Monday's letters: Chaos on School Board, take action on border, septic systems ignored
No reason to get rid of superintendent
I watched the Nov. 22 Sarasota County School Board meeting online and was in shock when Board Member Karen Rose made a motion for a special meeting to address terminating the district superintendent's contract.
I supported the newly elected board members but do not support this action (“Sarasota County School Board to vote on terminating superintendent Brennan Asplen,” Nov. 22)!
This county has had three years of chaos between the exiting drama of the old superintendent, COVID, mask mandates, massive growth, school security and, to top it off, the impact of Hurricane Ian on our community and schools in the southern part of the county.
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As a resident of this community, I observed a superintendent who navigated the employees, teachers, students and the community through extremely difficult times and managed to keep our district's grade-point averages above average.
This new School Board’s response, at its first meeting after taking office, is to promote creating additional chaos within our schools, not to mention the additional costs of a new search!
It doesn’t make sense: Our superintendent has received above-average ratings for his performance. The community deserves an explanation for why this board would consider this type of action.
Lynn Evensen, Sarasota
Kick out those who cross our border
President Joe Biden has abandoned protecting Americans from invasion. Why do Americans accept the destruction of the country?
His excuse is compassion for the downtrodden in a different country, but these immigrants are breaking the law as soon as they enter our country illegally.
Is it time for citizen action to stop this? What would Biden do if thousands of Americans massed on the southern border with weapons and stopped illegal immigration by force?
President Dwight Eisenhower stopped or slowed illegal immigration, using only the Border Patrol to remove thousands from the Southwest.
Biden’s immigrants need to be removed as soon as possible. They have zero right to be in the USA and should never be considered for citizenship.
Democratic Sen. Chuck “Flip Flop” Schumer wants to provide a path to citizenship for all 11 million people who have entered the country illegally. He is willing to sell out his country for a vote!
Cliff Hornsby, Longboat Key
DeSantis vs. Trump? Governor more effective
Former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis are both conservative. They agree on most issues. Any conflict between them is about personalities.
DeSantis clearly has a more stable personality and would be much more effective in getting conservative positions implemented. To those of us interested in policy, the choice should be clear.
Paul H. Rubin, Sarasota
Politicians ignore threat of septic systems
As a retired geologist who practiced environmental and petroleum geology for over 50 years, the evidence suggests that Florida’s economic future is bleak.
One political party has controlled state government for decades of malfeasance and failure to address issues that damage the environment.
It denied global warming. It failed to adequately address the highest number of septic systems on a per capita basis in the U.S. It has not fully funded sewage treatment improvements that would eliminate raw sewage releases that occur with heavy rain events. And it has not sought to properly regulate phosphate mining and agriculture.
Malfeasance contributes to the red tide events that are becoming more frequent and more severe.
The surface and near-surface geology of Florida can be considered as a 450-mile-long-sandbar, and any liquid spilled on it, or placed in the near subsurface, will travel to either the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic and serve as food for the organisms that cause red tide.
Failed septic systems, along with sewage releases, are major contributors to red tide, a fact denied by elected officials and the scientists dependent on them.
It is time to elect politicians who do their jobs.
William M. Mitchell, Sarasota
Venice wrong to host Pride event
My home is in Venice and a Pride event was held to promote it (“Sarasota conservatives outraged that Venice OK’d Pride Festival,” Nov. 12).
I just want to know, where are our spiritual leaders? This is a sin against God!
Mike Taylor, Venice
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: No reason to fire superintendent, take action on the border
