Existing water park underutilized
Regarding the proposed water park by Naples Grande Hotel: Does anyone recall that we already have a huge water park at the North Naples Community Park that sits EMPTY all winter long? Why isn’t our government utilizing this lovely, already built, water park, for the benefit of tourists, residents, and the general public?
It is a short drive away for all of us, here in Naples, and sits there unused, for months at a time. I’ve never understood the rational for this. It could also be replenishing our coffers − and save us some tax dollars?
Susan Hallin, Naples
Lee County road financing
Apparently our largely unelected (except by developers, their lawyers and real estate insiders) Lee County Board was so offended by coverage by this paper of their efforts to finance our totally inadequate road system by placing the burden on taxpayers via increasing the sales tax, the Board cancelled their work session. Since their campaigns seem to be largely financed by the developers, their lawyers and real estate insiders, it is not surprising the Board skews to using the power of the purse and increase our taxes to pay for development rather than having developers pay a fair share for the public costs incurred by their projects. And it is understandable when called to account for this behavior, our thin skinned “elected“ representatives choose to avoid legitimate scrutiny. It will be interesting to see whether this Board can put the public interest in the forefront as the discussion hopefully goes forward.
Michael Norton, Estero
Collection of impact fees
Thank you, Charlie (Whitehead), for your excellent article in today’s (April 21) News-Press. The lack of full collection of impact fees by our bought-and-paid-for county commissioners has frosted my onions for years. Mailbag has published two of my letters on the subject. After the first (4-3-19), Frank Mann called me that morning to thank me for it. Sadly, he showed us that one honest commissioner does not an honest commission get, and now we don’t even have him. Nonetheless, we need more articles like yours, perhaps a full-blown multi-part investigation/exposé, something to bring out the candidates and the votes!Gary Marsh, Estero
Mayor gets a pass, MAGA
Mayor Heitmann has not been convicted in a court of law of 34 felonies, that I know of. She has not been judged civilly liable for sexual abuse in a court of law, that I know of. She has not been forced to close a charitable foundation she was running due to “a shocking pattern of illegality” (words of the court), that I know of. To be sure, she faces serious charges which need to be adjudicated. However, America knows who has committed the aforementioned offenses, and who, despite the charges, with the full and continued support of MAGA, was elected and remains president of the United States, the highest office in the land, with no change in behavior or character, just a change of venue. With these new low “snake belly in a wagon rut” set of standards ushered in by MAGA for those running for and holding public office, MAGA is now obligated to give Ms. Heitmann a pass, as MAGA, with the dirtiest of dirty hands, has forfeited the moral authority to condemn or judge any misconduct by any elected public official anywhere in any office. The one exception might be someone shooting someone on Fifth Avenue in Naples or New York since Mr. Trump gave warning on that one. Any condemnation of the good mayor, who certainly seems to have done far less, needs to come from those with clean hands. MAGA hands are not clean in these matters, and the question is how long it will take for them to ever be clean again.
Thomas Minor, Bonita Springs
Gratitude from a Vietnam vet
A veteran’s thank you. To the family that was dining at Bice on Friday evening, April 17, my most heartfelt thanks for your thoughtfulness in picking up the dinner bill for me with the message “thank you for your service.“ It was overwhelming and even more so that you included my wife and friends who were dining with me in celebration of my birthday. I respect your wishes in remaining anonymous but hopefully you will see this and know how much I appreciated your generous gesture. I never received any acknowledgment or thanks 55 years ago when I returned from Vietnam so your recent support of my military service means a great deal. Many blessings to you and your family.
Jeff Cresswell, Naples
Hostile anonymous voicemail
After writing several recent letters expressing my opinions, I received an anonymous voicemail from a woman containing insults and a four-letter expletive and even a wish for my death. She didn’t even leave her name or number, otherwise I could tell her that if she ever wants to have a real conversation about issues that we disagree on, she’s welcome to do so — but please do it openly rather than anonymously.For generations, letters to the editor have allowed ordinary citizens to take part in public debate. The arrangement is simple: people express their views, sign their names, and accept that others may strongly disagree.
Unlike the person who left that message, I am writing this openly in the pages of The News-Press in the hope that it might serve as a small teachable moment about how we should conduct ourselves in public debate.
The letters published in these pages require something simple but important: a name, a community, and the willingness to stand behind one’s words. Anonymous insults require none of those things. Real or implied death threats on the other hand are serious violations of civil norms. Strong disagreement is part of a healthy democracy. In fact, I welcome it. But public debate works best when participants bring arguments rather than insults, or real or implied threats, and courage rather than anonymity.
