Letters to the editor for Wednesday, April 19

No progress at Cape Yacht Club

Almost seven months have passed since Ian, and the Cape Coral Yacht Club area still looks like a war zone. I thought this area was "The Gem" of Cape Coral. The fences erected right after the storm still exist with the aftermath still laying untouched on the ground. Why has the city not simply cleaned it up, moved the fences back away from the beach so people can enjoy "this Gem." A couple food trucks to offer people something to eat -- all while generating some income for the town, and a place for locals and tourist to enjoy during the peak season.Are we missing something obvious? Why is this place locked up and looking like a scene from Ukraine?Moving the fences back to allow access to the beach access would still allow the city to continue any salvage efforts on the backside inside the marina portion. 90% of the time, when we walk down there, there is NOBODY working, none of the equipment and machinery are being used, just sitting there.What are we missing? The good tax paying citizens and tourists from all over the world would like to know.Gary and Sara Coulson, Cape Coral

Disregard for medical advice

As a retired family physician, after almost 40 years in practice, I cannot imagine why a bright, caring young person would consider medicine as a career. The COVID crisis has highlighted the disregard and pushback to scientific advice. Now politicians have berated mask wearing and vaccine policies despite the evidence weighted in their favor. When I suggest, as supported by science, that hypertensive patients eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, stop smoking and moderate alcohol use, am I infringing on civil liberties and rights? For those who truly feel that medical care is an infringement, I would suggest seeking help from your local politicians when experiencing chest pain or other medical emergencies. They seem to know better.

Tracey D. Kinigakis, M.D., Naples

Fairness in restaurant tipping

Regarding your Sunday article on restaurant tipping: Since the tip is figured as a percentage of the bill, a waiter in a modestly priced diner or restaurant gets tipped far fewer dollars than one in an upscale pricey establishment, even while working just as hard and striving to provide equally good service. This is not fair. Maybe we should tip 25% in the diner and 15% in the fancy place.

Vic Delnore, Fort Myers

Naples parking solution

There’s so much talk among our public officials about new fees for parking, less congestion along Fifth Avenue, etc. What I don’t hear is talk of the obvious solution: another parking ramp within walking distance of downtown proper. I see several vacant lots especially to the north of downtown. I understand they’re all owned by one entity or another, probably with the idea of making a large profit on a sale or building a commercial building.How about if the city or county buys one of these lots for a parking ramp and charges an hourly rate for using it? I don’t know of too many urban areas anymore that don’t charge for parking. The cost of the ramp would be absorbed by the builder of the ramp and the problem solved. And existing ramps could charge an hourly fee as well, if the city is trying to raise revenue. A $2/hour fee is an inexpensive cost of enjoying what the downtown has to offer.Maybe the lack of parking has an underlying reason: to keep more tourists off Fifth Avenue during prime dining time. I’m all for that, but not on the backs of our restaurants. There are better solutions!

Blanche Hawkins, Naples

First, do your job, governor

The role of the executive branch of a “checks and balances” form of government is to execute the laws passed by its legislature while the judiciary provides “quality assurance” for the courts below it.In the United States every state's governor’s portfolio contains the same responsibilities and authorities to see them through. The responsibility for the quality of state roads and the police patrolling them, the state prison system, state tax collection, disbursing funds allocated by the legislature and following through on the projects it authorized, and reporting on the condition of state government to the legislature are among the main obligations incumbent on a state governor.You would think being a state’s governor is an all-consuming job with little room for “Mickey Mouse” stuff that is not in the portfolio. I expect my governor to do the job of promoting the welfare of our state and its residents and not waste time on matters that have nothing to do with it.

Frankly, I don’t care what my governor thinks about Black history, about gays and young people electing to assume a different sexual identity, about when an embryo becomes a protected human life, about unsanctioned crossing of national borders, or anything that takes the governor’s eye off the ball of the job.I know that grandstanding seems an unavoidable aspect of running for elective office and then holding on to it. Politicians seek out parades and get out in front of them instead creating and leading their own. I can’t see that ever changing.But first do your job, Mr. Governor. We all know what needs to be done in and for our state and its residents and you do too. But if that’s no longer interesting to you and you’d rather be a lime-lighting national culture warrior, God bless you but give your job to someone else.

