Letters to the editor for Wednesday, October 4, 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

Low speed electric vehicles

Sadly, in Naples, some communal residential complexes are slow to recognize the benefits of owning small, light, battery-powered vehicles that have the need to power up.

Do condominiums have the right to not allow residents to plug in low speed electric vehicles?

The benefits are many: Saving on gas; Reduction of fossil fuel pollutants in our community; Lighter weight reduces wear and tear on roadways; Smaller compact size reduces the physical volume in traffic; Smaller frames demand less space for city parking.

All complexes should adapt property regulations to accommodate low speed electric vehicles i.e.; golf carts, GEM and Moke cars. Next they should provide an electrical outlet for recharging the batteries as the owners of such vehicles can purchase a secure meter which accurately measures the electricity consumed for recharging.

Sean Gould, Naples

Park's original purpose

Regarding Jaycee Park: Land was given to Lee County in 1971, the donor stating it was to be used as a park for the purpose of recreation to be enjoyed by the public generally. The land was subsequently sold for $10.00 to Cape Coral. The donor at the time envisaged a park the way parks were in those days − treed, with picnic tables, grills, shelters, and playground equipment. Never would this donor have thought the park would be made into an entertainment center complete with food trucks, a bistro/bar, and a permanent bandshell, all businesses not intended originally. So we ask of the city to honor the donor, and keep Jaycee Park the way it was gifted and the way it was subsequently described in its Park Plan as a Neighborhood Park.

Sally Flash, Cape Coral

Communist goal achieved

In response to the criticisms I received from some letter writers, I submit the following:The ideologies that have been saturating our nation and schools have their bases in socialism, communism, Marxism and secular humanism, all of which are anti-American and anti-God.

I expect, in the coming weeks, to unpack each of the ideologies and explain the background, the origin, and the philosophy of each. In the meantime, I challenge the readers to read “The Communist Agenda,” posted in the Congressional Record in 1963. It has 45 goals, most of which have been accomplished. 14 of the points are directed to the schools. All of these have been accomplished. For example, #42 states: “Create the impression that insurrections are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special interest groups should 'rise up,' and use 'united force' to solve economic, political or social problems." Unfortunately, this goal has been accomplished.I am requesting that anyone who wishes to respond, please supply your source of reference.Jerry Rutherford, Collier County School Board District 1

Article triggers tears

I knew the article was going to rip at my heart and I was right.  The memories I have of my 2-day-old daughter being transferred to another hospital for a blockage and I could not be with her is nothing compared to the parents and everyone associated with the exodus and survival of all hospital patients after the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian.  In 1971, my daughter had not received a name yet.  Brave hearts to everyone.  Even as I type this, tears are rolling again.

May you all be blessed with health, happiness and long lives.

Rosalyn Shraiar, Fort Myers

Conserve with native trees

The recent decision of the Collier County commissioners to ignore the wishes of their constituents, in regards to conservation, came up at our dinner table last night. As our conversation evolved, we wondered if the commissioners could get on board with an idea of conservation that wouldn’t cost the county a penny.

Conservationists have long advocated that communities should only plant native trees, shrubs and plants and that grass lawns should only be 30% or less of the yard. This is pretty much what the Babcock Ranch Community did and look how immensely successful that has been?

There’s a wealth of knowledge about the use of native plants for landscaping, so wouldn’t it behoove the commissioners, to ask the builders of the new Eastern Collier Communities, to follow such a good, conservation practice in their landscaping plans? Not a dime of tax money spent, yet untold future well-being assured, as well as less water used.

Maureen Trerice, Naples

Support local theaters

Here in Southwest Florida, we are truly blessed to be surrounded by several venues for live theater. One in particular is Florida Repertory. My wife and I love plays and musicals and, as usual, came away thoroughly impressed and satiated by the present performance of "Beguiled Again" which is a compilation of the music of Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart performed flawlessly by six performers, three men and three women, all of whom were excellent singers. The performance was interspersed with comedy, acting and even tap-dancing. Of course the original pieces were from an era long ago and, admittedly, the audience was comprised of mostly those in the ultra-senior citizen realm, ourselves included. But that doesn’t take away from the extremely talented young, refreshing performers. This particular rendition runs till the end of October so, if you appreciate professional, titillating performances, you would definitely not come away unimpressed.

