonstop. Unrealistic and unbelievable that the pool shooter “Fast Eddy” of "The Hustler" 1961 movie never used Biden and Murphy’s foul language. What about a boatload of “mother’s soap” for the wanna-be tough Biden and Murphy?

Mike Sawyer (former Florida foster dad for over 60 kids), Denver, CO

Silence gives consent

In recent days, Mr. Trump, the leader of the Republican Party, has openly issued two veiled threats of violence against those who oppose him and in effect against the principles of law and order in this country. Mr. Trump told a radio host that there would be problems like this country has never seen if he is indicted for illegally taking and mishandling national security documents from the White House. I say if Mr. Trump has indeed willfully broken the law, he should be punished under the law and any problems that produces will be dealt with legally as well. More recently, Mr. Trump stated that Mitch McConnell has a “death wish” for supporting election reform in Congress and, never missing an opportunity to appeal to that part of his base animated by racial animosity, attributed it to McConnell’s “China loving wife, Coco Chow.” McConnell’s wife, real name Elaine Chow was, by the way, appointed by Mr. Trump as his own Transportation Secretary. This style of slash and burn leadership and governing is now part of the approach favored by Republican leaders and which brought us “that little elf” comment in reference to a person who saved millions of lives from the AIDS epidemic. Meanwhile, Mr. Biden, agree with his policies or not, is busy speaking the plain truth to the American people and governing, without fanfare, and without wasting taxpayer dollars to punish those who did not vote for him. It is either naivete or willful ignorance to think that policies do not flow from the character of the person making them. A vengeful, petty, thin-skinned insecure character will sooner or later resort to form and produce vengeful, petty, self-serving policies. We have seen this in gerrymandering, voter suppression, “don’t say gay,” elimination of non-existent CRT and the "by any means necessary" approach to achieve and maintain power. Every citizen should familiarize themselves with the Marine adage that says when one hears that an artillery round or bombing run is being plotted into their position and remains silent, “silence gives consent.” None of us should be silent when “leaders” openly issue veiled threats against those who oppose them. That’s fully expected in a dictatorship, not in a democracy.

Thomas Minor, Bonita Springs

Obama/Biden the real oppressors

The editorial, “You Can’t Build Roads Without Oil” of 10/06/22, speaks to how illogical the "climate-control" advocates in the Biden administration policies are. Jacob R. Borden speak truth (to power). The real truth is, the Biden administration is trying everything possible to destroy America, including what is unconstitutional.

By wasting our tax dollars on climate control, there is little left for infrastructure, military defense, medical research, or safe borders. Climate control, along with WOKE ideology, are the major ways in which the Obama/Biden administration is tearing down America’s economy, America’s defense, and America’s freedoms by turning America into an impoverished weak country.

Democrats seem to believe that once America is impoverished, it will be easy to create their Marxist dictatorship. Impoverished people have little to no power to stop them. The Obama/Biden legacies will be: These two presidents abolished America’s freedom and liberty for all in exchange for their dictatorship of equity, transgender mutilations, CRT, and 1619 Project of a false history taught to our youth so that they will be easy to control.

The poem “Ozymandias” comes to mind: Words on the lifeless remains state, “Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away.” This could be America’s future if the Democrats remain in power.

Think about who the real “oppressors” are and who the real “victims” are. The Obama/Biden governments are the real oppressors and the American people, regardless of race, color, socio-economic class, or religion, are the real victims.

Dionne M. Schwartz, Naples

Authoritarian Republican threat

Some Americans who are rightly appalled by Trump's Republican Party have been making hopeful noises in the media lately. They're saying that power hungry, "win at any cost" Republicans have gone too far and will pay a stiff political price for their cynical, unprincipled, un-American behaviors -- somewhere down the line.

"Somewhere down the line!" They have to be kidding me. If this current iteration of the Republican Party is not roundly defeated in '22 and '24, there will be no "down the line" for America as a small "d" democratic republic. The American experiment in government of, by and for the people will be effectively over, and our beloved country will look more like Putin's Russia than Lincoln's ideal.

This is it, people. It's now or never. A vote for this particular brand of Republican is a vote for an authoritarian future dressed up as a democracy. If they get their hands on the levers of government, they will make hollow shells of the very mechanisms the founders created as hedges against consolidated, authoritarian rule. It's time to choose. There will be no next time. "Somewhere down the line" is now.

Geremy Spampinato, Naples

Memories of communist country

As someone who grew up under and escaped from a Soviet-type communist country, there are certain memories that one never forgets.

These are memories of only one undisputed ruling party and one candidate to vote for, that political dissent is not to be tolerated, that those espousing such contrarian ideas would likely end up in a gulag, or worse, and the nightmares of middle-of-the-night secret police tearing down doors to arrest “enemies of the people” who -- authorities remind everyone -- hide behind every bush and every wall, and yet the authorities knew full well who those threatening the “people’s freedom” were and where they hid.

There are also memories that “even the walls have ears,” that parents, children, best friends and others so dear to you may and are, in fact, encouraged to report any transgression of thought or speech, that the secret police and the military are an extension of the authority’s long arm, and the constant and repeated all-reassuring government reminders of its best intentions and its commitment to “uniting people.”

Yet not all was so dark then; there was the comfort that the country was safe and secure as its borders were well protected and guarded by attack dogs and fully armed military personnel with orders to shoot to kill -- but not at those who would want to enter this paradise on earth, but those who would want to leave it. Why would anyone want to leave?

Interesting how those memories are resonating more frequently and more vividly in recent times.

