Letters to the editor for Sunday, February 12, 2023
Jets disrupt Sunday concerts
One of the nicest recurring events in Naples are the Sunday concerts in Cambier Park. They are enjoyed by hundreds of residents and visitors alike. Without fail my friend and I are regulars at the Sunday events and have not missed one performance this season. Often, the attendance is so great that the entire viewing area in front of the bandshell is crowded from end to end with hundreds of listeners.
However, there is one item that makes me and hundreds of listeners very upset. For reasons unknown, the jets taking off from Naples Airport to the tune of one every five minutes fly directly over the bandshell. It appears that the pilots use the bandshell for orientation. The noise is so loud and annoying that it drowns out the music.
The explanations by the announcer about the composer and history of the piece of music are extremely interesting. When a plane arrives at that time, one cannot understand one word. Presumably, the flight path was chosen in order to not disturb the residents in Port Royal or Park Shore. It should be possible, at least on Sundays between 1 and 4 p.m., to instruct the pilots to fly 1,500 feet south or north of the bandshell to allow the audience to enjoy the music and announcements undisturbed. It is an affront and insult to the hundreds of listeners to be subjected to this awful noise. Hundreds of listeners would be eternally grateful.
Erik C. Meyer, Naples
Why we need right to clean water
“High fecal coliform levels found,” (2/6) provides a perfect example of why we need a constitutional right to clean water.
As reported, such levels should be under 70 on the Most Probable Number scale, but Calusa Waterkeeper found they were 900 in the Estero River and 1,600 in the Imperial River! Nearly all tributaries flowing into Estero Bay showed high counts of fecal coliform bacteria.
Waterkeeper Emeritus John Cassani says we’ve seen “extremely high levels of fecal bacteria for 20 years,” and FGCU professor James Douglass, says, “It’s become sort of the norm for Southwest Florida.” He adds that the “next step is for state agencies to track down the sources of pollution and do something about it,” but they don’t, and “no one’s held accountable.”
With a constitutional “Right to Clean and Healthy Waters” we could hold state agencies accountable. Our Legislature knows this. That’s why in 2020, to protect special interests, they preempted the authority of local governments to pass laws giving citizens any environmental rights, which would include the right to clean water. In doing so, they created the need for this constitutional amendment, because who would have thought that we shouldn’t have the right to clean water and a healthy environment for ourselves and our children?
Sign the petition at FloridaRightToCleanWater.org.
Joseph Bonasia, Cape Coral
Glowing red dots on Lake Trafford
Joe Emerson’s letter was on the spot about Lake Trafford being the best place to see alligators. Many gators can be seen on a typical day.Going out on the lake at night with a spotlight is a terrific and wonderful experience, for out of the darkness dozens of glowing red dots appear. Each pair of dots are the eyes of an alligator.One night our pilot got the airboat stuck on a floating hammock. He asked me to get in the water among the many pairs of glowing red eyes and push. No!It took a bit longer to rock the boat free.
David Driapsa, Naples
Support Project Help
Taboo, scary, swept under the rug, uncomfortable! Yes, it is all of those. But sexual assault is REAL and happens every day, hour and second! I won’t bog this down with all the statistics but rather uncomfortable truths.In the wake of the #Me Too movement's five-year anniversary we can’t dig our heads back into the sand again and pretend this stuff does not happen. Sexual assault can happen to anyone. It can be your mother, father, sister, brother aunt, uncle, best friend, or even YOU! Sexual assault knows no economic boundaries, educational boundaries, race, religion etc. It can happen to ANYONE! I will stand from the rooftops because that is how passionate I feel about giving victims a voice, giving victims healing and giving them their life back!
It saddens me that this community has not embraced this organization that has been in our backyard for 37 years tirelessly working quietly in our community counseling, advising, and advocating for victims of sexual assault. Not only for sexual assault but also assisting Naples PD office doing sudden death notifications. YES, they are the people that go out with law enforcement to you that your loved one has perished in a car accident, homicide, or suicide. NOW do I have your attention? Yes, this too is uncomfortable, but we MUST have this tough conversation. There is not enough attention on this organization that helps so many. Did you know that last year alone Project Help assisted over 5,000 people? Yes, from counseling to rape exams to sudden death notifications.