Support our local theaters and, no, we have no affiliation with any of them − we’re just real ecstatic fans.

Glenn Chenot, Cape Coral

Waste of public funds?

On September 1, 2023, the City of Marco Island submitted 2024 legislative priorities to the Collier County Legislative Delegation. This included two projects called exfiltration swales and median modifications: $13,500,000 in spending with grant requests of $2,250,000. Both projects referred to a document called “City of Marco Island Alternate Water Quality Plan (4e) Submittal” which states: “The City of Marco Island is hereby submitting the documentation needed to demonstrate the City's efforts to bring Water Body Identification (WBID) 32780 (Marco Island) into compliance with state water quality criteria for total nitrogen.”

Marco Island has not been impaired for total nitrogen for THREE years! Why is the city pretending to be impaired for nitrogen? Is it so they can get “free” grant money from the state? This will cost the city taxpayers an additional $11,250,000 for correcting an issue that the city staff know is NOT a problem. The island DOES have a water quality problem with oxygen which is depleted by algae fed by nutrient-laden reuse water from the sewage treatment plant. Not yet impaired for oxygen but headed that way. To correct the oxygen decline, the sewage treatment plant must be upgraded to Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT). The city is doing everything it can to avoid this project. Residents must ask the City Council to upgrade the sewage treatment plant, which is the problem, and not waste money on swales, which are not the cause of the oxygen problem.

Nanette Rivera, Marco Island

On book bans

I could be wrong, but I like to think most Americans oppose banning books.  As kids at school, we learned that book bans happen in totalitarian countries, like Nazi Germany, not in free countries of which the USA is the greatest.  To be sure, there have been instances of books banned in this country: DH Lawrence’s "Lady Chatterley’s Lover," for example, but these events were rare, controversial, and widely condemned in most quarters.

Why has there been so little outrage over the fact that book banning has taken over as our national pastime?  School and local libraries have been inundated with demands to permanently remove certain books from their shelves.  Rather than staunchly oppose the would-be book banners, librarians and school boards, in many cases, have tried to appease them.  There have been attempts to ban 1,900 library titles so far this year, and school book bans increased by 33% in the last school year; schools reportedly banned 2,532 titles that year.  It should come as no surprise that Florida leads the way with about 40% of the book bans.

On September 25, Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed a bill that would bar school boards across the state from banning books based on content categorized as inclusive or divisive, based on racial and LGBTQ topics.  Here in Florida, it was recently reported that Charlotte County schools had removed all books from library shelves containing LGBTQ themes.  Are we going to allow a small cadre of far-right puritans, hiding behind “parental rights” to which they have never been denied, to dictate which books our children are allowed to read and which they are not?

Ray Clasen, North Fort Myers

Extremists cause problems

Congress needs to learn to handle their allowance better! Both sides, Republicans and Democrats, always seem to agree to a continuing resolution at the last minute, which will keep the government funded at its current levels for the next 45 days. Some Republicans are upset because they didn’t get what they wanted, knowing their proposals wouldn’t get passed in the Senate and the government would have shut down. They think compromise is just another word for failure. They fail to understand that in government, work, and life compromises are necessary. They act like spoiled toddlers who pitch a fit because they can't have everything exactly how they want it.

It’s the same old stuff we hear every year from the incompetent legislators that we call Congress. One party or the other wants to play games at our expense. We need to get rid of both left and right extremists from all parties Democrats and Republicans, they all cause a problem to our society and in running the government. It's time Americans woke up and replace these career politicians with someone who wants to work to unite the country and work for American citizens to reduce the federal budget, secure the border and make our government smaller and end this need for politicking.

Lou Walker, Cape Coral

LGBTQ+ Awareness month

Do you agree with the Declaration of Independence that our nation was founded on the self evident truth "...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...?"  When you pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America at every public meeting do you agree with the principle of "...liberty and justice for all...?"

If you do, then join us to proclaim October 2023 as LGBTQ+ Awareness month.  The Orange County School District has the courage to stand up for their students.  Does Lee County?  No matter your "opinion" about LGBTQ+ people will you join with others across the state to stand for human rights and respect for all?

