Sunday's letters: Effective new superintendent could right troubled district

Get district back on track for students

If the Sarasota County School District was a boat, it would be idle in the water, going nowhere. Until everyone who makes up the district – the teachers, the principals, the union and the community – is rowing in the same direction, our kids are not going to get the educational excellence they deserve.

When Superintendent Brennan Asplen left the stage after he was forced out, he said, “You keep shooting yourselves in the foot.” This means that we have trouble brewing in the system.

A good administrator would have addressed ongoing problems with the board immediately, offering solutions or initiating new plans.

More: School Board votes down contract with firm tied to conservative college

Opinion: An open appeal to the Sarasota County School Board

More: How to send a letter to the editor

Shame on us for making the “issue” even bigger by having disruptive board meetings and pointing fingers instead of offering constructive ideas.

We cannot go forward successfully until we get our district back on track. We don’t have to like each other, but we must find a way to work together.

We also need to make the right decision when we hire our new superintendent, one who has been an effective leader, who can resolve conflicts persuasively and knows how to right the ship. Let’s hope that we have an applicant brave enough to take on the task.

Carole Nikla, Sarasota

Bill protects Florida's construction industry

The recent passage of SB 360/HB 85 will reform Florida’s Statute of Repose laws that have given trial attorneys carte blanche to file abusive lawsuits against the construction industry, costing contractors, businesses, homeowners and insurers billions of dollars.

We salute the bill sponsors – state Rep. John Snyder and state Sen. Travis Hutson – for having the vision and courage to get it passed.

The bill reduces the time for the filing of construction defect lawsuits from 10 to seven years for all construction, and it also adjusts when the clock starts on these claims.

The bill also provides clarification of exactly what constitutes a material violation that must be alleged: either a Florida Building Code violation in a completed building, structure or facility – or a defect which has resulted in physical harm to a person or caused significant damage to the performance of a building or its systems.

This bill will have widespread benefits across Florida’s economy, and it will help keep the construction industry operating as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Peter Dyga, CEO, Associated Builders and Contractors Florida East Coast Chapter, Coconut Creek

DeSantis picks fight with wrong foe

I am asking Gov. Ron DeSantis to please stop his campaign against Disney World. Disney has done nothing to warrant this harassment.

Since the 1970s, Disney has brought nothing but good to the state of Florida. The company draws tourists from around the world and adds to the local economy through its major construction and renovation projects.

Quantitatively, Disney annually draws more than 58 million visitors to Orlando, creates an annual economic impact of over $75 billion for Central Florida and pays $1.146 billion in state and local taxes.

Disney favors diversity, equality and inclusion, as does our Constitution. This apparently is the irritant that has gotten under DeSantis’ skin. His actions jeopardize Florida’s relationship with Disney, which affects all of us in more ways than we realize.

So please, Gov. DeSantis, stop this vendetta and turn your attention to some important issues facing our state!

Laurel Stephens, Sarasota

Why not pause production of guns?

Back in 2004, when the assault weapons ban expired, there were 8.5 million in circulation. Now, there are 20 million AR-15-style weapons in civilian hands.

All told, American civilians own nearly 400 million guns, with another 10 million to 12 million sold every year. Why are gun makers still flooding this saturated market? How about closing down some, if not all, gun manufacturers for six months and see what happens?

Of course, this can’t be done.

Guess we must learn to live with needless death all around us as long as there is a buck to be made.

Lawrence Bagnoli, Sarasota

What truly matters: Survival of race

I wonder if anyone will answer the letter April 17 requesting information on the current state of Florida’s aquifer (“Overdevelopment depletes aquifer”). This is not a trivial question.

Look up at the stars and consider what truly matters. Will guns or one man’s power help when clean water runs out?

Will accusing one another of wrongful inclinations suffice once death and destruction reign over the whole Earth?

How does self-justification have greater weight than the ultimate survival of all?

Indeed, “What fools (we) mortals be!”

Lavonne Shedivy, Longboat Key

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Effective new schools superintendent needed to right the ship