Naples mayor praised, Cape animal shelter expansion | Letters

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Mayor's action praiseworthy

Earlier this month Mayor Teresa Heitman signed a proclamation adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism as official city policy.Naples becomes the first municipality in SW Florida to take this step and declare that the curse of antisemitism will not be tolerated here “not in our town, and not on our watch.”The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) offers a broadly accepted definition that permits elected officials, educators, law enforcement and civic leaders to identify, understand and respond to the complex manifestations of antisemitism.This action supports Naples’ reputation as a welcoming, tolerant, safe community for all its residents and deserves our praise.Allen Menkin, MD, project coordinator, CAMERA/Naples Partnership of Christians and Jews

Explore other funding options

As a taxpayer, I believe that it is important for public funds to be used in a manner that benefits the whole community. The animal shelter expansion for construction related fees should not be funded by taxpayer dollars. This $64,700.00 can offset other city expenses especially when there are other pressing city issues that require financial support, and we just had a tax increase, and the City Council gave themselves a large monthly stipend.I understand the importance of providing care and assistance to animals in need, and I fully support the efforts of the animal shelter in our community. However, funding for this shelter should come from alternative sources such as donations, grants, and private funding, rather than relying on tax dollars as it was originally proposed as a self-funded nonprofit when city leased the land to it in 2017 for $1.00 a year. Taxpayers already paid over $71,000.00 for construction related fees for the building.Funding for animal shelters should be supplemented by contributions from individuals who are passionate about animal welfare. By encouraging private donations and sponsorships, we can ensure that the animal shelter has the necessary resources to continue their valuable work without burdening taxpayers.I urge the mayor and City Council not to consider the use of tax dollars to fund the animal shelter and to explore alternative funding options that do not place an additional financial strain on taxpayers. I believe that by adopting a more sustainable funding model, we can support the animal shelter while also addressing the diverse needs of our community. What will be next, the city taken over the whole operation of the animal shelter or start giving money to all other tax-exempt nonprofits in the city?

Lou Walker, Cape Coral

Imagine light rail commuter train

Wow! Let's think about riding the new future light railway commuter train on the old Seminole Railroad Line. We can get to Bonita Springs, Estero, South Fort Myers and San Carlos Park. Maybe even get to the Mystery Train. We could bicycle or walk to the train. No traffic jams! No parking hassles! WOW! Maybe?

Fred Mosser, Bonita Springs

Right candidate for Senate

Senate candidate Mucarsel-Powell is the correct choice for Florida.Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s background will connect with many Floridians, since they have been in her shoes in struggling with home affordability, working minimum-wage jobs or coming from another country at a young age.

Mucarsel-Powell immigrated from Ecuador at 14 years old. At 24, she lost her father to gun violence. We now have so many families living in the state of Florida that have been touched by these tragic losses due to gun violence.Senator Scott is a billionaire who cannot relate to struggling Floridians. He has vowed to cut Social Security and Medicare. His main interest is to institute additional tax cuts for the very wealthy.Scott was chastised nationally for his proposal to sunset federal programs every five years, which required him to retreat by exempting Social Security, Medicare, the Veterans Administration and national defense spending from his proposal. Senator Scott has pushed for a nationwide abortion ban, working to take the rights away from women and their families.Mucarsel-Powell has vowed to fight for Social Security and Medicare and will address homeowner-insurance costs, housing affordability, gun safety and abortion rights.Serving in Congress, Debbie fought to expand opportunity for every American. Debbie wrote the bill to expand seniors' Medicare Advantage coverage, and she worked with Republicans to provide economic relief to families and small businesses and secured $200 million for Everglades restoration.

Dennis Raube, Fort Myers

The opposite of 'go'

I think most English-speaking people have a reasonable vocabulary and understanding of many words.  Although, there is a four letter word (no, not that one!) that appears to cause confusion and misunderstanding for many.  It’s a word that’s easy to spell and pronounce.  It’s a word that is seen and used numerous times each day.  Even non-English speakers are familiar with it.  It can be used in many situations.  It’s a great word to use in a game of Scrabble.  I’m sure this word was one of the first words we learned when we started speaking as children.  It’s a word that should be easily understood.  So, why do so many vehicle drivers have such a hard time understanding the word STOP!

Judging from the behavior of most drivers, it’s obviously one of the most misunderstood words in the English language!  My understanding of the word, in relation to a STOP sign, is to cease moving.  Apply the brakes on your vehicle and halt!  Move no more!  Go stationary!  Continue no more!  Discontinue forward momentum!  Be still!  Terminate movement!  It’s the opposite of GO!

