Title IX advocate wants boys to play girls sports? Treasure Coast election lies disturbing
Lies not even appropriate in politics
Imagine for a moment, a candidate for school board in Indian River County, who might be a father, explaining to his children why he dishonestly fomented an outright lie to denigrate a fellow candidate(s).
Just what would the explanation be? Would it be another mistruth about a lie? Or a simple justification because it is the way of righteousness in narrowly focused minds?
We all get that local school board races have gotten contentious in the last few years, mainly due to those on the fringed edge of the right. Evidently, truth in the campaign process is optional in some cases. Rather, self-righteous indignation around cultural issues rule the day.
An example: The MacCallum-McDonald team sent an ad out saying Peggy Jones “supports boys in girls sports.” Wrong. Not true. Evidence to the contrary, though, is of no matter.
Back to my original assertion, how are these lies, yes there are more than one, defended to our children and family? Do we want our children to believe that lying is just fine if you win?
I would contend that our children’s first and most important teacher is the parents. The lying candidates who espouse accountability for teachers and administrators should apply a similar standard to themselves.
Jan Williams, Vero Beach
Connect dots on closed primary, devolution of Martin County
Every four years, the presidential voting cycle grabs everyone's attention and distracts voters from the concurrent Martin County Commission races for seats held by residents of south county, north county and Palm City/Indiantown. Doug Smith is the District 1 incumbent, currently residing in Jensen Beach and seeking re-election. He has a "fresh face" challenging him, Republican Eileen Vargas.
Smith and his supporters use saturation mailings that shamelessly tout his supposed environmental and controlled growth leadership when others deserve the real kudos. Those paying close attention to local matters recognize that his boastful claims are far from the truth. The glowing testimonials in Smith's mailings do not include leading environmentalists or recognized champions of controlled growth.
Smith's campaign is expert at using every contrivance available to disenfranchise voters by ensuring primaries are closed to only Republican voters, and then misleading those very Republicans about his bona fides and intentions.
Smith has been skipping candidate forums, showing disrespect and disdain for the many residents who want to see and hear him up close on a public stage. If he's like that now, can we expect any better if he is re-elected?
Incumbent Smith is a widely unwanted political tick, entrenched and Doug-in. For too many years, he's been slowly draining the cherished Martin County Difference that is the lifeblood and identity for which our county is known and respected. The "returns" we will get from his zealous growth plans are higher and misdirected taxes and environmental degradation.
Contrasting Smith, challenger Vargas says she supports more responsible approaches to environmental protections and adherence to controlled growth, both inside and outside our urban service boundaries.
Smith's recent mailing is misleading, but actually says it all: "Uncontrolled = Unacceptable!" His record and reputation clearly show his very poor job controlling growth. Voters should connect the dots.
Henry Copeland, Jensen Beach
Change needed on Martin County Commission
Many people have seen bald eagles in Martin County. Unfortunately, these local encounters could decrease as their habitat continues to be threatened by growth and development, according to experts.
Consider this as Martin County commissioners (with the exception of Sarah Heard) all recently approved massive changes to our comp plan and are granting developers their every wish for expansion.
Meantime, there's an election in Commission District 1, featuring Eileen Vargas, who says she promotes responsible growth with no zoning exceptions and promises a disciplined approach for growth. Our current commissioner, Doug Smith, seems to love and approve all projects that come before the board.
Beverly Ryan Anderson, Stuart
Help world: Put down phones, talk to each other
I was brought up as a good Catholic youth back in New York City and learned to respect others. Why are things so different today?
I think it's because people don't talk to one another anymore, and they are constantly occupied with their devices (like a sixth finger). How pathetic is that? People should get back to basics, get back and pray to God and just be thankful for what little we have and start talking to one another as a family.
A lot of common sense is part of it, too, but there is not too much of that around. Just stop and look around and see what this world has become. It's scary.
We are doing it to ourselves, folks. Wake up.
Dominic Coscia, Vero Beach
Broward County shows climate, sea level issues real, all over
I have to take issue with the letter writer disputing sea level rise of "a millimeter or so a year."
I grew up in South Florida on the water. In 52 years, I watched the average tidal level rise in the canals and along the beach by six to eight inches or more. Where we would have two annual high tides and storm basins would flow out as well as seawalls would be underwater, we now have that monthly.
The height of that water once was an inch or two; it's now nearly knee-deep.
Broward County has mandated that all seawalls have to be raised (a new cap added) to be at a minimum of 5 feet above mean sea level based on North American Vertical Datum of 1988 standards. These seawalls used to be at 3 feet MSL NGVD 1928 standards. For those who do not know, the base sea level in those 50 years is now 1.5 to 1.69 feet higher.
The Antarctic ice is disappearing at the fastest pace and only speeding up. The surface may be growing, but the depth of the ice is lessening.
We live on a peninsula of floating land above a river, the multitude of aquifers only a foot or three below grade.
As the sea rises, saltwater becomes level with the aquifer and instead of positive flow to the ocean for drainage, we get equilibrium. When it rains torrentially, that water has nowhere to flow, even underground.
Here is a simple rule: Weather is what is happening right now; climate is an accumulation of weather over time. One hot or cold day does not negate or confirm global warming, but a year of the hottest temperatures ever recorded, and each year breaking the previous year's record?
