Quit crying about Sarasota's rapid growth, increased traffic
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Stop complaining about Sarasota's growth
As a resident of Siesta Key since 1951, I had to laugh at the complaints in a letter March 15 about how developed Sarasota has gotten since 1996 (“Florida, Sarasota have lost their stature”).
I remember when there was nothing but sand on Midnight Pass Road. You could see the beach and sand dunes easily. There was no traffic to speak of and a one-lane, hand-cranked bridge on Old Stickney Point Road.
There were complaints when the first condo went up before 1996. The letter writer was part of the problem, I guess, as a fairly new arrival.
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Traffic here is still better than the beltway in Washington, D.C., at rush hour or any street in New York City.
Talk about wanting to shut the barn door after you are inside!
Amanda Simmons, Sarasota
County leaders should halt development
I'm responding to the March 14 letter titled “Is Sarasota an overrated city? Is Florida an overhyped state?”:
It's clear that virtually no one – except developers – wants all the overdevelopment that’s happening in our town.
Why do the county commissioners allow it?
Kristen Mytinger, Sarasota
No conspiracy in the works at TikTok
There is bipartisan support for the stifling of TikTok, which could be a cause for celebration, regardless of how specious the topic.
It's always comforting to blame an outside party for your own societal decay as opposed to looking in the mirror.
However, thinking that TikTok is a plot to obtain information about the inner workings of Americans’ lives is a bit silly when one considers that this information is already for sale and available to the highest bidder, regardless of whom that bidder is. Google has created a division to do just that.
Every website, search and location, plus demographic info, is out there if you own a cellphone.
And all that info is for sale.
As far as using TikTok to promulgate anti-American sentiment and opinion for the purpose of destroying our society, we already have Ivy League universities taking care of that.
Lee Hoffman, Lakewood Ranch
Willis, Trump judged by different standards
Let me try to sort this out.
Prosecutor Fani Willis of Atlanta is skewered in a formal hearing for having a romantic relationship with a co-worker.
The judge overseeing the allegations against Willis went so far as to say that in defending herself, Willis was "boisterous and inappropriate.” Hmm. No crime. Nothing but an error in judgment was proven. Nothing else.
The case against Willis was dismissed.
On the other hand, the ex-president in the case Willis is prosecuting is charged with several felonies. including election fraud and conspiracy. Yet nothing is ever mentioned about his character, behavior or actions around this or his other cases.
Never mind that he has been found liable for sexual assault, defamation (twice) and massive business fraud.
And he faces criminal charges of stealing national secrets and inciting an insurrection to overthrow our way of life.
And get this, he is also charged with using campaign funds to pay off a porn star, then trying to hide the payoff from the electorate in 2016 and his wife.
Yet Willis is chastised for defending herself for an error of personal judgment? Sounds like an incredible racial and gender double standard to me.
Robert O’Brien, Holmes Beach
More invasions likely with ex-president
Recently, former President Donald Trump was quoted saying that if he regained the presidency, he would not give another nickel to support Ukraine in its battle for survival against Russia.
How happy that must make Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. That would clear the way for him to take over Estonia.
Putin has already put the prime minister of Estonia on his “wanted” list. Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, has made threats against Poland; Putin could invade that country next.
And we, of course, are faced with a choice as NATO members: Do we or do we not oppose Russian conquest of Europe? With Trump in the White House, the answer may well be, "We don't oppose."
That course of action will signal China’s President Xi Jinping that he is free to take over Taiwan.
Since Taiwan’s semiconductor chips are essential components in both American and Chinese industries, I would expect American disapproval of that move by China.
What has happened to the Republican Party of John McCain, Liz Cheney and Mitt Romney? Has the GOP lost its soul and its courage? God help America.
Ron Cota, Sarasota
County must keep 211 helpline
Carrie Seidman's March 17 column addressed the possibility that the 211 helpline that serves Sarasota County residents will cease operation April 1.
The 211 line, which is funded primarily by the United Way, is staffed by trauma-informed responders who provide live, 24/7 information and referrals for such critical needs as:
Food access.
Shelter.
Utility assistance.
Emergency and disaster relief.
Veterans' services.
Health care and vaccine information.
Addiction prevention and treatment.
Mental health support.
Domestic violence.
From October 2022 through last September, the 211 helpline answered nearly 12,000 calls. As Seidman noted, ending the service will burden 911 and 311 call lines which serve different purposes.
As a licensed mental health counselor, I hope the Sarasota County commissioners will side with residents and keep this service funded.
Janis Weinberg Gold, Sarasota
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Stop complaining, whining about Sarasota's growing popularity
