Letters to the editor for Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Marco a vacation destination

Marco Island is not a retirement community. It’s a family vacation destination and it was rated on the top 10 list for family vacation destinations again this year. The “vacation rental ordinance” discriminates against families, is illegal and against my rights as a property owner. The only people who rent for 30 days or more are retirees.

City Council, I’m glad the vacation rental ordinance has been paused until January 2024. But as community leaders, you should set the example of tolerance and welcoming visitors to the island.  Yet you allowed the intolerance of a small group of people who complain about everything to cloud your judgment with a false narrative. The police numbers do not lie. They are facts. Marco is not a party place. It’s a place where families gather to vacation together and make memories.

From the beginning, both PACs publicly said their goal was to end rentals on Marco with the STR (short-term rental) ordinance being the first step. They show disregard for the many businesses on the Island that rely on tourism. One of the PAC leaders is selling his home and has already relocated to the west coast. Yet he continues to send threatening emails to STR owners in a continued pattern of intimidation. The other PAC leader lost her bid for City Council.  That should tell you something about this very small group of misanthropes. They are a dwindling group of miserable people who should move to an HOA community with the rules and regulations they are looking for already in place.

Wayne Rose, Marco Island

Islanders oppose height rule change

I am writing to express my deep concerns regarding the recent deliberations of our Lee County commissioners in considering new height restrictions at South Seas resort and on Captiva Island. It appears that these proposed changes are being presented under the guise of resiliency, but they come at the expense of the surrounding community, which strongly opposes them. Particularly distressing is the fact that our community has recently endured the devastating impact of a Category 4 hurricane.

The aftermath of the hurricane has been a trying time for our community, as we grapple with the significant damages and seek to rebuild and recover. The storm served as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of our barrier islands and the importance of preserving natural defenses. It is disheartening that the county commissioners would even consider measures that could potentially compromise the integrity of our island and exacerbate future risks, especially future evacuations.

Under the pretense of resiliency, the proposed increase in height restrictions seems questionable at best. It is obviously being manifested to increase density at the resort. Barrier islands are fragile ecosystems that provide crucial protection against storm surges and erosion. They also serve as habitats for diverse wildlife, contributing to the overall ecological balance. Granting exceptions to height restrictions for a resort not only compromises the island's natural resilience but also undermines the concerns and wishes of the surrounding community.

The community's opposition to these changes must not be ignored. It is essential that our elected county commissioners prioritize the well-being and interests of the residents they represent. Their decision-making should be rooted in transparency, accountability, and the long-term welfare of our community, rather than catering to the demands of a single resort.

I urge you, as the voice of our community, to investigate and shed light on the factors driving this decision. Are there hidden motivations or vested interests influencing the consideration of new height restrictions? What alternatives have been explored to ensure the preservation of our barrier island and address the concerns of the community?

By raising awareness about this issue, we can engage our community in a meaningful dialogue and encourage a more inclusive decision-making process. It is vital that we work together to find sustainable solutions that prioritize the well-being of both our community and the environment.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I believe that your role as a media representative can bring about positive change by fostering an informed public discourse. I look forward to reading your investigative reporting and the subsequent conversations it will spark within our community.

Robert Brooks, Sanibel

What Naples PRIDE is about

It is absurd that the only picture from Naples PRIDE that the Naples Daily News decided to print in the main news section was of a straight couple. PRIDE celebrates LGBTQ diversity, so a picture of a same-sex couple or family would have been a better reflection of what Naples PRIDE is all about.

Is the NDN afraid to show the diversity in our community? Is the NDN so intimidated by the anti-LGBTQ Religious Right people in our community who protested at PRIDE that it won’t show a Gay couple?

David Goldstein, director Naples PFLAG

Community service appropriate penalty

I hope the people who vandalized the new fences on Fort Myers Beach are caught. If they are, I would like the judge to make part of their punishment at least 1,000 hours of community service because they clearly don't have enough to do.

Jean Richtfort, North Fort Myers

Immigrants needed in workforce

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of March 2023 there were nearly 9.6 million job openings in the U.S. There are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of immigrants at the border and hundreds of thousands that have passed over the past several years, many, if not most, of whom want to work. The U.S. is spending tens of billions of dollars on border security and immigration. Social Security and Medicare are at risk because there aren’t enough workers paying in.

