Letters to the Editor: June 29, 2006

Daily dose of comment and insight from our readers.

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.

- - -

Two points

Editor, Daily News:

Two items:

Why delay the inevitable? Close the dog track in Bonita Springs and replace it with a casino/hotel. People have the right to gamble if they want, but dogs do not have to suffer and die in the process.

Why do the local politicians look at each other and scratch their heads on what to do about the seaweed and/or dead fish on the beaches? Clean it up as fast as possible using front-end loaders or tractors with rakes. If not, the tourists won’t come back.

Fort Myers, Bonita and Naples can subcontract the work to construction companies and the farmers when needed rather than buy a lot of equipment.

Up north we knew it was going to snow every winter and we were prepared; we plowed it off the streets for safety and economic reasons. I believe the same applies down here.

Jim Adduci/Naples and Boston

An opportunity missed

Editor, Daily News:

The action by the Collier County Commissioners to reduce the tax rate rather than invest the $20 million in the future was short-sightedness.

Commissioner Jim Coletta had it partially right. Seven million of the $22 million could have placed nearly 2,000 students in Early Learning Childcare with the dollars matched by the state to fund a second year.

Those 2,000 children are sitting on a waiting list for subsidized child care that would allow a parent to go out and get a job or reduce the burden of affordable housing pains.

The tax rate reduction for the rich would produce a $1,430 reduction in tax on a snowbird’s $5 million property or $993.65 if homesteaded. The same rate reduction would affect an average Collier home by $124.41 and $79.94 if homesteaded.

The working poor with a $100,000 property would only get $12.87 on a homesteaded house.

The county missed an opportunity to step up and assist the full time citizens of Collier County. Lee County generously supports child-care agency work with matching funds. There was not ample notice and time for the public input.

Isn’t it time to give the little guy a break?

William A. Robinson/Naples

Charting a new course

Editor, Daily News:

Collier County’s well-respected Productivity Committee has recommended that the county change to charter government, to improve efficiency. This would be a proper move.

While it seems like only yesterday, it was actually about 18 months ago when, after a number of internal meetings, a small group of citizens proposed to the county commissioners that they consider a change to charter government.

We each spoke to them for our full three minutes and, with one exception, they received our views respectfully, then discussed the matter briefly. That was it. No real discussion, no study committee, no follow-up, nothing.

Since then two of our group, Bob Stone and Fred Tarrant, with their lovely wives, emigrated to the verdant hills of Costa Rica, where the high temperature is 75 year-round. Out of frustration? Who can say?

When Bob read about the Productivity Committee report he quickly e-mailed instructions for immediate action. I suggested he wait at least 18 more months, because it takes at least three years to move the board of county commissioners.

Please don’t disappoint our expatriates.

Nick Hale/Naples

Four stars for Gordon

Editor, Daily News:

I must strongly disagree with Julia Vaux’s letter June 22 letter on L.G. Gordon’s articles.

I find her weekly column humorous, informative and entertaining. Plus she likes martinis!

What’s not to like?

Tony Heberton/Naples

And another thing

Editor, Daily News:

It is time to change the subject from politics, war, etc.

I think I am probably starting to sound as boring as Varner, Riccio and the rest of the left-wing fanatics.

I have been living in Collier County for more than five years but never heard of “Naples’ dirty little secret” until recently.

My business associate recently was replacing his air-conditioning unit when a nest of rats was discovered living in the ducts.

It took weeks to rid the house of these vermin. A few friends of mine, one who lives on Sixth Avenue South and the other on Gulfshore Boulevard, were talking about rat infestation last week. Both have had them on their property, have seen them in the streets and have even seen them strolling on Fifth Avenue South while dining outdoors. One of these friends called it Naples’ dirty little secret.

I have not read anything in the Daily News regarding rats in Naples over the five years living here. Is this intentional on your part? Would your real-estate advertisers kick and scream, claiming that you were going to hurt their business?

What does the Daily News know about this and for how long have you suppressed this?

Lou Cohn/Naples/New York

A harsh life

Editor, Daily News:

Summer traditionally grants vacation time, recuperation and rest. However, migrant workers get no such vacation, and travel north with the changing season.

