The following are recent Letters to the Editor readers sent and were published in The Palm Beach Post.
Flagler Drive re-routing an affront to the city
E.R. Bradley’s long-standing contributions over many years to the growth and character of downtown West Palm Beach and its waterfront is unmatched. It was therefore troubling to read that they feel pressured to step aside to accommodate what appears to be a primarily profit-driven transformation of the area.
Many residents already consider downtown traffic to be unbearable and believe that the existing infrastructure and roadways were never designed to handle the current volume. Therefore, people don’t understand why local government is approving the additional development of multiple office towers, a hotel, and thousands of new residential units. The proposed re-routing of South Flagler Drive would further strain an already overburdened traffic system. These concerns naturally lead residents to ask what is driving the current pace and scale of approvals by the mayor and city commissioners. Public confidence depends not only on sound planning decisions, but also on transparency.
Longtime residents may recall that former Mayor Nancy Graham faced criticism over potential conflicts of interest after leaving office. Without suggesting or implying that any such conflicts exist today, it would serve the public interest for the mayor and each city commissioner to commit to not accepting any direct or indirect role with developers doing business with the City after leaving office. Such a commitment would help reinforce trust in the decisions being made today.
E. Burke Ross, Jr., Palm Beach
No need to remake West Palm Beach
The absurd and unpopular idea of Steven Ross tearing down some West Palm Beach buildings near Flagler Drive to make that part of downtown a “Central Park” is only the latest lousy idea of New Yorkers trying to change our city into a mini-New York. The same people have bought up commercial property and raised rents so that popular long-standing restaurants are forced to close in favor of New York restaurants − all of which are recognized by how expensive they are. Local affordable residential property has been taken over by condos and new homes going for many millions of dollars which few local people can afford. All the new condo traffic, like traffic in New York, is absurd. I’m sorry but I don’t like the intended change. If the newcomers wanted to live in New York they could have stayed there. Please don’t force your lifestyle on us.
Jim Eisenberg, Palm Beach Gardens
Kudos to PBIA lawsuit
Three cheers for George Poncy Jr. Of course, renaming Palm Beach International Airport after [President] Trump is a safety issue. As far as the rights to use the name, Trump has purposely copyrighted the name so that he can charge any airport that uses his name. The Trump Organization may say now that they won’t charge anything, we all know we can’t trust their word. Nobody wants this name change [except] Gov. Ron DeSantis, who’s still trying to win the support of the MAGA movement.
Marcia Halpern, Palm Beach Gardens
Please stop the political solicitations
I’m tired of getting too many requests from candidates across the country asking me for money. I will fill out as many surveys as you’d like, but stop asking me to contribute towards your individual campaign or support for a program. I’m already paying more than my fair share of taxes that should go to all these programs. I’m sorry you’re not getting the big bucks, you’re not going to get them from me, and I’m sure many others not in your district. I did contribute to the candidate from Palm Beach County, whom I fully support, and Alexander Vindman will make a superb Florida senator. The rest of you who are not in my district, stop it.
Ronnie Gerstein, Lake Worth
HOA bias against native plants hurts Florida
I have owned Meadow Beauty Nursery for 38 years where I grow and install Florida native plants. I have lost a tremendous amount of business over the years because of HOAs that are hostile to homeowners attempting to break away from “established aesthetic values.” I understand that there are some changes to the Florida Friendly Law that may give it more teeth and enable homeowners to push back.
I am not a lawyer and would appreciate it if you could write an article about this law so that its strengths and weaknesses can be better understood. If we are going to change our landscapes from energy, water, fertilizer and pesticide-intense grass and exotic plants to just the opposite native plants, then we need homeowners to feel safe from the uninformed people in charge of their HOA landscape committees.