If someone believes I am wrong about the issues I’ve written about, there is an obvious solution: write a letter explaining why. Sign your name. Make your case. Let readers decide. That is how a community of citizens argues its differences. Anonymous insults and threats, by contrast, contribute nothing at all.
And, by the way, criticism of any public official is not “derangement”; it is citizenship. When a president or any other person, shows contempt for truth, demeans opponents, attacks institutions, or places personal interest above public duty, speaking out is not hysteria but responsibility. Silence in the face of excess has never served a republic well. Citizens serve the Constitution; a cultist serves the man.I wish my nameless critic well and hope she will choose a little more kindness going forward and to heed the warning of Friedrich Nietzsche “Beware that, when fighting (people you think of as) monsters, you yourself do not become a monster.”
And, I wish the readers of this newspaper to remember what Martin Luther King Jr. observed, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
Robert Geltner, veteran former U,S. Air Force captain/JAG, North Fort Myers
Fairness in taxation
A voter told me he supports recent tax cuts and higher health insurance costs because “they earned it, so they should keep it.” But look at how money, markets, and our tax code actually work. First, a dollar is not the same to everyone. Fifty dollars can mean rent or insulin for a working family; for a billionaire, it is a rounding error. Treating those dollars as morally equal ignores human need. Second, no billionaire “did it all themselves.” Every large fortune rides on public roads, courts, police, schools, the internet, a stable currency, and publicly funded research. Taxes are the membership dues that keep that system going. Third, market reward is not moral proof. Markets pay based on bargaining power and luck, under rules written by lawyers and lobbyists. Hedge-fund managers can earn more in a day than a nurse in a year. That does not mean the nurse matters less. Fourth, our tax code does not simply “let them keep what they earned”; it often lets huge gains escape tax entirely. Step-up in basis wipes out the tax obligation of lifetime capital gains at death. 1031 exchanges and similar loopholes let investors roll profits from one asset to another, deferring or erasing tax while wealth compounds and is passed on, untaxed.
So this is not just about “keeping what you earned.” It is about a rulebook that works one way for workers who pay every paycheck and another way for people rich enough to live inside the loopholes.
Paul Howard, Naples
Value is subjective
I am writing regarding the letter (“Taxes done the right way,” April 22). His claim that taxes and government spending should be based on the “value” citizens receive rests on a fundamental misunderstanding of how value is determined.
Value is subjective and can only be meaningfully expressed through voluntary exchange in free markets, where individuals decide what goods and services are worth to them. Taxes, by contrast, are coercive; citizens are compelled to pay regardless of their personal valuation of government services.
An example of voluntary exchanges addressing infrastructure services is planned communities, like Babcock Ranch in Lee County. In short, with a little imagination and commitment to serving the public using proven free market tools, the public can consume all needed services. Historically local mutual aid societies have assisted citizens deal with natural disasters. Unfortunately, governments have co-opted these voluntary organizations for more than one hundred years.
In the final analysis, without voluntary choice and price signals, there is no reliable way to measure “value.” Government spending reflects political priorities rather than the genuine preferences of individuals acting freely in the marketplace.
Murray Sabrin, Ph.D., Naples
Federal security failure in Florida
The April 19 Washington Post report on visas for relatives of U.S. adversaries revealed a significant federal security failure in Florida. While the government sanctions hostile regimes, family members of these leaders exploit student and work visas to live among us. Local leaders, like DeSantis, prioritize imprisoning undocumented workers who have committed no crimes but overlook white-collar crimes by foreign nationals. A recent $1.7 million settlement involving IMG Academy for accepting tuition from cartel-linked entities underscores the vulnerability of our institutions. Meanwhile, the Educational Visa Transparency Act of 2026 aims to address these vetting gaps.
As the DOJ targets oligarchs like Viktor Perevalov, international buyers are shifting focus to Naples and Collier County to avoid federal scrutiny in Miami. This trend, along with a rise in cash property purchases, serves as a red flag for money laundering, prompting new FinCEN reporting requirements. Cash-intensive businesses also require vigilance, as they often facilitate the laundering of illicit funds.
The recent arrest of Sinaloa Cartel leader Fidel Felix-Ochoa for fentanyl distribution tied to real estate capital laundering highlights the urgent need for action. Florida must no longer serve as a financial sanctuary for authoritarians and drug lords, and Washington must urgently close these visa loopholes to protect national security.
