Relocate Cars on 5th
The Cars on 5th has long ago outgrown the venue. It needs a new location where crowd control, parking and safety are more manageable. It should relocate before a tragic event occurs despite the outstanding efforts of law enforcement and medical responders.
Lillian Love, Naples
Reorganize car event
As an alternative to eliminating Cars on 5th, why not declare January Cars on Fifth Month? Each weekend, a day could be dedicated to a badge, like Ferraris, Porsches etc. or even to a nationality like English, German etc. That should reduce the crowd size each weekend. Still the cumulative effect would produce the tremendous charitable donation generated by the event.
Tom Tess, Estero
Independent investigation needed
Recent correspondence with the Cape Coral Police Department following the arrest of one of its officers for domestic violence raises an important question for our community: what ensures transparency and impartiality when law enforcement investigates its own?
While the department confirmed an arrest and referral to the State Attorney, key questions remain unanswered. As reflected in the communication, concerns about the investigative process were dismissed as “factually inaccurate,” yet no specific clarification or correction was provided.
More importantly, there has been no clear confirmation of whether any independent or external law enforcement agency is involved. An internal investigation alone, even when conducted according to policy, can create the appearance of conflict and undermine public confidence. This issue is not about assigning guilt or questioning the initial response. It is about ensuring that the process moving forward meets a standard the public can trust, one grounded in independence, transparency, and accountability. Clear communication matters. When questions about oversight go unanswered, it leaves room for doubt where there should be confidence. Our community deserves clarity on how these situations are handled and what safeguards are in place to ensure fairness for all involved.
Katie Thompson, Cape Coral
Turn down the music
The beauty of sunset at the Naples beach should be a joy to behold. While the soft sand caresses your feet, the (usually) gentle, rhythmic splash of the surf washes away your cares, and the inescapable, thundering beat of a boom box ruins it all! Polite, respectful people manage to enjoy their music at the beach, keeping it in their own space without blasting it in everyone’s eardrums. One hesitates to ask such a rude, inconsiderate boor to turn it down as the likelihood of a polite response is minimal. It might help to have a posted sign requesting that noise levels be lowered, just like the signs to keep off the dunes. Even if there were no official enforcement, the authority of a posted rule would give someone the confidence to ask for some peace and quiet.
Judith Berg, Toronto, Canada
Sanibel traffic solutions
The City of Sanibel has been considering a roundabout or flyover for malfunction junction. Both would cost millions and use valuable land. I proposed a much more simple and cheaper solution: Traffic lights. I suggest limiting right turn on Donax after 3 p.m. Then install traffic lights, one to control traffic coming down Lindgren. Another would be used to control the traffic coming from the east end and another would be installed at the present corner to regulate flow on to Periwinkle and another at the intersection of Casa Ybel and Periwinkle.
When they first installed roundabouts in Albany County New York, at the beginning, elderly people would drive the wrong way around the roundabout causing a lot of beeping horns and raised fingers. The lights could be regulated by officers on the scene or controlled remotely by using cameras.
William Brooks, Sanibel
Experienced military officers fired
Between them Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth have fired large numbers of senior military officers, including generals and most recently the top Army general. We are at war folks and I would think we would want experienced leadership directing our war efforts. It appears a befuddled draft dodger and a weekend TV talk show host feel they are better qualified to do so than military leaders with decades of war experience. Republicans seem to accept that view as none have opposed the dynamic duo in their quest. It’s as though they don’t want to disrupt Donnie And Pete’s wonderful adventure?
Robert F. Tate, Naples
Free floating on the spectrum
Alcatraz. Yes, it’s back. As one whose mind wanders from ADHD, PSTD, narcissistic sociopathic personality disorder while free floating on the spectrum, he’s decided to spend what? 152 million to reopen Alcatraz, the one in California not the Everglades. Each day he vacillates over the Panama Canal, Greenland, Cuba or the delusions du jour while declaring victory in the Middle East while our bases are slammed, troops killed and aircraft destroyed. I hope you’re all happy, I’ve warned you. Latest reports over the TSA crisis are plans to privatize their functioning, taking them out of DHS. But look, that was already in Project 2025. Their goal is to destroy workers’ ability to unionize. Been happening everywhere. DeSantis going after the teachers, Trump going after the federal AFGE workers, firing them, hiring loyalists. Even loyalists not loyal enough get fired, usually women. Call me crazy but we just may be witnessing the Manchurian Candidate in real time.