Carl Terwilliger, Lake Worth
Columnist tax comments taxing
Whenever I read an op-ed from Nicole Russell, I just shake my head. Her latest piece complaining about paying too much in taxes is a perfect example. She states the top 1% of high earners saw significant tax relief, but that’s okay because that encourages economic growth. Has she ever done any reading about trickle-down economics? If she had, she would have learned that decades of research shows it does not work and increases income equality.
If she’s truly concerned with tax dollars funding programs with little to no accountability, she should look no further than the Immigration and Custom Enforcement buying up warehouses at millions more than their appraised value. Or how about the five-day $50 billion spending spree by the Department of War. Instead of returning unspent funds to the Treasury Department, they purchased a Steinway grand piano, millions in lobster tails, steaks and Alaskan king crab and $1,900 chairs. These are MAGA grifting moves. So, Nicole won’t be complaining about spending tax dollars to warehouse human beings with no due process or wasting billions on self-enrichment tricks. But, giving the poor a small amount of money to buy groceries? That’s a step too far.
Ginny Case, Lake Worth
Trump policies leaves too many behind
My grandmother always said to be careful what you wish for as you may have to live with the choice for a long time. That sentiment belongs to the Trump Delusional Sycophant group who have sold their soul to Mr. Trump. There are many issues at hand that create angst. Where to start? The war is more important than Medicare, Medicaid or health care. We all know that once prices go up and people do not stop spending there is no incentive to lower prices. Has anyone stopped buying gas or food? In health care, we are a country that profits from treatments, not preventative services. Spending $5.5 million to change [Palm Beach International Airport] to Donald J. Trump International Airport doesn’t make anyone’s life better or prices lower. The entry price for a West Palm Beach condo is over $1 million. Where’s the affordability? What really frosts me is that there is not one thought to the collateral damage of these decisions.
Clare Goyette, West Palm Beach
John Phelan deserved much better
John Phelan, one of Palm Beach’s leading residents, benefactor of the arts and generous Republican donor, lasted less than one year as the Secretary of the Navy. His bona fides for the position were suspect, unless loyalty to Donald Trump is the only credential needed. Reports indicate that he was another victim on the long and growing list of Pete Hegseth’s inexplicable and hostile management style. The Senate that confirmed Hegseth knew, from a mass of evidence, that Hegseth historically and repeatedly failed as a manager in civilian jobs. When Phelan accepted the appointment did he not realize that he would report to Hegseth and not his friend Trump, for whom he and his wife have raised millions? Phelan has a reputation for being a stand up guy but that didn’t mean anything to the manic and often unhinged Hegseth or ultimately, a disloyal Trump.David Kahn, Boca Raton
Kudos for Earth Day column
Kathleen Rogers contributed an excellent article in the April 22 opinion page on the history and importance of Earth Day. She points out the most important issue facing the movement towards a cleaner, greener future, which was the 2010 Supreme Court Citizens United decision. By allowing unlimited campaign contributions by corporations and outside groups the court set the stage for environmental disaster. Most importantly the fossil fuel industry, with billions of dollars available to buy politicians was now free to do so with inevitable results.
We now have a Donald Trump led bunch of science disregarding, climate change denying, self serving politicians at all levels of government. As Ms. Rogers pointed out ,the fossil fuel industry donated 450 million dollars to mostly Republican candidates in the 2024 elections if only they denied climate change or stated that it wasn’t harmful. Since it is probably a long shot that there will be any challenge to that Supreme Court decision anytime soon the fix has to be at the ballot box. It is imperative that we get rid of all the people who are willing to disregard the future of our world for short term political and financial gain. We have been going the wrong direction for 16 years. We need to reverse that trend ASAP. The November elections can’t come soon enough. Everyday should be Earth Day.
