Voice of the people: Far-right agenda cause for concern

The Ledger
·4 min read
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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: U.S. Rep.-elect Mike Rogers (R-AL) (C) is restrained by Rep.-elect Richard Hudson (R-NC) (R) after getting into an argument with Rep.-elect Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) walks away, in the House Chamber during the fourth day of elections for Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 06, 2023 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives is meeting to vote for the next Speaker after House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) failed to earn more than 218 votes on several ballots; the first time in 100 years that the Speaker was not elected on the first ballot.
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Far-right agenda cause for concern

The new Republican House majority is a collection of election deniers, QAnon conspiracists, and political arsonists hellbent on gaining power at the expense of our democracy. They’ll be in control of the House of Representatives for the next two years and have already shown an inability to govern. They couldn't even elect House Speaker Kevin McCarthy without historic chaos.We should all be concerned about their far-right extremist agenda. Already on the chopping block? Our freedom to vote and our right to an abortion.Rather than focusing on kitchen table issues, these MAGA extremists are pledging to focus on punishing anyone who tried to hold them accountable for their attacks on our democracy, including members and staff of the January 6th Select Committee.It’s up to us to resist this MAGA House Majority to protect our democracy and our freedoms. We must call out their lies and combat their far-right agenda starting now.Godfrey Little, Plant City

Enough is enough!

Just within the past year, the City of Lakeland and Polk County have approved a huge number of multi-family apartment complexes. Some County Commissioners have complained about "small yards" in single family neighborhoods. Well, it could be worse: no yards.

According to the Ledger and other sources, the following have been approved: 252 apartments approved on West Pipkin, 200 apartments approved on Oak Street, 500 apartments in the SW district, New Apartments at the Lakeland Ledger site, 500 apartments on Daughtery Road, approximately, 300 Apartments on Lake Gibson, and more units behind the Publix on the north side of Lakeland.

These multi-family apartment complexes do not give families the quality of life that occurs in single family residential communities. These are large clusters of renters and this creates an undue burden on our roads, schools, water, sewer and environment.

What happened to Smart Growth? This is out of control.

The City of Lakeland is considering another 320 multi-family units on Carpenter's Way. Just say no! We need to create more homes for the elderly, including assisted living, on historic properties, like the one on Carpenter's Way.

Robert Stanz, Lakeland

Leave New College alone

Governor DeSantis is taking over New College, Florida’s liberal arts honors college on Sarasota Bay, which serves a select group of talented, motivated and independent learners.

The college was created in the 1950’s to complement the city’s art museum, symphony orchestra, theatres and the Ringling School of Art & Design.

Its independent learning freed students and faculty from traditional curriculum’s focus on credit hours and GPAs.

Often compared to Harvard; at its 1962 dedication, earth from Harvard was mixed with soil from New College as a symbol of the universities shared ideal.

DeSantis appointed six board members to New College’s existing board. Included were Christopher Rufo, the dean of Hillsdale College, a conservative, Christian college in Michigan and Matthew Spalding, dean of Hillsdale’s graduate school. Rufo plans to restructure New College’s administration, curriculum and academic departments.

Hillsdale is DeSantis’ model for restructuring New College. Conservative, Bible Colleges are abundant in Florida; interested students have many excellent options to choose from.

New College is the right fit for Sarasota. Turning it into a clone of Hillsdale does not meet an educational need and eliminates an internationally regarded Liberal Arts College unique in Florida and fitting of the arts and culture community of Sarasota.

Bernice Warren, Bartow

Forget the culture wars, work on solutions that matter

In response to today’s article (LGBTQ+ families mull leaving Florida in wake of new culture laws). I suspect many Republicans look favorably on this trend.

A Party that has no policies, no national platform, and pushes anti-woke culture wars is a bankrupt party. I define “Woke” as a realization, stemming from the video murder by police of George Floyd, the awakening of millions of Americans to the systemic racism built into our society.

To be anti-woke is to stay ignorant, to support systemic racism. The fervor of the GOP to support these policies is proof of the underlying racist tendencies of all Republicans. There is a reason that in the south there are still Black Baptist churches.

Rather than advancing culture wars, let’s work on solutions to issues like homelessness, childhood hunger, declining graduation rates, and homeowner’s insurance. Recent Republican laws, protecting Insurance companies, the Uber rich from taxation, requiring university faculty and students to fill out surveys to identify their political beliefs, trying to regulate what universities teach are telling.

My questions to you: Republican or Democrat? Autocracy or Democracy? Exclusionary or Inclusionary? Fear or Hope? Chaos or Structure? Hate or Love?

Wake up people, the choice is yours.

Bruce W. Paulson, Winter Haven

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Voice of the people: Far-right agenda cause for concern