Laurence Jacks, Estero
Complicit Congress
Let’s give credit where credit is due. Trump is like a cat suspended by its feet; when dropped, the cat quickly rotates 180 degrees and invariably lands on its feet instead of its back as dropped. Trump’s obvious goal appears to be prevention of focus of the news media and his MAGA followers on the Epstein files, the horrific corruption emanating from the White House and his treasonous attempt to stay in power via the January 6th insurrection.
Yes, Trump is like a cat always succeeding in his goal. Illegally attacking Iran without congressional approval has been a huge distracting success. Now Iran’s downing of our jet and the pilots ejecting out into Iranian territory is captivating news. Forget the trivial high cost of fuel, the inflation, billions of lost taxpayers’ $$ and the injuries and death of members of our military. The distraction from the Epstein files, the fraud and corruption from the White House and the treasonous attack on Congress is the goal which Trump continues to achieve like the feet-suspended cat when dropped.
Why, oh why are the MAGA members of the U.S. Congress failing to assume their constitutional responsibility of controlling the administration and SCOTUS which gave free rein to impulsive Trump? Take heed Florida members of the U.S. Congress; one who remains silent in controversy is complicit in the outcome.
William Pettinger M.D., Bonita Springs
Slip sliding away
Lately the old Paul Simon song, “Slip Sliding Away” has been running through my head. The painful meaning for me currently is the potential loss of our American democracy and loss of the sanity of our leadership. On Easter Sunday morning, Christianity’s holiest day, President Donald J. Trump treated the world to a profane, unhinged threat against Iran’s civilian population. This rant not only signaled an intention that America would commit war crimes but was evidence of his anger and frustration with a regime that is clearly not ready to concede defeat. It also is evidence that it is dawning on him that he allowed Israel and Saudi Arabia through flattery and Trump family financial considerations to manipulate him into joining in attacking Iran and that he is now responsible for a global financial crisis. No one is lamenting the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Khomeini, but Trump went against the advice of Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine and our own intelligence community regarding the consequences of closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Ignoring his own campaign promise, he took the advice of sycophants like former Fox talking head Pete Hegseth, our aptly named Secretary of War, and pressed a reluctant U.S. military into a war nobody wanted and which he now owns. Christian Nationalist Pete Hegseth with his “Deus Vult” (God Wills It) and Jerusalem cross (symbol of the Medieval Crusades) tattoos is delighting in helping lead what he considers a modern-day Crusade. Trump’s disrespectful invoking the name of Allah in his Easter rant lends credence to the Crusade concept and has incited anger from all quarters of the Muslim world. Someone needs to advise these guys that the Christians lost the Crusades in 1291. I suspect Hegseth will reasonably soon become bus traction as Trump looks around for someone to blame for the mess he has created. As of this writing, some 2,000 ships are stranded at the entrances to the Strait of Hormuz and the price of Brent crude oil is a little over $109/barrel. Through it all our elected Republican Senate and House sit cowardly silent, paralyzed by fear of the looming midterm elections and the bully in the White House.Like the rest of the world, we in the U.S. look to a future of inflationary prices on virtually everything due to higher energy costs across all sectors of our economy and higher interest rates as the Federal Reserve scrambles to try and hold inflation in check while it simultaneously deals with a livid and dangerously deranged president. In the words of Paul Simon: We “believe we’re gliding down the highway when in fact we’re slip sliding away.”
Walt Evans, Naples
Protesters should offer solutions
The No Kings protesters are part of our political landscape today who are emotionally influenced by the Trump Derangement Syndrome. Their rallies do not tell us anything about what they are protesting. Even the letters to the editor and news articles on their rallies do not show how they would offer solutions that differ from what President Trump is doing.
What would the protesters do with the Iranian Islamist terrorists who are developing a nuclear weapon and cite “Death to America” as their ultimate objective? Would they enforce our immigration laws or open borders for illegal immigrants entering our country? Illegals cost taxpayers about $450B annually and live off entitlements.
The war in Ukraine has been going on for several years and today, 30,000 are injured and/or killed monthly. What are the protesters’ solutions for peace? How would they handle Xi and Putin?
What would they do to lower food prices and housing costs? These are troubling concerns and offering solutions would give them credence in the debate.
High health costs are the number one concern for citizens today even more so than saving the planet. Progressives support socialized medicine. Do protesters? Is government-controlled health care really what they want?
Protesters need to talk solutions rather than vent that Trump is a king. We need to solve these problems. Trump is trying. Complaining about Trump being king without providing solutions is just whining.