Wouldn’t it make sense to create a work program and vet these individuals so they become productive contributors to the U.S. economy, filling some of these openings, supporting SS and Medicare, and helping address local tax needs? But, no, there’s no political purpose to that. To make matters worse, here in Florida we have a governor who is spending millions of our tax dollars to send those willing workers, not to Florida, where there are 671,000 job openings, but to other states. And, he signs a law threatening and punishing companies for having undocumented workers: the consequence of which is companies losing workers they can ill afford to lose, creating more job openings and exacerbating the existing shortfall in services. Both of these actions by the governor may play well on his political gambit; but, what are they doing for the State of Florida? He often speaks of acting as Floridians want him to act; but, I think there’s only one Floridian he cares about: himself.

Ed Welch, Naples

Making America much worse

During the 2016 campaign "Lock her Up!" was a Trump battle cry. However, when not demanding prison for Hillary before investigation of her emails was completed, Trump declared a noble objective which may yet haunt him — “In my administration I’m going to enforce all laws concerning the protection of classified information. No one will be above the law.”

Clinton cooperated with the investigation; neither messages marked national secrets nor intent to put such documents at risk were discovered. The FBI closed the case declaring that she had been extremely careless but committed no indictable crime. Some might convincingly argue that so great was her carelessness that she was unfit for office, but history overran that topic.

Recently Joe Biden and Mike Pence essentially admitted to carelessness and summoned authorities to retrieve security documents in their possession.

Meanwhile over at Mar-a-Lago over 300 classified documents, some jeopardizing the safety of our military and intelligence networks, are found stored in bathrooms and ballrooms. The Storer-in-Chief does not cooperate with the investigation, contends that he did nothing wrong, and bellows that the system of justice is being weaponized against him.

Some leading Republicans, not waiting for courtroom evidence, trip over themselves to denounce “weaponization.” These are men and women who, were they to look at the list of documents, would be appalled at the risk. Or they would were the alleged offender a leading Democrat. They forget about “No one will be above the law.”

They also forget that if the justice system is discredited it won’t be there to defend any of us — Republicans, Democrats, independents.

Surely their behavior is not making America great again; it has potential for making America much worse.

Alan Keller, Naples

Trump is his own enemy

This entire classified materials soap opera could have been easily avoided had it not been for Donald Trump's inflated ego.  The crime of taking or possessing government documents by departing presidents can be summarily dismissed only when items are returned post haste when identified as classified. Most certainly, many of our former presidents have left the White House with archival materials intended for some future presidential library. Given the voluminous number of White House papers, it is reasonable to conclude that sensitive materials perused by presidents have ended up with non-classified files.  However, what differentiates past presidents and vice presidents from Donald Trump's case was his flagrant dismissal of the federal request for their return. Compounding his utter disregard of the government's request, Trump's alleged attempt to hide documents and falsifying statements that all requested documents had been returned are the crux of this matter.

History informs us that when leaders' self-importance dominates critical thinking, the reign ends. More specifically, had Trump listened to independently minded attorneys guided by the rule of law (and past practice), he would have complied with the government's request but delusions of grandeur overrode judicial wisdom.

He has met the enemy and it is himself.

James L. DeBoy, Fort Myers

Governor not serving taxpayers

I'm aware that Gov. DeSantis was able to have the Republican-heavy Legislature include $12 million in the Florida budget to relocate refugees awaiting asylum hearings on their citizenship from here to other states. As a taxpayer, I find this abhorrent since many are willing to work at jobs to which U.S. citizens turn their noses up. We could use this labor and the state could certainly find better ways to put this money to good use. Hurricane Ian devastation comes to mind.

He has also had the law rewritten allowing him to campaign to become POTUS and still remain governor. All the while it appears he's collecting the governor's salary without fulfilling his job obligation to the State of Florida, and having his family live rent-free in government housing while he's on the campaign trail.

Good work if you can get it, huh?