We as citizens of Collier County are very lucky to have Project Help in our backyard. Hopefully many of you do not need their assistance however I will tell you that you will look differently at this organization when you do need them or someone you know would need them. Why wait for that to happen?The time is NOW for you to support this quiet yet ever so mighty organization that is not only changing lives but SAVING LIVES.
Jennifer Johnson, Naples
Hurricane help inadequate
Which is worse? FEMA or Medicare? My 96-year-old mother and 72-year-old disabled brother have mobile homes.in Lazy Days in North Fort Myers. My brother's home was severely damaged from the hurricane. Due to the unhealthy environment, he became extremely ill and needed to be hospitalized and is currently in rehab. Even though he is on the mend, Medicare wants to throw him to the curb because they will only pay for a certain amount of time. Meanwhile, my mother's house insurance wanted to cancel her policy after the hurricane. That was settled finally but they only paid for one-third for the cost to fix her home. Submitted everything on time and in order to FEMA only to be rejected twice. Both worked hard all their lives to be entitled to what they paid into and deserve. So, you tell me, which federal agency is worse? FEMA or Medicare? It is a toss-up.
Dorothy Reciniello, New Hyde Park, NY
Jazz concert a rare opportunity
What an oversight! In Friday’s article, “Top Shows to see in Fort Myers, Naples’” there was no mention of the upcoming jazz concert, starring the trombone legend Wycliffe Gordon. “Jazz on the Lawn” will be held on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex. Rarely does our area have an opportunity to hear such a celebrated jazz icon in person. It’s a shame that this event was not listed.
E.E. Schwartz, Naples
Wildlife habitat destruction
We have an extremely serious destruction of Cape Coral's wildlife habitat which is going on as I write this and will not subside until April. Many companies (20) contracted by the city of Cape Coral were given the task of cleaning up our canals after Ian trashed many of them. Their mission was to clean out the fallen trees and shrubs along the Cape's canal banks and waters so they would not wash into the canals or inhibit the waterways so boaters would have safe passage. The canal banks on hundreds of lots are brown with pure dirt with a few tree stumps in between, thanks to these companies bulldozing them out and killing wildlife habitat.
How did this all come about? FEMA had Ian hurricane money to spend on canal and water clean-up. The Corps of Engineers approved and issued the permits to clean up the Cape's canals. So Cape Coral applied for this money and hired no less than 20 construction companies supposedly to clean up our canals but they started to clean out our lots. Not one company had a barge to clean up one canal. They cleaned the lots so the builders can build on them without the builders removing this canal vegetation with our tax money. Should FEMA be notified and ask for this money back? It would never hurt to ask them. Our tax money to destroy and change our environment into many mud holes and again destroying our wildlife and our beautiful trees.
Why is Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife involved? Because these destructive machines have run over burrowing owl and gopher burrows, thus destroying them, which we have pledged to protect. We have many enraged citizens on our side too. They have been calling us in droves about the plowing under of the flora along our canals. Animals have been injured or killed as well.
In order to destroy wildlife habitat you need a plan from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to save the wild animals and habitat, which these companies have never obtained to our knowledge.
Please call our town council and let them know we need their help to stop this environmental carnage.
If you can verify where a destroyed nest is, please call CCFW at 239-980-2593 and leave the exact street address and, if possible, what kind of nest was destroyed. Pictures are helpful as well.
Carl Veaux, Cape Coral
Misplaced focus
Is anybody else getting concerned that our government seems totally focused on diversity, equity, social justice, LGBTQ+, racism, white supremacy, climate change, abortion, defunding police, bail reform, vaccinations and open borders while our competitors and possible enemies like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are concerned about their economy and their military capabilities? It seems that we have lost our focus not only in our military but also with the education of our children because of the focus on these issues.
Ron Wobbeking, Naples
Governor a manipulative dictator
I spent several days and many hours drafting a letter to the editor expressing my outrage at the draconian actions and laws being perpetrated by the governor and his Legislature.
But today I suddenly stopped. My obsession evaporated, and I realized that DeSantis has me exactly where he wants me: furious, fascinated, dredging up quotes by Oliver Wendell Holmes to support my arguments — and totally focused on HIM.
All of it, a waste of my time and energy.
DeSantis went to Harvard Law School. He knows what he’s doing. He knows that it’s all unconstitutional.
The courts, thankfully, have started to push back — so much so that the Legislature has called a special session: “Dang it! A lot of the laws we passed are getting shot down in court! What’s the plan?”
