Whistleblower pays the piper for DeSantis’ secretive state parks plans | Opinion
Bushwhacked
Re: the Sept. 3 online story, “Whistleblower who warned about plan to put golf, hotels in Florida state parks is fired.” Gov. Ron DeSantis got caught trying to help his friends and himself with his plan to bulldoze state park lands and insert golf courses, hotels and pickleball courts.
Thankfully, a state cartographer, James Gaddis, was outraged as he was directed to rush the creation of land use maps for the proposal in secrecy. So, he shared his concerns about the potential environmental destruction with the Tampa Bay Times. Of course, Gaddis has now been fired.
True to form, DeSantis is trying to distance himself from the proposal. He called the plan “half-baked” as he tried to convey it was just not ready for public view. Unfortunately, “half-baked” is an apt description of many of the ideas and policies DeSantis has subjected Florida to while in office.
Carol Billups,
Fort Lauderdale
Work the system
A recent letter to the editor suggests that the Electoral College is outdated and should be scrapped because it gives less-populated states an out-sized role in the election process, including giving them an equal number of senators. If we could resurrect the Founding Fathers, they might agree under current circumstances, but we can’t do that.
To discard the Electoral College, a Constitutional amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states. That means 13 states could and would foil such an effort. There are many more states which would see their clout reduced and have no incentive to ratify. They won’t do it. Therefore, it’s time to stop wasting ink on abolishing the Electoral College. The idea is a non-starter.
Those who support ratification of an amendment to abolish it should instead focus their efforts to win a national election within the system. If that means increasing support within red or rural states, so be it.
Norman Segall,
Coral Gables
Release the funds
On July 1, Gov. DeSantis signed into law legislation that provides $30 million to help condominium associations. Unfortunately, the money will not be released until the fall.
Yet, condominium associations need the money today. Real people are struggling and the governor needs to light a fire under the Department of Insurance Services to provide applications for the assistance.
If you live in a condominium association and are affected by higher costs, call the governor at 850-717-9337. Call Daniel Perez, state representative of House District 116, at 305-348-1414 and 850-717-5116. Call Alexis Calatayud, state senate District 38, at 305-596-3002.
Kenneth Karger,
Kendall
Not so easy
In the Sept. 1 letter “Vital record,” the author was critical of an ACLU lawsuit challenging an Arizona law requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship in order to vote. The author noted that providing proof of citizenship should be easily managed by all. He sited his own experience, which included contacting his county of birth and obtaining his birth certificate, which for him was a simple and painless feat. He added that one could even have an lawyer do this for them.
This reminded me of U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney’s suggestion in 2012 that young people just need to borrow money (at the time $20,000) from their parents if they want to start a business.
Most Americans can’t afford a lawyer and many don’t have computers. Many were not born in this country and many cannot easily negotiate government bureaucracies.
For many, it may be a reasonable request to provide proof of citizenship. However, not all resources have been evenly distributed among us; the silver spoon was not bequeathed to all.
Gary Kreisberg,
Pinecrest
Bait and fraud
United States Sen. Rick Scott is running campaign ads in the Miami Herald under the title, “The Biden-Harris Medicare Bait & Switch.” The ads claim he “has always fought to protect Medicare.”
How ironic, given that when he was the chief executive officer of Columbia/HCA, that company defrauded Medicare in one of the largest healthcare frauds in American history.
Leo Bueno,
Coral Gables
Freedom redefined
Although contextually unrelated, Florida’s Amendment 3 (Marijuana Legalization Initiative) and Amendment 4 (Right to Abortion Initiative) both provide voters an opportunity to chose what they will be free to do.
If the government cannot decide what you smoke, then how can it tell you what you can do with your own body?
Rich Parrish,
Miami
Yes man
Many Evangelical Christians believe that life begins at conception, a view of which the Alabama Supreme Court recently concurred. Under that belief, the disposal of unused embryos after a successful IVF implantation amounts to abortion or possibly murder.
Former President Donald Trump recently said that if elected president, he will not only support IVF, but he will also have the government pay for the procedure. I cannot reconcile those views. Additionally, when asked how he would vote on Florida’s abortion amendment, he said the current law allowing abortion for only six weeks was excessive and that 15 weeks was the correct number.
Clearly, Trump is pro-choice and would only negotiate the details. When will his supporters realize that he has no core beliefs or principles. He will answer whatever the person in front of him wants to hear. If someone else doesn’t like what he said, don’t worry, he will say whatever they want to hear.
Henry E. Marks,
West Kendall
Good nature
Our beautiful Florida state parks do not need “improvements.” They are natural areas and that’s why we love them.
We love them because they do not have golf courses or pickleball courts. They are where we go to get away from those things.
Nature does great things for our brains. Millions of us enjoy our state parks every year for their peace and wildness — and for their refreshing lack of “improvements.” Keep leaving them alone; we’ll be grateful.
A. Lebeaux,
Key Largo
Top students
Ben Sasse, a former U.S. senator and former president of the University of Florida (UF), should be ashamed of himself. He is a disgrace to the conservatives of the Republican Party and to the honorable UF administrators around the country.
I am a graduate of UF and its College of Journalism and Communications. I have also been awarded a Distinguished Alumni award.
I was disgusted when Sasse and his crony staff got all that money from the university while individual deans are working diligently for money to support their colleges.
In good conscience, Sasse should give his millions in salary until 2028 to the UF students who broke the story at The Independent Florida Alligator. They should be honored with a Pulitzer for uncovering what he did to a public university.
Stanley Schwartz,
Key Biscayne
Heroes, not losers
Former President Donald Trump allegedly called our veterans and heroes “losers” and “suckers.” Yet, he could not wait to desecrate the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery for a photo op, despite violating common decency. This is MAGA-world according to the misogynistic posts and rants of the Trump/Vance team.
Only in MAGA-world is it acceptable to tell the vice president to “go to hell.” This same world allows and condones despicable social posts, lies upon lies, sexual predatory behavior, multiple felonies and the overthrow of our government.
We have the power to stop this by voting on Nov. 5 and send MAGA-world permanently back to the abyss from where it came. This may be our last chance.
Bruce J. Maltzman,
Wellington