Letters to the editor for Sunday, May 12, 2024

Letters to the editor should be 250 words or less. Include your name and city or community of residence. Guest opinions should be 600 words or less and include a brief summary of the author’s credentials relevant to the topic. Guest opinions may include a head shot of the author. For the Fort Myers News-Press, email submissions to mailbag@news-press.com and for the Naples Daily News to letters@naplesnews.com

Boat ramp, not Ferris wheel

I keep seeing news regarding a group of Lee County officials wanting to put a Ferris wheel in the downtown Fort Myers area. First off let's get their heads out of the sand. Secondly, they need to realize that Fort Myers is one of America's boating meccas. As such Lee County does not have a single boat ramp facility on the south side of the river. We had one at Punta Rassa but the government took it away from us following Hurricane Ian so that Sanibel Island could be refurbished. I currently see no indication that the Punta Rassa ramps will be returned to the Lee County residents.A boating ramp on the south side of the river will benefit the residents much more than a Ferris wheel.

Fredrick Ford-Smith, Fort Myers

Perfect play at Broadway Palm

"Perfect Wedding" playing in the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is absolutely top-notch entertainment! The play is clever and unique with witty lines, which keep you laughing throughout the show. We were amazed at the level of fine acting from the outstanding performers. The exquisite timing of the plot is truly professional. "Perfect Wedding" is highly entertaining and a genuine gift to the audience. Go see it!

Linda Cahill, Lehigh Acres

Stop signs ignored

Are stop signs merely a suggestion now?

Chris Edward, Cape Coral

Tipping and donations

Reading the article today regarding tipping stories prompted me to say "crazy" numerous times.  Conversations among neighbors and friends about the new tipping rules are common.  My son recently told me about the new Door Dash tipping which surprised him to the point of no longer using them, or other methods of food delivery options.  Also, I'm tired of being asked by cashiers in many retail establishments if I would like to "add a dollar for such and such an organization," or would I like to "round up" my total to donate to an organization.  I always say no.  Many say, "I feel guilty saying no."  I refuse to be guilted into giving at the check-outs.  It is not the cashier's fault.  They are told to do this.  But the icing on the cake came at Costco yesterday.  The language changed.  He didn't say "would you like to," he said, "are you ABLE to." Of course I was ABLE but I said no in a nanosecond.  I do not trust any of these retail outlets to be good stewards of these extra dollars.  I want to be confident in knowing where my donated dollars are going.  Every Christmas I load up on dog food and treats, cat food and treats, small blankets, and take it all to the donation center at the animal shelter.  I find joy in knowing my donated dollars are helping those in need. 

Christine Sharpe, Fort Myers

It's up to us

No one is coming to save us. There will be no cavalry charge − no bugles − no thundering hoofbeats − no last-minute rescue. An infantile sociopath with an insatiable need to dominate has openly and regularly declared his intention to become the first American king, and our traditional checks and balances and institutions have, as yet, mounted no effective resistance to his unhinged, catastrophic ambitions.Our Supreme Court is laughable. One justice is married to a primary actor in the attempt to negate the result of a legitimate election, and he sees no reason to recuse himself in cases involving that conspiracy and its culminating event. Others among them are currently considering (with straight faces!) the proposition that a president might commit a politically convenient murder without consequence. And they're lawyers! 'Nuff said there. We could easily fit the amount of probity and "do the right thing" courage in the Congress in a shot glass with room left over to slip in many members of The Fourth Estate. If you're hoping journalists might save us, I give you David Pecker and The National Enquirer.All, however, is not lost. For now, we retain the right to cast a meaningful vote. The operative phrase above is "for now." Given a second shot, Trump will make a sick joke of "meaningful" and "vote" in the same sentence. We are the cavalry now, my friends. Grab your bugles − saddle up − and vote.

Geremy Spampinato, Naples

Irrelevant testimony

Judge Merchan has now guaranteed Trump’s successful appeal if the New York trial results in a conviction. The trial is about the falsification of business records, a crime in New York. The testimony of Stormy Daniels has absolutely no relevance whatsoever to the alleged crime. The admission of her testimony (and the concomitant salacious details) is prejudicial to the jury’s opinion of the defendant. I have resisted joining the "camp" of those alleging a conspiracy to discredit Trump and hold him "hostage" in a New York courtroom during important days of the presidential campaign. However, this latest unbelievable ruling to admit this otherwise irrelevant testimony apparently solely for the purpose of influencing public opinion regarding former President Trump makes me wonder.