Kirk Harris, North Palm Beach
America’s becoming untrustworthy
Wrong color? Out you go. Wrong religion? Pack your bags. Wrong country. Time for an exit. Sacrificed family and culture to escape persecution? Too bad. Served America in the war in Afghanistan? You are not to be trusted. Work quietly and try to raise a family? You must be a violent criminal sent to kill Americans. Our detention centers seem to resemble concentration camps. Can’t be because they have different names. People are killed by ICE? Accidents happen. There are Iranians who hate their regime and detest its current path but we have sent them, and the world, a strong and clear message. Help the U.S. at your peril. The U.S. will assist in your destruction.
Donald Hoffman, Boynton Beach
Blanche no help to Epstein survivors
When a mob lawyer like the Tom Hagen-figure of “The Godfather” series runs the U.S. Justice Department, why expect justice for the people? The U.S. Attorney General is supposed to be the People’s Lawyer. More and more we hear there is a criminal enterprise running America. Why be surprised when the acting U.S.A.G. was, (the Don’s) the current President’s criminal defense lawyer.
Todd Blanche defended Trump in the case involving Trump paying hush money for the services of a porn star. He, with the help of U.S. District Judge Cannon, defended Trump in the stolen documents case, Blanche defended Trump in the federal elections interference case. So Epstein survivors, don’t expect any help from this Justice Department, let alone the Trump administration.
David Clendining, Loxahatchee
Swalwell, another media-protected pol
Democrats have had more than their fair share of men who used women as sex objects and cast them aside easily when fulfilled. From Ted Kennedy to Eric Swalwell, such behavior was always known to party elders but never spoken of so long as the public believed in the goodness of the transgressors, courtesy of the media being complicit, which they’ve always been. In five days, Swalwell went from likely California governor to an electoral footnote. Swalwell will not be remembered because Democrats lionize Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson and Barak Obana, three malevolent icons who became that party’s saints. Real Democrats survive having excuses polished by the media, a partnership created in the sewers of Washington, D.C.
Richard Klitzberg, Boca Raton
Media complicity helped Swalwell
Democrats have had more than their fair share of men who used women as sex objects and cast them aside easily when fulfilled. From Ted Kennedy to Eric Swalwell such behavior was always known to party elders but never spoken of so long as the public believed in the goodness of the transgressors, courtesy of the media being complicit, which they’ve always been. In five days, Swalwell went from likely California governor to an electoral footnote. Swalwell bathed in the power of his office and his leftist lies about Donald Trump. Swalwell will not be remembered because Democrats lionize Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lyndon B. Johnson and Barak Obama. He got caught. Real Democrats survive having excuses polished by the media, a partnership created in the sewers of Washington, D.C.
Richard Klitzberg, Boca Raton
Swalwell not the only ‘complicity’ target
The April 25 letter from a Boca Raton resident left me with more questions than answers. The writer was attempting to promote the theory that the media and Democratic Party leaders — he called them “elders” — were protecting men in their party who sexually abused women. He used Eric Swalwell as his example, curious because Rep. Swalwell was forced to drop out of the governor’s race and resign from Congress by his own party after intense media coverage of his bad behavior. Where is the complicity?
Strangely the writer seems completely oblivious of the blatant hypocrisy here. [President] Donald Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of women, bragged of sexual abuse, been found civilly liable for sexual abuse and is directing a massive coverup of the Epstein evidence. Did the Republicans demand Mr. Trump drop out of a campaign or resign once in office? NO. They supported him with the help of Fox News and all the right wing podcasters who finally are all starting to see the light and turn against the cult leader. Maybe that was the example the writer should use for complicity.
Kirk Harris, North Palm Beach
Hungarian voters showed U.S. how it’s done
We have to thank Hungary again for showing the world and the U.S. how it’s done. Their brave, attempted revolution in 1956 against the external oppressor, the Soviet Union, resulted in thousands of deaths, and failed. This time, they removed an internal oppressor, Viktor Orban. It was not complicated. It cost the average citizen very little, it does not appear anyone was killed and they succeeded.
