Letters to the editor for Sunday, November 17, 2024

Letters to the editor should be 250 words or less. Include your name and city or community of residence. Guest opinions should be 600 words or less and include a brief summary of the author’s credentials relevant to the topic. Guest opinions may include a head shot of the author. For the Fort Myers News-Press, email submissions to [email protected] and for the Naples Daily News to [email protected]
A $3M to $5M solution to Marco’s water quality problems. And it is not Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT). AWT induces visions of a bulldozer scraping the Marco Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) down to the dirt and starting over at a cost of over $200,000,000. Not needed.
On October 7, 2022, the City of Marco Island issued a Request for Information (RFI) related to the best value technology methods to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in the WWTP reuse water.
One of the responses received was from a firm called Phosphorus Free Water Solutions (PFWS). PFWS had been selected by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) as the water treatment contractor for the Piney Point state of emergency resulting from a gypsum stack containment breach. An environmental catastrophe was avoided.
The technology used is a chemical process step for “finishing” or “polishing” nutrients out of sewage reuse water. For the Marco WWTP, the equipment would be housed in two cargo containers and would easily fit into the existing facility. No change to the existing sewage treatment process required. This would also eliminate 90% of the chlorine used in the process saving an additional $140,000 per year.
This simple project would fix the environmental problem in the Marco canals now caused by excess phosphorus in the sewage reuse water. The cost to clean 99% of the phosphorus and nitrogen out of the Marco sewage reuse water? Between $3M and $5M.
Marco Island spends more on pickleball.
Eugene Wordehoff, Marco Island
I laughed out loud at a letter submitted to SWFL voices on Wednesday.  This writer is complaining of what “crybabies” and “bad sports” those of us are that dare to (gasp!) write letters to the editor or have the audacity to even voice our displeasure about the outcome of the election.  In his opinion it’s not about winning or losing.  We should congratulate each other and shake hands.  As an example of how their loss was handled on January 6th: We should form an armed mob on the day certification takes place, storm the Capitol, violate the halls and offices by smearing excrement on the walls and floors, and beat senseless those sacrificing their own safety to protect the lives of those inside.  Then spend the next four years screaming “rigged! it was rigged!” ” Stop the Steal!” You mean suffer our loss like that?  Just like the Republicans did on January 6th?  Hypocrisy thy name is Republican.
Janet Carpenter, North Fort Myers
We’re gonna have our old president back as our new president and at 78 our oldest president. So he is our old, new, oldest (ONO) president and he is going to have to get to work fast starting at noon on January 20, 2025. His success or failure will be determined within 24 hours of his inauguration.
At a rally in Wildwood, NJ on May 11 he stated, “On day 1 of my new administration, I will seal the border and send illegal aliens back to where they belong.” That means no commerce, no cruise ships and no people going from the U.S. to Mexico and no commerce, no cruise ships and no people going from Mexico to the U.S. Everything will be sealed. That also means that on January 20, 2025, day 1, he will send 11 million migrants out of the U.S. Logistically that will be a nightmare but that is what he said, “…day 1…back to where they belong.”
Referring to the Russian/Ukrainian war at a CNN town hall meeting on May 10, 2023, he guaranteed, “I’ll have that done in 24 hours.” That actually means that he personally will end the war by noon on January 21. 2025.
We will know just how truthful a president he is gonna be by noon on January 21, 2025.
Roy Feigel, Naples
A convicted felon has been elected to the presidency. So now we can join other Third World countries that also put criminals in their leadership. Very sad.
The Light in the Darkness is the Democratic Party meeting that disagrees with allowing this man to assume the presidency. According to the 14th Amendment, he should not be allowed to hold office since he initiated an insurrection on Jan. 6th, 2021. I watched live on TV the assault on the Capitol and the officers there. Trump’s name was everywhere. 
I consider Trump’s election a tragedy for the country and will not be watching the Inauguration. 
The only real solution to this dilemma is to invoke the 14th Amendment but that’s not very likely. I feel as though I’m mourning the demise of my country, which I served as an Air Force nurse at Andrews AFB, Md. I have a picture of the small Air Force One as I went to the flight line to pick up patients from the planes. Who knew I’d be writing about this years later.
Should we toast this usurped presidency with a Lysol cocktail as he suggested in the past? Why is he not arrested for threatening people? 
