Letters to the editor for Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Letters to the editor should be 250 words or less. Include your name and city or community of residence. Guest opinions should be 600 words or less and include a brief summary of the author’s credentials relevant to the topic. Guest opinions may include a head shot of the author. For the Fort Myers News-Press, email submissions to mailbag@news-press.com and for the Naples Daily News to letters@naplesnews.com

Jaycee Park plans

The proposed "improvements" to Jaycee Park in Cape Coral were recently opposed by local residents, with 5,000 signatures requesting that no businesses should be in the Beach Parkway neighborhood, with Jaycee Park being at the heart.  The park is an idyllic setting with shade and a rare panoramic water view.  It is a place to relax and enjoy nature, providing a respite from our busy day.  It is not a place that needs commercialization and the attraction of boaters, and those looking for food and entertainment. The proposal by the Cape Coral City Council would include:  two docks with 24 boat slips, a splash pad, a bistro/piazza area, a bandstand with several performance areas, and a contract with six rotating food trucks, and the removal of the existing shade trees along the shoreline. All of this added traffic would be directed along the presently serene Beach Parkway.

Council member Bill Steinke said at the recent neighborhood meeting that "I would certainly be opposed to making it a commercialized park, but I'm not opposed to other services available to our people."  Council member Dan Sheppard stated that "We are responding to what the public asked for."  Council member Tom Hayden responded that "I have listened to all of you, I disagree with you on this one."  "I like the enhancements coming to this park."  "I hope all of you that are in disagreement with it at least give it a chance, see how it works and don't push aside what I believe is the future, will be a benefit for our community."

Besides spending millions of dollars that can never be regained, how do you undo all of the changes, i.e. obvious commercialization, that will have changed the heart of a community?

Superimposing your vision onto the lives of those who would forever be affected by it is not just an experiment that can be recalled.

William Bond, North Fort Myers

Rubber stamp politicians

Some people define insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Well the Florida Legislature and Senate are doing exactly that.

The next Senate president, Wauchula Republican Ben Albritton, takes over this week and in his interview in the Naples News Tuesday Oct. 17 states Gov. Ron DeSantis is not running the legislative show.  Really?  Because all Floridians know he is. Whatever whining Ron asks for he gets - whether it deals with banning abortion, free carry of guns, driving immigrants out of Florida, banning books, stomping on the LGTBQ community, ignoring outrageous HO insurance premiums, using taxpayer funds for his failed presidential campaign and hiding the spending  - he gets it all - Rubber Stamp.

Wake up Floridians and vote these rubber stamp politicians out! You have the power. Use it when casting your vote.

Lou Vigliotti, Naples

Proud of President Biden

I've never been more proud of my current President Joe Biden since George W. Bush's response to the 911 terrorist attacks upon my country, and Barack Obama's actions to take out bin Laden.

David Liebenguth, Fort Myers

Appeasement to foreign powers

Watching Biden during his CBS interview I could not help but think that the face and voice is different but the words are the same -- appeasement to Iran -- appeasement to all foreign powers. It is Obama 2.0.

Remember Obama bowing to the King of Saudi Arabia or whispering on a hot mic to Medvedev that he would be more flexible after the following election.

We have had too many Democratic leaders who choose to follow rather than lead.

Michael Zubrow, Naples

Don't run for re-election

Don't! What does this mean when the leader of the free world says Don't. Don't what? Don't invade Crimea when you were VP under Obama. Don't to Putin when he invaded Ukraine as POTUS. Iran the orchestrator of the horrific attacks in Israel and you say Don't to Iran. You say Don't invade our southern boarders as 7 million illegal immigrants have entered or country. Will you say Don't to the terrorists who have entered the U.S. Biden's/Obama's reversal of all Trump's major accomplishments has put the world closer to a world war. Words mean nothing after bad decisions have been made. My advice to President Biden DON'T run for re-election in 2024.

Arthur Maranian, Naples

Jim Jordan as speaker

How can Jim Jordan be speaker of the House, second in line to the presidency, when he refuses to speak to his role on January 6, 2021?

