Letters to the Editor: Nov. 22, 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 — This trite phrase

Editor, Naples Daily News:

In order to keep abreast of the changes brought by the tide of events at all levels, it is important to evaluate the language which binds our special culture together into a cohesive unit.

I am dismayed at the overuse of the worn-out phrase "you know."

This phrase seems to have crept into many conversations both casual and formal.

The English language has nearly a million words from which we might draw to enrich our communication skills.

It is quite exasperating to hear this trite phrase being used in so many interviews with many people at all levels of our society.

Many foreign visitors seem to pick up this meaningless filler and incorporate it into their conversations quite rapidly also.

It is well known that some idioms have become a permanent and useful part of our language -- but you know?

Good grief.

JFK: Points in time

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Just wondering ... where we as a nation might be today if President Kennedy had said, "Bring 'em on" when dealing with the Soviet Union in the Cuban Missile Crisis 40 years ago?

Sadly, I'm afraid that "diplomacy" and "statesmanship" are absent from the current administration's vocabulary.

Mysteries of the deep

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Several weeks ago a fair amount of brown seaweed appeared along the Naples beach waterfront and it is still there. At high tide the seaweed is mostly in the water and at low tide there is usually a heavy strip on the beach and also in the water along the shoreline. When on the beach, the seaweed dries and often creates an unfriendly odor.

Seaweed along the beach in this quantity is rather unusual and it is unlikely that it will return to the deep water in the Gulf of Mexico from where it came. I would like to suggest to officials of Collier County that they activate one of their various beach machines that would rake up this seaweed at low tide until it is gone. Perhaps such a plan is already in the works.

Incidentally, one day I waded out through the seaweed only to find black water which I'd never seen before in my 19 years in Naples. The next day it was gone. I suppose it could have been caused by some action with the seaweed, but it sure made me wonder if it might have somehow been connected with reported black water many miles out in the Gulf.

That really would be bad news.

There she is ... and she's right

Editor, Naples Daily News:

What a treat to see and read all about the 2003 Miss America, Erika Harold, who visited Naples for four days.

Thank you to the Life Network of Southwest Florida for arranging to have Erica speak in Collier and Lee public schools along with Ave Maria University. Her topic is "Abstinence from Sex, Drugs, Alcohol and Violence." It is received with much enthusiasm among a wide variety of young people and adults.

I had the privilege of chauffeuring her around and my faith in the next generation is now restored.

Way to go, Erika.

Investing in education

Editor, Naples Daily News:

The Greater Naples Branch of The American Association of University Women has Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellowships for kindergarten through 12th grade women public school teachers.

Do you know an outstanding teacher who would be interested in professional develop ment opportunities to help her improve girls' learning opportunities, especially in math, science and technology? Do you know a teacher who promotes equity and long-term change in classrooms, schools and school systems?

Tell her about the AAUW fellowships that provide up to $10,000. All the information, including the application, is available online at www.aauw.org

The Jan. 10 deadline is coming soon.

Wouldn't it be fantastic to have a Collier County teacher be a 2004-2005 AAUW fellow? Contact me at 348-1128.

Good things are happening

Editor, Naples Daily News:

How very inspiring to read the remark by the young Army Pfc. Jason Moore about his experience in Iraq, while at home here on leave. Here is a young soldier who tells it like it is and how he and his comrades feel about their jobs over there and how most Iraqis feel about us being there. He feels President Bush did the right thing, as I have said all along. Those who may not have seen this article should get a copy.

The news media, in general, don't report all the good things that are happening in Iraq. Yes, the deaths of American soldiers are tragic, but this is expected in war. We are continuing the battle against our enemies. It will take time, but we will prevail. We cannot walk away as many would have us do.

Americans sometimes want to get back to their cozy, comfortable lives and just hang it all up. This time around that is bad policy.

The president has said "we are not leaving." Jason Moore is going back to Iraq. I salute him for his attitude and his patriotism.

Thanks to the Naples Daily News for sharing this story. Not many news sources would have done so. I know my northern hometown newspaper, fondly referred to as the "Red Star" in Minneapolis, would have ignored it.

It's Bush vs. women

Editor, Naples Daily News:

I was watching the Senate proceedings from Washington late one night on TV and the senator from New Jersey, I believe, showed an enlarged picture of President Bush signing that bill banning partial-birth abortions. It was a huge photo and the senator said, "I defy anyone to find one woman in this picture supporting the president."

He continued, saying, "This is nothing but men trying to tell women what to do with their lives and their bodies. I have a wife and three daughters and I would never let any men make decisions, especially medical ones, for my family."