It’s a shame that his risk to the country was unknown to many. But we will all suffer from it. 
Former Air Force Nurse Captain Alice Mack, RN, retired, Fort Myers
As we approach the 2025 legislative session, it is essential that we address the long-overdue attention needed for Florida’s disability community. Families and individuals in Collier County and beyond have navigated challenges, including inadequate access to comprehensive services, gaps in educational support, and strained community resources.
Last year brought significant legislative improvements, laying the foundation for better support. However, much more remains to be done. The upcoming session presents a critical opportunity to build on these efforts, close gaps, and foster independence, growth, and happiness for people with disabilities. Our policymakers have the power to champion solutions that ensure access to better health care, specialized education programs, and inclusive recreational opportunities — all contributing to a thriving, inclusive community.
I urge our state legislators to make 2025 a transformative year for the disability community. Let us prioritize legislation that reflects our shared values of empathy, inclusivity, and progress. Our neighbors and loved ones living with disabilities deserve nothing less.
Stephanie Nordin, Naples
It doesn’t matter who’s in office, spending is out of control. I think there are two things that may rein in the excesses of this problem. One is to reform the tax code, in its present form it’s very complicated and cumbersome; it would benefit all Americans if we had a standard flat tax rate. Secondly, I believe a line-item veto would go a long way in reducing the national debt, regardless of which party is in control. All Americans should support this, it’s not what’s best for your district but what’s best for the country.
Kelly Lashley, Fort Myers
As I read the letters this morning, there were the usual suspects.  Those writing about how they could not understand how so many people could vote for Trump and how the country is doomed. Most of those I know who voted for Trump did not really vote “for” him.  They voted against the Democrat agenda.
We are tired of being told the most important issues facing our country are not the issues that resonate with the majority:  increasing regulations to control more aspects of our lives; climate change and the mandates that go with it; plumbers and carpenters asked to pay off college student loans; transgender boys playing in girls’ sports and all associated therewith; uncontrolled immigration and on and on.  The Democrats focused on Trump’s morality and his noxious personality.  Many of our political leaders have had moral issues.  Bill Clinton, for one, was accused by 10 or more women of sexual abuse.  He made a substantial payment to one.  He had sex in the Oval Office.  He was impeached. But he was a pretty good president because he addressed the issues of the nation.  
Trump’s personal history is not of a person I admire.  He may end up being a terrible president, but he said he will address the issues that concern the majority of Americans including voting for Amendment 4.  And they voted for him.
Jim Thomas, Bonita Springs
There is a concern the USA is not equipped to measure up to a Russia / China / Iran / North Korea alliance.  Besides building our military to a higher standard and forming even greater alliances with our allies why is there never a discussion about mandatory service for young American men and women, minimum of two years in the military?  Never before have we needed a strong military with adequate numbers of well-trained soldiers.
Time spent in the military, in a discipline structure, can be beneficial to young Americans.  The service puts you in an environment with all races, creeds, ideologies.  You live and work with each other in a positive manner.  You are taught that you are no better than another but you are important to your country as a team working in tandem.  You’re put in an environment where you have responsibility.  You exercise, you are drug free, you’re taught about your country, you learn to respect others no matter where you come from, what you look like or how you talk.
Whether you serve right after high school or after a higher education you must put in a minimum of two years.  Our young people and our country will benefit.  This is a commonsense approach to a nationalistic spirt that would help eliminate a lot of the problems we have in our country today, drugs, racism, gangs, hate, etc.  And we will have a stronger military which is necessary today.
Bob Shea, Naples
The result of the recent presidential election came down to two things: The economy and which candidate the voters liked the most. The Republicans chose to lie about the economy and say they knew how to fix it. The economy is in very good shape and the Democrats couldn’t promise to fix something that didn’t need fixing.As to who the voters liked, they liked then Vice President Biden and didn’t like either Secretary Clinton or Vice President Harris, i.e. the two women. The problem is that President-elect Trump’s only qualification is that he is not a woman.
Harlan Boise, Naples
President-elect Trump says that climate change is a hoax. I am a resident of Southwest Florida who has had five homes destroyed by three hurricanes and one tornado in the past two years. My son and friends experienced devastating fires in Southern California and New England this year. My friends in North Carolina and Georgia lost their homes this past year as a result of hurricanes and floods. Looking at weather events such as these, I believe that climate change is real, and getting worse.
