Letters to the editor: Nov. 27, 2003

Letter of the Day -- On this Thanksgiving ...

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Collier Harvest is working hard to ease the plight of the hungry in our community. This is done by its approximately 150 volunteers who donate time and vehicles to deliver donated food from local grocers, produce stands and restaurants. About 45 agencies serving the needy receive the food.

Consider becoming a volunteer by calling us at 455-FOOD (3663). It only takes one to two hours per week. Plan a canned food drive with your church or group. We will pick up and distribute to local agencies or you can donate a few cans of food in the bins marked "Collier Harvest Food Drive" at participating businesses.

These bins are located at Wynn's Markets, Winn-Dixie at Carillon Center, Albertson's in Pelican Bay, Gold's Gym, the Community School of Naples, Coldwell Banker and John R. Wood real estate offices.

Watch for more sites as they are coming on board daily.

Collier Harvest will keep about 1 million pounds of food from being thrown away this year and will help get it to those who need it most. The concept works and has been in practice for 12 years. You can help be a part of the goal to "Feed the Hungry without Money." Please consider becoming involved.

Beach talk

Editor, Naples Daily News:

"Please sir. Can you spare some sand?

"Well, if you insist, I'll explain my predicament. I bought a piece of land right on the water, a beachfront lot, for over $2 million. I got a deal on it because I only pay taxes on 30 percent of its value."

"How you say?"

"Well, a couple of years ago 70 percent of my sandy back yard washed away and the county renourished it for me, almost free of charge. They, the county, said that it's really their sand, and I can't build on it, but I don't think that's so because everyone else has. The developer of our community saved big time by avoiding the huge costs of having a permanent solution; like a seawall. Obviously those savings were passed down to me. They also chose to make our community as private as possible, which leaves our beach exclusively to ourselves and stops most public access.

"As luck would have it, my back yard washed away again and only half my lot remains intact, making house construction impossible! So please sir, be reasonable, just a bit of sand."

"OK, $5 million for renourishment seems excessive, but the conservationists will be happy with more sand on our beach and the engineers will be happy doing the design work, so where's the problem?"

To get a close-up view on beach access and beach renourishment issues, see the Web site www.geocities.com/collierwatchdog

GOP delivered on drugs

Editor, Naples Daily News:

I have spent the morning listening to many callers on C-Span. With so many seeking a prescription drug benefit added to Medicare, you'd think the calls would be positive. You'd be wrong. Most are complaining! Only a few appreciate the passage of the bill.

Medicare was first passed in 1965. I doubt very seriously if everyone was absolutely ecstatic when that major piece of legislation passed. Through the years I'm sure improvements have been made. But let's face it, medical care and drugs have come along way since 1965. It's time Medicare was brought into the 21st century. If left alone without any changes, the current Medicare will not be there for those of us approaching the Medicare years.

People often fight change even if the change proves to be beneficial. Those that are now burning their AARP membership cards and shouting from the rooftops they will never vote for a Republican again should consider this: In the eight years of the Clinton presidency, the prescription drug benefit was not delivered. When the Democrats controlled the Senate before the 2002 elections, Medicare reform did not pass. It took a Republican president and Republican-controlled House and Senate to have the courage to put forth a bill for a vote.

Let's be honest, Republicans are usually not inclined to vote to expand an entitlement program. It may not be perfect, but it's a foot in the door. Legislation can always be amended and fixed. Just look how many times the tax codes have been changed.

Ease off the gas

Editor, Naples Daily News:

This is an open letter to all the drivers that travel on Pebble Beach Boulevard every day.

You need to slow down! It is ludicrous the number of drivers who are racing up and down the street at all hours of the day, especially during the prime commuting hours in the morning and evening.

I am not a retired person with nothing better to do than complain about a few cars traveling above the speed limit. I am a 30-year-old woman, mother and wife. I walk twice a day in my neighborhood and it is frightening to think my 9-month-old will be playing one day among these NASCAR "wannabes."

This is a family neighborhood with numerous pedestrians and bicyclists. I would hate for a tragedy to occur before some action is taken by either the Collier County sheriff or the Lely Civic Association. It seems like a simple solution to eradicate the problem -- speed bumps built by the Lely Civic Association or a speed trap by the Sheriff's Office. Either one is fine by me.

Proud to be Guatemalan

Editor, Naples Daily News:

As a Guatemalan, I am very proud to see these Guatemalans and Mexican, Lucas Benitez, Julia Gabriel and Romeo Ramirez, being recognized with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award for their hard work.

On Thanksgiving, we should be thankful to these people who live in almost subhuman conditions and work so hard to earn not even a "living wage."