It doesn’t mean decelerate.  We have a word for that − SLOW!  It doesn’t mean try to beat out your fellow drivers to be first through the intersection!  It doesn’t mean update your social media profile!  It doesn’t mean speed up!  And, contrary to popular belief, this sign applies to all. Yes, even you!

Jay Custa, Estero

Liberal logic

Does anyone out there think it is ironic that Angel Cabrera, a former Masters golf tournament champion, was denied a visa to enter the country? I guess he forgot about the secret passage through Mexico. Liberal logic on full display.

Don Rader, Naples

Publishing names of minors

In general, I am very pleased with the Naples Daily News as it strives to present balanced, in-depth coverage of news and issues. However, I disagree with your decision to print the name of a teenager who has been arrested in the murder of another teen. Your justification is related to the severity of the crime. However, there is a reason for the long-standing practice of NOT publishing the names of minors who have been arrested for an alleged crime − the recognition that young people are especially vulnerable due to their lack of full maturity. I hope that you will reconsider this practice.Ann M. Fisher, LCSW, Naples

Disreputable rise in GOP

Donald J. Trump is the presumptive presidential nominee of the Republican Party.  The absurdity of that statement would be laughable if it were not the sobering truth. After four chaotic years in office, his term only ended as he attempted to retain power destructively and illegitimately.

One would expect that in any nominee selection process, there would be an ascent of the admirable candidates and a descent of the disreputable. In the GOP the opposite is occurring. There is a descent of the admirable (e.g. Nikki Haley and Chris Christie) and the ascent of Trump.

Trump's record is there to see, to hear, and to judge. One has to only look at recent history. A talk of a "bloodbath" (didn't that already happen on January 6, 2021?),  "poisoning the blood" with shades of 1930s Germany, and then the recent incendiary comments about Jewish people who may vote for Biden. There is so much more that we tend to forget because we have become inured to the inanity. We can all recall that January 6 felons are "hostages" and that war heroes are "losers." The litany is lengthy.

If Trump is elected we will again be subjected to the chaos, incoherence and the Trumpian Universe, where fact is fiction, fiction is fact and truth non-existent.

We must not make the same mistake twice. Our accountability is not only to ourselves but to the planet.

Manny Cacciola, Fort Myers

Everyone should pay taxes

I am reading the article written by Riley Beggin regarding increasing taxes for the wealthy in Wednesday's paper.Whenever I find myself reading about increasing taxes, I always ask myself two questions.1. Why should I give more in taxes when I look at all the money this government wastes? If there was a shred of oversight or common sense, someone would realize we already tax citizens ENOUGH, we need to spend more prudently.2. Why isn’t everyone paying? There is a significant % of people who do not pay taxes. WHY?I don’t want to pay one more cent of additional taxes until fiscal responsibility returns and everyone pays SOMETHING.It doesn’t have to be a lot but if you are living in this country you to have to pay.

Patrick Kellard, Naples

Achievements despite adversity

Liberals and race-baiters are all in a tizzy over Florida’s new education curriculum. They are upset over language which says that “slaves developed skills, which in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.“ They say that this amounts to saying that slavery was good for blacks.

Let me offer an analogy. During his 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela wrote his widely read and acclaimed autobiography. Would the liberals and race-baiters say that this amounts to saying that prison was good for Nelson Mandela?

Of course not. In both instances, humans employed their innate ability to adapt and respond even in miserable conditions. They are simply statements of fact. To suggest otherwise is to dishonor these people.

Gary Marsh, Estero

Don’t be fooled by union leaders

Do some of the members of the United Steelworkers Union have too much lead in your pencil that’s fogging your memory. You, and others, that work in steel mills, manufacturing plants, mines, rubber plants and rail yards must be oblivious to the destruction that Biden has caused our country. Exactly what is it he has done for you in the past four years? Is it costing you more for food, gas, clothing and other necessities since he’s been in office. Are you happy with the border crisis, crime and disregard for our citizens. Do you like your taxes to be spent on illegal aliens and not your fellow Americans and veterans in need? How about the unrest in the Middle East, our embassies being attacked, our soldiers being killed, all under the Biden administration. If your union supports all the above then you really have a problem just by being sheep following blindly those who take your money and lead you on. Do your homework before you vote, open your eyes and ears and learn. Don’t be fooled by those union leaders who make the big bucks at your expense. The really don’t have your interest at heart, just your money. Sure, they’ll throw out some crumbs to keep you happy. Look at the big picture, not the cartoons they show you. More importantly, think of your families who will suffer the most by having four more years of incompetence and selflessness plus, greed!