Frank Mazur, Fort Myers
One-sided climate narrative
The recent article, “Climate Change Is a Public Health Crisis,” (April 6) presents a one-sided narrative that overlooks important scientific perspectives. The work of the CO2 Coalition, composed of scientists and researchers, challenges the premise that carbon dioxide is a pollutant. CO₂ is a naturally occurring, essential gas that supports plant life and, by extension, all ecosystems.
Moreover, the Earth’s climate has been changing for millions of years — long before the rise of human industrial activity. Ice ages, warming periods, and natural variability are well documented in the geological record. To attribute current climate patterns primarily to human activity ignores this long history of natural change.
It is also critical to distinguish between weather and climate. Short-term weather events — whether heat waves, hurricanes, or cold snaps — do not, in isolation, define long-term climate trends. Conflating the two can mislead the public and contribute to unnecessary alarm.
Public health discussions should be grounded in balanced, evidence-based analysis. A more nuanced approach would better serve readers and foster informed debate rather than reinforcing a single, contested viewpoint.
Murray Sabrin, Ph.D., Naples
Easter message to Iran
To our devout, holier-than-thou Speaker of the House Mike Johnson: How did you enjoy our Jesus-wanna-be Supreme Leader’s Easter message to Iran?
Pam Quillin, Bonita Springs
Nothing short of blasphemy
President Trump recently ramped up his rhetorical threat against Iran by threatening to take out bridges and power plants. Never mind this is a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions, but let’s please examine the language of a hypocrite who professes to be a Christian. His social media screed is laced with profanity that should make any believer of God blush. That it happened on Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ, is nothing short of blasphemy. Among those 72 percent evangelical Christians who stand behind this charlatan, please help me understand your own hypocrisy.
Tom Marquardt, Naples
Protests here and in Iran
So let’s see. The Iranian majority wants to change their government policies. They are protesting for a change. Isn’t it ironic that here in the U.S. the majority are protesting against our current out of control government that is trying to take us back to having a king dictate. At least we have a Constitution (even though it is being ignored by the current administration) that will hopefully get us through this period. Please stay vigilant and don’t allow us to become another Iran.
Alan Marsley, Fort Myers
A disgrace and embarrassment
Once again Donald Trump proved he has diminished mental capacity. On Easter Sunday he says he will blow Iran back to the Stone Age, he uses a major expletive and at the same time praises God and Allah. What gives Congress? What gives MAGA? This man is totally unhinged and needs to be removed from office. I cannot believe any human being with morals and integrity can honestly back this man and believe he is doing the right thing for our country. He has alienated all our allies. He is a disgrace and an embarrassment and has made us a laughingstock in the world.
E.A. Blair, Naples
Pray for best outcome
As a Christian, it is difficult to understand how the clerical head of a country can kill his own people, in the name of religion. That is what has happened in Iran, the country that has chanted for 48 years, “Death to America”! No one knows how this situation that our country now finds itself in, will turn out, but were we supposed to wait until they had their nuclear weapon, which they would then use on us, to find out? Several past presidents have talked about the situation but did nothing. Trump was the only one strong enough to try to do something about it, not only for us, but also for future generations. Now all that the rest of us can do, regardless of party, is to pray that God will provide us with the conclusion that we are all hoping for.
Marilyn Doherty, Naples
It’s Biden’s fault
The war against Iran is Joe Biden’s fault. If Biden had acknowledged his lack of mental acuity and backed out of the presidential race at an early date, Kamala Harris would have beaten Trump and she never would have commenced a war without congressional advice and consent. Joe Biden’s failure not only resulted in a war, it is shredding our Constitution.
Joseph Haack, Naples
Stop drinking Trump Kool-Aide!
As more and more are realizing − Trump truly is as dumb as a box of rocks.
Shortly after taking office he began to malign and insult our longtime European NATO partners, then to add insult to injury he began handcuffing them with tariffs, and then, because he has no respect for NATO, he makes no effort to consult anyone but himself about attacking Iran, and even though we were in negotiations with them he (not surprisingly) elected to “cheat” by attacking them first with no forewarning.
In addition to learning that Iran has proven to be a much more resourceful, determined and formidable foe he (not surprisingly) had no back-up plan for countering the closing of the Strait of Hormuz.
And, again, never acknowledging a mistake (It’s always someone else fault) he has the audacity to further chastise our NATO allies for not coming to bail him out of a mess he clearly chose to make all on his own − as he tried to wear his “big boy pants” to impress the world − amazing and embarrassing!
America − it’s time to stop drinking the Trump Kool-Aide!
Ted Barto, Naples
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Cars on 5th, Cape police and Sanibel traffic | Opinion letters
Reporting by Letter writers / Fort Myers News-Press
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