We should be taking action to reduce carbon emissions that are causing global warming of air and oceans. This was the warmest year on record. This has led to stronger and more devastating hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, and floods. I support the decision made by the Biden administration to manufacture electric vehicles and solar panels in the United States to reduce our reliance on carbon-emitting gas-powered vehicles and electric power for homes and businesses. These positive actions are part of a long-term strategy to reverse climate change as well as bring jobs back to the United States.
President-elect Trump wants to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement, and “drill, drill, drill.” He also said he wants to reverse solar and electric vehicle legislation. I believe that these are bad decisions. We are not short of oil, we are short on implementing the solutions to slow and reverse climate change.
Linda Lindquist, North Fort Myers
There was a letter in the voices 11/9 by Ed O’ Keefe that was excellent, he hit the nail right on the head. We have basically sold out to a con man and tyrant for a promise of lower grocery prices and to remove all the immigrants. It reminds me of something I’ve heard about the Italian dictator Mussolini who was an ally of Hitler. He came into power by promising to make the trains run on time. The writer’s last statement was perfect. “We have sold ourselves and democracy cheap, the high price will come soon enough.”
Vic Boberg, North Fort Myers
Should the Democrats establish a resistance effort against the Trump administration or should they just sit back and let that administration take the country into tariffic economic chaos and personal misery?
Immigration: The cost of mass deportation will be extreme and the economic labor losses severe (lack of competent workers, loss of their tax contributions and lost profits by their employers).
Climate Change: Since it is a hoax, fossil fuels will remain paramount in producing energy while global warming will progressively take its toll.
Socialism: Obamacare and Medicaid will disappear; Social Security and Medicare will be privatized.
Deep State: The elimination of effective federal agencies will remove health safety, product safety, auto safety, food and drug safety, environmental safety from our daily lives.
Reproductive Health: Women’s right to choose, the right to contraception for both women and men will be denied. Elon Musk has already “man”dated that Americans must have more babies.
At the end of its road, the Trump administration will evoke the Pogo epitaph: “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” They will discover that our government was the embodiment of our Constitution and that by destroying that government, they destroyed our Constitution.
Joe Haack, Naples
Fortunately, the re-election of Donald Trump will likely erase much of the insanity we’ve experienced during the past four years. Obama will likely move out of Washington and lose his direct access to the White House, and progressive extremists, globalists, communists and mullahs will lose their influence, as will the United Nations. America will unleash its massive energy muscle that was throttled by arrogant stupidity causing serious economic and national defense issues.Next week the annual U.N. climate summit meets in Baku and will again look to the U.S. for major funding, while China continues to spew about 30% of the world’s greenhouse gasses. Alarmists tell us global warming is about man’s stewardship of the environment, and this is taught in our schools. But we know that’s not true. A U.N. official confirmed this in 2019. At a news conference in Brussels, Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of the U.N.’s Convention on Climate Change, admitted the goal isn’t to save the world from climate calamity but to destroy capitalism.In an article published by Investor’s Business Daily before the Paris climate conference, Figueres was quoted as saying “we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally within a defined period of time to change the economic development model that has been reigning since the Industrial Revolution.”Instead of bringing U. N. representatives to the U.S. to redistribute American wealth, I propose we move the entire U.N. to Switzerland, where they could fantasize about world government together with the W.H.O. and W.E.F. billionaires.
Robert A. Strohaver, Naples
Attention shoppers. News reports following the presidential election attribute Donald Trump’s win to voters’ concern about high prices and inflation in general. But these same voters seem unconcerned about Trump’s plan to put high tariffs on imported goods especially from China. 
Walmart warned on Thursday that higher tariffs on imports from China will mean higher prices. That is because Trump and some voters do not appear to understand that tariffs are paid by the importer and not the sending country. 
Not only will the importer such as Walmart pass these costs on to the consumer but will almost certainly mark up this added element to cover his cost of capital and administrative work.
This is one of many puzzling issues that concern me as to why a large number of Americans continue to elect candidates who enact measures that are against the self-interest of these same voters. They are self-inflicted wounds, but the wounded are all of us.