Bebe Kanter, Naples
Horrendous mass murder
Once again a horrendous mass murder has happened in the United States that could be called, I believe nothing less than an act of “super insanity,“ since it goes beyond merely what could be termed simple insanity, and I think rather more accurately it might even be termed nothing less than pure evil. Only the “most bungled” of the animals, as Nietzsche called Homo sapiens, it would seem could commit such an act. It should make all decent good, and sane and even “super sane” individuals, as scientists have been called, “quake in their boots” as they realize they are members of that same species as was this seemingly “super insane” individual.
I’m referring of course to the recent Shreveport, Louisiana mass murder of eight children, eight children! One wonders how a human mind could get so deranged as to even allow its attached body to hold a gun to do such an act of unspeakable violence and cruelty. Sometimes I think it would be nice if there really was a fire and brimstone hell that such mass murderers could be sent to if even for a little while. And for all we really know there just might be.
Kenneth L. Carson, Lenoir, NC
Evolution of Iran
Did you know Persia/Iran has been an adversary of Israel since about 600 BC? They invaded Jerusalem then, gathered their leaders off to Babylon for 75 years before a new leader there allowed them to go home.
Then in 1938 Persia changed its name to Iran, to support the efforts of Hitler ideology in cleansing the world for pure society. Iran means Land of Aryans! Also, Iran is neither Arab nor Semite and all the Middle East has issues with them. Are these times a signal of a different form of Axis power, we have not clearly identified?
Also, don’t forget that the world looks for a perfect example of who God wants us to exemplify.
Hebrew word Tzedek, meaning righteous, which occurs about 550 times in Holy Scripture and was fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth, he was totally who God created Him to be. In a sense he exposed his inner person to all, with no external hidden agendas or shielding his inner person. He was/is who He says he is and a model for us to follow.
Fr. Robert G. Browning, Fort Myers
Democrats, Trump and Iran
In a total non surprise, the Democrats and the mainstream media are highly critical of everything Trump does, especially the attack on Iran. My opinion is that Trump, Hegseth and the administration have been a master at dealing with this rogue nation. While we do not know how this will end, the progression has been masterful. First the Trump administration tried negotiating with Iran. When that failed they destroyed not only Iran’s military capabilities, but also their military industrial base. Trump then tried again to negotiate with Iran. When that again failed, he shut down their lifeline by closing their ports so they could not sell their oil. This will lead to another negotiation. If this fails, Trump still has the option of attacking their infrastructure. The progression is classic. The problem is that the leadership in Iran really does not care about the people of Iran. It is similar to the Democrats in the U.S. where they care only about opposing Trump, regardless of how it impacts U.S. citizens. If you don’t believe that, then explain to me why the Democrats opposed DOGE in eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. Or why they opposed deporting illegal immigrants, including criminals and gang members. Or why they oppose funding non ICE DHS. Or why not one Democrat voted for reducing taxes on tips. Or why the Democrats oppose ID’s for voting when some 80% of the public want it. The evidence is clear, if Trump is for it, the Democrats are against it, even if it is beneficial to U.S. citizens.
Ron Wobbeking, Naples
Illegal immigrants
Finally, a Naples Letter writer came up with some solutions rather than write another negative letter about President Trump. I agree with most of the ideas other than the statement about Illegals not getting government entitlements. It is a known fact that over 65% of the Haitians that Biden let in are receiving aid and in California over 40M annually is being paid to illegals. Once that is stopped and the 10M illegals are deported and rampant fraud is eliminated. we should be able to get back to a normal country.
Jim McMenamy, Fort Myers
Dangerous delusion
Back in the 60’s, when I was living in a haze of pot smoke and cheap beer in Newark, NJ, I met God a number of times. He was everywhere in those days. I met guys, with long hair, beards and bell bottoms who looked me in the eye and demanded I follow them on the path to enlightenment. When I could work up the energy and/or interest to ask what exactly I would be following, they always said something like, “You’ll be following me, man … far out.” Hey, they were God. What else was there to say.
Even then, though, I knew they weren’t really God. They were just nuts. Harmless enough in their delusions but certifiably insane. Recently, our president posted, on tape, a representation of himself as Jesus, and yet some 3 in 10 Americans are still comfortable with his access to the nuclear codes. Apocalyptic destructive capability in the hands of an infantile grifter from Queens who thinks he’s God. Gee, what could possibly go wrong? Clearly some delusions are not harmless.
Geremy Spampinato, Naples
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Existing North Naples water park underutilized | Opinion letters
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