Letters to the Editor

+ Invest in a cleaner Siesta beach
Dear Editor:
I have lived the past few years on Siesta Key and have been coming to this area since 1980. I know the beach was selected the No. 1 Beach in the USA for 2011.

What puzzles me is hearing visitors complain about the seaweed that lies on the beach from Point of Rocks up to the Village. I have wondered myself why Siesta Key does not do anything about the seaweed and debris that lays at the water line? I have been to many beaches along the East Coast and I have witnessed how many other beach towns handle this chore.

Every night, they have large combine-style raking machines that drive from one end to the other, cleaning the beach surface. It throws the debris into a hopper.

These beaches are seaweed free. With all the advertising done for Siesta Key, I do not understand why whoever is responsible for the condition of the beach has not made the investment in such equipment?

I have heard many people say the beach is nice, but with all the seaweed and the bugs that come along with it, they will be taking their families elsewhere. Siesta Key’s beach management needs to be proactive on the beach’s appearance. If you want people to keep returning for vacations and spending their vacations here, this must be addressed.

This goes along with keeping the Village and roads, on and off the island and local streets clean. It requires an investment of equipment and manpower for this task. But the investment will pay off by proving a clean and beautiful Siesta Key for our visitors and the residents that pay tax dollars for services. If Siesta Key management wants to see the equipment I am talking about it should check out Cape May, N.J. That beach is just one of many that has this style of equipment and uses it. Let’s keep Siesta Key Beach beautiful 24-7.
Tom Schultz
Siesta Key 

+ Think for yourselves
Dear Editor:
Instead of wasting your time listening to talking heads rail back and forth about what is “out of context” regarding President Obama’s remarks,  people should think for themselves.

It’s the digital age. Do an internet search and read all the remarks for yourself.

I heard the entire segment delivered. In my view, the entire section is more damning and revealing than the “you didn’t build it” line. 

Clearly, all who live in a society benefit from multiple common advantages: roads, bridges, the American system, etc. Many wonderful people help us on this journey called life. That is precisely the point! We all benefit from the “system,” but only some are successful. Only some have the initiative, industry, creativity, vision, persistence and take the risks to run a small business (the engine of our economy). They “made it happen” while others didn’t or failed. How come we all don’t own our own business?

One must have a most extreme concept of collectivism to diminish accomplishment by uttering ,“If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” Or else, he must be pandering to the “sour grapes” entitlement crowd.

In the spirit of transparency, I have never owned a business. I didn’t have what it takes.
Tom Smith
Sarasota

+ Stand your ground
Dear Editor:
My wife and I read your July 19 editorial and the resultant comments and came to the same conclusion:
We want to offer you our support and encouragement. Please keep the faith, stand your ground and be true to yourself.

These are not mere clichés. They are, for you and for us, in defense of our world view, which, although open to questioning by others, must not be eroded by criticism. We must face such critics the way Joshua did — with courage and determination. 

My wife and I had lunch at Chick-fil-A as part of the national call to support their corporate policies against the incursion of government. 

We join with those who repeat the line from a movie of some years back, “We’re as mad as hell, and we won’t take it anymore!”
John and Donna Gary
Sarasota

+ ‘That’ or ‘those’?
Dear Editor:
Oh, the high dudgeon of the liberal left!

The spate of letters in response to your accurate editorial on the incompetent amateur in the White House was indicative of what passes as nuanced response from those quarters.

You were accused of causing mass shootings, disrespecting the office of the president (not the man), distorting the facts of Obama’s “accomplishments” and yelling “fire” in a crowded theater. One letter stated that Obama’s declaration — “If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” — refers to the bridges and roads mentioned in his previous sentence. I’m sure our Harvard-educated president knows the difference between singular (a business — “that”) and plural (roads and bridges — “those”), but maybe not.

Another writer feels concern about Romney’s “withheld” tax returns. Perhaps he is unaware that Romney has complied with the law in this matter, or that both Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have also refused to release more tax returns than required by law.

Anyway, what do they expect to find in a self-made millionaire’s tax returns? He’s rich. He earned it. So what?

Isn’t Obama’s refusal to release the “Fast and Furious” paperwork of greater concern to the nation?
But the funniest letter came from the Longboat Key Democratic Club’s president, pulling his advertising. I’m sure you’ll miss all those dollars — or is it all “that” dollars?
John J. Killen Jr.
Sarasota

+ Preserving history
Dear Editor:
I enjoyed the article about the late Carroll Ramsey (July 26, Sarasota Observer) restoring the Palmer Bank clock that is now in the Selby Park at Five Points. I have always been very fond of the clock since my dad worked at the bank, and during those times (with fewer buildings) you could hear the clock’s wonderful chime all over town and even at my parents’ home near the hospital.

Despite the chime mechanism not being operative, I think as a community, we can certainly afford to put back the finial that is missing from the top. It would have to be made by one of the companies that still produce parts for these classic clocks. I feel a preservation campaign coming on to fully restore a piece of our history in the center of town.
Larry Kelleher
Sarasota

+ Feeling disenfranchised
Dear Editor:
Monday (Aug. 6) I got my red, white and blue sticker, complete with a U.S. flag stating, “I Voted.” That’s nice — but the fact is I did submit a ballot where I was nearly totally disenfranchised. My voice was not allowed to be heard on races I really cared about because I am an independent. Only those in two parties were allowed to vote in all races in their districts. The minority representation of Republicans and Tea Party voters did not have restrictive ballots. The majority of the voters in Sarasota County are independents (NPAs or No Party Affiliation), Democrats and splinter parties. How does disenfranchising a majority benefit a democracy? 
John T. Halbert
Nokomis