Stop whining about mandatory garbage collection; could be a lot worse
I have to respond to a recent letter complaining about being "forced" to subscribe to trash collection because the writers religiously took what little trash they generated to the "convenience" station.
Who do they think pays for those "convenience" stations? Waste Management. The company pays for the land, the staff, the maintenance and the trucks to haul that trash, etc., to its main disposal site. It is not free. Essentially, those of us who already subscribe have been subsidizing people using the convenience stations. WM is in it for a profit, as is its right. Someone has to carry the cost and that is people like myself.
The only way to actually charge by true usage is a system I have seen before. The city, county or Waste Management sells bags with the company logos on it. You travel to the company's office and buy a couple bags. When they are full, you carry them to the street and they get collected. Of course, this will cost more, as now, instead of automated trucks and cans, the trash company has to hire more workers for its trucks because the bags cannot be picked up remotely.
Oh, one extra tidbit a lot of people do not realize: Hiding trash in recycling is not as easy as you think due to the trucks having cameras inside the storage bins for safety reasons. When the truck operators lift and dump, they can see what was in your can. Lucky for a lot of people they don't enforce it as stringently as they could.
Jeff Hamilton, Sebastian
TCPalm, elections chief, Democrats wrong on closed primaries
It was bad enough that TCPalm editors endorsed changing party affiliations to vote in another party’s primary.
I am beyond surprised that Supervisor of Elections Leslie Swan would authorize “Let’s Talk Vero” author Jonathan Buckley to publish information telling non-Republican voters how to change their party designations to influence the outcome of the Republican closed primary.
The purpose of a closed primary system is to allow each party to select its candidates for the November election without the influence or interference of other parties. If Floridians wanted non-party registrants to vote in all primary elections, we would have an open primary state.
Clearly, the Democrats have a write-in candidate who hurt them. I find it reprehensible that the elections supervisor gives detailed instructions on how non-Republican voters can circumvent our closed primary system. The ends do not justify the means.
If your party doesn’t offer you candidates you like, question whether your current party affiliation represents your thinking on the matter. There are 38 states with open and jungle primaries, perhaps you belong in one of them.
At the very least, work through the Florida Legislature to change ours legitimately, but have the decency not to make duplicitous changes to your party affiliation just to circumvent the existing format.
Suzanne Bennett, Verio Beach
Editor's note: The TCPalm editorial board has called for legislators to reform the write-in loophole for a decade or so. Both parties take advantage of it. Its recent editorial offered some historical background on the issue.
Override DeSantis veto against keeping beaches, waterways safe for swimming
Beaches are Florida’s primary tourism attraction, but our beaches have an increasing reputation for polluted waters — dangerous to public health.
On June 26, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed House Bill 165 ― “an act relating to sampling of beach waters and public bathing spaces” ― even though the bill passed unanimously in the Florida House and Senate. The governor conveyed his concern that the bill grants “power to (the Department of Health) over Florida beaches.”
The House of Representatives staff final bill analysis cites the bill would require, rather than authorize, the Florida Department of Health to:
- “Adopt and enforce rules to protect the health, safety and welfare of persons using the beach waters and public bathing places of this state."
- Issue health advisories … if the water quality of beach waters or a public bathing place fails to meet DOH standards.
- Require closure of beach waters and public bathing places that fail to meet water quality standards.
The analysis also says the bill "may have an indeterminate, negative fiscal impact on DOH and on local governments.”
DOH oversight of water quality at Florida beaches is warranted to protect public health. The state has jurisdiction over these waters and invites public use through promotion of tourism. Responsible state stewardship warrants proactive water quality monitoring. To effectuate the bill’s intent, implementation costs must be identified and appropriated by the Legislature — including funding to local governments to meet state-mandated efforts.
Eventually, the state will openly manage water quality, or Florida’s negative reputation will be further degraded by intolerable waters at Florida beaches. Florida tourism economy demands open management of Florida waters, including monitoring and reporting as outlined in HB-165.
The Legislature should override the governor’s veto; otherwise, we must look to the 2025 Legislature, to be elected in November.
Michael Walther, Vero Beach
Vice presidential nominees key in this election
A lot has been written and reported about the two men who are running for president in our next election.
However, one item than has not been fully reported or dissected is who will be the vice president? I believe this is an important consideration realizing that both of these elderly men face the distinct possibility of not making it through a full term of four years. Or if the next president does, what will his mental and physical capabilities be like? As a health care provider, I realize many people do well into their late 80s and early 90s, but that's not what I'm seeing in these two.
Thus, I believe looking at the VP a bit more closely in this election would be prudent. I would hope the media would alsoprovide all of us with a bit more on No. 2.
Jan Belwood, Palm City
Post-debate question: Who's really running country?
The presidential debate should have scared the pants off everyone.
Who in Sam Hill is running the country? It's not that mental and physical mess Joe Biden, who was mumbling his way through a friendly moderated debate. Never mind he wants four more years.
America needs to pray we get through the next seven months without getting into a nuclear war. All along, we have heard Democrats tell us how lucid and energetic Biden is behind closed doors, doing cartwheels and pushups while solving calculus at the same time. America has been lied to. And not only by the sycophants surrounding him, but by his family.
