Longboat is far different than it was in 1955

I read with interest your editorial in the April 1 edition observing how Guy Paschal, one founder of the town of Longboat Key, would be “turning in his grave” over the current costs of government, debt incurred and general condition of the island. 

Because I assume you did not intend to mean that Mr. Paschal was turning with joy, or “beside himself” with happiness, a few thoughts:  

1) Many things cost more now than in 1955, such as gasoline, which I believe was about 19 cents a gallon.  

2) Operating a community of 7,500 residents (more than 20,000 in season) is a bit more expensive than running the 100-person campsite that was Longboat Key in 1955. 

For instance, we now have police and fire departments that consume half of our annual budget.  

3) We have kept our millage rate on Longboat steady or lower than our neighbors’ during a highly inflationary period.  

4) We have no control over taxes imposed by the counties or their school boards, despite our extraordinary payments to the Sarasota and Manatee County schools on a per-LBK student basis. Longboat is always the community most supportive of additional school support in the entire region.  

5) Our debt, approved in each case by referendum, has funded the undergrounding (now $6 million under budget) of all town utilities; the periodic renourishment of our beaches; and the required replacement of a 50-year-old wastewater pipeline that sprung a leak five years ago.  

On which of these would Mr. Paschal have voted “no”?

Two other observations:  

First, the town has expended more than $7 million in out-of-pocket expenses over the past six months responding to Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton. While many of these costs will be reimbursed, our emergency reserves have allowed us to pay these bills without incurring debt.  

Finally, our fifth annual citizens survey revealed recently that 97.1% of Longboat residents again rate the quality of life here as either excellent or good.  

Maybe Mr. Paschal can now stop turning in his grave. Maybe he’s less cranky than you think. Maybe he would even like it here.

— Ken Schneier, Mayor, Longboat Key

Fauci speaking fees should go to victims

I was so delighted to come across on Substack the Observer Opinion column, “Serious questions for Fauci.”

It has my stomach turning in unspeakable disgust to see that the man who somehow commanded a higher salary than even the president, despite being so obviously responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans, now commands $100,000 or more for an hour’s speaking performance that will most likely be no more informative than his late 2022 deposition performance entailing 174 uses of the reply “I do not recall.” (Source: WPDE-TV, Florence, S.C.)

Or his three-year-ago performance where he appeared to perjure himself on C-SPAN in reply to questioning by Sen. Rand Paul in a Senate hearing on his role and the U.S. government’s role in the nation’s failed COVID response.

I was so happy to read Dr. Peter McCullough’s comment. He is one of the four or five truly prominent, life-saving doctors in the entire country during the COVID era, all of whom have had their medical careers reduced to ashes in large part because of pressure by Dr. Anthony Fauci and others.  

Fauci stands so personally responsible for one of the greatest horrors ever inflicted on humanity! Yet he is feted like a hero by a totally ignorant public, many of whom may have even lost either their health or their ability to function, or even one or more of their loved ones, to his almost unimaginable evil! 

I began distrusting him and the soon-to-come vaccine cult, including the incredibly greedy Bill Gates, by March of 2020! The reasons were so clearly obvious!

Unfortunately, any responses from Fauci during his upcoming lecture of the Ringling College Town Hall Lecture Series will furnish no answers of any more substance than he has already honed during all his previous late career and post career speaking engagements. 

Any speaking fees given to him should instead be awarded to some teacher or soldier or policeman who sits alone at home, alive but horribly vaccine injured, trying to put their life together after being mandated to take Fauci’s mandated vaccine.

Thank you for a great and courageous public service!

— Jim Santagata, Siesta Key