St. Lucie hospital expansion OK, but I can't get in to a doc; Martin growth | Letters

Hospital expansion great; how about getting more docs so we can be seen?

The recent article, “HCA looks to expand St. Lucie Hospital in Port St. Lucie," says “the expansion would focus on increasing the number of beds to continue to adequately serve the growing population”

Now, if someone can figure out how to get enough doctors in the area so the “growing population” as well as current residents who simply wish to change doctors could get appointments within five to six months, it would be awesome.

Harvey Glatt, Port St. Lucie

Contact commissioners before Martin growth, traffic get more out of control

In the recent proposed changes to the Martin County rural lifestyle land-use designation, the land development board recommends adding wording to allow rural lifestyle near our free-standing urban service boundaries.

This would put a pin on the map in northern Martin County adjacent to St. Lucie County and Becker Boulevard.

I don't understand how we can allow ourselves to become exposed to growth along this area of St. Lucie County. Maybe that's the point. In Martin, the most vocal of residents want no growth. Not a reality. Growth is coming.

The Martin County comprehensive plan discourages growth outside of our urban services boundary. Anyone living in Martin already is frustrated with the amount of traffic inside the boundary. Where is the infrastructure to accommodate all the growth inside the boundary?

Is Martin using the rural lifestyle designation to direct growth? Martin needs to rein in this scatter-shot approach to development and work on a plan that develops the boundary and needed infrastructure, expanding the boundary to direct smart growth.

Martin is using a survey from the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council to understand what residents want from local government. The problem is only 664 people took the survey.

The planning council needs to do a better job canvassing a larger population.

I urge you to contact county commissioners and let them know how you feel about growth, redevelopment, traffic and public lands.

Sharon McGinnnis, Stuart

Law enforcement agencies operating in private communities must be transparent

Is Martin County above the law? Let's take a closer look at law enforcement agreements in private communities.

The crux of democracy lies in the adherence to the rule of law, where no individual or entity, irrespective of his or her stature, is above the law. This fundamental principle is currently under scrutiny in Martin County.

Almost two decades ago, the Florida Legislature, recognizing a concerning trend, amended Statute 316.006. This amendment mandated local municipalities to officially sanction any agreements involving law enforcement services in private communities.

The intent was clear: to bring transparency and accountability to arrangements between private communities and county sheriff's offices, which, in some cases, operated clandestinely, resembling private security firms more than public law enforcement agencies.

A glaring example is the Stuart West community, which, according to a public records request, has been operating under a 1994 agreement with the Martin County Sheriff's Office. This agreement, crucially, does not have the requisite approval from the county commissioners, a clear contravention of the law as per the 2000s amendment.

Attempts to seek clarification and action from local officials have met with disheartening responses. Commissioner Ed Ciampi's advice to "sue the county," state Rep. John Snyder's (son of the Martin County sheriff) silence, and Florida Sen. Gayle Harrell's administrative indifference paint a troubling picture of oversight and accountability in Martin County.

As a concerned citizen, the plea is for transparency, accountability and adherence to the law. The situation in Martin County should serve as a wake-up call, prompting a thorough review and rectification of law enforcement agreements in private communities.

The rule of law must be upheld, and no entity, regardless of its power or position, should operate above it. It's time for Martin County to align its practices with the principles of justice and legality it is supposed to embody.

Joseph Bauer, Stuart

Supervisors of election should be worried about more important things

In a recent front-page article, Treasure Coast supervisors of elections revealed their fear of citizens who may have issues with the election process.

They are responding to potential hacks, media misinformation and actual physical threats by getting help from the Homeland Security. Homeland Security has been very helpful at the border, but why should they visit Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties?

Did local elections offices need actual stone bollards around buildings to discourage crazed rioters? Fort Pierce has a sheriff’s deputy stationed inside the office “because of voters who frightened the workers inside.” This would have been newsworthy, but the story leaves out the date, but does include a picture of poll workers doing serious ballot scrutiny … from 2018.

Increased number of cameras, better lighting and hurricane-proof windows might keep imminent Jan. 6-type loons away, but time and money could be better spent.

Having just returned from Tallahassee, I saw state representatives creating more election security than concrete cones out front of elections office buildings. One bill going over the hurdles now would require all voting machines to be made in America, having all American-made parts. These lawmakers are not as paranoid as some elections supervisors, but more voters than ever have problems with hackable or internet-connected machines.

Spend more time purging voter rolls, spend more money investigating addresses with verified names of people who actually live there, spend more manpower using paper ballots, hand-counted auditing and accurate signature verification of those pesky vote-by-mail ballots, and publicize numbers of unacceptable ballots. How many mail ballots were rejected in 2020?

Finally, spend some real money, a gift from Homeland Security, on attorneys to parry any legal challenges to brave supervisors of elections who defend the security of our sacred right to vote, free from fear.

Norman Grant, Vero Beach

Port St. Lucie code officers don't enforce rules fairly

Port St. Lucie has a code of ordinances that is overzealous, to say the least. On the good side, though, it is rarely enforced.

I walk my dog every morning and can spot at least one violation at every house.

The problem is that code enforcement officers (they call themselves "Neighborhood Services") like to pick a house and either harass or bully the homeowner over a supposed violation that is very common in many houses close by. In fact, there is no reason for code to exist for these supposed infractions.

Nobody has complained about the supposed violations, but they see fit to enforce them. I wonder if they have some kind of quota system?

