Toll roads, taxing the wealthy, limiting vote--mail system
New toll roads received’t trigger purple tide
Concerning the March 5 letter, “Stop purple tide rejecting toll roads”: It’s tough to take such an opinion significantly.
As practically a thousand refugees a day pour into Florida, escaping the tax and regulatory burdens of “Blue State America,” the necessity for extra infrastructure right here is evident and meaning extra roads.
We’ve got all seen how the roads have change into extra congested on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Being proactive is the answer to addressing our progress wants as a state.
There is no such thing as a proof that increasing our roadways will enhance air pollution. Crimson tide is a naturally occurring phenomena whose results could also be enhanced stormwater runoff. It’s as much as the coastal communities to service their methods.
Moreover, the Lake Okeechobee Watershed Development Challenge will assist include future runoff points in that area of Florida.
Philip M. Mancini, Sarasota
(Editor’s observe: The letter author above shouldn’t be the companion in Michael’s on East, Philip S. Mancini.)
Youthful senators may reform tax code
The author of “For better fairness, tax the wealthy” (March 4) makes a very good level in saying: “We may simply change our tax code, which permits many billionaires to pay a decrease tax charge than working class individuals, or no taxes in any respect.”
True, however simpler mentioned than performed. Most of our lawmakers are millionaires or billionaires. They’ve little curiosity in altering the code to tax themselves, their buddies and their rich marketing campaign contributors.
Extra:Easy methods to ship a letter to the editor
Slightly below the March Four letters was Kathleen Parker’s piece on time period limits as a repair for the octogenarians of each events who’ve held their seats far too lengthy (“The Senate is displaying its age; time period limits may repair that”).
Time period limits may assist repair each the retirement problem and the unequitable tax code. Youthful, extra open-minded members of Congress won’t be as entrenched within the corruption, graft and greed of our political system.
They only may be keen to “tax the wealthy.”
To cite Ms. Parker: “Knowledge might include age, however it comes sooner to some than to others.”
We will solely hope that Congress will do the clever factor and enact time period limits, in addition to make adjustments within the tax code, in order that the wealthiest of People pay their fair proportion.
Patricia Ostroski, Longboat Key
GOP attempting to interrupt vote--mail system
People like democracy solely when their tribe wins!
After Donald Trump’s 2020 defeat, Republicans in 43 states have got down to guarantee future victory. Apprehensive that they can’t win honest elections, they’re enacting laws that may scale back the variety of working, low-income and Black and brown Democratic voters.
Republicans usually outnumber Democrats in Election Day in-person voting. Within the 2020 election, Florida Democratic mail-in ballots exceeded Republicans a ratio of 45% to 31%.
Florida Republicans see this deficit as a severe impediment that wants correcting with laws that ensures “voter integrity,” even when it makes voting tougher for a lot of.
DeSantis, who’s up for re-election in 2022, despatched a invoice to the Legislature that would scale back the size of time a vote--mail registration can keep energetic from the present two-election cycles (or 4 years) to just one cycle.
Because the governor is aware of the vote--mail system labored effectively for Democrats, he’s attempting to interrupt it with a view to scale back Democratic votes, making it simpler for him to win.
DeSantis ignores the outdated saying, “If it ain’t broke, do not repair it.”
F. Lowell Curtis, Longboat Key
Use frequent sense to keep away from virus an infection
After the progress made to this point beneath the Biden administration, a mutated COVID-19 variant named B.1.1.7. may now topic us to a extra severe state of affairs within the weeks and months forward.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is adamant in his single-minded refusal to mandate masks sporting, despite all the warnings immunologists like Dr. Anthony Fauci that sporting a masks, and even two, is the most secure approach to stop contracting the virus from one other particular person.
Will the vaccines produced to this point defend us from this extra contagious mutation?
The medical science neighborhood has had a muted response. What to do? Depend on the frequent sense you have been born with. The enterprise neighborhood’s concern on your well being shouldn’t be a precedence.
Cynthia Salomone, Sarasota
New crossword puzzle a poor substitute
I sit up for the Thursday version of the Herald-Tribune, significantly the Ticket part insert with the crossword. I drink my morning espresso whereas I do the crossword.
Till final week. The brand new celebrity-based crossword is not only a poor substitute; it’s extra of a fill-in-the-blanks sport for folk who dislike a psychological problem.
Why would you assume that anybody who frequently works a difficult crossword would even hassle to have a look at this inane substitute? What a disappointment.
I hope you’ll rethink and reinstate the outdated crossword.
Eugene McNerney, Sarasota