Bruce Diamond, Fort Myers

Aircraft noise constant

How many living in Naples are impacted by the sound of constant jets, propellers, helicopters, nonstop loud jet noise! The growth with this airport in the center of the city is enough! No matter where I go, I’m hearing the wheels of thunder in the sky! Fifth Avenue eating dinner: jets! Third Avenue trying to relax: jets, Bayfront: more jets!

Tin City! More sounds of jets! Propellers are low and loud and also constant! Jets are enough without adding flight schools on top of your aggravation, the fuel they use is filled with damaging particles for your lungs! Life was once paradise, no longer. We are being tormented with this nonstop growth! Personally they need to move! How about you? Or should we?

Joanne Hazen, Naples

Sign petition for clean water

On Earth Day, 2023, red tide still lingers in Southwest Florida. Experts predict the east and west coasts will soon be experiencing a blue-green algae bloom potentially rivaling that of 2018-2019. Nine thousand miles of Florida’s rivers and streams are contaminated with fecal bacteria. Eighty percent of our 1,000 springs are polluted. Seagrass beds are nearly in a death spiral, and consequently, manatees have been starving to death. No state has more acres of polluted lake water than Florida. No state has lost more acres of wetlands.

Florida’s environmental regulatory system is failing us and our waters as it has done for decades. Meanwhile, legislators, during this “session of sprawl,” pursue laws that will only make matters worse. We need to fix the system. With a constitutional “Right to Clean and Healthy Waters,” we can.

Calusa Waterkeeper emeritus, John Cassani, says, "The proposed Right to Clean Water state constitutional amendment may be the last meaningful opportunity to turn the tide on Florida's rapidly declining waters."

This Earth Day, take meaningful action: sign the petition to give all Floridians this fundamental right. Look for us at Earth Day events or go to FloridaRightToCleanWater.org to print, sign, and mail the petition.

Joseph Bonasia, Cape Coral

School culture needs more change

This paper published a front-page article: "DeSantis to expand ‘Don’t Say Gay’" back in late March. The Parents Rights in Education bill does not mention the word gay. Someday the paper might get it right.

Our nation’s children are suffering from depression, anxiety, and fear. Wouldn’t you as well? They are told that today they may be a boy or girl, but tomorrow you can change your sexual orientation. The last time I checked, there are now 52 unofficial genders although chromosomes (XX and XY) still define a man and a woman. Critical Race Theory teaches them that the U.S. is systemically racist and if you are white, you should feel some pain because of it. Parents are urged to take young children to drag queen shows. I have yet to hear of a suggestion for parents to take kids to a gentlemen’s club. Save that for another day. None of this has any business being taught in classrooms.

Teaching true history is not about indoctrination or making kids feel bad about themselves. Focus on math, many large cities have students who cannot read at their own grade level. Focus on teaching reading and real science. Stop scaring kids into believing climate change will end their lives if our way of life does not change. Schools also need to return to teaching values that this country was founded upon. No nation has helped the world more than this country.

Why not expand the Parents Rights in Education bill? Florida schools and its students will be better off for it.

Nick Blauwiekel, Naples

DeSantis an embarrassment

Ron DeSantis announced his "Don't Say Gay" legislative initiative and Disney said that they disagreed with what DeSantis was trying to do.

It appears that DeSantis decided to exact revenge against anyone who disagreed with him. Apparently First Amendment rights don't apply to Disney, just the governor. DeSantis has become obsessed with harming Disney.He is spending Floridians' money to do this. I would like to know how much he has spent to date because he is hell bent on smacking down anyone who disagrees with him.

Disney is a major employer in this state and has an excellent reputation here.

DeSantis named his hand-picked stooges to the new Reedy Creek (Disney property) board as part of his anti-Disney obsession. But before the stooges could start doing DeSantis' bidding, Disney took all powers away from that board. That process complied with Florida law.

DeSantis is now red hot with anger that Disney did that and he now seems to be willing to go to the ends of the earth to harm this major Florida employer.

Enough is enough. Our tax dollars should not be spent to soothe DeSantis' ego. He needs to grow up.DeSantis is an embarrassment to this state and is making a complete fool of himself. It certainly isn't a good look for a guy who is desperate to be president. One wonders what kind of unhinged behavior he would be engaging in at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Patricia Napier, Fort Myers

Where does it stop, governor?