Samuel B Stewart, Ed.D, Madelon V Stewart, Ed.D, Fort Myers

Unholy dynamic

The Cape Coral City Council has a shopping list of legislative priorities they are now working on. They have a "Senior Government Relations Consultant" to advise them on how to get more money out of the state. (According to one recent article, we got $17 million in direct appropriations for the current year).

This appropriation-farming effort necessarily includes hustling the Lee County delegation, as well as making trips to Tallahassee, according to their consultant.

Lemme restate this, just so that we understand the unholy dynamic that is "in play" here. Specifically, we are paying this consultant to tell our paid Council how to massage our paid Delegation into massaging our paid state government into spending even more of our money on their projects.

Larry Gillis, Cape Coral (former director-at-large, Libertarian Party of Florida)

Leaving Florida

My most dearest Florida, with a heavy heart my lovely wife and I are leaving. Really not your fault. We kinda let you down. We continue to poison your waters by building and building without infrastructure to handle our growing numbers. Oh poor Florida we/they will eventually damn you because of climate change, also our fault, will make you more expensive and dangerous. Stay healthy.

Marc and Di Bellagamba, not for long Fort Myers

Gaetz an embarrassment

Front page news should stop you in your tracks.

Matt Gaetz should not be in our government on any level much less governor. Take the time to google your Republican rock stars. He has never really had any long-term employment or any history of giving back or service on any level. Just another narcissistic wannabe with a big mouth. Are you not tired of that ignorant behavior yet? He is not a leader as so many from his party prove every day.

International embarrassment to our country.

Christianne Murphy, Bonita Springs

Reeks of hypocrisy

Rep. Byron Donalds’ (R-Fla.) hand-wringing about the national debt as he voted to shut down the federal government reeks of hypocrisy − a hypocrisy which will hurt this country. Where was this grave concern in 2017 as Republicans rushed to pass the so-called Trump tax cut for wealthy Americans like me who did not need it and which, by recent accounting, has piled at least $7T on the national debt.These MAGA-crazed moves obviously pass for governance in Florida. In Sane America, however, we will work tirelessly to see that they so severely damage Republican chances for any control of government that an entire generation of governance will pass them, and Byron Donalds, by.

Randal McChesney, Bellevue, WA

Smash and grab

We should not be surprised about the proliferation of the smash and grab that is happening all over our country. It all started during the George Floyd riots where the media claimed that it was mostly peaceful, the vice president bailed them out, prominent figures called them just a form of reparations and very little was done to punish or stop the individuals who were destroying buildings and looting stores. Any forceful actions against the looters were condemned. This sent a strong message that it was all acceptable. We are now paying the price for the support given to these rioters three years ago. As usual, the end result will harm the poor communities as these stores pull out as we have seen from CVS, Walgreens, Target and other prominent stores who are shutting down stores in those areas.

Ron Wobbeking, Naples

Malignant cultural tumor

America’s radical left is guided by Marxist intellectuals enshrined in America’s universities and many high schools.These teachers of destruction emulate Lenin’s use of education to build a wall ofseparation between parents and their children, one so effective as to allowa reshaping of America’s young minds.By converting American schools into progressive socialist-Marxist re-educationcamps, the radical left anticipates that it will be able to trigger a cultural transformation within the next generation. The curriculum would no longer includeWestern civilization, civic education and other courses essential to one’s linkagewith American institutions and values. If this malignant cultural tumor is allowed tometastasize, it will eliminate individual liberty as exists in the 21st Century.Beginning in the mid-1960’s , the left made a concerted effort to take over ourcolleges and universities and as they’ve taken control they’ve trampled free speech,virtually banished conservative professors and turned our schools into little morethan huge megaphones for anti-American rhetoric coast to coast.The people who work in today's mainstream media merely mirror what they’vebeen taught at these leftist universities. Objectivity and fairness have been totallydisregarded in their reporting. The mainstream media has become the propaganda machine for the Democrat Party and nothing more. There is a strong parallel between the political news reporting in Russia and the United States. One-sided bias rules the day.Family, church, and patriotism have also become targets by the radical left which has found a strong foothold in today's Democrat Party.This administration is breaking the constitutional laws of sovereignty in its insidious open borders policy in order to garnish future votes. There are no limits to corruption in today's Democrat Party. This is not the Democrat Party of John F. Kennedy.Leonardo Savikas, Naples

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Wednesday, October 4, 2023