Stop whining about Brightline; innovate with local service
Enough of the complaining about Brightline. It’s here to stay.
Trains don’t kill people; people kill themselves by acting stupid around trains. There’s too much distraction out there.
If you question that, just look around when you drive anywhere in Florida. That is, if you can put down your phone while you’re driving. The LED screens on dashboards are also getting bigger.
I’ve yet to see a train cross the center line, make an unannounced lane change or stray over into the bike lanes.
In another universe with smarter people, Tri-Rail would be running up the east coast of Florida. High-speed trains would be running down the medians of our interstates. Instead of spending $110 million on a private militia for the governor, the state would be expanding the highway patrol for more stringent traffic enforcement.
If the private sector builds a high-speed train, it’s considered “free enterprise.” If the government builds the same, it’s considered “socialism.”
We Floridians have chosen the freedom of the automobile. We live on a narrow peninsula with a transportation system that’s full of bottlenecks and obsolete. When the state adds lanes to interstates 95 or 75, they immediately fill up with cars. Rush hours in the morning and evening brings traffic jams. Add a traffic accident to the mix and one can be stranded for hours. The same holds true for Florida’s Turnpike. This is the price of freedom.
Brightline’s losing money right now. This could be a good time for all municipalities to get together and negotiate with the company to run a couple of trains that make local stops. You don’t need large infrastructure for covered train stops with a few parking spaces or drop-off points. Good luck on the “evacuation route.”
Robert Cook, Jensen Beach
Sebastian stormwater, sewer improvements sound reasonable
I bought my house in Sebastian in August 2021, so I’m a newcomer. I retired and moved here from Colorado.
Thanks to Laurence Reisman for his reporting. I feel like I understand many local issues much better, specifically, the Sebastian stormwater piece. The swales in front of my house built in 1985 always flood when it rains. As I understand it, the system clogs up to my south.
Changing from septic would be welcome to me and $7,500 seems reasonable. I would also gladly pay $50 a month for a “fix” to the system. I walk Stormwater Park daily and can imagine it is getting overworked.
Roger Adams, Sebastian
Fort Pierce suffers dog-breeding, euthanization problem
Warning: bad dog now dead dog.
Aggression towards staff.
Aggression towards people.
Mental health declining.
Mental health concern.
Mental health not healthy.
Extremely aggressive.
Becoming aggressive.
Became aggressive.
Very unhealthy. Inbred. Neurological issues.
Aggressive towards people and other dogs.
Eyes dilated, bouncing off wall.
Showing aggressive behavior.
Mental state concerning, smeared fecal matter on walls, jumping on them. Eyes dilated. Unsafe to care for.
Approximately 200 shelter dogs were euthanized at the city of Fort Pierce Animal Adoption Center in 2023 due to the “reasons” above. Who’s responsible?
You wanted a guard dog? Do the dog a favor; get an alarm.
More dogs died due to untreatable or failure to cure medical conditions. Do the dogs a bigger favor: If you can’t take care of them, don’t get one.
Many shelter dogs become aggressive due to their long-term impoundment. You know the term, “cage crazy”?
As for people who buy dogs from breeders, it’s BOGO: Buy one, get one dead. For breeders, it’s breed one, get more dead. It’s incomprehensible people are breeding and buying while so many dogs are dying. Such greed and selfishness is the worst form of animal cruelty I can think of because it’s not due to lack of humane education, ignorance or lack of resources.
Can some of you please give shelter dogs a break and stop breeding and selling for a while? And buyers, please rescue shelter dogs now before they become victim to one of these “reasons” above?
United for Animals is begging for them because they can’t ask for a moratorium on all breeding in Fort Pierce, giving the shelter dogs a chance to live long enough to be found homes. Can you do that? You say you love dogs? Breeding more “ain’t love.“
Susan Parry, Fort Pierce
Why only two days to celebrate veterans when … ?
My aging process may be the culprit in my failure to understand a few things.
One of those being the reasoning behind only having two days to show our gratitude and respect to our veterans.
We celebrate a number of other things for months on end: Irish American Month, Smile Month, Black History Month, Ice Cream Month, even Mustache Month and a plethora of others.
Yet we only allow two days to acknowledge and appreciate our veterans: Memorial Day, because military members gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives, and Veterans Day, because they signed on the lines and served to keep all of us safe.
We as Americans need to wake up and show our gratitude and respect.
All the freedom(s) we enjoy are due to these stellar people. Remember, freedom isn’t free.
Jan Belwood, Palm City
Honoring veterans, their families great, but how can we thank others?
Why do we only have one day a year to remember our fallen heroes or even our brave veterans on Veterans Day?
They deserve more recognition. There are other heroes in our everyday lives that we might take for granted.
The other day, while vacationing in the Caribbean, staying in a five-story apartment complex, a car fire started in our garage below us. We heard a loud boom and then realized there were flashing lights coming through our windows and patio ― firetrucks!
Then it became apparent there was a fire somewhere right underneath us. We rushed out in night clothes out of the apartment door into black smoke and darkness.
Knowing the location of the stairwell as we were on the third floor, we started to rush down the stairs, one flight down, and we could feel the heat and see the flames.
We climbed back up to our level and crossed the long hallway to find another staircase, and then continued to climb down.