Dan Fisher, Naples

Student loan forgiveness

Here is why economists say student loan forgiveness would help our economy. Many important jobs require college degrees. There is a shortage of workers in many of those fields. Low income people must take out loans if we want people to fill those jobs. Here are the problems. 1. COVID caused many job losses. 2. Bankruptcy is not allowed for student loan debt, but is for almost all other kinds of debt, including credit card and medical debt. We all know of people who have declared bankruptcy (including former President Trump - four times). 3. When graduates had to take low-paying jobs, their loans went into forbearance, with steep compound interest accumulating while they were struggling to make ends meet. Teachers and many others had to get student loans to be able to earn their required degrees and have been paying on their student loans for 10+ years yet still owe much more than they borrowed due to compound interest. Do you think it's okay for your friends and wealthy political figures, such as Trump, to get their debts erased through bankruptcy or PPP loan forgiveness but not lower income people who needed those loans?

Linda Rodriguez, Fort Myers

Grateful for Honor Flight

I'm writing in about the item from Frank Crotty, Naples about the Honor Flight trip Mission #25. I agree with everything he wrote. I am a Vietnam veteran and was also on that trip and it was great. It will be a trip of a lifetime for me because I was able to bring my son Thomas with me. He was my guardian for the day. (He is a retired Marine). We really thank all the people who made this trip possible. I also want to thank two little girls who gave us a snack bag of treats, the more than 300 people who met the plane when we returned from D.C., also the many kids from a local school who made us drawing and cards, all the volunteers who loaded and unloaded the wheelchairs every time the bus stopped. At our age we would never have been able to make this kind of trip in one day. Once again THANK YOU.

Carl W. French, Lehigh Acres

Cost to commute

In Anthony Robledo's recent article about how much it cost to commute I have a bit of a solution.

Stop going to Starbucks for breakfast.  Have a quick one at home, and get a thermos for your coffee.

Bring your own lunch.  Many of us have done that over the years to save money.

I'm not aware what $14 on the commute means but $51 a day for a commute is way over the top.  In my book, that's $250+ a week to go to work.  And, better still $1,000 a month which sounds out of control.  I haven't even addressed the pet situation of $20 per day! What is that cost for?  A cat stays in the house so that's a given and if your dog is not cage trained while you're away, have a neighbor walk it once and take care of whomever at Christmas!

Try these ideas and enjoy your job.

Van Geoghegan, Naples

Operating Room surgical smoke

As an Operating Room nurse, I work tirelessly for my patients. When I step into the O.R., someone's life is in my hands but, ironically, my life is also on the line when the O.R. is filled with surgical smoke during a patient's surgery.

Like cigarette smoke, surgical smoke can be seen and smelled. It is the result of human tissue being cut with mechanical tools and/or heat-producing devices, such as lasers and electro-surgery pencils commonly used for dissection and hemostasis. In other words, it's the smoke from burning flesh. An estimated 90% of all surgical procedures - including such common surgeries as cesarean sections, mastectomies, knee replacements and appendectomies - generate surgical smoke.

In the room where we are saving lives, we are risking our own. A single day working in an operating room without smoke evacuation is equivalent to inhaling the smoke of 27-30 unfiltered cigarettes. Smoke evacuation systems are available at the majority of hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers in Florida; however, our workplaces are not currently required by law to use them. This must change.

Nurses and other O.R. staff across the country have been fighting for legislation to ensure harmful surgical smoke is evacuated from every O.R. Their efforts have been successful in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington and this must become the standard in our state as well.

On behalf of the surgical teams across this great state, I appeal to our state lawmakers to pass legislation ensuring surgical smoke evacuation systems are used every time there is surgical smoke, in every O.R. across Florida. The lives of all who work in the O.R. depend on it.

Saundra W. Falk, BSN, RN, CNOR. FCN, Fort Myers

Justice for animals

Not once, not twice but three times in the last three months heinous felony animal abusers in Southwest Florida have served NO jail time.  If you remember nothing else from this letter, remember this:  Do not vote for Judge Elizabeth Krier whose term is up in 2024 nor State Attorney Amira Fox whose term in not up until 2027, unfortunately.  Below are the reasons why neither woman should  hold office.

On August 30, 2023, The News Press reported that the district attorney dropped charges against a woman who tied her pit bull named Los outside with no shade and no water in 95-degree heat.  The dog died from heat exhaustion.

On Sept. 30, The News-Press reported that a Naples woman left a 3-year old Labrador retriever mix named Tucker to die in a closed car in 83-degree heat.  She reached a plea deal to avoid prison time.  The article stated, “The sheriff’s office said she has a history of animal-related cases in which dogs have been removed from her care and custody, according to her arrest report.”  Judge Elizabeth Krier delivered this Sweetheart deal.