Sometimes I can’t understand why seemingly intelligent folks buy the bull. Lock stock and wagon. One writer was incensed that Democrats compose most of the writers to this column. Oh the irony, had a good laugh on that one. Another states that inflation was only 2% when Trump was leaving office, completely forgetting the pandemic when no one could buy anything or go anywhere . But that’s OK, those folks buy the bull. I saw a guy on Coconut Road with his compact car shrink wrapped in MAGA/Trump from bumper to bumper and I just say “he bought the bull” too. Which brings me to Ron. I couldn’t vote for him the first time because he said to his son, Daddy said let’s build the wall like Mr. Trump says. He bought the bull from the master. And as they say elections have consequences. He has rolled out the most fascist agenda since the 1930s. Gerrymandering, voter suppression, woman’s rights denial, voter police intimidation, denying college age kids the ability to vote with a student ID, fudging COVID numbers, hiring a questionable surgeon general, kicking Mickey Mouse in the tail, stacking education boards, banning books, stepping on the necks of the transgender, LGBTQ community and what next Ron? Kids with special needs, folks on disability, welfare, Medicaid, where does it stop. What we learned from history and the Holocaust it doesn’t stop until evil is stopped.

Laurence Jacks, Estero

Schools and gender identity

For 15 years we sacrificed a lot for our kids to go to Christian schools. We liked the smaller classes, the qualified, loving teachers and the Bible-based education that addresses every issue we can think of and shows exactly what God intended when He created each one of us. He definitely didn’t create us to try to be the opposite sex. Look at what all is involved in attempting it. Who knows what the ramifications will be down the road? I think allowing a child to attempt to be another sex will be the most damaging thing a parent can ever do. Isn’t that like playing God? They can’t even get a drivers license 'til 16, vote 'til 18, or buy liquor 'til 21!Oh and allowing biological boys to compete against the girls is discriminating against those girls. Obviously they are at a huge disadvantage!Regarding vouchers: We not only paid for our kids' education but we also helped pay for public school educations as taxpayers. It would have been great if we could have used a bit of that for our kids.Also, it is not an overworked teacher’s responsibility or place to teach my child “gender identity.“

Susan Saunders, Fort Myers

Apparently, empathy is dead

On April 11, Collier County Commissioner Rick LoCastro tried to convince himself and others that the “health freedom” ordinance and resolution were not about science, vaccines, medications, or masks. He was wrong and clearly lacked an understanding of the functions of public health actions in communities. The discipline of public health uses mandates, quarantine and isolation in order to control community infectious disease. Public heath actions are based on science supported by verifiable data. If you prohibit public health protocols, you invalidate the science and data supporting their formulation. The “health freedom” ordinance blocks the authority of a public health agency to carry out their mission because conspiracy theorists and pseudoscience acolytes carried the day. As one inarticulate speaker put it — she doesn’t care about anyone other than herself. So, let’s all dine in cockroach infested restaurants, swim in feces-filled lakes and pools, and let school cafeteria workers transmit Hepatitis A to children because we would not want to impose on anyone’s right to do as they please. And because it’s all about you — your freedom trumps the health of our elders, the immunosuppressed, cancer patients, and others with co-morbidities. Apparently, empathy is dead. Oh well, when Alfie Oakes — oops — Chris Hall introduces another meaningless/redundant resolution to protect a conception product, I look forward to hearing comments about personal freedom, medical privacy, and body autonomy from these self-appointed protectors of our “freedoms.”

Kim Finer, Naples

Guns, sanctity of life

Why protect fetuses, then “freely” provide guns to kill children? What is Florida really saying about the sanctity of life?

Karen Evans, Cape Coral

What kind of Republican does this?

What kind of Republican, with libertarian bravado, goes after one of Florida’s largest economic generating corporations: Disney? What kind of Republican seeks to mess with the cash cow for Florida which helps keep our taxes low? What kind of governor uses the power of his office to settle personal affairs which will force Floridians to dig into their pockets to pay for his vendetta? When did Republicans forget the power of private property and private enterprise?Harvey Cohen, North Naples

Life in the swamp

Reflections on the realities of the present, lots going on today. Laid up with COVID after a two-week cruise, I thought to look to the media for some good news! And there was none. Florida is overrun with giant snakes, poison toads, gigantic snails and all manner of creepy reptiles with tails (iguanas). But we are caught up with the concept of humane euthanasia which basically says that while I can strap on my six-shooter and swagger down to the the Big Wally, I can't use it to shoot anything other than another human I believe to be threatening. Life goes on in the swamp.

Charlie Berry, Naples

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Wednesday, April 19