Jeff Hamilton, Sebastian
Better way to fight electronic stalkers?
In completely unwarranted, illegal ways, criminal stalkers (who use stalkerware or spyware) have the tendency to derive phone numbers from victims' targets' phones. They derive phone numbers from numbers in targets' surroundings.
Victims have purchased programs like Malwarebytes, new phones, changed phone numbers, computers, etc.
Stalkers work behind the backs of their victims. It can be noted that stalkers intend to push other dangerous people into the lives of victims and other targets. When the target has claimed hundreds of times he or she wants nothing to do with the stalkers and the people they try and include, why are they under the assumption they can continue?
A person or group with stalkerware likely is motivated by a form of obsession, always role-reversal and reverse psychology. It is quite likely they reach people who are similar to them in terms of criminal intentions and activities.
Some commit fraud. Couldn't their other criminal tendencies be figured out? The other crimes committed that have nothing to do with the targets of stalkerware?
There are victims who have stated several hundreds of times they are unwilling to befriend or acquaint the stalkers. The same goes with their criminal-minded friends. Aware of the round-robin behavior, it is abusive. Targets know about the fraudulence behind the back, a pattern repeated.
No justice, no peace.
Anna Santacroce, Fort Pierce
Netanyahu visit: Florida sheriff, others, do great work
How refreshing it was to see the difference between the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited former President Donald Trump in Palm Beach, compared to his visit to Washington, D.C., the day before a joint session of Congress.
Due to a comprehensive security plan devised by Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and other federal, state and local agencies, there was a zero-tolerance policy regarding any type of violent protests by pro-Palestine and anti-Israel/U.S demonstrators, many of whom were masked to conceal their identities. As a result, there were few, if any, illegal acts.
Compare that with the violent outbursts by these same groups the day before, where there were open acts of vandalism on public monuments, burning of U.S. and Israeli flags (arson), and numerous verbal and physical assaults on our outnumbered police officers. Once again in D.C., political correctness prevailed and there were few arrests despite numerous criminal acts.
South Florida is fortunate we have elected officials, such Bradshaw and others, who refuse to pander to these left-wing politicians who have turned Washington, D.C., and other cities into cesspools of crime and despair for the decent people who have to live and work there.
Charles Miller, Port St. Lucie
Beware of business practices like this ...
A scamming way to invoice a customer:
I called to get cost of having a regulator replaced on gas tank.
I was told I'd first have to give my contact information. After giving my account number, name and address, I asked again for the cost. Not yet. I discussed when the tech could come, and we agreed on May 21 after 1 p.m.
OK, again, what’s the cost? I told the company I'd call to set a specific time and the company would tell me the cost then.
On the 21st, the tech arrived more than an hour early, at 11:40 a.m., unannounced. The tech installed the part in less than 40 minutes. I asked for an invoice and was told one would be sent.
Earlier, two other companies had given bids: $79 for the part, a minimum of one hour at $125 per hour and $135 per hour. Both companies had been scheduled to come out, but upon not showing I was told that because I was not a gas customer of theirs, they could not do the work. I only needed a little gas, but didn’t hear from them again. I wasted more than two weeks.
The tech who originally found the leak in the regulator said replacement would be expensive, maybe more than $300. That’s why I tried other companies first.
So, on the 21st, when I still didn’t have a price, I assumed it would be somewhere between $225 and $300, still an exorbitant amount for the drive here, $79 part, and 40 minutes of work.
My invoice amount was $535.17: ridiculous! I got no response to three letters. At first, I would agree to pay $240, but reducing that by $10 a week for no response. Now it's down to $200.
Dick Landrum, Palm City
GOP whiners seek double-standard on Biden
Despite Donald Trump and GOP lies, President Joe Biden is one of the greatest of all time. He deserves our gratitude for restoring our economy and world leadership and strengthening our military.
Trump, in contrast, weakened NATO and our nation by encouraging Vladimir Putin, gave huge tax breaks to billionaires and increased our debt.
His rotten deal with the Taliban, which excluded the elected Afghan Army, caused the tragic exit from that war so Biden would be blamed. We cannot re-elect this criminal wannabe dictator.
GOP calls for Biden to resign are the height of hypocrisy. They didn't ask Ronald Reagan to resign because of dementia.
Robert A. Gibbons, Stuart
Vance comment: Stand down, stand by ...
In response to JD Vance’s attack on “miserable childless cat ladies,” I say this:
Cat ladies.
Stand down.
And stand by … and vote!
Alyce Strong, Fort Pierce
Trump found perfect fit in veep Vance
So JD Vance thinks that our country is being run by "a bunch of childless cat ladies" and "who don't really have a direct stake in it."
His comments probably apply to emasculated guys like myself, who also are cat owners, have no biological children and vote Democratic. It doesn't matter that I'm a military veteran, retired law enforcement officer and the father of an adopted daughter.
Vance was clearly emulating his newfound hero when he made these asinine and offensive remarks. He appears to be the perfect smarmy sycophant to be on the Republican ticket with Donald Trump.
William Raatz, Port St. Lucie
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Growth, phone use, Title IX, Broward under water: How it affects us