Once the car fire in the garage was contained, we then went back to our rental. It seems only when we are in real danger to recognize totally the sacrifices others make for us. Those brave firefighters rushing into the fire as others rush out, are to always be remembered for putting their lives on the line on a daily basis.
Let’s continue to extend our appreciation for all that they do to defend and protect us and I’d like to find a way to thank the families that lost their loved ones in service to our country on a regular basis. Any ideas?
Janet Wenz, Palm City
Did you see Brady roast? What’d you think?
“Over the top.”
Has there ever been a more clear example of the above phrase than the commentary used by Nikki Glaser during the Tom Brady roast recently on Netflix?
Granted, there were some home runs that Nikki hit. However, it seemed to this writer perhaps there were comments made that you just do not expect to hear, especially on TV.
In fact, some of the references were actually so sexually descriptive they would have not passed muster in the barracks. Very little was off-limits.
Evidently, Brady kisses his children on the lips, so nothing was said in reference thereto.
Suffice it to say, yes, there were some really funny lines, some even outrageously funny. Some of the hits had participants doubled over in laughter.
But on the whole, I’d have to say without fear of contradiction that it was “over the top.”
Roy Bickford, Vero Beach
Florida leadership lacks logic with climate change laws
Remember when you were a child and you covered both of your eyes and believed that nobody could see you? Well, it sort of seems Florida is doing that now.
By eliminating the words “climate change” from any legislation or energy policy, we can only surmise that the state believes that non-existent forces have been causing the exponential increases in temperatures, storm/sunny day flooding, beach erosion, the killing of our coral reefs and other ancillary events.
But the interesting thing is that Florida has been spending billions of dollars to adapt and to respond to the many catastrophic events that have occurred. How will we identify and budget to pay for protections and responses in the future if we do not even recognize a problem?
One positive note: The residents of Florida are only mostly well informed — 90% of Floridians believe in “climate change,” per a recent survey conducted by Florida Atlantic University. Hopefully, they will vote for candidates who have a firm grasp of the reality affecting us all.
Jan Williams, Vero Beach
Book vending machine makes difference in Jensen Beach
The staff and students of Jensen Beach High School are thankful to the Education Foundation of Martin County for the amazing “For the Love of Reading” book vending machine.
The arrival of this machine in October 2023 created much excitement among adults and students alike. The books the foundation sent were popular titles that increased foot traffic in the media center. We saw an increase in reading overall as awareness of the machine grew.
We are so grateful for our new addition and appreciate all that the Education Foundation does for Martin County schools. We value the foundation’s time, generosity and efforts.
Jodi Wintercorn, Port St. Lucie
Stand up to tyranny of Chinese Communist Party
I am a dog person, and my dog does not have fleas. So, let’s substitute the word “dog” with CCP (Chinese Communist Party) and the word “fleas” with “an invasion.”
There have been numerous articles written recently how the CCP has been buying up U.S. farmland, some near our military bases; the CCP’s years-long practice of stealing our technology (remember the Chinese balloons?); the manipulation of our young people via Tik Tok; the CCP’s support of radical groups, such as the Freedom Road Socialist Organization in the United States;; the COVID-19 pandemic, which some people say was created in a Chinese lab, and backing and participating in every facet of fentanyl production and distribution.
So the question is: Why aren’t President Joe Biden, Congress and our nation’s security agencies sounding the alarm loud and clear and bringing a stop to this attack on the U.S. sovereignty? The answer is, in my opinion, unfortunately some of our leaders, corporations, Big Tech and investors have put money and greed over patriotism.
As Americans, we must stand up in contrast to the tyranny demonstrated by the Chinese Communist Party.
Ray Mancari, Vero Beach
Don’t sell soul by voting for wrong presidential candidate
Some Republicans who say they are patriots and support the Constitution are not honest with themselves when they say support Donald Trump, who appears to have led a coup against America and says he will be a dictator from Day 1.
These people just celebrated Memorial Day to honor solders who died for our country and democracy, while Trump has labeled the soldiers as suckers and losers. Yet these same people say they will vote for Trump, putting party over country, as they believe all his lies and distortions.
I ask them to at least fact-find from different sources facts about accomplishments and economic conditions between Trump, Joe Biden and their policies and achievements and not fake news spouted continuously from Fox so-called news.
People should wake up. This is not a reality show; it is our country.
Christians, read your Bibles and you will find Jesus preached diversity, equity and inclusion and love, not retribution or fascism, as Trump’s 2025 project does. No amount of money or whatever you believe is to your benefit is worth selling your soul for.
Gail Williams, Vero Beach
Alito’s wife can make choice, but the rest of us women?
I read with interest, amusement and anger Justice Samuel Alito’s assertion that he will not recuse himself from cases before the Supreme Court that have to do with the 2020 election and/or the Jan. 6 insurrection.
It has been suggested that Alito recuse himself because the flags he flew over his homes suggested that he supported the MAGA Stop the Steal movement. Alito says the flags were flown by his wife, who has a right to her opinions and to making her own decisions.
It is unfortunate that this same judge who was a leader in overthrowing Roe vs. Wade does not apply the same standard of a woman to make her own decisions and have her own opinions to all American women.
Joan Fox, Vero Beach
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