Read McCaffrey, Naples

Unfair criticism

I think Ms. Noem may be getting some unfair criticism over the dog issue. I would bet if there was an aggressive dog in your neighborhood attacking other animals and biting people, those complaining would be the first ones demanding that Animal Control take the dog and "put it down," or "put it to sleep." There are lots of euphemisms for killing but that is what it is. Ms. Noem is in trouble because she just dealt with it herself instead of hiring a hit man.

Greg Fretwell, Estero

Criticizing policy not antisemitism

It is possible to be a fierce critic of Israeli military actions in Gaza and not be antisemitic.  This is the case for the vast majority of student demonstrators who have been active on college campuses across the nation.  Of course, politicians of both parties and members of the mainstream media who would never criticize Israeli policy are eager to see these demonstrations shut down and have blasted them as violent, destructive, chaotic and hijacked by professional agitators.  These descriptions have been used to justify police brutality, mass arrests and the elimination of encampments.

Watching the demonstrations closely, the only violence I saw was when police waded into groups of demonstrators swinging batons, or when counter-protesters charged the pro-Palestinian demonstrators.  Israeli military action in Gaza has killed thousands of innocent women and children and created an epic humanitarian crisis that will last for many years to come.  No one questions Israel's right to bring the Hamas perpetrators of the Oct 7 terrorist attack to justice, but Israel seems intent on reducing every inch of Gaza to rubble, and they don't care how many civilians die in the process.  Israeli policy is wrong and needs to be called out.  That's what the students are doing.

It is American weapons killing Palestinians, and if it's not American weapons, it's weapons paid for with American money.  Students have a right to know what financial ties their universities have with Israel and have the right to demand their universities divest from Israel money, just as the universities have the right to refuse that demand.  As long as Israelis are slaughtering Palestinians, these protests will go on. Criticism of Israeli policy is not antisemitism.

Ray Clasen, North Fort Myers

Tired of DeSantis

It's embarrassing living in Florida with DeSantis, rejecting federal monies for any type of growth and then using our tax dollars to sue everyone and no one stopping him. It's like signing up for a bad relationship. Do we not want to grow at all? This is so shameful. I'm tired of DeSantis, stomping his baby feet and no one stopping him. We are going backwards. At some point we will have to play catch up to repair the damages he has caused the state. I don't want to relocate but again it's embarrassing to stay in a state with a leader who pats himself on the back for going backwards.

Elijah Rose, Naples

Republicans and climate crisis

It is unconscionable that right-wing Republican politicians like Governor Ron DeSantis are ransoming our children and grandchildren's future by politicizing and marginalizing the impact climate change is already having on our environment. If we fail to act now, it will only get worse.

It is heartbreaking to see the great Republican Party, once the proud home of conservationists and environmentalists, become an environmental pariah, politicizing and demonizing all efforts to effectively mitigate the ever-increasing impact of climate change on our lives. We are creating the world our children will inherit. I call on the Republican Party, including its far-right wing, to rediscover and embrace its historic dedication to the care and preservation of this great land we inhabit.

Republicans! We must act now to make a difference. It is time to use our power to heroically lead the world in finding economically sound and socially desirable solutions to the climate crisis threatening us all.

Joan Marshall, Fort Myers

Left-wing misdirection

Recently several left-wing individuals have posted letters concerning the cause of inflation. These letters indicate that the individuals do not understand inflation or they are lying about it. Everything evolves around energy, either green or fossil fuel. When the price of energy goes up so does inflation. President Biden reversed President Trump's energy policies which caused energy prices throughout the world to increase resulting in worldwide inflation. In addition, President Biden and the Democrats have flooded the market with money which has enhanced the problem. The more drastic effects of the White House's energy policy increasing the price of fossil fuels have provided Russia funding for the war against Ukraine and Iran money for terrorism in the Middle East. In his first day in office, President Biden managed to increase corporation profits which inflation causes, damage the U.S. economy and help the bad guys in the world.

The News-Press is left-wing. Your job is to fairly print all news not to be an arm of the Democratic Party. Florida is a red state, and this is a conservative area. My suggestion is clean up your act and you would increase circulation and profits.