Anthony Edwards, Cape Coral

'Bloodbath' taken out of context

In case you haven’t noticed the media can print or say anything and never retract mistruths.

Any spoken word can be and often is “taken out of context, unless you see or hear things in it entirety!”  Such is the case of the recent use of the term “bloodbath!”

The dictionary says, “a bloodbath is a major economic disaster.” It will be an economic disaster to the automobile industry if we allow China to build cars in Mexico and bring them into the USA.  Just ask the autoworkers!

Donald Trump used the term while comparing what was going to take place with all the cheap automobiles being produced in Mexico by the Chinese.  Politico, Daily Beast, and Rolling Stone completely misrepresented his comment causing the left to go wild.  CNN, ABC, MSNBC all peddled the “bloodbath hoax!”

Of course the television media clipped the speech not allowing us to see it in its entirety and it’s TRUE meaning.

Before we had the Russian Hoax and now this!

On February 19, 2020 CNN referred to a bloodbath. Again on March 8, 2020, they referred to a bloodbath but did not give the full and actual quote.

In a different situation, on April 9, 2020,  MSNBC used “bloodbath” on their show as well as on October 2, 2021, August 27, 2022, and finally again on October 26, 2020.

When the media used the term bloodbath, no one objected!  Show after show continually went unchallenged!

Donald Trump was correct! China must be stopped from bringing cheap automobiles into to the USA. THAT is what will result in a bloodbath. It will indeed be an “economic bloodbath! To offset this infusion of cheap foreign automobiles, an economic disaster, he suggested a 100% tariff on every single car.

Please listen to the actual words, not the liberal medias interpretation.

I am sure the autoworkers are playing close attention.

Dennis Rosenhagen, Naples

Hypocrisy on antisemitism

Congresswoman Stefanik led the Republican Party’s attack on America’s top research universities for failing to address antisemitism on their campuses at a highly viewed congressional hearing. The presidents of Penn and Harvard were forced to resign within days of her withering attacks on them and their institutions

However we’ve only heard crickets from Congresswoman Stefanik and most Republicans in response to Trump saying Monday, “Any Jewish person that votes for Democrats hates their religion... They hate everything about Israel, and they should be ashamed of themselves,”

The scapegoating of Jews is the hallmark of antisemitism. Because Jews are a small minority everywhere besides Israel and a few cities, they are easy targets for demagogues like Trump. What he said is antisemitic.

Outcast Republican, Mitt Romney’s, response: “That’s highly offensive … We do not in this country attack people based upon their religious beliefs or their political views.”

No surprise, our own Senator Scott joined right in with Trump: “I don’t know why any Jewish person would support Democrats.”  60+% of Jews vote Democratic. About 400,000 of them are Scott’s constituents.

The Senator might find an answer to his question in Isaiah 58:7, which has been recited for 2,300+ years regarding what to learn when Jews fast on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement:

“It is to share your bread with the hungry

And to take the wretched poor into your home;

When you see the naked, to clothe him.”

Democrats seem to do a little better job of following these precepts than Republicans.

Michael Sales, Naples

Weak 'bench' for Democrats

Democrats are the authors of their demise. In late 2008, 46-year-old junior Senator Barack Obama became the Democratic Party’s nominee for president of the United States. In the months preceding his nomination, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi did not attempt to appear impartial in her support for the junior senator from Illinois. On multiple occasions when Hillary Clinton was leading Obama, Pelosi opposed a Clinton-Obama ticket. The result was the Obama-Biden ticket.After 2008 and 2012 there was an obvious Clinton 2016 campaign. The result was 12 years where the Democrats failed to build “a bench.” The result is an 81-year-old candidate who cannot distinguish between Egypt and Mexico, remember when he was vice president or when his son died. When looking at a list of politicians by notoriety the Democrats only have five in the top 50 politicians who are under the age of 70. The list consists of Alexandria Occasio-Cortez, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Beto O’Rourke and Gavin Newsom.The Republicans have spent the better part of the 2010s building a bench of politicians who have household name recognition above 65%. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Dan Crenshaw, Ron DeSantis, Sarah Palin, Chris Christie, Paul Ryan, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy and others. Whether or not the popularity of these politicians translates into votes today does not negate the fact that their name recognition can carry them in the future.

Anthony Rainone, Cape Coral

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Naples mayor praised, Cape animal shelter expansion | Letters