Tuesday's letters: Victims of Hurricane Idalia need a helping hand

Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·4 min read
A man bikes through floodwaters in Crystal River on Aug. 30 after Hurricane Idalia made landfall to the north, in Florida's Big Bend.
A man bikes through floodwaters in Crystal River on Aug. 30 after Hurricane Idalia made landfall to the north, in Florida's Big Bend.

How to help neighbors recover from Idalia

I haven’t seen anything about an organized effort to send relief or donations to the victims of Hurricane Idalia in Big Bend.

Last year, after Ian, the state of Florida organized an effort, led by first lady Casey DeSantis, to collect donations for the Fort Myers area. Why not something like that this year?

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Much has been made of the sparse population that helped hold down the damage estimates, but those people are our neighbors too, and need our help.  I would donate and expect others would too.

Marilyn Watkins, Sarasota

Editor’s Note: To donate money for Hurricane Idalia relief, visit https://www.redcross.org or call 1-800-733-2767. Text IDALIA to 90999 to give $10. Go to https://www.volunteerflorida.org/donatefdf to donate to the Florida Disaster Fund.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Chief of Staff Andrew Card tells President George W. Bush that a second plane has crashed into the World Trade Center. Bush was visiting Booker Elementary, in Sarasota, to read "The Pet Goat."
On Sept. 11, 2001, Chief of Staff Andrew Card tells President George W. Bush that a second plane has crashed into the World Trade Center. Bush was visiting Booker Elementary, in Sarasota, to read "The Pet Goat."

Brave men, women swung into action on 9/11

Remember 9/11. We were in the commissary at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa.

The voice on the speaker said to bring your groceries forward as we are closing. The base is on lockdown. I thought they were holding a drill.

When we got outside there were flashing lights everywhere. Airmen were running in all directions with weapons in hand. Jets were screaming down the runway and getting airborne in seconds. I knew then this wasn’t a drill.

The president was in Sarasota but we were safe. We owned the sky. Jet fighters covered us like a blanket.

They let us off the base but armed guards kept anyone from coming on. Cars were lined up for miles. There were machine guns everywhere.

We should thank God for our brave young men and women who so quickly swing into action when our nation is in trouble. When you see a uniform in a restaurant, pick up the tab. It's a nice way to say thank you.

Larry J. Tracy, Sarasota

Defend Jews, not far-right leader

I was surprised and disappointed to see the guest column by Rabbi Stuart Altshuler on Sept. 7 (“The attacks on Dennis Prager, PragerU are unwarranted and unfair”).

I understand that the rabbi is a personal friend of Dennis Prager’s. Altshuler has a right to express his opinions, although I hope it is clear they don’t represent the entire Jewish community.

PragerU: Parents must protect kids from indoctrination

I respectfully believe the rabbi has missed the larger point. Virulent antisemitism and racism are rampant here and throughout Florida, enabled by our governor and the far right. Prager is supported by Moms for Liberty and other far-right radicals.

Rather than defending Prager, I believe the rabbi should redirect his energies into fighting for Jews and against the antisemitism and racism that is around us.

Lou Grossman, Sarasota

Less is more in county development

Sarasota County is known for its beautiful beaches, rivers, marshes, parks and trails. Animal footprints are noticed on all trails.

When we are nature-conscious, there’s more and more concern for the effects of the human footprint. Large developments often cut every tree, bulldoze plant life, fill in seasonal marshes and run off animals to build single-family homes. That’s Bigfoot.

If you’ve waded through a county marsh, as I have as part of the Florida Master Naturalist Program, you’ve noticed that the nature of a development’s artificial pond is almost lifeless. And the foundations, driveways, roads, pools and sidewalks smother the earth.

High-rise condominium complexes leave a smaller footprint. Basically, a nine-story building will divide a consumer’s footprint by 9. As Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said, “Less is more” or, in this case, higher is lower.

I want people to enjoy Sarasota County, but I don’t want the entire county to become Sarasota city, where mostly Bigfoots exist and animal tracks have almost disappeared.

Joel Robbins, Venice

New Manatee commissioner a perfect fit

New Manatee County Commissioner Ray Turner, appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is already showing his true colors as a political hack. What a perfect fit for the current cabal of cruddy commissioners!

He voted in favor of gutting the local wetland regulations, completely ignoring all the citizen input in opposition. He made that decision based on zero scientific data.

Turner has not responded to two emails I sent asking how his decision benefits the county, and especially his constituents in District 5.

Gosh, it’s almost like he doesn’t have a good answer.

Kristina Skepton, Bradenton

Short-term rentals drive up home prices

Rental housing has skewed my neighborhood’s value. The house next door sold for $550,000, twice my home’s value. We are basically the same 3/2 house with a pool. Instead of a family moving in, it became a short-term rental.

Same story with the house across the street. Another short-term rental.

If I list my house, guess what? I’ll fetch a sizable profit and it, too, will become a short-term rental.

Families will never again afford a house in this neighborhood, a mile east of downtown Sarasota.

Alex Newberry, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Help victims of Hurricane Idalia recover