Letters to the Editor: Nov. 2, 2003

The Naples Daily News welcomes letters of up to 250 words. We reserve the right to reject letters or edit for clarity, brevity, good taste and accuracy, and to prevent libel. No poetry, attacks on private individuals, or letter-writing campaigns, please. Writers should limit submissions to one letter every two weeks. Include a phone number and make certain you have signed your letter.

Letter of the Day — Art of living

Editor, Naples Daily News:

L.M. Boyd's column the other day quoted an authority as important as Pablo Picasso saying his ambition was "to live like a poor man with lots of money."

Wow! I'm doing good, I guess.

I've got the poor part in place already!

They're good at that

Editor, Naples Daily News:

It's deja vu! The Bush brothers have done it again!

When George W. Bush disliked the Florida Supreme Court judicial decision in November 2000, he immediately went to the U.S. Supreme Court to extract the decision he wanted.

When Gov. Jeb Bush disliked the judicial decision re: Terri Schiavo, he immediately went to his Legislature to trump the judicial decision in order to get the decision he wanted.

Didn't we learn in Government 101 that our government was based on law, unable to be manipulated by an individual, no matter how powerful?

Or am I hopelessly naive?

Love that local art

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Hooray for our Marco Island Art League.

I recently attended a meeting of The Masters for International Decorative Artisans in Vero Beach. The prestigious event was held in their art museum. I was looking forward to seeing what their gift shop had to offer from local artisans.

I was sorely disappointed.

The items were from China and Taiwan.

Now, to be politically correct there is nothing wrong with that. But I did expect things in their shop to be from talented artists as they were in their galleries.

So congratulations, Marco Art League, for giving artists a venue for their creative works and not taking the easy way.

Stumped

Editor, Naples Daily News:

I discovered that the city of Naples is destroying one of the things I have always loved here -- the tree-lined stretch of Banyan Boulevard as you turn west off U.S. 41.

The wide thoroughfare will soon be cut up into islands full of fully grown vegetation and palm trees.

We won't be able to see from one side of the street to another to appreciate the avenue of banyan trees. Nor will there be the wide, safe area for walkers and bikers who frequent the street.

Traffic "engineers" already tampered with the street by first cutting down the turn radius from 41, making it a more difficult, tight turn. Even the traffic from the north has trouble getting into the narrow passage as indicated by tire tracks across the city grass.

Why does this depress me so? I have also witnessed the transformation of another wide city street, Central Avenue, into a jungle of dangerous blind intersections.

Before that, this same city decided to "improve" all the beach street ends. The result was fewer parking places and steep steps not built to code.

What can we do? Just live with it until wiser city officials decide to undo those same "improvements" and perpetuate their job positions.

Follow the money further

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Re: your lead editorial of Oct. 16 urges the city of Naples to remit misdirected premiums to the North Naples Fire District.

I would point out that this problem is not unique to Naples/North Naples. It is a statewide issue and has a negative impact on many firefighter pension plans including that of the Estero Fire District, where a significant number of our residences lie within the confines of EFD but have a Bonita Springs mailing address.

The area affected by this geographical conflict is substantial and includes all of The Brooks, the northern quadrant of Pelican Landing and communities north of Coconut Road with a Bonita Springs mailing address.

Last year, our trustees distributed a mailer targeted at residents of the impacted area urging that they contact their insurers on this issue. We have recently been informed by the state that our insurance distribution for 2003 will be $83,000 -- a significant 85 percent increase over the funds received from this same source last year. Our educa tional campaign has borne some fruit but we still have a long way to go.

This issue is too complex to cover in this letter forum. I would suggest interested parties visit our Web site: www.esterofire.org and click "Your Insurance $$" for further amplification. I would also encourage those residents of the affected areas of EFD who have not already done so to query their insurers.

Why so different?

Editor, Naples Daily News:

When sympathy against deforestation is needed, the victims -- trees -- are shown.

When sympathy against the fur trade is needed, seal pups are shown being beaten to death with clubs. When sympathy for manatee deaths due to propeller strikes is needed, the victims, scarred manatees, are shown.

When the issue of abortion is approached, what is shown is that it is "unconstitutional," "my choice," "my right" and right-wing Christian fundamentalists protesting.

Did we forget something?

It is illegal to take green sea turtle eggs from a nest. Are they turtles before they actually break through the shell?

We're No. 1 again

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Re: Marlins win World Series.

The fish are back!

We should all be proud to live in a state that has so many champions.