We also should be thankful to all of the caring people who work in Immokalee to improve their lives, like the Guadalupe Social Services, the Friendship House and the many other agencies and volunteers. But the best thing will be if they all go out of business when these immigrants are given a fair share of the American dream with just pay and treatment for their labor, and be seen as humans instead of cheap labor to grow our food, clean our houses and tend the gardens.

By being a volunteer in Immokalee, I have seen firsthand the difficulties of their lives and the kindness of the people who try to improve their lives. Thanks to all of them; they make the world a better place.

I suggest that this season, instead of being caught in the "I want" syndrome, when we buy and get useless gifts, we make a donation to the ones who really need it.

Now for some good news

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Want some good news for a change? OK, here it is: The Boat and Car Auction has been rejuvenated and we look forward to our first sale, possibly in March 2004.

Just like before, the primary beneficiaries will be the kids of Collier County who need our help. Donors will be winners too, through tax write-offs, and finally, anxious buyers, who attended past events in droves, will have the opportunity to get a boat, car or other valuable merchandise at auction which gives the buyer the chance to name his own price.

These sales are being presented jointly by NCH Healthcare System and Youth Haven.

We will be asking for not only boats and cars, we will accept golf carts, motor homes, trailers, campers, marine equipment, lots, homes, acreage and more.

If we don't have to feed it, and it won't bite us, we will take it. Watch for our first sale.

A private war

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Re: Stan Chrzanowski's letter of Nov. 23:

Congratulations, Stan, you hit the nail on the head concerning George W. Bush's private war in Iraq. Also depriving the media of access to the return of the "private war" dead soldiers at Dover Air Force Base is akin to classifying the outrageous Halliburton Corp. oil and gasoline contracts in Iraq.

When our "grunt" heroes left Vietnam, the United States was winning. The price of Iraqi oil continues to rise on a daily basis.

Open and shut -- and reopen case

Editor, Naples Daily News:

I was 23 years old that day and, like everyone else, vividly remember the murder of President Kennedy. I have always been a political opponent of JFK. Nevertheless I believe he represented our best and brightest. As a World War II officer, injured in Pacific combat, JFK's courage is unquestionable.

Although he made a naive early presidential blunder at the Bay of Pigs, his decisiveness in rejecting the massive pressure from his hawkish military staff to launch an atomic "first strike" against the Russians during the Cuban Missile Crisis reflects the ability of a true leader.

He displayed a prescient ability to envision the aftermath of "war" rather than to succumb to the instant gratification of deploying weapons of mass destruction. His acumen in those days may well have spared the human race from total destruction by residual radiation.

For years I have actively followed the JFK case. However, last week's History Channel TV series was the most provocative analysis ever presented. I believe the JFK case should be bifurcated. The first part is the assassination itself and the second is the 40 years of cover-up after arrival of his limousine at Parkland Hospital. Perhaps they are connected -- perhaps not.

With today's sophisticated forensic tools it is worth examining all evidence, completely declassifying absolutely every related document and subpoenaing every living related party before it is too late. A presidential inquiry coupled with a grant of immunity to all but the murder co-conspirators, if any, would help let the truth be known.

Save the Everglades (Airpark)

Editor, Naples Daily News:

It appears that all of a sudden the Everglades Airpark is bleeding money and must be sold right away to real estate developers for its own good. This one-time cash windfall for the county will solve almost all our problems and we will live happily ever after.

It is unwise and unreasonable to consider government facilities for their resale value merely because they are not making a profit. If this was a good idea, then county officials should consider selling all their office buildings and real estate to developers. Additionally, we should fire all county employees. After all, they are not making a profit.

Just as my suggestion above is short-term thinking, so too is the proposal to eliminate the Everglades Airpark. As the new housing development is built in the area adjacent to the runway, it might be a good idea to have the prospective owners sign a "pre-nup," whereby they acknowledge that airplanes make noise and there will no doubt be more airplanes making more noise in the future. Is it far-fetched to believe that this is the real issue regarding the airport?

You can't stop all the new developments, but it isn't wrong for residents to stand up for the way of life that already exists. I believe voters would not agree to give up an airport that serves the public interest to serve the interests of developers.

Where do we go now?

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Much has been said and written about the fallacious reasons for President Bush's rushing into the Iraq war last March. This letter, however, is concerned with the apparent lack of the Bush administration's planning for the post-war period.

Vice President Cheney has consistently steered the course on Iraq. Last month Cheney said, "We could not afford the danger of Saddam Hussein and his allies turning weapons of mass destruction against us and our allies." Last March he expressed his lack of concern for the post-war period when he blithely stated that, "I really do believe that we will be greeted as liberators."

