Letters to the editor for Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Competence, accountability lacking

We now have an administrations which, among it’s many failures, cannot arrange for the babies of the nation to be fed.

This is the result of an administration built on affirmative action principles, not on competence to do the job.

There is no accountability. Not one of the persons hired by the president has been fired, despite decisions and actions over the last 18 months which have Bidden at 39 percent approval and 70 percent of our people thinking that the country is going in the wrong direction.

Now we are being drawn in to what may be another forever war, though by proxy, against Russia, a nuclear behemoth.

There is no reason, based on past performance, to believe that the Biden administration will handle this war well. This is not about formula for babies, but survival for mankind.

Every affirmative action hire gives the job to a person who cannot attain it on merit. This results is a less effective organization. When this retreat from merit hiring affects an entire organization, what results is the current Biden administration. All who expect services from this less effective organization suffer.

Bob Stabile, Bonita Springs

Is it Biden’s fault?

Back in the halcyon pre-Trump days, we imported a significant percentage of Baby formula from Canada. Then Trump came in office and slapped a 17 percent tariff on baby formula imported from Canada and elsewhere.

So Canadian manufacturers stopped making formula for export to the U.S.

That left Abbott.

Then a bacterial contamination caused the deaths of two infants. The FDA shut the plant down until they could find the source. Abbot wasn’t making any. None was being imported. Hence, a shortage.

As for why Abbott is the largest manufacturer, I guess it’s because no one else wants to make it. You’d be surprised about how much stuff is “single source” or close to it.

Remember the gas shortages last year on the East Coast because one gas pipeline was shut down?

Biden has not caused increased prices. The U.S. is a for-profit market. We are witnessing and suffering the result of corporate consolidation (greed) that began under the Reagan administration.

Steve Wolfson, Fort Myers

Crack down on red light, stop sign runners

We need very clear and strict laws pertaining to running red lights and stop signs to make this stop.

I propose a $500 fine that cannot be disputed in any court for first offense. Second offense lose your license. If accident involved felony driving violation to include attempted vehicular manslaughter.

When deaths are involved vehicular manslaughter period. The intent to do harm and the lack of respect for others should dictate long jail time.

If you can't follow the laws of the road get off. Times up. God bless the couple from Alva who just lost their lives to an aggressive dump truck.

Slow down, not speed up at intersections. Yellow means clear the intersection. Red means STOP!

Christianne Murphy, Fort Myers

Do not forfeit your right to vote

We have a primary election August 23. As residents of Collier or Lee County, it is our responsibility to ensure that we are registered to vote: www.colliervotes.gov or www.lee.vote. Since vote by mail ballots may not be forwarded, is the address on record correct? And have you chosen a party affiliation? Pick a major party. You can change it online if you wish to back a different set of candidates or a different party.

Please do not forfeit your right to vote. It is our responsibility to know the candidates and what they stand for. If you are in the area, there are several forums available for us to attend. If you are not here, websites such as Vote411.org will enable you to read candidates’ responses to important questions. This site will be available shortly.

Please vote. It is your right and privilege as a citizen. Many have sacrificed so that we have a voice. We need to be heard. We do that through the ballot box!

Judi Palay, Naples

Equal pay for equal work the law of the land

An article was recently printed in this paper by Dana Gillette, who tried to point out the real reasons women earn less than men. Her work was in response to a guest opinion that I’d written titled “The free market creates equal pay for equal work.”

My article was in reply to an article written by Charlotte Burrows, Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission who said in part “Women who work full time in the United States make the median weekly pay of just 83 cents for every dollar paid to men.” This is flawed and narrow data designed to create an issue. Ms. Gillette wrongly stated that I acknowledge this data above as fact. She further said that I “blamed the disparity (of pay) on women making poor career choices.” This is also not true.

This is what I wrote: “There are a number of factors that determine pay. They include the number of hours worked, occupations and industries, education, career interruptions, unique personal attributes and tenure. Look at those factors and the answers become clearer. For instance, a 2020 Payscale.com analysis found that the pay gap declined from 19% percent to 2 percent after controlling for various choices men and women make about their careers." I said nothing about poor career choices.

