Letters to the Editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: To send in your Letters to the Editor, email them to Deputy Executive Editor Jessica Luck at [email protected]. Letters pertaining to local issues receive priority. Letters may be edited for grammar and space.

+ Let residents decide
Dear Editor:
Sarasota city officials are offering to let residents of the Hudson Bayou area choose between two styles of architecture to cover the reworked lift station 87.

This means city officials have already decided that either of these two designs works for them, as opposed to what works for the residents.

Those living in that neighborhood have been vociferous in stating that any aboveground lift station would be too large and too obtrusive. To be good stewards, city officials should therefore focus on those specific points.

First, the closer things are, the larger they appear. From the available maps, it appears the proposed lift station is closer to Mound Street than to the center of Luke Wood Park. Positioning the lift station closer to the center would reduce its apparent size and permit more landscaping to hide the building.

Second, although one might say that either of the two designs is attractive, the fact is they draw attention to themselves and are, therefore, intrusive and obtrusive.

More in keeping with the desires of the residents would be a small rectangular building with a scalloped (in the shape of the tops of palm trees) facade. The building could then be painted to look like a large cluster of palm trees with lower, semi-tropical shrubs painted toward the bottom. Actual palm trees and shrubs of the same type could be planted on all sides of the building to transition to the half-hidden structure. People driving by (as long as they focus on their driving) will hardly notice the difference between the faux and the real.

Ringling students could enter a competition to design and paint the most pleasing jungle. This approach would be much less expensive than paying some architect to design an award-winning building no one wants to see.

There would be enough money left over to set up an endowment to maintain the “jungle.”

The city should give Larry Thompson, president of Ringling College of Art and Design, a call to ask if he would like to showcase his students’ talents.

Relative to lift station 87, “less is more” may sum up the situation most appropriately.

Rodger Skidmore
Sarasota

+ Who are the citizens and where is the Sunshine?
Dear Editor:
A remarkable feat is taking place in Sarasota. Someone is trying to pull a rabbit out of a ballot box and Michael Barfield and Andrea Mogenson are silent. How can this be in the land of eternal Sunshine where citizens end up knowing everything even if they don’t care to know? Except for the rabbit. … No one seems to know who is behind the shiny literature illusion that enough people want a change in charter and a strong mayor to force the issue to ballot based upon our signatures.

Oh, I’ll be the first to admit that I put my name on the walnut shell before it started flying around the board covering every pea in sight and out-of-sight. I admit I drank the Kool-Aid; I inhaled and waited for the high. But what materialized was a small black hole that seems to have sucked my name into an illusion of consent, and now I have my regrets. I can’t figure out the shell game … dear God, I can barely see the rabbit that seems to have scurried down that deep, dark hole.

Who is financing the high-tech, multi-colored, shiny faced, all-but-embossed, scary pre-printed name, address and ID number materials arriving in my mailbox like real campaign literature direct from Kathy Dent that would make the Koch brothers proud? As of last count there were 1,600 or so signatures on a petition that after 10 months still needs 3,500 signatures before tomorrow (June 16) to be on the November ballot. So that made me read the fine print on the magical ballot in my mailbox, like I should have done to begin with and wa-lah … suddenly I’m not sure what company I’m keeping. The merry-go-round is spinning too fast now for a regular gal like me to follow, and I think I should be told where the money for that literature is coming from before I stay signed on. Can I un-sign?

I believe in supporting people’s attempts to get the voters to speak through ballots. I wish we had more ballots. I signed on because I want better government, not less information and more oligarchy than we already experience. I shouldn’t have to wonder who’s feeding the rabbit. And if this signature drive doesn’t make it, I want to know how long my signature can be used without me being told who’s behind each curtain of what is feeling less like “Good Morning America” and more like “Let’s Make a Deal.”

Dale Orlando
Sarasota

+ Expert advice should be left at the door
Dear Editor:
Commonsense tells us that blindly following the recommendations of a self-appointed expert will inevitably lead to disappointment and financial havoc.

