Letters to the Editor

+ Enforce Sarasota’s eight-year term limits
Dear Editor:
In 1998, 68% of Sarasota County voters approved an 8-year term limit for the county commissioners. The Florida Supreme Court may review a Fourth District Court of Appeal case on term limits in Broward County and choose to apply those limits to all counties. All other nine charter counties in the state are upholding the law except Sarasota County.

Polls show the eight-year limits are very popular with the voters. The will of the people should prevail! I say we keep and enforce Sarasota’s voter-approved, eight-year term limits. More time in public office only breeds powerful, greedy and corrupt politicians.
Millicent Puleo
Sarasota

+ Commissioners corrupt in extending term limits
Dear Editor:
As a fellow elected official and member of the Sarasota County’s Charter Review Board, I am shocked that the commissioners would even consider thwarting the will of the people and extending their terms in office by up to another 12 years with their new term-limit proposal.

I guess the commissioners feel they are too important and therefore should not obey the current charter amendment that already sets in place an eight-year term limit.  Also, they want this new term-extending amendment to be placed on the ballot for a special election in January, knowing full well the turnout will be light and their chances of victory greater.

It seems indeed that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Stefan Butz
Charter Review Board District 1

+ Roundabout money should be spent on safety
Dear Editor:
It was reported that the two intersections in the city with the greatest frequency of accidents were U.S. 41 at University Parkway and Fruitville Road at Beneva Road.

Yet, the state is funding a roundabout at Ringling Boulevard and Pineapple Avenue and the city on its own is building a roundabout at Ringling and Palm Avenue — a block apart.

While the Sarasota Downtown Plan as posited by Andres Duany did call for these roundabouts, it would seem in this time of limited funding that public safety should override the quest for beauty in downtown.

The current traffic on Ringling has not been considered a problem by the public or by the Sarasota Police Department. I have seen no policy statement by the state or the city which addressed remedial action for correcting the accident problems cited above.
Ernest Babb
Sarasota