What it did take is the determination and engagement of the voters of Hungary to say simply “enough is enough.” Despite our president, vice president and secretary of state meddling in their election − the type of meddling the average American voter would resent deeply − Hungarians rid themselves decisively of a corrupt, venal politician and government. They did this through the power of the vote, something too many Americans either ignore or take for granted. We no longer have that luxury and, while it may seem to some inconsequential, Hungarian voters have reminded us that our political leaders hold power only as long as we let them.
Leonard Hanser, Palm Beach Gardens
County mayor’s ethics questioned
In my former life as a professional land surveyor, I spent a lot of time marketing, which included treating the client to golf, lunch, dinner or a football or baseball game. I marketed a lot of county employees over the years until around 2000 when the rules changed and anyone working for the county government could not accept even a cup of coffee. Marketing gave me a leg up on all contracts. Now I guess the rules have changed and our County Mayor Sara Baxter not only gets free transportation thanks to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, but gets to sit in a Ross Related box at the college football national championship. She claims she paid for a seat [which could cost in the $115,000 to $500,000 range].
The box I sat in one time in Miami, there were about 20 seats; that’s $5,570 on the low end. Baxter also claims, “I’ll never apologize for supporting smart growth that promotes tourism and supports our community.” A noble statement but when you receive $30,000 in political donations and a $3,000 game ticket, which she won’t say what she paid for the seat? Not so noble. How do all the other county government employees handle a cup of coffee from a person or entity trying to peddle influence? She should recuse herself from any votes on Ross Related projects. This isn’t the first time either. Remember she failed to report the jet ride from Ron Book to the DeSantis second inauguration.
John Adler, Royal Palm Beach
U.S. once had a better deal with Iran
Eleven years ago, under President [Barack] Obama, we already had an agreement to prevent the production of Iranian nuclear weapons. As a result, Iran received about $1 billion of its own money held in USA banks. Nobody died. There was virtually no cost to the U.S. Moderate leaders in Iran surged in popularity. But two years later, President Trump ripped up the deal with the support of Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott. Now he has attacked Iran without congressional approval. Thousands of people have died, including 13 Americans. Trump allowed Iran to sell $14 billion of its own oil in a desperate attempt to lower gas prices, and he is demanding the American taxpayer pay over $200 billion extra for his war. All of this in an effort to come close to what we had 11 years ago. And through it all, Sens. Scott, Ashley Moody and U.S. Rep. Brian Mast have failed Floridians with their cowardly lack of leadership.
Daniel Spotts, Ocean Ridge
No dancing on Woodlawn graves
Building a central plaza in Woodlawn Cemetery for string quartets and poetry performances would delight the Addams Family because, nothing says “party” like listening to music or poetry while surrounded by gravestones. Perhaps the purveyors of this idea anticipate performances of the “Death and the Maiden” quartet, or Hamlet’s famous soliloquy: “To be or not to be?” The answer’s rather obvious in a graveyard. To mashup two other cemetery-appropriate poems, this concept’s “center cannot hold,” and I hope it does not, and “rage, rage against the dying of the light” but chooses instead to “go gentle into that good night.”
Carl Imboden, West Palm Beach
What if Democrats regain power?
Let’s say that Democrats win both houses of Congress and the presidency in 2028. What will they do? Reopen the border? Stop deporting illegals who have committed crimes? Restore Iran’s nuclear capability? Return to being dependent on Middle Eastern countries for oil? Put boys back in girls’ sports? Prohibit local law enforcement from cooperating with federal law enforcement? Bring back crime to cities like Washington? Raise taxes on the extremely wealthy so that instead of moving from New York to Florida, they move from New York to the Cayman Islands? Reduce military spending so that adversaries are emboldened? I concede that the president says mean things. But, if you look at changes that have occurred over the last year, I think hearing from a crass New York real estate developer is a small price to pay for the good things that have occurred.
Paul Loschiavo, Jupiter
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Reader sees waterfront park plan as ‘profit-driven’ change to West Palm
Reporting by Douglas C. Lyons, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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