Sunday's letters: Reform elections, save Van Wezel history, go green in roundabout

Reform elections with Ranked Choice Voting

Making our representative democracy work demands changing the incentives to get elected and stay in office. Until we reform our elections, too many of our political leaders will be incentivized to reinforce divides and deepen polarization.

Ranked Choice Voting is a simple reform that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, rather than just selecting one. RCV rewards unifying campaigns and penalizes divisive politics. It has numerous other benefits:

∎ Empowers voters with more choices.

∎ Increases voter participation.

∎ Promotes unity.

∎ Fosters civility.

∎ Eliminates spoiler effect.

∎ Gives winner majority support.

∎ Saves taxpayer money by eliminating runoffs. (Georgia could have saved around $75 million, the cost of its recent Senate runoff.)

More:How to send a letter to the editor

RCV is already used in more than 20 states. Maine and Alaska use it for all their elections. Nevada just passed it, and several others are headed in that direction.

Learn more at https://www.rankmyvoteflorida.org. Sign the petition to support this growing national movement.

John Severini, Lakewood Ranch, chair of Rank My Vote Florida

Find new use for historic Van Wezel

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son-in-law, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall stands as a true piece of historic architecture.

Just as the “old” Sarasota High School was about to be torn down, it was spared and stands as a historic piece of Sarasota architecture now serving as a modern art museum.

Related:Leader of proposed Sarasota Performing Arts Center quits

Opinion:New arts center a 'want,' not a 'need'

Opinion:Center will enrich Sarasota in countless ways

Let us find use for the Van Wezel, perhaps as a site for education where aspiring performers and actors attend classes and even present original works.

I remember enjoying the pink Quay with my out-of-town visitors. It was sold, torn down, with empty space left there for many years.

Please, let us keep historic architecture alive in Sarasota.

Roslyn W. Gorchow, Sarasota

Investigate lawmakers complicit in Jan. 6

People in glass houses should not throw stones. My house is surely thin crystal. Still, as an American I care about my country deeply.

With the above conditions stated, I am writing to express my deep disappointment in the speed and scope of the Justice Department’s investigation into the efforts to subvert the 2020 election and the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

This is so egregious because many of the very lawmakers complicit in the attempt to subvert the election and foment the coup are still in Congress and, worse, in positions of power. They are vengefully investigating those who tried to protect our democracy.

It is bad enough that the former president has faced no accountability yet but there seems to be no investigation even on the horizon for the members of Congress.Kristi Kanellos, Sarasota

Use natural landscaping, not sculpture

Here we go again. Why are we always putting hardscape in these public places (“‘Complexus’ sculpture ideal for circle,” Jan. 12)?

Why not some creative landscaping? Why not something green?

Part of Sarasota’s charm − the reason so many vacation here and retire here − is the natural setting. Let’s use nature in the Gulfstream roundabout.I appreciate the sentiment behind the desire to recycle “Complexus” but there are lots of other potential homes for it.Beth Spencer, Sarasota

Gulfstream roundabout causes bottleneck

Midday on Tuesday, Jan. 10, only one lane of the Gulfstream roundabout was open, causing traffic to back up past St. Armands Circle and north toward New Pass.

More:Traffic flowing 'pretty smoothly' at Gulfstream roundabout

Bring back the traffic lights!

Regardless of whether drivers are able to get around the new circle, the contractor is totally incapable of building it without a disaster.

Mike Hilder, Longboat Key

Governor unqualified in many arenas

Gov. Ron DeSantis keeps putting himself in charge of things he knows little about, like medicine, education and immigration.

He cannot see the forest for the trees. He does not understand the goals.

In medicine, the goal is survival. Vaccines should be debated, and they were debated by armies of qualified realists, not political/religious operatives.

In education, the goal is exposure to information. The student is the one who evaluates that information and distinguishes reality from opinion, belief, fiction or fantasy.

In immigration, the goal is helpfulness and beyond DeSantis’ jurisdiction. Giving immigrants bus or plane tickets is a NIMBY action, not a solution.

Also note that immigrants are seeking democracy, while many in this country want autocracy. Perhaps the immigrants should come and the autocrats should go. That would be a win-win.

There is no question that DeSantis won his last popularity contest, and he is qualified under artificial (man-made, not natural) law.  While basking in his popularity, however, he should stay out of arenas where he is not qualified to play.

John E. Darovec Jr., Bradenton

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Reform elections with Ranked Choice Voting, save Van Wezel