And again on Oct. 12, The News-Press reported “State drops animal cruelty charge against man accused of beating dog.”  A brave neighbor called law enforcement because he heard the man throwing Benji, an 8-year-old Pomeranian against the wall. Deputies found blood splatter in the living room, the bathroom and the master bedroom walls.  The state attorney dismissed the charges.

This is abysmal performance from elected justice officials who are there to keep communities and its inhabitants safe. Judge Krier and State Attorney Amira Fox it is time to give animal abusers the maximum allowed jail time.   I thank Sheriff Marceno. Lee County Sheriff’s Animal Task Force and Collier Sheriff’s Department for their diligence in pursuing charges

Madeleine Doran, Fort Myers

Manchin offers alternative

This country is facing an election where 70% or more of the voters do not want to vote for either Biden or Trump for president. Whether Republican or Democrat the voters are frustrated and keep looking elsewhere. We need a candidate that can lead all of us, regardless of party, forward to a functioning government where the needs of the people are put ahead of party affiliation.Senator Joe Manchin has always been moderate, willing to work with members on both sides of the aisle to produce legislation that meets the needs of all people. He can bring people together, put some sanity back into our legislative process, have our government work for all the people, and make our divided country strong again.

Please URGE Senator Manchin to run for president as an independent or a Democrat to offer the alternative the voters are seeking. Support him with your voice and with your dollars. Help him be the alternative voters are seeking.

Mary L. Olson, Naples

The 'perfect' call

I’ve participated in many phone calls over the years.  Some were to discuss personal matters and some were business related.  Some were conducted in the morning while others were conducted in the afternoon or evening.  Some were cordial and some were confrontational.  Some were to discuss trivial matters while others were to discuss important matters.  Some were between friends and others between family members.  Some were of a short duration while others were lengthy.  Some were conducted on a land line while others were conducted by cellular phone.  Some were conducted while sitting and others were conducted while standing.  Some were conducted outdoors while others were conducted indoors.  Some were happy while others were sad.  Some were riveting while others were boring.  Some were conducted while dressed and others while undressed.  Some were conducted stateside while others were transatlantic.  Some were conducted in summer while others were conducted in spring, autumn, or winter.

After copious and various phone calls, I’ve never once thought the call was “perfect.”  What’s the criteria for a “perfect” phone call?  And, who determines if the phone call is “perfect!” Is there a panel of judges that rate phone calls as with Olympic skaters?  Actually, I’m not so sure I want to have a “perfect” phone call.  It could lead to an indictment!

Jay Custa, Estero

Political trick or treat

It might be tempting to consider the possibility that the unsettling forces of Halloween are at play amongst the Republican members of the House of Representatives who seem at odds with everything and everybody. Matt Gaetz, favorite congressional son of the Florida Republican Party, and Tommy Tuberville have been especially prominent in their trick-or-treat proposals and really appear unbalanced and in need of appropriate medication. But not far behind them are Jim Jordan, the fast talking, most disingenuous recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom issued by the man from Mar-a-Largo; and Marjorie Taylor Greene, George Santos and Lauren Boebert. All have had recent trick-or-treat positions to block, stall or defeat something as a means of expressing their political might.

The Great Pumpkin knows that Halloween forces are not the cause of the shameless and irresponsible conduct of these and other House Republicans. They are showing us who they are and they want us to know it.At this moment Steve Scalise has withdrawn his name from consideration for speaker of the House due to lack of support from the Republican caucus. This is just as well because he really isn't qualified in accordance with Republican standards. He has served in the House since 2008, is a strong constitutional supporter and is perceived as one who will work across the aisle. He has been House majority whip for the last four years. He is not a controversial figure and is not what Republicans are looking for.

They want someone like Jim Jordan who had a sex scandal of sorts while a wrestling coach at Ohio State before serving in Congress; has earned a reputation as a political flame thrower; he was "involved" in an as yet undefined way with Trump prior to and on January 6; he defied a legal subpoena to testify before the House Select Committee to investigate the attack on our nation's Capitol and thus far has escaped consequence. He is a perfect candidate for the Republican people, especially because, as House speaker, he'll be in a far better position to interfere with Trump's prosecutions. His single-minded mission is to return Trump to the White House.

I've probably not told you anything new but the Great Pumpkin wants to remind you that if you're spending valuable funds at a Republican owned/managed business, you're contributing something to Trump's legal fund or DeSantis' presidential campaign fund.

Tony Penge, North Fort Myers

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Wednesday, October 18, 2023