How drunk with keeping power and basking in the perks that come along with being in the White House are these people?
Biden has abdicated his role as commander in chief by allowing our border to be breached by millions of unvetted migrants. And the murders of two young girls and a mother of five in recent weeks are cause for criminal charges.
Biden said that no U.S. troops were killed during his term. Tell that to the families of the 13 Americans needlessly killed in Afghanistan due to his incompetence. And then when their bodies were brought home, he was checking his watch as the families looked on in disgust.
We can only hope we get by for a few months until we re-elect President Donald J. Trump to save America from this vile, despicable excuse of leader.
Anthony Napolitano, Jensen Beach
Viewers should see Pinocchios at next presidential debate
Since the recent Great Debate, much of the discussion has focused on the candidates' numerous unchecked and unchallenged misstatements and, in some cases, outright lies.
I get it. The moderators wanted to stay focused on the questions so things would move forward and the performance would not get bogged down with challenges to a speaker.But this left the viewers/voters with a lot of misinformation skewing our abilities to make sound judgments as to the qualifications of the candidates.
If there is another debate, there is a way to walk and chew gum.
The network can have on hand a cadre of non-partisan political experts who can spot a false statement in less than a New York minute. As soon as they detect an issue, an on-screen Pinocchiowould be visible to viewers, but not distracting to either candidate.
Elizabeth Kay Gibson, Hutchinson Island
CNN moderators better than expected, but ...
The CNN debate is history, and the verdict is unanimous:Solid Donald Trump victory and total Joe Biden disaster.No arguments, please.When The New York Times and "The View" say it's so, it's so.
I feared the worst from the ulta-biased CNN moderators, but must admit I was somewhat pleasantly surprised. For the most part, they were respectful to Trump and asked several important questions. They did, predictably, emphasize all the customary leftist narrative talking points like Jan. 6, COVID and others. But on the negative side, they also inexcusably failed to ask several important questions every American has a right to know and should know. For this reason, the moderators rate a C-minus at best
For example,they did not ask:
- Joe, why did you lie to America when you falsely referred to the laptop as Russian disinformation, which you and your FBI both knew at the time was 100% legitimate?
- Joe, why did you and your cronies intimidate and encourage the mainstream media to bury the laptop story until after the election, an act of omission that many feel would have changed the outcome of the election had it been divulged?
- Why do you continue to lie about the veracity of the laptop?The contents of the laptop make this indisputable.
- Joe, why did you lie to America when you saidyou never knew about Hunter's business dealings or discussed same with him, which the laptop proves is untrue?
- Joe, how do you explain the millions of dollars in your pocket, including multiple mansions, on a lifelong politician's salary?
- And how do you explain the multiple LLC business organizations linked to your name and family with no apparent business purpose or activity?
Barry Godofsky, Port St Lucie
Presidential debate offers good news, bad news
The bad news: The inevitable happened and the country found out about President Joe Biden’s infirmities firsthand at the presidential debate.If the Democrats had admitted Biden’s problem sooner, voters would have had the opportunity to select an alternative candidate.
Now the party is stuck, faced with the options of running a) an inept candidate with an unpopular vice president or b) a party-selected a last-minute fill-in (if Biden agrees to step down).How do you feel about a president like Biden having his finger on the button when he finds out missiles are incoming?Or how does "President Harris" sound?
The good news: We have a battle-tested option — Donald J. Trump, a fighter who never gives up.Even though some Democrats may not agree with his policies — low taxes, low inflation, more jobs, secure borders, a growing economy, a strong military, energy supremacy, smaller government and enforcing the law — he is a patriot, running for president, not for power, but to save our country.
Trump is going to need help to clean up Biden’s mess.Consider canning the senators and congressmen who’ve been raving about how sharp Biden is when they knew otherwise.
Don’t shed any tears for Biden.Remember, he opened the border, embarrassed us in Afghanistan, mandates everything from vaccines to electric vehicles, spent us into inflation, promotes lawlessness and preaches equity (in place of equality).And he'll lock up anyone who disagrees with him.
Tom Miller, Vero Beach
Congress, Florida Legislature could learn from union members
I spent a recent weekend in Miami with Florida union members talking everything about the Sunshine State, national politics, elections, candidates, issues and amendments to the Florida Constitution.
While it was great to be among fellow Floridians, fighting good fights and strategizing how each of us can make a difference, there were contrasts in perspective, position and strategy.
However, like unions across the country, this convention was a model of civility and democracy in action.
There are 10 central labor councils in Florida. Each screens the candidates of both parties running for state positions in the state Legislature as well as local and municipal offices, including school board elections. Some positions are nonpartisan by law (such as school board; but there is an amendment trying to make them partisan that will be on the November ballot). Each labor council makes a recommendation to the body at large based on substantive interviews and lengthy questionnaires pertaining to the concerns of working families (like wages, safety in the workplace, etc.).
In most cases, majority rules, but some actions require a two-thirds majority to be implemented. When in doubt, a roll call may be needed. Robert's Parliamentary Rules are observed at all times.
When all is said and done, everyone was heard and all had been respected. Consensus and compromise go a long way.
Congress and Florida legislators could benefit and learn from unions instead of trying to divide and conquer them.
Felicia Bruce, Fort Pierce