A typical day begins at about 4 a.m., when workers eat a skimpy breakfast before heading out to “The Lot,” a parking lot where workers attempt to find work for the day. The 10- to 12-hour day continues with a long drive out to the fields where they will pick tomatoes, one of Immokalee’s staple crops.

Earning 40 cents per 32-pound bucket of tomatoes picked, a worker must pick 4,800 pounds of tomatoes, filling 150 buckets, to earn $60 in a day. However, workers very scarcely fill 150. This totals less than minimum wage. In fact, the average worker earns less than $10,000 annually. Working every single day of the year that work can be found, the life of a farm worker contains virtually no relaxation.

Why are farm workers paid so little for such plentiful, difficult work? Supplying corporations such as McDonald’s and Yum! Brands, growers need huge quantities of produce to meet the fast-food market need. To keep production costs down, growers have not given price increases to workers since 1980. Huge corporations such as these keep farm workers from a good life, from a life they expected when coming to a “free” land.

Please join the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in its campaign against McDonald’s, Chipotle, Burger King and Subway to help farm workers gain a brighter future.

Visit www.ciw-online.org for more information.

Eric Poeltl/Naples

Read and reread

Editor, Daily News:

I have now read Kathleen Sullivan’s June 20 letter a dozen times and I still cannot understand how abstinence education can prevent rape.

According to my Webster’s Dictionary rape is defined as “sexual intercourse with a woman carried out without her consent and especially by force.”

Unless Project Reality is teaching judo, karate or some other form of physical self-defense, I really don’t understand how “abstinence education teaches youth how not to become victims of rape.”

To be a victim means you have no way to prevent something from happening. Saying “no way,” along with a good kick in the right place, really works much better.

Elissa Goldstein/Naples

Tax relief now

Editor, Daily News:

I don’t want to second-guess the Collier County commissioners about the budget. You have a greater knowledge of what is needed. I offer this thought.

I am sure Collier County has a triple-A (bond) rating. This rating gives the county government borrowing power at a great interest rate. This will let you borrow funds needed for the projects and spread the cost to new residents over future years.

Government always seems to justify spending our tax dollars. We will always have a project but we will not always have the opportunity to give a tax rollback. Collier County has that opportunity now.

The cost of living is increasing (especially insurance rates). A stable tax rate will motivate real estate and commercial growth. Real estate value is what produced the windfall of tax dollars last year.

Commissioner Jim Coletta’s statement about the roads needing attention will be an ongoing process for years to come.

You will not always have the opportunity to give something back to the people. I agree with Commissioner Tom Henning: Give the taxpayers relief.

Michael Dedio/Naples

Leave ’em laughing

Editor, Daily News:

Of course Congress keeps giving itself pay raises — it’s always easy to bring home the bacon when you’re surrounded by so much pork.

It’s been so dry, now that the water park is open I’m going to take my lawn.

Qwazy question: If someone from Mexico crosses over to the U.S. via the Rio Grande, does that make him an illegal swimmigrant?

I’ve decided the reason it’s called a TV remote is because the chances you’ll find a worthwhile TV show are remote.

Too bad that after graduation most of today’s college seniors were able to shed their caps and gowns but not their loans.

My golf has been so lousy, my next slice may be on my wrists.

Fred Tobias/Naples

Gate(s) of heaven?

Editor, Daily News:

The abundance of Sunni Muslim suicide bombers blowing up the Shiite Muslims and then the Shiites blowing up the Sunnis kind of makes you wonder which ones are going to heaven.

Logic would tell you that it cannot be the same place unless there are multiple entrances. If that is the case, then why bother killing your “brother” in the first place?

Must be that they think that there is only one entrance. How selfish to keep someone else from getting in there unless the rooms are small and a limited number of virgins are available on a “first call” basis.

Jerry Rodeheaver/Naples

Where’s the outrage?

Editor, Daily News:

I wonder where the outrage is from my fellow Collier County residents considering Commissioner Jim Coletta’s statements dealing with our overpaying of taxes.

Only one commissioner stepped forward to try to return the money. Mr. Coletta, we residents paid for the roads and the development continues. Do the math.

John Gunderman/Marco Island