Bill Tanner, Cape Coral

Right-wing misdirection

Regarding the May 6 front page article “DeSantis Resisting Climate Measures”: By rejecting hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy in our state, and by eradicating use of the term “climate change” in state law (among other climate atrocities), Florida’s governor and the Republican Party are willfully and corruptly doing everything possible to guarantee the worst possible nightmare for Florida’s citizens and generations to come. Plus, they are actively suppressing an emerging new green industry and the jobs it will create (but not in Florida!) How can anyone with a brain support this?

Madeline Ebelini, Fort Myers

Governor's limited vision

Governor DeSantis, with an enlarged head and delusions of grandeur, gleefully leaped onto the national political stage with high hopes. Once the general public observed his inarticulation, his high heels, his kinky white boots, and his total inability to present anything to approximate a normal smile, his popularity plummeted. I thought that he would slink away, quietly lick his wounds, and attempt to rebuild his image while maintaining a low profile. Oh, how wrong I was!Recently, Governor DeSantis, with his trademark cartoonish grin, proudly signed a bill to prevent the manufacture and/or sales of lab grown meat. I realize that the general public has limited understanding of what so-called lab meat is. There are several laboratories in our nation and other nations around the world simultaneously studying the possibility of growing actual meat via cell cultures. It is not known if such scientific study will eventually be economically practical. Mankind's natural resistance to change is always the greatest hindrance to accepting the results of scientific fact. One can only imagine the societal upheaval when it was first proposed that the Earth was round and not flat or that the Earth revolved around the sun rather than vice versa. Perhaps, in the future, people may eventually grasp the fact that lab meats are, in fact, real meats. Beef is beef, ham is ham, chicken is chicken, etc. The only difference is that all the cost and environmental impact of animal husbandry would be eliminated.I find it amusing to speculate if Governor DeSantis had been governor when the first mass-produced automobiles began to be introduced to America. I have no doubt that our illustrious leader would have quickly introduced legislation to protect our horse-riding culture. I can envision him proudly proclaiming that there will be no horseless carriages in his state as long as he is governor.Bottomline, our governor is clearly incapable of comprehending any scientific developments beyond the rather limited scope of his mind. Speaking earlier of cartoons, I am reminded of a favorite quote attributed to Bugs Bunny, "What a maroon!"

Robert Lightner, Cape Coral

Governor sticks it to taxpayers

In an article in The Naples News edition Sunday May 5 (Talk of Immigration Bill and Ballot Measures to Cloud Abortion Rights page A24), our fealty to Trump governor says he’ll be getting involved in different ways. One of his proposals would allow state courts to direct sheriffs and city police to transport migrants back to the Mexican border for deportation if they are found to be in the state illegally. Geography lesson Ron: Florida doesn’t border Mexico! Who is going to foot the bill to have the sheriffs and city police transport the migrants from our state to the Mexico border? Oh wait, the Florida taxpayers, the same that paid for your family's trips on your failed run for president.

He also raised the possibility when he was also warning against a surge of Haitians fleeing their home nation to Florida because of violence. Guess what, that surge hasn’t happened.

Oh Ron, will you ever learn, things you say make you look like a fool?  Just stop talking.

L.J. Blair, Naples

Trump vs. Biden

Presidential polling before Labor Day generally has little meaning.  However, there has never been a president winning re-election with an approval rating as low as Biden’s. His team is worried and working to salvage his candidacy.  His student loan forgiveness program, though unconstitutional, will cost taxpayers billions but earn votes from those forgiven. Declaring a climate emergency could shore up votes with climate activists. Reclassifying marijuana as less dangerous and easing restrictions will win pot user votes.  His confused Israeli position is politically motivated so as not to anger anti-American Muslim voters in Michigan or terrorists on college campuses.

However, these actions are not enough based on recent polling.  That is why Biden’s Department of Justice is pushing their “Lawfare” agenda, hoping a Trump conviction will turn the polling tide.  American people don’t buy it and understand the unfairness of the indictments and court hearings going rogue − only because Trump dared to challenge Biden in 2024.  Biden is banking on lawfare to succeed whereas Trump wants to regroup and restore our republic.

The difference between the two candidates running for president is historical. Biden’s policies are designed to create a new socialistic direction based on diversity, inclusion, and equity. Trump’s have achieved economic and foreign successes that made America great without costly radicalized policies and a divisive culture agenda.