This letter is prompted by an incident over the parking of a recreation vehicle. While not in use, It has been parked in the same place for many years and was cleared by code enforcement in the past. But, for some reason, they have destroyed all the records of past enforcement activity. Just down the street are four more vehicles that are the same violation or worse, and they were not cited.

This practice has to stop. I have contacted my city council member, Jolien Caraballo, and asked for her help. I have offered a solution to prevent the officers from harassing us and to provide for uniform enforcement. I have not heard back from her yet.

This is our city and to be harassed by the very people that are supposed to be working for us is unacceptable.

William Dean, Port St. Lucie

Ziegler, Moms for Liberty story straight outta Peyton Place?

What’s up with Moms for Liberty?

Is it time for them to start baking cookies for the seventh-grade bake sale?

Is Bridget Ziegler another quintessential Republican example of how the law applies to you, but not me?

What happened to the PTA? Do we need Moms for Liberty or is this just another wart of the DeSantis autocracy?

You can’t make this stuff up.

Eliminating more than 1,000 books while Ziegler's enjoying a ménage a trois? The current Florida?

When I was a youngster, the literary cause celebre was Grace Metalious’ "Peyton Place," one of the best-selling works in publishing history. It was banned everywhere. Therefore, we all had to get a copy, which we did. The best marketing technique is to ban something.

Peyton Place was slightly more titillating than, for example, "The Diary of Anne Frank," which Ziegler pulled from schools.

Somehow, my generation survived the brush with the devil of Peyton Place and became informed, responsible, contributing members of society. Peyton Place became a TV series.

Someone send Moms a chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Jack Beaton, Palm City

With what we've seen, will democracy remain intact a year from now?

The insults and playground rhetoric were enough for me. Mocking a handicapped man. Insulting people’s appearance. Calling American voters “stupid.” Demeaning women.

I was, frankly, baffled by Donald Trump’s win in 2016.

I understood some of the reasons people gave — people I respect, intelligent people who are passionate about their beliefs. I understood the willingness to ignore personality in favor of policy. I could agree that you don’t question the character of a surgeon, you simply want someone who’s qualified to operate.

I just never saw Trump as being qualified to lead the free world. As a Christian, I prayed for him. As an Independent, I appreciated some of the accomplishments of the Trump administration, such as moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem ― something other presidents had promised, but hadn’t delivered.

And as a realist, I encouraged gloom-and-doomers to wait it out.

“One man isn’t that powerful. It’s just four years.”

And it was.

Now, incredibly, a second Trump presidency is possible.

Added to previous insults is the injury of multiple indictments, including two felony counts regarding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. The reason for continued support has to be, in my opinion, an unwillingness to research, to objectively read the speeches, to watch the hearings and listen to Trump’s own staff members reveal his part in the day’s events.

Despite that unprecedented day’s efforts to thwart the peaceful transfer of power, despite the differences of opinion, despite partisanship and political polarization, the process worked. After the chaos of the insurrection at the Capitol was reined in, then-Vice President Mike Pence certified the election in the wee hours of Jan. 7.

The Constitution held. The checks and balances remained. Democracy was intact. The question is, will it still be intact a year from now?

Ellen Gillette, Fort Pierce

Deja Taylor, Hunter Biden have something in common, so ...

The mother of the young student who shot a teacher in the face has been sentenced to prison.

Deja Taylor was charged with using marijuana while in possession of a firearm and making a false statement about her drug use during the purchase. She was sentenced to 21 months in prison in a federal case in Newport News, Virginia.

Hunter Biden should receive no less.

Eva Kipper, Jensen Beach

Past presidents show differences between Republicans and Democrats

Compare the last seven presidents, their backgrounds and why they are Republican or Democrat.

There was Ronald Reagan, privileged actor; the two Bushes, born into wealth and power, and Donald Trump, who took over his father’s business, inherited millions when his father died, yet declared bankruptcy four times. He was spoiled rotten to the core, with no respect for anything or anyone.

Democrats: Jimmy Carter, served in the Navy and was a peanut farmer. Bill Clinton was raised by single mother. Barack Obama was Black and raised by single mother. Joe Biden is from a blue-collar family.

I think the Republican Party is of, by and solely for the wealthy. Democrats are more for the poor and middle class, and if wealthy, like Franklin Roosevelt or John Kennedy, those who have real empathy for those less fortunate.

If you’re poor or middle class or in the military and receive most of your military benefits largely due to Democrats, voting Republican is against your interest and our democracy.

Anthony Frigo, Jensen Beach

With poor presidential record, Dems resort to abortion issue

With the political season in full swing, each of the two parties is on the air, in the newspapers and even on computers via e-mail promoting their platforms and policies.

A secure border, energy independence and a return to lower prices are just three of the issues the Republican Party is promoting. The Democrat Party seems to be looking for policies to pursue and it's difficult. With prices higher than incomes, you can't really talk about the economy, and with wars raging in various parts of the world, you can't really talk of any peace accomplishment.

As for national security, with millions pouring over the border together with tons of drugs that are killing thousands of youngsters every day, it's probably best to ignore the border problem.

The question is: What can the Democrat candidate promise to deliver that will win votes? What incentive would be strong enough to persuade voters to ignore the current chaos in the country and to vote Democrat?

Abortion, of course. Promise no restrictions on abortion; allow the killing of the unborn right up to the day of birth, and sometimes even after, and you've got it made. Call it"health care," talk about a woman's "right" to kill her unborn baby and the misguided will swallow it whole.

It's the irresistible incentive that can make them forget the good of the country, the future of their children, the creator of life.

Daniel J. Gorman, Palm City

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Woes over PSL codes, Martin private police plan; Moms menage | Letters