Letters to the editor for Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Big Sugar, or the rest of us?

Highly controversial SB 2508 that almost was sneaked through the Florida Senate shouldn't be called a Senate Bill. Sugar Bill is much more apt. It is just one more never-ending ploy by Big Sugar to ensure the one resource it most needs -- water -- is never compromised by Florida's much more vital need: Correcting the damage done over more than a century to its water-driven environment. Sugar's problem is its entire business model is based on the production of sugarcane, a nonnative species that thrives on water in precisely the opposite cycle of Florida's natural dry season. Without unlimited water during spring, when sugarcane undergoes what the industry calls its miracle of growth, Big Sugar stands to lose millions in (federally subsidized) profits. On the other hand, if Sugar's reservoir, Lake Okeechobee, is not strategically lowered in spring for the benefit of our coastal estuaries and, ultimately, the Everglades and Florida Bay, the millions of Floridians who depend on clean waters to drive our economy and slake our thirsts will suffer. Something's really got to give, so should it be Sugar, or the rest of us? To learn more about Sugar's dangerous legislation, and to join the tens of thousands of Floridians who already have petitioned against it, go to CaptainsforCleanWater.org.

Byron Stout, Fort Myers

Require bell and lights on bikes

I was so happy to read the new bike rules on Fort Myers Beach. Bikes must be equipped with a bell and lights. We walk a lot in Iona (near Fort Myers Beach) and have had a lot of close calls with bikes on the sidewalk. If a bike rides on the sidewalk and when passing walkers there should be a law to ring the bell. I was run over when young and had my arm broken. If you can’t ring a bell then please ride on the street. Electric bikes are the norm and are very fast. I hope Fort Myers passes the same law as Fort Myers Beach has.

David Wells, Fort Myers

Appreciation for NCH nurse

I recently had occasion to visit the Downtown Naples NCH Emergency Room for a (non-COVID related) pesky infection. This required many tests and treatments, thus my wife and I had to spend a great deal time on this hospital visit.

We don’t look forward to hospital visits, particularly long ones, however, this visit had a silver lining – the nurse assigned to us. He made us feel comfortable, relieved and relaxed. He stayed near us during our entire visit, explaining the ongoing procedures making us feel secure with our treatment.

His demeanor demonstrated an accomplished balance between studied professionalism and a winning personality (a smile with a bit of humor helps take the sting out of needles).

Kudos to NCH for having such a gifted nurse on their team. His name is Addison.

Frank G. Crotty, Naples

Questions about Bonita rezoning

The Bonita Springs City Council approved the requests presented by Barron Collier Companies at the Feb. 2 council meeting in their 6-1 vote to rezone with deviations the former Bonita Springs Golf Course for housing development.

Concerned residents have raised significant questions which remain unanswered and asked the council to postpone its decision on the rezone until more information is discerned. All except for Chris Corrie, whose district is impacted by this development, voted to move forward.

Some questions that need answers:

This overall plan incorporates cooperative stormwater management developed at the request of the city for this project by Singhofen & Associates. We have been told that acreage allocated to stormwater management will be city property and the city will be responsible for development of all the stormwater management. Will the city be required to purchase the allotted acres from Barron Collier Companies and at what price?

It was said that a FEMA grant has been factored into plans for development of stormwater management in this area. Does this zoning approval pose any risk to receipt of FEMA grant funds for this area?

The city also submitted an application to Lee County Conservation 20/20 for acquisition of this land. It would be helpful to know how the city presented their plan for the property to get maximum interest from the 20/20 committee. Would a FEMA grant be applicable to the land in that case?

Everyone should be concerned about flood control and water quality and how/if the city can afford to pay for it.

Michele Hermansen, Bonita Springs

COVID brought here or caught here?

Saturday’s investigative report “Florida hides COVID visitors data” exposes the evil of yet another deception perpetrated by the ever-slippery DeSantis administration. Or does it?

The story suggests that this failure to report the number of visitors testing positive for COVID while in Florida can “downplay” the risk of coming here.

But obviously millions of cooped-up northerners continue to take that risk. Your story even quotes a couple from British Columbia who decided to “chance it” despite being appalled by the state’s libertine approach to the pandemic: “They don’t even social distance.”

One is left to wonder, however, why none of the other millions of visitors were interviewed for your story. Like those poor schlubs fleeing Michigan’s Wuhan-style lockdowns or the over-regulated New Yorkers sick of needing to show a vax card just to buy a hot dog.

The story says that Florida stopped reporting visitor infections last June 3, but by extrapolating the data available at that time your report asserts “the number of visitors who caught the disease in Florida would be higher than 100,000.”

Wait a minute. You say “caught” COVID here. How do you know that they would have “caught” it here? What about the visitors who had COVID when they got here? And how many innocent Floridians have been infected by COVID-carrying Ohioans, interlopers who then wound up clogging our ERs and overburdening our hospitals? What a scary headline that story would make.

Yes, we need way more transparency on this. But let’s see some numbers that separate the “caught-heres” from the “brought-heres.”

J. Taylor Buckley, Sanibel

Biden headed for lowest approval rating

Way to go Biden, your first year in office as president has been amazing. Your ability to make policies to increase fuel prices and cause the cost of groceries to skyrocket is a testament of what you have accomplished in your first year as president. While your approval rating is at 39 percent today, there is little doubt in my mind that this might be your high water mark.

Your policy of unrelenting higher prices is taking its toll on the folks on Social Security and others. Your believe that making people on Social Security and others poorer with inflation is a good way force these folks back into the workforce in order to eat, buy gas, and housing just to show that your jobs numbers are improving is just plain wrong.

Your disgraceful exit from Afghanistan, your lack of leadership in world issues, and your lack of tackling the COVID crisis along with your policies that drove the highest inflation in 40 years will be your legacy. You will end up having the lowest approval rating for any president.

Leo Amos, Matlacha

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Wednesday, February 16, 2022