Letters to the editor for Wednesday, September 13, 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
Privatizing Lee Health
Fort Myers has been home for several years now. Having moved from New York, I knew, I expected and I wanted a few things from this conservative red area. One example, of course, is low taxes. However, as someone who has consulted in various lines of business, I'd like to remark on what is appalling: a Lee Health hospital monopoly. Since when did free-market Republicans allow this? Now the Fort Myers News-Press reports that Lee Health is attempting to convert from its public status to private. This is a cunning move to thwart competition. More competition means choices, typically less costs and better offers or products for consumers. Our state legislators, Fort Myers City Council members and Lee County commissioners should rezone to allow for more hospitals and put a stop to Lee Health's attempts to have their cake and eat it too.
Kevin Donlan, Fort Myers
Simple gesture appreciated
Yes, Virginia, there still are nice people in this world.The other day I was at Lowe's buying a dozen bags of mulch. The fellow in front of me at checkout left his credit card in his car. He apologized to me and I said it wasn't a big deal. He ran to his car and back with his credit card. He apologized again that he made me wait and again I waved it off.After I had paid and rolled the big cart of mulch out to my car, I looked up to see the gentleman in question getting out of his car. He said since he made me wait that it was the least he could do to help me load my car with the mulch. What a fabulous gesture. I told the story to somebody recently and it choked me up with emotion. A simple gesture but so appreciated by me. I didn't get his name, but, Sir, if you are reading this, I want you to know what a fine gentleman you are.
Chuck Bainbridge, Naples
Motors ruin Fisheating Creek
Fisheating Creek, a Florida Wildlife Management Area, just outside tiny Palmdale on Highway 27 is a backwoods paradise of tannic waters, old growth cypress and mixed forest hosting a great variety of wildlife -- birds, alligators, turtles, deer, bear and much more. And it's worshiped by paddlers of all kinds.
My nature loving daughter and I oared our kayak downstream on a recent Sunday morning -- one of our many trips on the creek. We hoped to catch sight of the swallowtail kites before they left their roost to fly to South America. As we were floating along we mused to one another why were we seeing so few critters on a quiet morning when the creek is usually alive with birds, gators and wild turkeys?
Our peaceful paddling was shredded by the sound of outboard engines running at high speed. We learned from watching them that day on the creek that they use the many twists and turns of this beautiful sanctuary like a watery drag strip, leaving 2-foot wakes behind them to splash up over the sparse creek banks and exposed roots. One entourage had six boats racing, one after the other. A number of mature trees have fallen over due to bank erosion. And, due to the delicate acoustics of the creek, the outboard engines can be heard more than a mile away. All wildlife had retreated away from the noisy creek.
For 30+ years my family and friends have camped, picnicked and paddled Fisheating Creek. We protested when Lykes Brothers tried to seize the creek and we cleaned its waters of litter and invasive plants. We were stunned and outraged that Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) is now allowing motorized boats on the creek, especially when they're operated by crowds of irresponsible yahoos.
Like many other treasured Florida environs Fisheating Creek is already under pressure from climate change, invasive plants, over development and pollution.
Our beautiful trip was spoiled by the selfishness of individuals who evidently don't recognize that they are misusing the creek and spoiling the enjoyment of others who love and respect this magic place.
FWC: Get the motorboats off Fisheating Creek!
Carolyn L. Moore, North Fort Myers
Film addresses climate crisis
Recently, Hurricane Idalia swept through the community of Naples and abutting counties bringing bands of heavy winds and rains. Flooding was rampant in Tampa, and devastation loomed over sensitive forest habitats, homes and businesses were destroyed in the Big Bend region. Like Hurricane Idalia and its predecessors, natural disasters have been surging and erupting across the globe in epic proportion. Extreme weather conditions in the form of melting glaciers and ice sheets, sea level rise, global temperature increase via human-made greenhouse gases, and severe wildfires are direct consequences to the ever-present global warming debacle. Science dictates that hunger, sickness, and migration are at their pinnacle but who hears the cries of our diverse peoples, of our delicate biomes? Concern, challenge, uncertainty, pain, and displacement for both natural and human components on this Earth is paramount. Our Earth is in environmental collapse. As an environmental advocate, naturalist, decades long hiker, devoted recycler, supporter of sustainability, an individual acutely passionate for all fauna and flora since childhood, I feel the need and obligation to embrace and care for and to do whatever I can to make a difference. I consistently ponder the question “What can I do and how can I help our Earth and its inhabitants?” Earth -- a gift that was bestowed upon us. Earth -- one that is damaged and suffering and in desperate need of renewal and rejuvenation. The Earth Care/Life Care Team at Cornerstone United Methodist Church, which reaches out and embraces everyone regardless of religious affiliation, race, and gender, has organized a screening of the film entitled "The Letter," filmed by the Laudato Si’ Movement. It is a beautifully constructed documentary addressing climate change and the ecological crisis honing in on specific geographical locations across the globe. CUMC will feature this moving story on Sept. 17 at noon in the sanctuary with discussion and a potluck lunch to follow. Please help your Earth by bringing your passions for the environment and humankind, a strong voice, and the willingness to be a part of a collective to enact proactive meaningful change.