Ray Nord, Naples
Stop the whining! We conservatives have tolerated four years of an incompetent president and his mindless vice president. We live in fear of his open border policy. We are angry he gives more to illegal aliens than his own citizens. We are disgusted he takes money, in the form of taxes, form hard-working Americans to pay for student loans. We are embarrassed by the weak image he has created around the world. We have watched in horror as he used the justice system for his political and personal gain. We recognize the lies he told regarding uniting our country, then calls us garbage and says we are delusional. We have kept quiet and honored the choice of the majority. We have had enough, and a majority of Americans agree with us. We still respect the liberals’ right to their opinion, and now they should respect ours.
A.J. Cross, Naples
A regular letter writer to the opinion page voiced that 74 million Americans voted for a “total liar, the dumbest and most racist man ever to be president, has no class, committed treason” etc.Apparently, the writer seems to be suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. When patriotic Americans overwhelmingly voted for a Trump landslide, obviously they don’t agree with the writer. The victorious patriotic voters see Trump’s election as a win for America!
Richard S. Piccirilli, Naples
To the rudderless Democratic Party: You lost to a man who bragged about grabbing women by the private parts and getting away with it because he was rich and powerful and later was found civilly liable for doing just that in a dressing room of an upscale NY department store. Who was convicted of multiple felonies and charged with numerous others but will no longer face trials because of his victory. Who was twice impeached and who was abandoned and condemned by his VP, many of his Cabinet appointees, his chief of staff, his long-standing attorney and others too numerous to mention. Shame on you for allowing this to happen. This is an embarrassment to this fine country and I’m not sure it will ever recover.
Edward Palsho, Naples
Have any of your readers read the German history of the 1930s? There are many similarities to our present political climate.
Alan Cragg, Fort Myers
Of the evil things Donald Trump and his henchmen have done over the past ten years, the most insidious has been to sow doubt upon the integrity of our elections.  Voter fraud is a myth Republicans have spread for political gain. When he became president in 2016, Trump established a commission to investigate voter fraud, chaired by VP Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.  The commission was quietly disbanded in 2018 after finding no evidence of widespread voter fraud.  Kobach was originally convinced, with no real evidence, that 3-5 million illegal votes had been cast in 2016.
Trump and his confederates still claim the 2020 election was rigged.  So why bother to vote if the election is fixed against your candidate? Apparently only Democrats can rig elections. If the election system is corrupt, why should I, a Democrat, accept a Trump victory?  If most Americans believe our electoral system is corrupt, we’re done as a democracy and if you are casting a vote for Trump, you’re casting a vote to rip up our Constitution and say goodbye to our democracy.
Trump has an authoritarian mindset; he aspires to be a strongman, like Putin, like Victor Orban, like Kim Jong Un.  If you can’t see this, you’ve decided to ignore it.  Trump, a convicted felon, is a cancer on our body politic and we must excise him. 
Ray Clasen, North Fort Myers
I don’t get it! One of the things I need help understanding is why people think that a president can control price of food at the grocery store. We are a capitalist country where companies make individual pricing decisions — be it the manufacturer, the distributor, or the retailer. The president of the United States does not control pricing — to do so would be more like communism than democracy. Promises to immediately reduce prices or go back to the prices of years ago are hollow, at best. The same is true for the price of gas — forces outside the purview of the chief executive set prices.
There are things that, in the long run, can affect pricing. For instance, farm support bills, which this Congress failed to pass, can support farmers to keep them solvent when growing our nation’s food. Regulations controlling disease can help battle chicken epidemics that have affected egg prices. But if citizens are arguing for higher wages, all the companies involved with selling our groceries will have higher costs, making broad price reductions unlikely. The price of gas can be somewhat affected by the U.S. oil production, which is currently at all-time levels in the United States. But this still does not largely affect the oil prices or the amount the oil companies charge for gasoline.
As economists know, pricing changes can occur if consumers reduce consumption, forcing companies to consider reduced pricing to make up volume losses. That takes a significant amount of time and is certainly not controlled by the president or by Congress.
During times of crisis, like a pandemic or a tragedy like a hurricane, the government can crack down on predatory pricing. But this does not apply to everyday life.
So, I really don’t get it.
Stacy Vermylen, Naples