Frank Sterdjevich, North Naples

What Biden has accomplished

A letter writer recently complained about President Biden. Here are some of his accomplishments: Despite some bad press, he inherited a broken economy with the daily death toll from the global pandemic at an all-time high. Here are just a few examples of what he has done for our country so far:

• Biden signed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package that passed with 13

Republicans who voted with the Democrats in favor of the bill.

This package increases investment in roads and bridges, renovates ports and public transportation, expands broadband access and replaces every lead pipe in the United States, among other initiatives. This bill brings jobs, jobs and more jobs, and it begins to rebuild our long-neglected infrastructure.

• Biden signed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package in March 2021 that included up to

$1,400 per person to financially struggling Americans, extended unemployment support

and provided billions of dollars to help schools, colleges and universities reopen.

• Biden put in place a $20 billion vaccination program to fight COVID. While 1 percent of the U.S. population was vaccinated when Biden came into office, 74 percent of Americans – 249 million Americans – have received at least one vaccine dose.

• Biden expanded access to affordable health care for five million Americans.

• Under Joe Biden, unemployment dropped to 3.9 percent; under Donald Trump, unemployment was 6.3 percent.

• 6,000,000 jobs have been created already.

• Jobless claims are the lowest since 1969.

• The United States under Joe Biden is no longer denying science, but is once again a respected global leader in world affairs. We are doing our part to champion the health of our planet.

Biden has earned the respect of our European allies and he is coordinating a measured

response to Vladimir Putin’s aggressive war on Ukraine while avoiding World War III.

Steve Wolfson, Fort Myers

Blame Biden, not DeSantis

This paper has had a large number of letters expressing outrage over the flight of illegal aliens from Florida to Martha’s Vineyard. I can only assume that many have forgotten how the open southern border led to this event and others like it.

Governors DeSantis and Abbott have exposed the left's hypocrisy over border security and immigration. The left’s open border policies are cruel and inhumane. They are enriching the cartels, creating a national security crisis, health threats and the trafficking of children.

Joe Biden opened the border when he came to office. His administration continues to tell us the border is “secure” but we all know this is untrue. Remember, Biden created the ghost flights, flying illegal aliens to various parts of the country in the middle of the night. I guess he was trying to hide something. Gov. DeSantis just followed the lead. Maybe the left believes that illegal aliens should just stay on the border or fade into the country as they please.

The Biden-created border crisis is not just a border town issue anymore. The Heritage Foundation reports that in Florida, even before the Biden-inspired surge across the border, we were paying $2 billion per year to provide health care and education for the nearly 800,000 illegal aliens living here. Other states have also incurred large expenses for the same reasons.

There is a very quick and humane solution to all of this nonsense. Close the border, but that would frustrate the reason the left encourages open borders.

Nick Blauwiekel, Naples

Trump admires dictators

Former president Donald Trump is probably correct when he says that the Russian Ukrainian war would not have happened if he was still president. However, the reason it would not have happened is because neither the U.S. or NATO would have responded to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If it was up to Trump, he would have pulled the U.S. out of NATO and without the U.S. NATO would have been impotent.

Trump admires dictators like Putin and Kim Jung Un, and is jealous of their unfettered ability to act and rule. He resents the constraints imposed on the presidency by Congress and the courts, but that is the power of living in a Madisonian democracy.

David Goldstein, Naples

Republican lies, hypocrisy

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sure seems like another Donald Trump. His ego is enormous, he acts like a dictator. He has shown that he is a bully, offends anyone who disagrees with him, even school children. Is he a racist or just a bigot after what he did with Disney? He doesn’t want anyone to say "gay." We know he loves “jobs over people.” There have been over 80,782 deaths from COVID-19 virus in Florida, the largest number percentage-wise among all the largest states. DeSantis hired a quack doctor Joseph Ladapo to be surgeon general of Florida, because he espoused DeSantis’ approach to downplay the pandemic. Dr. Ladapo promoted “horse-worm” medicine over proven vaccines and doesn’t believe masks can help people avoid the virus. The governor signed a bill that greatly limits a woman’s right to control her own body.

Sen. Rubio and Gov. DeSantis are running TV ads full of lies about Charlie Crist and Val Demings, the only truth is they both certainly voted for all bills proposed by President Biden to help the American people. Little Marco Rubio is almost as big a liar as Trump.

I’m very concerned about the “56” sheriffs in Florida that bought into the lies. They and other Republicans apparently have forgotten about the 140 Capitol policemen who were beaten by Trump supporters at the Jan. 6 insurrection, at least 3 died. The Republican Party is no-longer the party of law and order, as they now want to defund the FBI -- what hypocrites.

E.L. “Bud” Ruff, Naples

LIV aids and abets the enemy

The Saudis have just agreed with the Russians to curtail oil production thereby increasing the price of gasoline at American pumps. This not only impacts our European allies in our joint efforts to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggressors, it mitigates the sanctions we imposed on Russia by making Russian oil more profitable.

And where is the Republican leadership in all of this? They surely are not standing with Ronald Reagan: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” They seem to be siding with Mr. Putin who is intent on putting the wall back up.

The Republicans are standing behind Trump who recognizes Mr. Putin as a “genius.” Takes one to know one.

So what does LIV professional golf have to do with all of this? Greg Norman sold out professional golf to the Saudis who own and sponsor the LIV tour. The Saudis are on the side of our enemies and Norman and his turncoat golfers are aiding the enemy. Shame on them; greed has replaced principle. Money is the root of all evil.

As a strike against our enemies, we should ban LIV form our soil, or, at least, from our fairways and greens. Throw them into a bunker or into a hazard. Then we should tear the life line of the Saudis by eliminating fossil fuels from our diet and by embracing clean energy.

Boycott LIV golf, vote out the Republican leadership and replace them with principled statesmen.

Joe Haack, Naples

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Saturday, October 8, 2022