Tuesday's letters: Affordable housing, no more tourists, leave abortion to states, more
Time to address affordable housing
In “Sarasota’s affordable housing crisis can no longer be ignored,” Carrie Seidman’s May 15 column, she continues to do what she does best: Identify a community need and cite established facts.
Seidman is right. As a community, we can no longer ignore the affordable housing issue. We can no longer equate “affordable housing” with substandard living conditions.
As a step forward, our elected officials need to address this divisive issue with some well-thought-out solutions.
Dorothy Murphy, Venice
Don’t spend more money to draw tourists
I would dearly like to see a public vote on giving more money to Sarasota County’s tourism bureau (“Budget to boost Sarasota tourism increases,” May 19). From all that’s written and talked about by the public, I think more tourists flocking here to set new records is pretty low on most people’s wish list.
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There are a few other areas that might need an influx of money, like low-income housing, road repair, traffic control, education, rent control, etc., etc., etc.
Alan Hopkins, Sarasota
Spend tourism money on something necessary
$5.9 million for tourism? Really? This is the biggest waste of funds (“Budget to boost Sarasota tourism increases,” May 19)!
Try living on Siesta Key for 45 years and not being able to go to the village without someone breaking a traffic law.
Try finding a parking space or going out to eat.
Try sitting through three or four lights to cross either bridge.
The island is so crowded, and the rest of Sarasota is out of room.
People have been coming to Florida for decades and will do so without any advertising. Spend the money on something important!
Maureen Baltzer, Siesta Key
Without Roe, states free to decide policy
The hysteria of the current pro-choice demonstrations seems misplaced. The protesters would be better served to read the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which defines states’ rights.
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States …”
Abortion is not mentioned in the Constitution. But, if SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade, it’s not going to be the end of abortion. It will still be readily available in many states.
The people of the various states, through their duly elected representatives, will have the freedom to decide their state’s abortion policy without the feds in their face.
That’s the way our founders intended. That’s the way it should be.
Roger Bonke, Lakewood Ranch
Traditional Republicans must reject GOP
What does it take for the Republican Party to recognize that its hateful rhetoric poisons unstable minds in very dangerous ways? It has predictably come to the point where right-wing radicalization has led to mass killings in America.
The Buffalo mass shooter shared the very same vile and hateful ideology as some elected Republicans as well as their mouthpiece at Fox News, Tucker Carlson. That is simply fact.
Voters must recognize and act upon the fact that we no longer have their parents’ Republican Party.
I grew up in a Republican household, but I am certain that my parents did not share many values with today’s Republicans.
For the good of our country and its democratic political system, traditional Republicans must reject what their party has become at the polls this November.
You may not always agree with Democrats, but nobody else in our two-party political system can fight the authoritarianism, extreme right-wing agenda and deranged belief system that clearly govern today’s GOP.
We can see how dangerous these extremists are already, based on controlling about half of the states and some of the courts. Just imagine if they gain even more power.
Our votes can prevent that.
Peter Burkard, Sarasota
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Focus on affordable housing, don't spend more on attracting tourists