The Marbut proposal is to spend upward of $9 million to acquire a building, substantial sums to adapt it and then assume for all time the burden of maintaining it — at a cost we can only guess. All to what end?
A come-as-you-are shelter is a welcome mat not only for our present vagrants but for those now living elsewhere — whether it be located downtown or elsewhere. It will fill up quickly. Hordes will flock to it for breakfast and other benefits and then disperse to roam downtown.

The Marbut report does not withstand scrutiny. For example, the backup material provided with it equates wee Sarasota with Dallas, Atlanta, San Antonio, Phoenix, Miami and St. Louis, most of which have populations in excess of a million. Further, with a razor-sharp precision that NASA would admire and which alone renders the report suspect, it claims success rates of 51% and 84%. Dr. Marbut’s claimed success in Pinellas County is pure fiction, as police reports demonstrate.

So, what to do? Forget the shelter! Rather than commit financial suicide, the city should continue to go forward with its recent unification of efforts of the dozen or so private relief organizations that have proven track records. Rather than spend millions upfront and millions thereafter, the city would contribute annually to them as much or little as conditions at the time require.

There is no need for frantic action. Questions remain. For example, how will the city prevent a massive influx of vagrants from other places in response to our welcome mat? In sum, this entire matter should be placed on hold for further public input after a new City Commission is constituted after Election Day.

Frank Brenner
Sarasota

+ Dedicated group helping beach nesting birds
Dear editor:
I would like to thank the beachgoers who have become aware of the plight of our native beach birds and have respected that they need their own space if they’re going to continue to survive on Siesta beach.

These birds nest on the sand laying small eggs that are hard to see. The snowy plover chicks cannot fly for the first five or six weeks of their lives and are no bigger than a cotton ball moving around the beach catching insects to eat. Least tern chicks have it a little easier as the parents fish for them and deliver small fish to the nest. There is a dedicated group in our community giving their time and energy putting up barriers and watching over the nests and the chicks. This has helped with the survival rate tremendously, but the situation is still critical. Friendly dogs are a big threat scaring off the parents, and the nest becomes exposed to temperature variations and predators. Nighttime activity on the beach has caused terrible losses with people tearing down barriers and destroying nests. I would hope that learning of the birds and their plight and taking a moment to see the beauty and balance that they offer would bring an end to such loss.

Fourth of July weekend will be a challenge for the birds with the many crowds on the beach. Please join those of us who are looking out for the continued survival of these smaller beings.

All are welcome, training provided. Email: [email protected]

Wishing a joyful summer to all.

Eileen Naaman
Siesta Key

+ Letter to Editor
The biennial General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has spoken and voted to divest from three American companies because of their sales to Israel, by the very narrow margin of 310-303.

We at The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee are deeply disappointed, hurt and saddened by this decision. But we are not surprised, given the deep animus that a determined core group of church officials has demonstrated against both the Jewish people and the state of Israel. We hold the leadership of the Presbyterian Church (USA) accountable for squandering countless opportunities, not only to act responsibly to advance prospects for Middle East peace, but also to isolate and repudiate the radical, prejudiced voices in their denomination.

It is especially troubling and tragic to see the Presbyterian Church (USA) choose to reject partnership in favor of partisanship, ignoring the entreaties of every major organizational voice in the American Jewish community, including more than 1,700 religious leaders from the four movements and all 50 states. The publication of “Zionism Unsettled,” an anti-Jewish and anti-Israel congregational guide, connected the dots between this church action and existential opposition to the Jewish state of Israel.

The purpose of this decision clearly isn’t to encourage a peaceful settlement. The only path to a just peace is a two-state solution. But boycott, divestment and sanctions are the tools of division and a one-state movement. Peace between Israel and an independent Palestinian state isn’t the goal. The elimination of the state of Israel is.

Let us not forget: This is the goal of a determined faction within the Presbyterian Church (USA), and is not universally shared. It also is important to remember that not all Presbyterian churches belong to this national group, nor are all Presbyterian congregations hostile to Israel. Many are very supportive. For this, we are grateful.

We want to thank our Christian friends who continue to show support for Israel and understand the challenges facing the Jewish state. The assault on Israel’s legitimacy is growing every day. We are determined to stand against it — and deeply appreciate all who stand with us.

Howard Tevlowitz
Executive Director
The Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee