Wednesday's letters: Remember 'no' vote on aid, expect rate increase, sing while you work
At polls, recall GOP vote against storm aid
In case you were on the fence as to whom to vote for in the midterm election, I would offer the following fact: No Florida Republican in either the U.S. House or Senate voted to extend additional funds to FEMA to aid victims of the prodigious damage caused by Hurricane Ian.
Nonetheless, the bill was signed into law Sept. 30.
While Republican legislators have been historically numb to the suffering of common folks in these types of catastrophes, it seems unfathomable that our elected representatives lack the decency to make an exception even for their own constituents.
Do they lack the empathy gene? It would appear so.
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As you clean up and attempt to recover from this cataclysmic event, please remember those elected officials who endeavored to help you and those who turned their backs and walked away.
It’s a pattern of behavior that is not likely to change anytime soon.
Steven Berry, Sarasota
After Ian, expect insurers to jack up rates
The insurance rate impact on homeowners from Hurricane Ian will be felt stronger and deeper than the Category 4 winds it produced (“Ian likely to cause more insurance company failures,” Oct. 3).
The 6.25% prime interest rate will be peanuts compared with what we will be hit with from insurance companies.
Some insurance companies are already requiring homeowners to replace their roof and water heater after a certain time period, even though they may be still in operable condition. After the replacements, premiums will still double or triple.
First-time homebuyers, don’t get reeled in by the adjustable rate. Don’t let your emotions get in the way of your financial planning.
We are going to go through some rough waters in the next several years. Many of us rely on information from the news media and publications. I hope their guidance will be productive, and the financial information will be truthful and helpful.
Trust no one. Fraud is rampant in Florida, even among companies that have professional licenses.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida legislators and Attorney General Ashley Moody should give state agencies more power to go after fraudsters. Fraud is a criminal offense. Floridians should not have to deal with it on their own.
Elizabeth Martin-Sullivan, Braden River
The joyful sound of hurricane cleanup
’Twas the day after Hurricane Ian passed through.
I walked with my dog at Arlington Park. We were surprised and delighted to hear wonderful music. It came from a cleanup crew.
Who knows whether they were city or contract workers? It matters not.
What matters is that they sang the “Wellerman” as they worked.
The music brought joy to my heart. I will never forget that tingle of excitement after a day filled with anxiety.
The storm was wretched. The music was enriching.
Thank you, cleanup singers.
J. Michael Povey, Sarasota
Dictators make the most of our decline
As Vladimir Putin’s “annexation” of four regions of Ukraine, roundly rejected worldwide, is completed, a summit of area leaders and Putin himself decried the West as promulgating “Satanism” and turning from “moral norms” and religious “values.”
He inquired of his assembled audience if they wanted “children to be offered sex-change operations.”
These quotes are strangely missing from the news media, with the exception of The New York Post.
While no one of reasonable competency would use Putin as a moral compass, it is important to note that many changes in U.S. society are frequently being used by countries led by dictators or religious fascists to justify their control of citizens.
Lee Hoffman, Lakewood Ranch
Americans better off without Trump
I must reply to the letter writer who posed this question: Are you better off now than you were two years ago (“Whether to vote Nov. 8 a personal choice,” Sept. 29)?
Financially I am not – nor are most Americans. However, this fact pales in comparison to how I felt while former President Donald Trump ruled our country, courting North Korea and Russia.
Trump's admiration for these rulers foretold his true feelings about the country he took an oath to honor.The fears Trump daily instilled while president came to roost last year on Jan. 6 as he and his multitude of accomplices attempted to end democracy in America. Yes, I most definitely am better off today.
Sandy Kangas, Venice
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida's GOP lawmakers appear to lack empathy, expect higher premiums