He reminded the members of the Senate that we have made great strides for women's rights in our country in the past years and George Bush is trying to take them all away.

On a light note, he wondered if the next step will be to have women wear head covering and veils as they do in the Third World countries.

I applaud everything this senator said and hope that his friends in Washington will realize that what he brought out is true and women's rights have taken a step back to the Dark Ages.

They saved my son

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Many people feel that it is a waste of time to contact their elected officials about a problem. Most figure that these "people in high places" would do nothing more than extend the courtesy of listening to their complaint. I can tell you from experience that this is not true. If you have a legitimate concern, your officials will "go to bat for you."

For the past several months, my son, Damon, a Type I diabetic and an inmate at the Walton Correctional Institute, was not receiving the appropriate medical treatment for his disease. I tried contacting the Department of Corrections and Walton Correctional Institute, but was given the "runaround." I also knew that if something wasn't done to correct this situation, his health would suffer irreparable damage.

At this point, I felt that my only help would have to come from the senators and representatives of this state, so I contacted Dave Aronberg, Bruce Kyle, Burt Saunders, Jeff Kottkamp, Carole Green, Porter Goss and also Gov. Jeb Bush. They immediately stepped in to insure that Damon was getting the proper medical care by having him transferred to a new facility. For their efforts, I am eternally grateful.

Our heroine

Editor, Naples Daily News:

What a pleasure it was to open up the Naples Daily News and read the wonderful story Nov. 13 on Fran Deeks. My three children were all taught to swim by Frannie, and what a wonderful job she did. To this day, my kids love to run into her anywhere in town and whenever they do, she gives them that warm Fran Deeks' (you know you're loved) smile and hug.

Fran has a great way with all children.

She is positive and fun with kids of all ages. She gets down to their level, she fills them with confidence and she becomes their biggest admirer. They all blossom under her instruction. I would agree that she truly is one of the YMCA's unsung heroes.

It is hard to put a guess on how many children she has taught to swim over the past 20 years of swimming instruction at the YMCA, but you can be sure that she has saved many a child from pool or water-related accidents by teaching them water safety.

From infants to young teens, Fran has made water safety fun and boosted the self-esteem of many youngsters over the years. Both the YMCA and our community have an angel amongst them.

Bush does what's right for us

Editor, Naples Daily News:

I am not a congressperson. I do not spend all day watching and reading of world events, but I do read independently of the press and gather my knowledge of current events from sources beyond the local and national news.

You see, blood and death sell papers and get ratings. The truth and good of a story is often not noted in the reports.

(Like the children who go to schools with power and teachers free to educate according to fact, not an educational line fed by a dictator, just for starters.)

I believe that what we are doing in Iraq will lead to a large benefit to this country for our children. To have peace in that area of the world and restore some hope would stop allowing the terrorists to prey on the young men, converting them into killers of Americans and people of the West.

Even if you did not agree with the actions of "going to war," it is done now. We cannot just leave the country in its current state. If we did then we would be setting the stage for things much worse then what we saw on 9-11.

Don't let numbers and deaths of soldiers allow you to lose the big picture. A very wise man once said "I would rather be right than be president." Thank God that President Bush agrees with this line of thinking.

Pennies saved

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Here's a little arithmetic to help you put the federal budget into proper perspective.

When the government has a spending deficit, it means they are taking in less money than they're spending.

This year the amount could top $500 billion. To make up for the shortfall, the government sells bonds. If they paid an average of 3 percent interest, that means it will cost them $15 billion each year to borrow that money. The deficit is added to the national debt, projected to exceed $7 trillion next year.

For the total debt, 3 percent interest amounts to $210 billion per year in interest payments.

Eventually we have to pay the bondholders back. Try to imagine what we could do with $210 billion a year. If you're an advocate of voodoo economics, you'd probably say tax cuts. If you're a liberal, you'd probably say fix the highways, schools, etc. If you're a responsible, thinking person, you'd probably say we shouldn't spend more than we make in the first place.

It should be against the law to pass a tax cut without an equal spending cut. Of course, tax cuts get votes and spending cuts lose votes.

Call to God's arms

Editor, Naples Daily News:

I'm not referring to our brave people overseas, for whom we thank God and pray.

I'm talking about the "Soldiers of the Cross."

The ACLU and others are seeking to undermine the Godly precepts that are the core of this nation. Those of us claiming to be Christians stand idly by, allowing these very dangerous people to have their own way.

