Letters to the editor for Sunday, December 18, 2022
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More information on tax rates
As I prepare to pay my real estate taxes here in Cape Coral, I am wondering why I never see any information in the local newspaper about the property tax rates for various communities in this area. In my home state of New Hampshire, the papers there regularly print articles at this time of year highlighting these rates. For instance, one small city is reported to have set the rate at $15.20 per thousand of value. How does that rate compare with Cape Coral's rate, I ask myself. There doesn't seem to be any way to get an answer to that question.
I look forward to your newspaper's attention to this question, and to the publication of the results of your inquiries.
Marcia C. Gillis, Cape Coral
Healing the racial divide
The racial scab dividing America today shows little sign of healing because radicals rather scratch it than resolve the issue by confronting it openly. Perchance liberals fear Blacks will discover they have been shortchanged with crypto promises forever.The Dems depend on minorities, especially Blacks, to win elections and their principal weapon has been pinning the "racist" tag on Republicans. But in doing so relentlessly they have created a chasm of distrust that permeates throughout today's society that has almost erased decades of progress in race relations. Black philosopher Robin DiAngelo is as guilty as Joe Biden for heaping guilt on whites for slavery and oppression.. DiAngelo's assessment of "If you are not anti-racist, you are racist" is as caustic and hypocritical as Biden's opining "If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black." Such statements only add fuel to simmering embers.Following the tragic death of George Floyd and subsequent uprising, led by Black Lives Matter, liberals overreacted as usual. Their solution was to elevate Black pride by significantly increasing the number of dark faces in advertising, entertainment, and in the media. Such manipulation has led to a surge in white nationalism.As a start to ending racism, white racist cops need to be ferreted out and Black males should stop resisting arrest at a 4 to 1 rate compared to whites. When combined, these two circumstances lead to senseless tragedies as happened with the Rodney King incident in Los Angeles, the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, and even George Floyd's death under a white policeman's knee. All involved suspects resisting arrest and police malfeasance. Let's pray that people of goodwill and all complexions come to realize that racism of all kinds is counterproductive and runs counter to the American promise of equality for all. Martin Luther King best summed up our racial quandary: "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." Gerald Ponder, Cape Coral |
Good old boys club
When Commissioner Mann passed away, Gov. DeSantis appointed Mike Greenwell to fill the vacancy. Since that time this temporary post, through the elective process, has become permanent for the next four years.The newest member, Commissioner Greenwell, had requests for variances on properties he owns which passed almost immediately after his joining this “club.”Prior to being appointed by DeSantis and before he became a county commissioner, Mike Greenwell was involved in a multimillion-dollar locksmithing contract, designed to improve the security of school buildings, with the Lee County School District. His company, Big League Builders, owned by Greenwell and his sons, was awarded a $3M contract for which the company failed to meet the minimum qualification requirements. Then this contract, three months after commencement, was increased to $11M. According to a WINK News report on August 17, 2022, there are pictures that show the work was done incorrectly. It also appears, according to School Board members, that the contracts were handed out without proper due diligence.Behavior such as this should be expected when one sees the “great” example set by the then leader of the pack, Cecil Pendergrass, who was MIA for Ian.Now the Board of County Commissioners has five “good old boys” without anyone to dissent. (If you were to watch the hand clapping and backslapping that goes on at the Lee County Board of Commissioners meetings, you would understand.)The losers in all of this are the citizens of Lee County as it appears that there is no longer any voice on the Lee County Board of Commissioners that takes their oath seriously, which is to place service to the county’s citizens at the head of any and every undertaking. But then again, I guess the Board of County Commissioners has now become a club of five good ole boys whose obligation is to grant business benefits to its own members and congratulate themselves ad infinitum about the “great” job they do for the citizens of this great county.Norman Cannon, Fort Myers
Let dogs have their day
