Tuesday's letters : Voter fraud arrests, help for pregnant women, 'can-do' America
Governor seeks to justify election police
On Aug. 18, Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference where he touted the efforts of his election police in charging 20 ex-felons with fraudulent voting in 2020.
What he neglected to say was that it was the responsibility of his administration to notify local voting officials of the ineligibility of these voters. Had his administration not failed in its responsibility, those voters would not have been allowed to vote in the first place.
Additionally, 20 voters out of the 11.1 million who voted in Florida in 2020 certainly does not count as massive voter fraud and would not seem to justify the necessity or expense of the governor’s new election police unit.
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On the same day he proudly announced this “democracy-saving” effort, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a friend of the court brief in the case of League of Women Voters of Florida v. Florida Secretary of State alleging that “in the face of surging turnout in the 2020 election, the Florida Legislature responded by enacting provisions that impose disparate burdens on Black voters” when it imposed new voting restrictions.
Perhaps our citizens would be better served by repeating the “surging” voting of 2020 rather than undemocratically suppressing that number.
David Walters, Longboat Key
More aid for women forced to give birth
Now that the Supreme Court has ended nationwide protection for abortion, a question we are asking is whether the government (state or federal) has an obligation to provide more support to families to ease the costs of childbirth and raising children.
Over the past 20 years, Republicans have rejected proposals to expand child care, prekindergarten and national paid family leave – all measures to facilitate raising children.
President Joe Biden’s expanded Child Tax Credit of $250 to $300 a month per child expired in 2021 and will likely not be reinstated.
What have Florida’s state legislators done to help families since Roe v. Wade was overturned? Nothing – nor will they!
Twelve percent of Floridians have no insurance. Florida would not accept federal money to expand Medicaid.
We rank 35th in the nation for children living in poverty and 13th for maternal deaths during pregnancy, labor and delivery.
States that did expand Medicaid had much lower rates of maternal and infant mortality.
Do you really think that Republican politicians care about us, our health and our families? Remember which party cares about families in Charlotte County when you vote this November.
Catherine Baxter, Port Charlotte
Longing for return to ‘can-do’ America
Growing up in Pittsburgh, there was always a feeling that America was a “can-do” country.
We were fighting World War II. Cars were up on blocks. Gas was rationed. There was never a question of, “Is this left or right politics?” simply “Was it good for the country?”
Today, every problem seems to be colored by right or left politics, from inflation to recession, from the pandemic to books in schools. Instead of actually working on climate change, immigration problems and global pandemics, we seem to spend most of our time squabbling over whether it benefits the left or the right.
What happened to the “can-do” practical America of the recent past? Maybe like Rosy the Riveter we should roll up our sleeves and get to work!
Thomas L. Moses, Sarasota
Publicity only legitimizes Flynn
Why on Earth is the Herald-Tribune legitimizing notorious and disgraced Mike Flynn by providing him with an interview Aug. 18 (“Q&A with Flynn on Sarasota GOP plan”)?
This man wants to take control of the Sarasota County Republican Party and recruit followers of his ilk (MAGA) for our School Board and political positions.
These are the same people who promote conspiracy theories and false information about our teachers, educational system and national leaders.
They are openly against our freedoms and liberties. Flynn is another carpetbagger who is here to force his agenda on our community.
Please don’t enable those who openly aim to destroy our democracy by giving them a one-on-one interview. Florida deserves better.
Kathy Houser, Sarasota
If veterans teach, then teachers can fly
I respect first responders. I respect veterans of the military. And, I understand the shortage of teachers.
So, while we consider having these two groups teach our children, I have another solution. Let’s hire retired schoolteachers to solve the pilot shortage.
No more canceled flights. A couple weeks of flight school, some instrument training, maybe a couple of jaunts up to Jacksonville.
After all, many retired teachers have a master’s degree in education, they’re smart and they learn quickly. And some may be looking for a second career.
Don Bruns, Sarasota
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 20 voter fraud arrests out of 11 million voters, don't enable Flynn