Melissa Varner, Naples
Waterbody no longer impaired
In 2019 FDEP declared the Marco waterbody impaired for Total Nitrogen (TN) when it had exceeded the annual average limit of 0.3 mg/L for two consecutive years.According to city records, the waterbody nitrogen level so far in 2023 is 0.2 mg/L, well below the level that indicates impairment. This is the third consecutive year that the Marco waterbody nitrogen level has been below the impairment limit. What happened?The nitrogen problem started in early 2017. TN levels in the Marco waterways were trending high, it seems due to “cultural” or man-caused nutrient inflows. Then hurricane Irma arrived.According to a Turrell, Hall and Associates report (2019), hurricanes and tropical storms can greatly increase the amount of organic material within the local waterways. Leaves, limbs and soil driven by storm force wind can be blown from adjacent upland and wetland areas into the local island waterways influencing the water quality nutrient levels.What was done that would lower island nitrogen levels? The Septic Tank Replacement Program (STRP) was completed in 2016. This eliminated 80% of the nitrogen from the sewage effluent. The city enacted a fertilizer ordinance in 2018 that banned all fertilizer for four summer months, eliminating 33% of that source of nitrogen. In 2019, the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) voluntarily cut the nitrogen concentration in the reuse water by 50%.If the current trend continues, the Marco waterbody should soon be automatically taken off of the FDEP impaired water list.Eugene Wordehoff, Marco Island
Constituent wishes ignored
In the movie “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” Bert Reynolds said, “I’ve got a pretty good BS detector. I can tell when somebody’s peeing on my boot and telling me it’s raining.”
On Tuesday, Sept. 5, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners did just that. Ignoring the pleas and arguments of their constituents, they voted with big money to change the Land Development Code to allow for higher building heights and population density on Captiva Island.
Public meetings held over several weeks indicated the vast majority were against the proposed changes. A petition against the proposal garnered over 13,000 signatures. At Tuesday’s meeting, dozens of speakers argued against the proposed changes. The commissioners listened politely then, without any public discussion or explanation of their reasoning, voted to approve the proposal.
The lone dissenting commissioner gave only a brief explanation of his reasoning. None of the other four commissioners offered any explanation as to why they ignored the arguments of the people who will be most negatively impacted by the decision. Their minds were made up well in advance. Shame on them.
I challenge Commissioners Pendergrass, Sandelli, Hamman and Greenwell to explain publicly their reasons for voting against the obvious desires of their constituents. Otherwise, it appears that once again big money has won out over the common people and that these four commissioners just don’t give a damn.
William H. Harkey, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.), Sanibel
Mexico legalizes abortion
While Florida and many other states are are in a full court press to ban abortion, Mexico just legalized abortion nationwide. I guess American women who want the freedom to control their own bodies will have to move to Mexico.R.N. Williams, Lely Resort
Teacher pay in Florida
A recent letter to the editor attempted to make the narrative that the facts indicate Florida public school teachers are well paid. The real facts conclusively prove the opposite. In 2021-2022 school year the average teacher’s salary was $66,745 (NEA). That same school year the Florida average public school teacher’s salary was $51,598.82 (Florida DOE) which is $15,146.18 less than the national average. In 2021-2022 Florida teacher salaries ranked 48th in the nation (Florida DOE and NEA).
A 2020-2021 Business.org study ranked Florida public school teacher salaries 48th in the nation when compared with salaries from all other Florida occupations. Whereas nationally teachers earn 11% more than other occupations in their state Florida public school teachers earn 4.6% less.
Florida average public school teacher’s salary increased $1,543.46 to $53,142.28 in 2022-2023. This was an increase of 2.99%.