Is this what a soldier is commissioned to do? No way.

When are we going to band together and fight the enemy?

I'm speaking to those who have been bought and paid for by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave it all at Calvary.

Did our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ run and hide? No. He took his stand against evil no matter the cost. Are we to do any less?

Either we are to follow him or deny him, as Peter did. If we don't accept this challenge, are we not denying the Lord and all he stands for?

Remember, either the Lord is Lord of all or not Lord at all.

It's time for all professing Christians to "step up to the plate" and quit worrying about this world liking us.

Are we here to please man or God?

True believers know that our home isn't here anyway. Christians, what do you think?

Line drawn in the sand

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Led by Tom Henning, two of our other Collier County commissioners persist in diverting the tourist tax "honey pot" away from our beaches and towards the purchase of land for beach parking spaces.

Because previous boards have messed up so badly in this area, it is a just cause to try to improve beach parking and access.

Regrettably, this quest has come very late in the game and it will be difficult if not hideously expensive to accomplish. More importantly, funding for access and parking must never come at the expense of keeping our primary resource healthy -- our beaches. The voters put in place dedicated funding for the replenishment of our beaches.

Plain and simple. They voted for sand, not blacktop.

As with the proposed parking garage at Vanderbilt Beach, the county needs to find an alternative revenue source to pay for additional parking. This is because the tourist tax "honey pot" can barely keep up with voter-mandated obligations.

Furthermore, the county relies very heavily on the city of Naples for beach access and parking. Henning is moving down the wrong road if he chooses to steal sand from our city's beaches just so he can lay down asphalt in the unincorporated areas to the north.

As a result, I am glad to see that our city appears ready for a sand fight. It is a fight I am confident our city will win.

Slam dunk

Editor, Naples Daily News:

I enthusiastically endorse and support Andy Coy for U.S. Congress. I have known Andy since he was 16 years old, and I know that he is the right person to replace Porter Goss.

I support Andy for many of the same reasons that I offered him a basketball scholarship at Edison Community College. Andy's qualities of hard work, discipline, extra effort, passion, teamwork and humility are attributes he had while playing basketball for me at Edison Community College and these will be the same qualities he has for us as he is our public servant in Washington, D.C.

Sunlighting?

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Notwithstanding the mood of the country that we must restore integrity to our government and business institutions in the United States, it seems that "good-old-boy business as usual" is still alive and well in Naples. City Manager Bob Lee and the state attorney need to learn how we do business down here in Naples.

While senior Naples city building officials have admitted to "moonlighting" by doing design work for the city (can you say "conflict of interest"?) and fishing on city time, guests of the very builders whose plans and work they are supposed to inspect (can you say "conflict of interest" again?), we give these guys paid time off!

Maybe we could come up with a new way for city employees to scam the taxpayers, called "sunlighting," which would permit city building officials to do design work for the city and fish, simultaneously, all the while on our (the taxpayers') time.

Of course, this "work" would be done on boats owned, or chartered, by the builder/developer community. We could even impose some really strict rules, such as: little job, small boat; big job, large boat.

I commend you, Dr. Lee, for starting the investigation of these city employees. However, you, and the City Council, must have the courage to follow through with appropriate disciplinary action, as opposed to a slap on the wrists. A parade of "good old boy" character witnesses, the very architects and builders who have benefited the most from these kinds of building "officials," should be ignored.

Paralyzed from within

Editor, Naples Daily News:

As our Vanderbilt Beach residents' coalition struggled to gain the cooperation of the Collier County staff to help enact the vision of a majority of our constituents, we encountered deaf ears and a stone wall. All of our county contacts expressed their great fear of the Bert Harris Act.

Regardless of whether our county employees are sincerely afraid of a Bert Harris claim or are cynically using it to shield and protect the interests of the development community the result is the same -- unchecked and often inappropriate development. The county is paralyzed, status quo reigns and it's business as usual for the developers and their minions -- many of whom are former county employees.

We have learned a good deal about how this county is run as we have labored to preserve the character and the quality of life that we moved to Vanderbilt Beach to enjoy. Probably the biggest surprise was how pervasive and influential the building/development community really is. One gets the impression that development is the sole economic engine of the county and must be kowtowed to. Its tentacles run deep throughout the whole of county government.

How and where does one start to clean up the undue influence that puts the citizen-taxpayers on an uneven playing field with powerful and deep-pocketed developers? We could begin by cutting out the influence-peddling of former planning staff members who freely roam the halls of Development Services dispensing "wisdom and experience" on behalf of their current employers.