Ms. Gillette listed several sources that she believes support her position. From these articles she paints a picture of women who are not in control of their own careers or for that matter pay. Ultimately, she blames disparity of pay on the “unconscious bias” of men who supervise women and men but treat men more favorably. Women are victims. That is her message.

Government policymakers believe they need to create regulations and rigid pay scales in order to equalize men’s and women’s compensation. Maybe they should work on the “unconscious bias” of men in the workplace.

Differences in compensation are not the result of workplace discrimination, which is illegal and has been for a long time. Equal pay for equal work is the law of the land. I am not aware of any women that have filed a lawsuit based upon the “unconscious bias” of men in the workplace. I suspect I never will either.

Nick Blauwiekel, Naples

Unplanned baby rewarding

The writer says “A desperate couple…” which to me implies they are victims.

“…they knew if they had a fourth child they wouldn’t be able to feed their other three children" and two words really stand out, “they knew,“ so why is she pregnant? They also noted “their other children“ indicating they knew that that tiny new life would be their fourth child. But apparently it’s just collateral damage as a result of the parents’ actions. Thousands of couples have had unexpected pregnancies and had to adjust their lives to bring the baby into their family. Their “oops “ babies became real blessings!

We were 23 and just starting our business when I found out I was pregnant, much sooner than planned. We couldn’t afford health insurance so it took over two years to pay all the medical bills, until our son was an energetic 2-year-old. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. Our SON was worth it!

Susan Saunders, Fort Myers

A new human being exists

The various contributors to “Florida braces for fall of Roe” that enlighten us about the right to privacy under the Florida Supreme Court miss one salient fact. The “follow the science fact” is that at the moment of conception a new human being exists. Do they seriously think that right to privacy allows for taking the life of a human being that temporarily resides within the body of another human being.

Terry Sternad, Cape Coral

Governor's knee-jerk actions

Okay, okay, okaaaay; Mexico, is going to pay for the wall! Nope, not a peso. Now remember Gov. DeSantis boldly stated: Disney will pay off the outstanding one billion eighty six million in bonds. Naaa, nope; not a chance. Well it appears now that Florida taxpayers will foot these bonds; with interest! When history reflects on the DeSantis governorship; do you think it will look positive? I'm thinking with all his knee-jerk actions; Floridians will feel like we pulled a hamstring!

Robert Jenkins, Naples

How can this be?

An article in the Sunday edition of The News-Press stated "With COVID funds low U.S. sees rationing risk." Apparently, unless funds are voted on the vaccine supply will be in short supply in the U.S. In another article in the Sunday edition of the News Press the president of the United States told North Koreans that we will supply them with vaccine, shipments. How can this be? Maybe The News-Press can check this out.

Anthony Farina, Fort Myers

Republican victory in 2024?

I found the letter in your May 21 “Letters to the editor” quite fascinating. The writer asked for a recount? Anyone? I’ll bite!

Trump “Lord of Lies” versus “My son has done nothing wrong” Biden. Yep, I’ll take the orange mean man. Someone tell Biden to stop telling the Amtrak and Corn Pop stories too.

I disagree with your choice for a vice president. It’ll be hard to go head to head though with our current Border Czar. A VP needs to be able to give a speech that coherently makes sense. I think Greg Abbott is much better suited to replace our Homeland Security expert Mayorkas who will maybe do something once the fentanyl and sex trafficking hits home with him.

I agree with DeSantis replacing Merrick Garland. Matt Gaetz would outperform Pete Buttigieg because instead of calling our roads and bridges racist, he would actually do the job at hand and keep baby formula on our U.S. shelves and address transportation issues that impede our daily living. I don’t personally LIKE Matt, but I’m voting for people to get their job done.

Rand Paul can replace THREE people. He’ll save us some money. Fauci, Yellen and Rachel Levine.

I hope in this next election that the Americans vote for representatives who have a plan to get America back on track. I think the Dems' race card wolf has been crying for way too long now and the people are finally waking up to it.

Lisa Twadell, Fort Myers

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Wednesday, May 25, 2022