I am writing for those that can't. The dogs that are pulled by their neck behind a person who does not seem to realize that dogs need to feel they can smell along the way and have a little freedom from their mundane, human-designed lives. Most owners understand this, and when they can, go to a place where their dogs can run without a leash. Recently, I saw a person on roller skates, pulling this poor, sad dog behind him at a fairly fast pace. I see people on bikes doing the same thing. I understand that some folks need assistance walking their dogs, and many are slow and give their dogs space and time to be just that -- dogs! But, too many folks don't give their supposed best friend a chance to feel free. How would you feel? Think about it.Carolyn Varno, Naples
Ending political divisiveness
Thankfully, the midterm elections are over, and we don’t have to see or hear a repetitious barrage of political verbosity devoid of substance or enlightenment. The Republican concerto began with a crescendo of spurious allegations; mostly a rehash of personal character attacks, blind loyalty to incompetent leaders, and complete lack of understanding that our democracy requires partisanship based on compromise. Wrapping the American flag around you and attacking our Capitol for the purpose of hanging our vice president or killing the speaker of the House doesn’t make you a patriot. It's time for the Republican Party to elect some adult candidates who can restore honor and dignity and are capable of intelligently debating issues rather than inciting insurrections and blindly supporting a would-be dictator or engaging in childish retaliations to imaginary conspiracies, half-truths, distortions and fabricated lies.The first movement of the Republican concerto has ended. Traditionally, the second movement is one of tranquility. Hopefully, more mature and sagacious minds will prevail and some symbolic and realistic changes will evolve and become the precursor towards a third movement crescendo celebrating the end of our political divisiveness. A good step in this direction would be the passage of the Electoral Count Reform bill.Leo Boghosian, Bonita Springs |
Time-out for holiday season
During this holiday season let’s take a time-out from the illusion that we all are on separate teams and embrace the undeniable, underlying fact that, whatever name your belief-system gives it, there is a singular energy that is beating every single heart on this jewel of a planet, and not just human hearts, ALL hearts.If we keep this fact in mind maybe we will be more inclined to gift a smile to a fellow human and do our part to respect and protect our planet and ALL its amazing creatures.J. Cant, Naples |
Harmful effects of marijuana
Not to bore your readers, I must respond to Dr. Sabrin’s simplistic argument of justifying legalization of marijuana because tobacco is legal. I can assure the readers and Dr. Sabrin that the AMA and the CDC do not support tobacco. However, it is “legal” and the AMA does not make law, our representatives do that. Because of the number of users of tobacco, it is scientifically easy to demonstrate the harmful effects of tobacco. However, there is sufficient evidence for our health officials to warn us about marijuana. In addition to having all the harmful effects of tobacco, marijuana is also the forerunner of more potent drugs. It is for these reasons that our health officials want peer reviewed studies done before we legalize marijuana.Ted Raia M.D., Naples |
Self-serving rationalization
The self-serving rationalization of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema for bolting the Democratic Party masks her utter cynicism.Her remarks about the dysfunctionality of the two-party system as a reason for becoming an Independent, while still caucusing with the Democrats, overlooks the important roles that parties play in the political process in allowing elected officials to band together to achieve particular objectives, pave the way occasionally for bi-partisan measures, and permitting voters to be able to identify the values and goals of the candidates, among other features.Parties help elected officials coordinate their activities. While their members need not agree on everything, the absence of a party structure would be equivalent to each of the players on a football team running their own plays. There are, to be sure, flaws in the party system and the two parties that populate it, but they are far fewer than the clown show that would occur in their absence.Sinema is free to do as she pleases, but spare us from the clowning around and the shop-worn cynicism that propels her transformation from a member of a team to an egotistical self-preservationist.Marshall H. Tanick, Naples |
Exceptional kindness
I want to tell the world about an exceptionally kind, generous and wonderful thing that happened to me at the Berkshire Commons Publix on Monday, Dec. 12 at 12:45 p.m.Having filled my shopping cart with a variety of things, to my horror, during check-out, I could not find my credit card -- it had gone missing since my previous stop an hour earlier and I had no other way to pay for the groceries already rung up and bagged. I stood there absolutely dumbfounded! Where was my card? What should I do? I HATED the thought of holding up the line behind me AND I felt very embarrassed, as well.It was then I saw a hand reach out behind me tapping an American Express card onto the credit card terminal! “Oh! Oh, NO! That is WAY TOO MUCH for you to pay for! I really can afford this!”“I’m sure you can. Merry Christmas!” said the man behind me.I thanked him, twice again and promised I would pay it forward.I have never felt so humble and grateful at the same time! Thank you to this wonderful man I didn’t know, who came to my rescue without hesitation and with such generosity and kindness in his heart! This wasn’t a cup of coffee or a highway toll – my grocery bill was $129.81!I contacted American Express, hoping to be able to leave him a message of thanks, but there was no way to track him with the scant information I had on the Publix receipt.I hope that this letter will be published in the Naples News and find its way to him. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart and please know I will indeed pay your kindness forward. I intend to pay it forward more than once during this holiday season. You have gifted me with a kindness I will never forget.Lynn LaMattina, Naples |