President Bush displayed a gross lack of understanding of the conflict last May when he was brought aboard an aircraft carrier, masquerading as an aviator, and declared the cessation of hostilities. To emphasize this announcement, a huge placard declared to the television audience, "Mission Accomplished." Since that May date, the plot has thickened.

More American servicemen have been killed since the war was declared over by President Bush than were killed before. Mortar fire now regularly rains down on the Green Zone (where the Americans are billeted). The Italian paramilitary garrison in Iraq was recently bombed killing 19 Italians and 14 locals. There were mass demonstrations denouncing President Bush during his recent visit to England. The war has expanded internationally with the four recent bombings in Turkey.

Where do we go from here? When do we push for U.N. cooperation?

Shed light on JFK

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Regarding your editorial, "Remembering the real JFK." This is a mean-spirited piece that misses the whole point. Why have so many found John F. Kennedy inspiring and inspiriting? If you had faced that question you would not have repeated the mistake of your previous editorial of a few months past when you trashed Jimmy Carter when he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

As Marshall MacLuhan told us, "The medium is the message." There was something about Kennedy that gave people some hope, someone that they, in a mysterious way, identified with even though he came from a privileged family.

Your parsing of his accomplishments shows you just "don't get it." Your ideological blinders have only isolated you even beyond the borders of an already isolated Naples retirement community, as you called us.

Please recall your motto: "Give light and the people will find their own way." Let us have a little more light on the world out there and a little less of your partisan, narrow, blinder view.

Remember you are the only paper in town. We deserve a better view on the whole world than the one you are giving us. We need the "light" that your letterhead speaks of.

Put politics aside

Editor, Naples Daily News:

The letter from Capt. Keith Shepherd, U.S. Air Force, makes the point that criticism of the president and the secretary of defense is seen by our troops as criticism of them too. Certainly, this is true, just as it was in Vietnam. To subject our young men and women to the horrors of war and then give them the idea that they are not totally supported by their countrymen is absolutely unforgivable.

Muslim terrorism is not directed against Republicans or Democrats. It is directed against Americans. The very concepts of freedom and democracy are being threatened. Once the decision is made to fight, it is our duty to be Americans first and put aside partisan politics until victory is achieved.

I feel great pride when I hear our troops interviewed in Iraq. They are volunteers. They understand why they are there and know they are accomplishing something good. They are willingly making the necessary sacrifices for the rest of us. John Stuart Mill said it best: "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things.

"The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

Bring on solar energy

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Thursday, Nov. 20, in Bonita Springs is proof enough that accidents happen, no matter how professional and well-intentioned the work involved. There was a large environmentally hazardous gas release on U.S. 41 right next to the Imperial River.

We need to get our energy from a cleaner, safer and less-expensive means. Here in Florida we could get at least two-thirds of our electricity for free, from solar energy.

The dangerous new energy bill and other bill reversals are polluting us, causing cancer and destroying the ozone layer. This new energy bill, backed by Vice President Cheney, Exxon and other energy companies, is payback time for the $70 million these companies have contributed to campaign funds. It will allow the oil and gas companies to release harmful carcinogens into our water. It will not hold the big polluters accountable.

The taxpayer will be buying the oil, nuclear fuel and gas for energy and paying for the cleanup as well. The taxpayer will also forfeit his right of royalties from the oil and gas companies overtaking and drilling on public lands. It is time to fight with your checkbooks and your vote; there are battery-powered and solar cars, solar home energy units, even fuel cells will soon be for sale. Don't be so dependent on the grid.

I urge all of you to support a good energy bill, the Hayworth bill HR109, that will give money back to homeowners and businesses for installing solar energy.

Charging at bridge

Editor, Naples Daily News:

Senior citizen bridge players are treated like second-class citizens at East Naples Community Park. The personnel at this park seem to think bridge players are wealthy old dowagers.

Why are bridge players charged $30 for three hours to play bridge during the summer and $45 for three hours during the tourist season? The question really is: Why are we charged at all when Cambier Park, Golden Gate and Rivers Edge do not charge bridge players for the same accommodations?

When questioning the East Naples personnel or the Collier County commissioners' office we are told, "It is because East Naples is run by the county." If I recall, Golden Gate is also in the county. Who runs that parks and recreation facility? At ages 65 to 90, we bridge players no longer use the baseball fields, soccer fields, rollerboard skating areas or the jungle gyms. We are more prone to crossword puzzles and a good game of cards.

However, bridge players do three things faithfully and habitually: We play a good game of bridge, pay taxes and vote!