Frank Mazur, Fort Myers

Briberies for votes

It is a sad situation when a sitting president has to resort to multiple briberies for votes, directed mostly to young voters, especially when these policies will cost every American some of their very hard-earned dollars.  For example: the elimination of student debt, (this week the addition of 6 billion dollars forgiveness for art students alone), abortion, the introduction of new legislation for legal marijuana, and open borders for potential party votes.  The list may go on, but isn’t this enough?  Sad indeed!

Marilyn Doherty, Naples

Threats to democracy

While America is dealing with despotic dictators like Kim, Xi and Vladimir who pose a threat to its democracy it has its own homegrown detractors like Marjorie, Ted, Matt, Lauren, Jim, Kristi and the list goes on. These are people who were elected and took an oath to defend democracy but were somehow seduced by their lust for recognition spurred on by the likes of Sean, Laura, Levin and Tucker and that list goes on.Think about this and these characters tripping over each other to be on the radar screen of a discredited ex-president and think about what it means to you and your children's future if the chaos of 2016 is repeated.The last names of the cast of characters should already be baked in.

Fred Jodice, North Fort Myers

Fact and fiction

It amazes me that some people cannot distinguish between fact and fiction. Frequent letters to this paper complain about problems at the border and falsely claim that President Biden is to blame. These people are so misinformed! Three months ago, there was a conservative bipartisan deal to fix the border. That’s right; right now we could be three months into fixing the border problem. But guess what happened? The former disgraced president told the House of Representatives to kill the bill. They never even voted on it because they thought it would make President Biden look good. Even though this problem is now squarely on the backs of Republicans, they still want to blame President Biden. Their logic is sickening: Keep the border problem going so a con man can use it to help his candidacy. It’s comical that Rep. Donalds said he would not sign the foreign aid bill because border security was not part of it. Duh, the bill the Republicans rejected had border security in it! So now we just passed a foreign aid bill, with not a penny for the border. The stupidity of Republicans in the House is mind boggling.And what about abortion and states’ rights? Sounds like the same argument used to keep slavery. Let’s use states’ rights to oppress a certain group of people. Because of the Supreme Court members appointed by the twice indicted president, women, yes American women, have lost a right they once had for 50 years! Our own governor, in the middle of the night, signed a six-week abortion ban. DeSantis has to go! It’s as though he’s taking us back in time. Additionally, his hero the four-time indicted ex-president wants to use states’ rights as a means of oppressing women by taking away their reproductive rights. This backward thinking of a minority of people has to be corrected. We have to vote for leaders who have the best interest of our country and its people as their agenda, not for those schemers whose only goal is to stay in power.

Jim Propert, Fort Myers

Protesters cross the line

A brief history lesson for those attending Ivy League schools, state universities, living in Dearborn, MI, etc.  Benedict Arnold was an American officer in the Revolutionary War who became a traitor defecting to the British army.  After being found guilty of treason he was banned from America which he came to regret. I am not sure if this is taught in schools anymore.  I think it would be the wish of most Americans to have those who chant “Death to America,” “Death to Jews” or say they are Hamas be banned from America.  Let them go where they want but do not allow someone that wants the destruction of our country or death to its citizens live here.

My father and uncles were in WW II. Many were called back to Korea.  I was in the Air Force during Vietnam.  There were numerous Middle East campaigns.  Millions of young men and women died protecting our freedom.  They never had a chance to go to college, marry, have children, etc.  They made this sacrifice for our freedom.  If there is a hereafter and I hope there is they must be in agony seeing what is going on in the country they died for.  America, get a backbone before it's too late.  Peaceful protesting is legal, asking for destruction and death is not.

Bob Shea, Naples

Gun sales, background checks

There were two articles in the News-Press May 3, and both articles lacked what would be an easy remedy to selling guns between unlicensed individuals.

Transferring a gun, whether by a gun shop, gun show, or private owner should require a background check, period. Since gun shops already do this, so should gun show retailers no matter the expense. Sales between private owners should have to use the service of a gun shop for a background check, which must charge a reasonable fee for the service and documentation. The process for the background check is simply entering the customer's data online and waiting for the response from the authorities. Gun shops must not abuse the cost which would discourage individuals from following the law. Both parties should retain a copy of the background check.

John Piccolo, Estero

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Letters to the editor for Sunday, May 12, 2024