Thanks to Dr. Patton
Thank you Dr. Patton for your dedication to make the CCPS school system an A school. It will be difficult to replace someone so experienced. It is obvious that the new members of the board are not interested in your experience and dedication to Collier, but in replacing our special superintendent with someone with probably less ability and more in line with the drastic changes that the new members of the board want. Dr. Patton was in line to be one of the best superintendents in America. The Collier school system will have to live with their decision to move on from Dr. Patton.LeRoy Huenefeld, Naples |
More information on property insurance
Thank you for your article on Florida property insurance.
You mention that “More than a dozen insurance companies have stopped writing homeowners policies in Florida this year, including a half dozen that have gone out of business altogether.” Would you name these companies, and state whether these are companies that only write in Florida?
Is there any data on what portion of Florida homeowners insured losses pays for lawyers fees and legal expenses on property claims?
Is there any data on what portion of Florida homeowners insured losses pays for wear and tear losses when accompanied by an insured peril?
One of the aspirational goals of legislators is “helping with reinsurance.” Does this mean private reinsurance, and if so what kind of help can legislators provide, because reinsurance is largely unregulated by the states except for solvency.
Jerry Tuttle, Fort Myers
Cost of college education
In regard to tuition refunds. Why don't you do an in-depth investigation into Ivy League colleges on what it actually costs a college to educate an individual student.
Take into account every sport that provides TV funds for colleges, also scholarship costs per student. Salaries for everyone connected with educating students and college management.
Also include donations from any outside organization and past alumni. Also include the amount of funding our government presently gives to each college.
This information would provide the answer to what it actually should cost a student to attend any of the Ivy League Schools or community colleges in our country.
If the total yearly expense for a college determines the actual cost of tuition, then this should be public information.
Finally, the question should be asked. What would it take to lower tuition costs by 25 percent. Would a college still be able to provide the current standard of education. If the answer is no. Our federal government should be looking closer at the situation and possibly provide far more tax-free funds to all colleges to make it happen. This would be a far better solution than returning the cost of student loans already spent by millions of graduates or present day students in any college in our country.
How far back will our government go to refund student loans? This is a question that our government has failed to answer. At this moment it is impossible to answer.
Our federal government pays out trillions of dollars to countries around the world with little or no accounting. We, the American people, need answers!
Put America first. Provide more government funding to colleges that do everything possible to lower the cost of student education!
Brian Whitehouse, Cape Coral
Increase in anti-Semitism
It’s easy to see why the increase in anti-Semitism is bringing anxiety and worry to Jewish Americans (Jewish Americans Confront Hate, Dec. 10). However, the increase didn't happen overnight.
Attacks on Jews have been accelerating on college campuses for decades. When student groups target students for being Zionists, that’s anti-Semitic because Israel is central to Jewish history, culture and religion. Calls to action against Israel in college newspapers also contribute to the shunning of Jews on campus.
Anti-Zionist actions encourage hate crimes in our communities. Synagogues in the United States now have armed security when Jews go there to pray.
The Biden administration hasn’t made things better. There are contradictions with what the White House says and it actually does. Governmental appointments like Hady Amr who was “inspired by the Palestinian intifada,” is actually praising the maiming and murders of Israelis. Amr’s new post “to strengthen the Palestinian Authority,” which is responsible for the intifadas, is alarming. Whether intentionally or not, the Biden administration is strengthening propaganda and rewarding the PA’s murderous policies.
