Letters to the Editor: June 18, 2006

Letter of the Day: Lights, camera ... and a little less action

Editor, Daily News:

I was sorry to read that the Pavilion Cinema 10 in North Naples wouldn't be hosting the film festival anymore.

For a wealthy city like Naples, I'm really surprised at the movie theaters that we do have.

I have been to Virginia, New Hampshire, Manhattan, etc., and every movie theater is more comfortable and better in a lot of ways.

I hope the new manager of the Pavilion will show some of the better movies that we never seem to get here. Once in a while, there will be an excellent foreign film shown, but it never stays more than a week.

Most of my friends feel the same as I do.

— Elly Milne / Naples
P.S. — And please don't show 20 minutes of commercials and coming attractions!

Letter of the Day: News judgment

Editor, Daily News:

I think when a country is at war and our soldiers are in another country fighting to keep us from being bombed, that it is in very poor taste for the Bonita Daily News to put the news of the day — President Bush making a surprise trip to Baghdad — on the third page!

"Heavyweight, Lightweight Bout" making front-page news is not news and certainly not the news that our country needs on the front page. It's terrific for those children to be doing exercise, but it is more important that such special news of our president be put on the front page and not Page 3.

— Frances Mahan / Bonita Springs

Piling higher and lower

Editor, Daily News:

So Gov. Jeb Bush has signed House Bill 7087, the bill intended to lift Florida from its current position as the state with the worst high school graduation rate in the nation.

Unfortunately, this shameful situation will not be rectified by tweaking a policy that is already serious flawed.

Bush is quoted as saying: "Our education system should not be a one-size-fits-all system for every student."

Really? I wonder how he would describe the FCAT.

As the mother of two adult and two teenage children, I have long been associated with education and believe one reason so many students drop out of high school is because of the system's obsession with math.

The vast majority of students will not go on to careers requiring the level of math currently being taught, and many will never get to grips with geometry, algebra, trigonometry and calculus.

For many, higher math is pure misery and a major stumbling block to achieving a good, basic education. Under this new bill, high school students will be required to take a fourth year of math, which I predict will only serve to drive more students to drop out.

The last two years of high school should be about preparing for adult life, and the introduction of vocational training is a step in the right direction.

However, unless we modernize the curriculum, Florida is doomed to languish at the bottom of the pile for years to come.

— Nina Mold / Naples

A toast to moderation

Editor, Daily News:

In recent years, our country has been polarized between the extreme religious right wing of the Republican Party and the so-called radical left wing of the Democratic Party.

The word liberal has acquired a derogatory connotation and in turn right-wing religious conservatism has become a symbol of reaction.

Most of our presidents, who campaign either on the left or the right prior to election, generally move towards the center once they are elected. Therefore polarization does not occur or, if it does, it is not extreme.

Today, we have a president who remains on the far right and a Congress that is bitterly divided and extremely antagonistic toward each other. This makes it difficult for the legislative branch to get much done since compromise is almost impossible on many issues.

The only people who seem to get along and who can compromise are the moderate Republicans and Democrats. Perhaps this is a sign that it is time for a party realignment with the moderates of both parties forming a new party. It is my belief that most of our citizens would welcome such a development. Many of us are tired of the petty bickering and the absolutist righteous posturing of the the extreme wings of the two parties.

Neither extreme group has a monopoly on the truth as they would have us believe. The truth lies in between and the moderates will find a way to achieve its promise.

— Stanley Tralins / Naples

The law we have can suffice

Editor, Daily News:

The certifaction of lawn-care and landscape contractors in the city of Naples is a complete waste of time and money.

The state of Florida requires that all lawn-care companies to have a commerical landscape maintenance license that requires eight hours of classes the first year then four hours every year after that.

The classes cover all areas of pest control, including integrated pest management. The state requires this license to apply fertilizers and Round-Up and to use some pesticides.

It seems to me that the city can save time and money by just having the landscapers produce this license upon getting or renewing the city's competency card.

I think it is great that the city is trying to clean up Naples Bay, but this is the first time in my 32 years of living here that they have decided to do anything about it and the bay has been polluted for as long as I can remember.

I wrote an e-mail to the mayor about the license before the vote and did not hear one word from his office. Why was this not an issue when the mayor held office years ago?

I do not live in the city and it is not my tax dollars wasted on this new license, but if the city, along with the state, would enforce the law that is already there they could save a lot of time and money.

— James Forrester / Naples

Woof — and meow?

Editor, Daily News:

So what is the big deal about dogs dining with their owners?

I think they should also be allowed in grocery stores to help choose the food supply.

Also, doctors' offices — they really should have the authority to choose your doctor!

Some dogs are pretty smart. How about having them fill your gas tank?

And why not take your kitty to the movies.

There are plenty of empty seats!

— Alvy Oechslin / Naples