Deborah Toy, Bonita Springs

Pastor's statement out of context

I'm responding to a letter to the editor in The News-Press that stated that Pastor Tom Ascol believes that homosexuals should be put to death. Actually he said the opposite and stated he does NOT believe that. Please see his entire 27 minute interview with NBC2 on YouTube entitled "Homosexuality and Ted Cruz" for his actual statements. It is so easy to take statements out of context when picking and choosing what to put on the air from a long interview.

Robin Coffman, Cape Coral

Vote smarter in 2024

Anyone else subscribe to Byron Donalds' weekly emails? This week he speaks to the Lawless Administration. He has aligned himself with the fringe Freedom Caucus. Some would call them far right radicals who work for their own power grab, not for the people they purportedly represent. They certainly don’t work for the average American. Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene , Matt Gaetz and Byron are all aligned to bring down democracy or, at the very least, the sense that everyone has a vote and stake in this country. I was a registered Republican for a long time until Newt Gingrich, thrice adulterer and all around self professed pontificator, who closed the government and later resigned in disgrace. And if you recall his last wife was posted as ambassador to the Holy See so he fed at the government pasta trough in Rome for four glorious years until the end of the holy Trump empire. And you look at the dozen or so Republican presidential hopefuls now all calling out Trump, ridiculing him, lambasting him, calling him a fraud, grifter, only seven years too late. You voted for these guys? Fool me once, fool me twice, shame on me. Well it’s shame on you SWFL. Maybe do better, do smarter in 2024.

Laurence Jacks, Estero

Be a role model

I would like to thank Harlan King for the letter, "Teach your kids kindness." As  I read your letter to my husband, I could not stop crying. I will never understand this type of hatred demonstrated by the young boys described in your letter. Parents, it comes from the top. Teach your children to respect and honor the differences in people. The type of behavior displayed by the white boys toward someone who looked different is contagious. Hatred is on the rise; beware because you could be the next target.

Eileen Ehudin Beard, Naples

Trump blusters, DeSantis calculates

We seem to forget that our governor is no longer governing; but running for president. We also seem to forget that he is a lawyer by trade, and lawyers are permitted, even encouraged, to spin (lie, if you wish) stories to benefit their client. As many have noticed, Mr. DeSantis’ only client is candidate DeSantis.

We have also noticed that he has had the “enthralled” Legislature doing his bidding (i.e. Why are we sending troopers to the southern border? Why is the story about immigrants sent to Massachusetts and California disputed by nearly everyone except his press secretary? Why aren’t Florida illegal immigrants being transported?). The list goes on.Mr. Trump has it right about “Ron DeSanctimoneus.” Ron is “out trumping Trump” and I never thought that could happen. Trump is a businessman; DeSantis is a lawyer. Did I mention that before? Trump blusters. DeSantis calculates. The latter process is much more dangerous.Lately, it seems there's always a new bill (seldom about anything really important) signing timed to meet the evening news cycle. I always wonder whether persons standing behind him are there because they agree or were just “encouraged” to enhance the photo op. Politics 101, huh!

Raymond Brooks, Fort Myers

What's it going to take?

As an Independent, I can't imagine defending anyone in any party  or position for behavior and callous disregard for law as Donald Trump continues to display after the 37 count indictment for mishandling nuclear and military classified documents.

I was stunned to watch  some of the GOP leadership including current primary candidates attack the legal process culminating in a Florida, not D.C., grand jury's decision to hold Trump accountable for behavior bordering on treason.

This indictment is the most serious to date on top of Trump's past legal  court losses, i.e. $25  million for Trump University fraud, $5 million defamation case, $750,000 settlement for misuse on inauguration funds etc., etc.  As truly grave as this most recent indictment it's probably not the last indictment for Trump this year.

One moment of truth was Trump's statement in 2016 "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, okay, and I wouldn't lose any voters, okay." This moment of truth is the basis of his continued narcissistic childlike disregard for our laws and institutions.

Now at a critical time for true accountability his supporters provide Trump with cover and distraction by attacking the process for their own political gain.

Simple question: What's it going to take for these political leaders and supporters to hold Trump accountable and move on with their party?

James Keough, Cape Coral

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Wednesday, June 14, 2023