It would be helpful if anti-Semites within the Democratic Party were called out instead if rewarded with committee appointments. Ilhan Omar has accused Israel of hypnotizing the world and being evil while Rashida Tlaib falsely says Israel has an apartheid government. This is the same hateful rhetoric that has been roiling Jewish students on college campuses. It’s also the same rhetoric used in news stories about Israel that falsely cast it as an apartheid state.
Accurate and unbiased reporting by the press, government appointments that don’t include anti-Semites and educational leaders who take meaningful action to prevent harassment of Jewish students, would go a long way to alleviate the concerns of American Jews. It may even help to decrease the number of anti-Semitic incidents.
Elinor Weiss, North Naples
I'd rather be 'woke'
Yogi said it, it's deja vu all over again. Republicans, ever eager to demonize words, are back at it. They worked tirelessly and with some success in the past to make "liberal" a dirty word and even convinced some of us on the left to settle for the watered down "progressive." And they're back.Now it's "woke." "Woke" people and attitudes are the intractable enemies of everything good, wholesome and quintessentially American in their world. Well I'm an old school teacher, and habits die hard. So let's review some of the lasting effects of "wokeness" in our American experiment.The founders who challenged the divinely ordained sovereignty of a king were being outrageously "woke" in their 18th century reality. And how about the abolitionists who insisted that black Americans were every bit as human as white ones less than century later. Talk about "woke!" And who can forget the American feminists who dared to declare that female lives mattered. Half of the population is no longer the legal chattel of the other half with all that implies because they were brave and "woke."Sure, "wokeness can get out of hand and veer toward absurdity, but where would we be without it. A very dark place comes to mind. All in all, I'd rather be "woke."Geremy Spampinato, Naples |
Challenges for Cubans
There was an article in the paper this week claiming that Cuba’s current dire economic situation was due to COVID and the U.S. embargo. The truth is more complex than that.In the early 1990's the Soviet Union stopped subsidizing the Cuban economy. Subsequently, the Cuban people suffered from the lack of food, medicines, hygiene products, electricity and transportation. Those times were called the Special Period.Today, Cubans are going through another “special period,” and many say it is worse now than it was 30 years ago.There are many reasons why Cuba finds itself in this situation: a lack of tourism due to COVID, a significant reduction in remittances due to sanctions, the lack of electricity and gasoline due to reduced subsidies from Venezuela, and inflation. Adding to the challenges this year, about half of the country’s oil reserves were destroyed in an accident in Matanzas and Hurricane Ian devastated Pinar del Rio, already the poorest province in Cuba.That’s the entire dreadful situation and it’s why thousands are flying to Nicaragua and enduring the dangerous land trek to the southern U.S. border, not to mention those that drown in makeshift boats trying to cross the straits. I emigrated as a young teen in 1960 and was welcomed with open arms. Times are different now.Alicia Astorga, Naples |
Anthem at homecoming
Biden said “She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home.”Since she’s such a “prominent American” should we assume Biden had a military band playing the national anthem as she landed!Dick Jones, Naples and Ocean City, NJ |
Arms dealer traded for Griner
Are you confused? Biden is all in on gun control on U.S. citizens but releases an arms dealer in exchange for Griner. This arms dealer was jailed for trying to sell surface to air missiles to FARC so they could shoot down U.S. helicopters. This seems a little more dangerous than guns.It would be interesting to hear an explanation from those on the Left as to why, prior to Musk, Twitter was such a darling for them and now Twitter needs to be shut down, restricted and/or investigated. Prior to Musk, many prominent conservatives were either shut down or severely restricted. At this time, it seems that all Musk is doing is providing the public with why and with whose help these decisions were made. Why do those on the Left think that providing the facts is such a problem? Do they have something to hide or is this just a continuation of the Left being afraid of facts?Ron Wobbeking, Naples |
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Sunday, December 18, 2022
