Tribute to the foundations that go beyond
Recent articles have covered the generosity of the Sarasota County Charitable Foundations. This is, after all, what foundations are supposed to do – support education, hospitals, food insecurity, etc.
However, these recent donations have exceeded expectations and therefore are more indicative of the forward thinking and the great hearts and minds that run these invaluable organizations here in Sarasota (“The Patterson Foundation Contributes $ 500,000 to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy,” September 21 ).
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Recognizing these organizations’ commitment to local, regional and global needs is a testament to their leaders and their goals of building a more stable world and better serving people in the communities where they live.
As a recent arrival on the Florida coast, I salute the foundations, their leaders and their staff for making a significant difference at home and abroad. It is heartwarming to know that the leaders of this community have their hearts and minds in the right place.
Robert Kesten, Sarasota
Only knowledgeable people should vote
In my opinion, it is not the duty of a citizen to vote, but rather to be an informed voter.
Being an informed voter is no easy task. To be informed, one must read at least two newspapers per day with opposing editorial points of view. In addition to this article, I read the Wall Street Journal and follow the editorial content of two Washington newspapers.
Getting all of your Fox news, or just watching CNN or MSNBC, doesn’t make a smart voter. Rather, it just imbues you with the perspective of one side of any problem. I give the same time to the three points of sale.
In my opinion, voting should also require commitment and effort. If going to a polling station and voting in person deters a citizen from voting, it is very unlikely that he or she made any effort to be an informed voter.
Queuing for the in-person vote not only minimizes the risk of voter fraud and intimidation (i.e. vote harvesting), but also serves as a test, providing proof of the commitment of the voters. voter towards good governance. The country is better off if the uninformed stay home and watch Netflix.
Jeff Bachand, Venice
Rather than leading, politicians follow the money
Three letter writers on September 20 were on site.
Instead of tackling the negative effects of the urban sprawl and toxic dumping grounds at Piney Point, local politicians are creating a distraction with speeches about abortion (“Proposal to ban abortion, a political spectacle” ).
With Mosaic’s expansion of their phosphate plants further north, the proposed injection wells at Piney Point and further land development at Hi Hat Ranch will threaten our water supply (“State to Bury Contaminated Wastewater” and “No surprise the county favored developers”).
When will politicians start leading instead of following their funders?
Barbara Moschetta, Key to the Rowboat
Steube: Focus on the cost of existing drugs
US Representative Greg Steube is really missing the point in his guest column on September 19 (“Pelosi’s drug price proposal would put Floridians at risk”).
He opposes price controls on prescription drugs, saying it will lead to less innovation and access to new drugs for Americans. He should be more concerned that many Americans do not have access to existing drugs simply because they cost too much, and Americans pay much more for prescription drugs than most countries in the world.
Why continue to subsidize pharmaceutical companies in the development of new drugs when we cannot afford the ones that are currently available?
Ronald Young, Sarasota
Sibley, Lewis will protect Venice
When we arrived in Venice we found exactly what we were looking for as a place to retreat. That was 15 years ago, and each year we celebrate our wise decision.
What makes Venice so special is the quaint little town center with its charming shops and pretty hanging flower baskets, restaurants with all the choices you can have, activities like the Sarasota Institute for Lifelong Learning, exhibitions of art and music in the park and, perhaps most important of all, the many beautiful beaches.
We are selfish. We don’t want this lovely place to change, but we understand that other people will want to live here for generations to come as well. Development will happen and that’s OK as long as it’s done carefully.
There are two particularly qualified candidates for the Venice City Council who we hope will win in November because they love this place for the same reasons we do. They will protect its special character.
Voters, please elect Sandy Sibley and Jennifer Lewis (“Courtney withdraws from race for 4 seat on Venice City Council; three candidates remain,” August 31).
Dee Hardin, Venice
