Letters to the editor: Town needs to focus on the future

The town needs to focus on tomorrow and beyond

Focusing on your closing editorial  comments (in the Nov. 4 edition) that  town leaders’ responsibilities are "to look beyond tomorrow”; as a town official winding down after four years on the Planning and Zoning Board, and now  in my sixth and final commissioner year, I offer the following:

First, your are correct to note that the town has meaningfully  addressed redevelopment of aging homes and condos by extensive amendments to its zoning code, and  also pointing out the political realities of a third bridge. In addition, after many productive  discussions with FDOT and Sarasota city officials with respect to the Gulfstream-U.S. 41 intersection roundabout, construction of which is now imminent, if we are correct, our residents will, at best, possibly only enjoy modest  traffic relief in the future. My view continues to be that the present configuration at the intersection is the better traffic flow option.

While there are many traffic remedies under consideration contained in the Barrier Island Traffic Study,  there are no magic bullets, and  traffic flow issues on and off the Key will continue for the foreseeable future. This traffic reality confirms the need to  focus now, as you suggest, to plan and implement responsive long term plans for Longboat Key.

 In my opinion, this can be best addressed by providing Town Center facilities which expand the availability of services and activities on Longboat that our residents desire and can enjoy without driving off and back on the Key.

Indeed, without reviewing all the history, which began many years ago starting  with the ULI efforts and numerous public meetings and inputs, including some three years of planning with Ringling College (which occurred before Ringling  understandingly withdrew, hopefully temporarily,  from the partnership), we had developed a definitive Town Center  building concept, including a budget of some $11.3 million, and a detailed array of arts, creative talents, technology, lifelong learning and performing arts activities.

  This has all been confirmed and documented.  Indeed, I’ve heard comments, which I share and echo,  that we’ve had enough talk about a Town Center, but not enough action. As you have previously noted, the town has dedicated substantial funding to acquire the Town Center site and is improving it for outdoor public events, as a prelude to continue long term facility planning. 

Simply stated, we need to fashion  facility plans to set the stage for private funding and operation. I suggest it's timely to reconfirm a specific plan. Recent discussions with Sarasota County supporting a county library facility with a variety of  services and activities on Longboat are encouraging and clearly  should be included in our plan. As we speak, we are locating the Longboat Historical Society’s building on the site.

We must look beyond tomorrow. In so doing, I believe that a viable Town Center will complete the only missing link in our wonderful community. We’ve had enough talk, it’s time for action. 

Jack Daly

Longboat Key

 

Trump's plusses and minuses

Now that it appears President Trump may be in the final weeks of his presidency, I believe an unbiased assessment would illustrate what many might consider as negatives:

Trump is a braggart and loudmouth (like Teddy Roosevelt)

Trump was born with a silver spoon (like Franklin Roosevelt)

Trump had several business failures and setbacks (like Abraham Lincoln)

Trump was a philanderer (like John F. Kennedy)

Trump could be crude (like Lyndon Johnson)

Trump’s term was affected by a pandemic (like Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama)

And positives:

 Trump truly loves our country and forcefully defends it against all critics (like George Washington)

Trump is a survivor (like Reagan)

Trump broke new ground in achieving the highest office in the land (like Obama)

Trump tax cuts spurred economic growth across the board (likeKennedy)

Trump did not start or escalate any wars ( first president in nearly a century)

Trump donated entire salary (first president to do so)

Trump successively negotiated three peace treaties in Middle East (first president to do so)

So in the final analysis, an honest appraisal devoid of hysteria would reveal Trump shares traits with many former presidents, several of which are considered by historians as the greatest our country ever had. That is not to say Trump is in that pantheon but neither is he a failure in any way. Those who would occupy the Oval Office assume responsibilities and stresses the rest of us could not even conceive of.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better,’’ Theodore Roosevelt said. “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Joseph Iannello

Longboat Key