Tuesday's letters: Greed over lifestyle, dangerous optimism, superb guidance

Commissioners vote against rural lifestyle

Well, our duly elected Sarasota County commissioners have done it again – they have voted for greed over lifestyle (“New homes coming,” Sept. 2).

Despite hours of testimony from experts and community members urging the commissioners to reconsider a Comprehensive Plan Amendment to extend Lakewood Ranch into Old Miakka, the plan moves ahead for state review.

I believe the current philosophy is: “There’s a tree. Let’s cut it down and build something.”

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How did we get so unlucky? The pleasure of a drive in the country to look at open spaces, trees and cows is about to disappear forever.

Bette Lou Cookson, Sarasota

Story too optimistic about storm season

I worry about misleading information regarding our calm hurricane season.

A recent Washington Post story stated that the prediction of a robust hurricane season this year may have been wrong since, at the time the article was published, no hurricanes had. (Our first, Hurricane Danielle, formed in the Atlantic on Sept. 2.)

In Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, we were taught to expect erratic worsening extremes in climate catastrophes.

The very unusual period of no named storms worried me because statistically we may have horrendously strong storms coming. Climate change is a concept of averages. The average of a complete dearth of storms implies very bad storms coming.

I think the Post article was shortsighted and dangerously hopeful for our very vulnerable coastal Florida population.

Doreen Dupont, Longboat Key

Wise governor steered us through pandemic

Democrat Charlie Crist is the consummate politician. He is slick and sways with the wind.

Florida voters are not going to forget the superb guidance of Gov. Ron DeSantis and his surgeon general during the COVID-19 pandemic. DeSantis curbed lockdowns, which in a study by economists were shown to save few lives, if any, and caused immense economic damage.

Florida kids missed virtually no school, and the states that closed schools are now ruing low test scores, psychological damage and lost years of learning.

The governor acted to stop vaccine mandates and make masks optional. This advanced approach was lost on so many.

DeSantis also declined early ordering of the vaccine for babies and young children – the risk/reward ratio was not there in this low-risk group.

I shudder to think where Florida would be under an alternative regime.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has only recently backtracked on some of its previous pandemic advice. Too little, too late for many.

Richard Paolillo, Nokomis

Hands off state’s tax system

Douglas Soule reported Aug. 31 in the Herald-Tribune's Business section that Esteban Leonardo Santis, an analyst for the left-leaning Florida Policy Institute, is calling for a “fairer state tax system” and higher taxes (“Tax code criticized”).

After reading their drivel, I could not figure out what planet Soule and Santis are living on!

Florida’s taxes are some of the lowest in the country, yet we have a yearly balanced state budget, a superior school system, excellent health care and a booming economy. We like it that way!

Melissa Morrill, Sarasota

DeSantis aims to keep patriarchy in power

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants our state – and the entire country if he becomes president – to revert to a time when patriarchy prevailed, white men had outsize influence and white supremacy masqueraded as conventional wisdom.

DeSantis makes clear that this is his goal and the goal of his party.

The governor sees that Republicans like him are becoming the minority. Rather than alter their tactics to attract more voters, he and his ilk have a more extreme plan grounded in falsehoods and resentment.

First, cite unfounded claims of voter fraud to overturn election results when Democrats win.

Next, with the help of allies on the Supreme Court, ban abortion, make contraceptives illegal and criminalize same-sex and interracial marriage. Add to these actions placing restrictions on immigration, thus helping to ensure white men retain absolute power.

The survival of American democracy is a choice that persists solely at the voter’s discretion. Today’s Republican Party is eager to accept and promote racism and racial resentment, misogyny, hatred of the LGBTQ+ community and raging white grievance to achieve their goals.

This toxic political brew needs to be stopped before it’s too late.

Laurie Ulrop, Punta Gorda

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Commission sides with developers, DeSantis guided us through pandemic