We don’t watch Fox News in our house. (Practically unheard of in Naples, I know.) But we do watch “progressive media,” and I can tell you that DeSantis is on there every night.
So his strategy is working! He says what his supporters love to hear, does outrageous stuff that violates the First Amendment, and they throw applause, money and support his way. And the liberal media spends hours wringing its metaphorical hands about how terrible he is. “Republican nomination, in the bag!”
So I’m going to save my energy and channel it elsewhere, away from the little dictator who craves our attention.
Time to write another check to the ACLU and let the justice system roll.
Melanie Chadwick, Naples
Poison to the basic idea of meritocracy
Ron DeSantis has finally said it. Black history is part of American history.
We now have separate black history classes and black studies departments as well as classes and departments on diversity, equity and inclusion.
These are all poison to the basic idea of America as a meritocracy, which is the foundation of our success as a nation.
Every one of these separate venues provides, often taxpayer funded, high paying jobs for African Americans, queers and other minorities. Their task is then to unearth and promote the idea of past racism and discrimination as a justification for current racism and discrimination which favors African Americans, queers and other minorities.
Our power structure has bought in to the concept that if you want to be a good and fair person, give a job or college spot or other benefit to someone who does not deserve it because they are black or queer and deny that benefit to someone who does deserve it because they are white.
This is the current, in new garb, version of the old segregated South, in reverse.
This is also the heart of the current president and Democratic Party policy today.
Bob Stabile, Bonita Springs
It's not 'freedom'
We talk about living in a free society especially here in Florida and we elect people who we feel represent that. Many Floridians voted for less government yet don’t realize that banning things isn’t less government but rather the opposite. It’s saying: It’s okay for me to remove your right to choose or vote for something you feel is important to you or your community. Hitler and other leaders did this. It’s one sided freedom and a lie. It’s saying that it’s okay to take away your freedoms and rights so I may have mine. It’s saying we must have more government to have less government. It’s saying it’s okay to infringe on your constitutional rights and oppress you so that I may live out my own constitutional fantasies. I’m watching our local and state leaders turning into the very thing they are opposing. Too much of anything is a bad thing. We have to have balance. We all have voices and the ability to put ourselves into other’s shoes. We were not created to be apathetically indifferent, but love one another. To show compassion and to help those who are oppressed. Not to cause those who are marginalized more oppression because we want to be comfortable. Freedom is about having the right to choose. God gave us each free will. That’s what sets us as humans apart from all other creation. What is happening now is not okay! We cannot as a state condone banning things and speak about freedom in the same manner. It’s not freedom! It’s totalitarianism, authoritarian and unconstitutional. And most of all it’s HYPOCRITICAL!Elizabeth Radi, Naples
Voters must mitigate the damage
With Republicans in charge only by four seats the nation is waiting for them to tackle issues in dire need of attention like the debt ceiling, inflation and reducing the deficit. Instead, they are more concerned about a retribution impeachment of the president along with Merrick Garland. and getting access to the laptop of Hunter Biden. This all because of the concessions the new speaker had to make to obtain the gavel after 15 votes and putting nut jobs like Jim Jordan in command of the Judiciary Committee. Watching Jordan on the Sunday talk shows, instead of directly answering the moderator’s questions, he did more bobbing and weaving than than a boxer in a ring, all with his condescending snicker on display. Since only one member can now initiate his demise as speaker because of another concession he made, it shouldn’t take long for McCarthy to be bounced off the speaker's dais.
Hopefully, we will only have to endure this for two years and mitigate most of the damage.
We’ll have to rely on the voters again which sounds like a tall order but they came through in November and disqualified most of the election deniers and MAGA proponents. We have to give them the credit they deserve.
Glenn Chenot, Cape Coral
Particulates in water
I am a snowbird and have been coming to Naples for many years. Naples is great except for the water coming out of the faucet. Our water measures 197 particulates per million. Our water in Illinois measures 40-45 ppm out of the faucet. If you measure the particulates in Aquafina bottled water, the ppm is zero. It is the only bottled water I am aware of the zero particulate count.
Chuck Suritz, Naples
'Undocumented' gopher tortoises
I read recently in The News-Press that a large group of “undocumented” gopher tortoises are located on Marco Island. I am in disbelief. How could this happen?I implore Governor DeSantis to take immediate action to remediate this awful situation before the criminal elements among them take over our island paradise.