In the 2006-2007 school year (before private school vouchers were introduced in Florida) the per pupil allocation was $7,349. For the 2023-2024 school year the allocation per pupil is $8,648. This is a 17.68 percent increase per pupil in 17 years. That equals approximately a 1% increase per year.
The Florida Legislature and the governor have focused on major increases to fund private school vouchers (even for wealthy families) while public school funding has been nearly stagnant. Is this what Florida citizens and businesses want?
Richard Woodruff, Naples
Democracy in name only
We are beginning to live in exactly the country which Jefferson and Adams feared — a name only democracy where voter representation is being gamed to death, where politicians and Supreme Court justices are purchased by big money and where we are ruled by an aristocracy which lacks virtue, relies on greed and esteems negative vices like racism, homophobia, lying, cheating and indifference to suffering and poverty. This kind of non democracy threatens human extinction because of its indifference to human caused climate change. It threatens democracy because of its disdain for human rights enunciated in our Constitution. All personal orientation is towards power and wealth in the name of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.“ Its self designated leaders much prefer an aristocracy or an oligarchy.
To add insult to injury, these autocrats and oligarchs are white male supremacists intent on the diminishment of women’s rights.
Maybe our salvation is now dependent on Artificial Intelligence. Maybe our purpose in the scheme of things is merely to bring Artificial Intelligence into being so that it can conduct the continuation of our race and our biosphere until our galaxy runs out of gas in its natural demise. In the meantime, it's too bad we are becoming what Jefferson and Adams most feared, a nominal democracy.
Sally Lam, Naples
Drug prices
Response to guest columnist Randy Ray: “Florida patients need new action on prescription drug costs.”
With all due respect, Mr. Ray is displaying naivete. This writer is aware of medication costs. And this writer is aware that our U.S. economy is based on capitalism. The benefit of capitalism is the incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop new and effective medications. As the population ages, there is increased dependence on medications. We should be aware of the need for drugs to treat hypertension, diabetes, infections, bronchitis, coronary heart disease, epilepsy, cancer, etc. Prices cannot be controlled by the government, whether it is a Rolex watch or, a pair of shoes, or a new drug for multiple sclerosis. This is reality. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has no legal authority to control or investigate the prices set by pharmaceutical manufacturers, drug distributors and retail drug stores.
Stanley Freeman, Fort Myers
COVID response in Florida
COVID is back. There are reports of cases everywhere. I know of two cases not including Dr. Jill Biden's. We are told that is mild and will go away. The same thing people told us 2020.I was hoping that the new vaccine coming out would help but the Florida Surgeon General has told us not to use it.Governor DeSantis has told us already that there will not be any school or business closures or work-at-home schemes and no mask mandate.This covers all the things that we can do in Florida. Things like border closures and travel restrictions are up to the government in Washington.Even with all the activities listed above, COVID killed over a million people and disabled thousands more with long COVID.What are we going to do now? All I can think to do now is wear a mask even though no one knows for sure if masks had any value.
Harlan Boise, Naples
Marijuana sentence
I read this morning in the Daily News a man, Steven Sanchez, was sentenced to two years in prison for possessing less than one once of marijuana without a medical exemption.Thirty nine states either have laws allowing recreational or medical exempted possession of marijuana, including Florida.Does any clear thinking citizen believe the majority of those with medical exemption cards actually qualify for the exemption. I personally know several people who say applying for medical exemption is as simple as paying a doctor who advertises his or her services several hundred dollars. I am told all you have to do is say I have anxiety or I have trouble sleeping and out the door you go with your prescription to the nearest dispensary where you are allowed to purchase as much as, depending on your prescription, 2.5 ounces.My point here is you have thousands or even tens of thousands of Floridians who are allowed to possess marijuana in much greater quantities than Mr. Sanchez by using Florida’s medical exemption with very dubious medical need.It may be appropriate for Mr. Sanchez to pay a fine of some sort but a two year prison sentence is outrageous.
Reed Boone, Marco Island
State of oblivion
A recent letter to the editor tried to tie the term "woke" to some sort of racial issue. Liberal foolishness. The best definition of the term "woke" that I have found is as follows: A state of oblivion only achieved by those delusional enough to find injustice in everything but their own behavior. With oblivion being the key word in the definition, I doubt very much that those of you who needed the help will learn anything.
Don Rader, Naples
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Wednesday, September 13, 2023