I suggest that he utilize the power of his office to charter an appropriate number of Gulfstream jets to transport them to Chicago O’Hare and then limo them down to the Magnificent Mile (The Legislature has provided the money.) and set them free. Let the “Raging Liberals” take care of them! It is only right.
Raymond Brooks, Fort Myers
Manatee conundrum
Joanna Fitzgerald, director of the von Arx Wildlife Hospital at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, writes: "Animals that receive handouts from humans can suffer a loss of foraging skills .... when handouts stop the animal may starve."
So why feed manatees which are congregated in an unnatural area of warm water; receiving handouts from humans with tons of food which is unnatural to their diets? When the handouts stop and the manatees return to warmer water, they find there is little to sustain them because they already ate most of the seagrass.
Seems to me we have too many manatees and not enough seagrass.
John R. Zinke Sr., Cape Coral
Social Security on the way to insolvency
If there are any federal budget cuts entitlements are off the table despite the fact that Social Security is on the way to insolvency. Forty years ago Republicans and Democrats worked together to save the fund. At that time they adjusted the retirement age for future retirees. Now they are too chicken to make any moves to curtail the coming disaster.
Here is one example of why the fund is going broke: I have a friend who left this country for good at age 26. He just managed to get the required 40 quarters using part-time work during high school as part of the qualification. The SS benefit formula would qualify him for only a small amount of money. However, Congress established a minimum benefit so he gets $729 a month. Readers should compare that amount to what they get for working 40 years at a full-time job.
He also received two COVID stimulus checks!
James Cavanagh, Naples
Our controlling governor
I know DeSantis was elected governor of Florida, but who selected him the judge of what we can read, write and watch, just saying. He might need some serious watching himself. He seems to care about our resources, maybe if he paid more attention to them and less telling the residents of of Florida how to think. Just saying.
Leonard Wassmer, Naples
Poisonous lying, violence
I don’t understand the big deal about George Santos lying his way into public office. After all we have a past president who allegedly lied his way into public office and keeps on lying. And as alarming and outrageous as the conduct of five members of the Memphis Police Department is to all of us we should not be surprised. Speakers at a political rally encouraged and incited an armed mob to storm the Capitol as the mob broke down doors, windows, and destroyed public property in an attempt to overthrow our government. Our past president gave tacit approval by watching the mob as they assaulted Capitol police without exercising his authority to stop the assault. Physical fighting is an approved way to force others to submit to your will. Hopefully the poison that has been injected in our society will soon dissipate.Andy Dalton, Marco Island
Freedom lovers ban books, drag shows?
Show me the evidence children are harmed by attending drag shows. The far right obsession with banning these performances comes from the Christian nationalist (I call them the Christian Taliban) belief that all gays and transvestites are pedophiles who want nothing more than to recruit youngsters into their perverse "lifestyle." But this utterly false, intolerant idea is driving a movement; numerous states have put forward legislation that would either ban drag shows entirely or ban performances in front of children. Many public and school libraries have come under intense pressure to ban books featuring LGBTQ characters and plotlines, and some libraries have done so.
Men have been dressing up as women and performing for laughs since time immemorial. Are we really going to bring that to an end? Sure, there are shows strictly for adults and are advertised as such, but if a parent thinks it's OK for their kid to attend, so what? Parents who don't want their kids to attend drag shows should keep them home, but don't spoil the fun for everybody else! Parents who don't want their kids reading the book about the little boy who has two mommies should just tell them to ignore it, but they better not tell not tell the librarian to take the book away so my kid can't read it. The far right loves to talk about freedom, but how does banning books and drag shows advance freedom? Quite the opposite, in my view.
Ray Clasen, North Fort Myers
Where does the sheer gall end?
“Mea culpa”-- a phrase you can bet has never been uttered by Donald Trump. Here is a man who has never taken responsibility for any falsehood or misdeed committed over a lifetime of chicanery and self-serving business activity.
A variety of indictable crimes were met by Trump with Fifth Amendment responses while a disturbing number of felonious acts by Trump and his followers are currently being investigated.
Where does the sheer gall end?
His boast that he could shoot a man on Fifth Avenue and never lose a vote seems to take on all of elements of a self-fulfilling prophesy.
Robert P. Sanchez, Naples
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Sunday, February 12, 2023
