Vero Beach roads, parking; Brightline station; school buses; Haley, DeSantis | Letters
Makes more sense, if needed, for city to spend money on parking rather than studies
How could anyone think that putting 100 cars from three lanes to two would not be a problem? Think of a funnel.
Making a bike lane for a handful to use is ridiculous. If downtown businesses need more parking, they should find a space for a parking lot or garage and, with the help of city government, make it happen.
The same thing should be done at the beach area by Mulligans.
All the money for studies being done could go toward parking areas.
Mike Tortora Sr., Vero Beach
Brightline success: Put station in Port St. Lucie
Since Port St. Lucie is the largest city on the Treasure Coast, I believe the best place on the Treasure Coast for a Brightline station is at the train crossing on Walton Road.
I think this is a good place because you could have parking at the Civic Center and run a bus or streetcar from the Civic Center to the station. This would encourage more business and restaurants to open in the Civic Center.
A streetcar or dedicated bus could be run from Tradition down the Crosstown Parkway to the Civic Center and also have parking in the Tradition area. The streetcar/bus could also stop at designated places on Crosstown to pick up others who wanted to go to the station.
Stephen Young, Port St. Lucie
Liquefied natural gas issue on Brightline railroad
According to a recent article, Brightline (Fortress Investment Group) is looking for land adjacent to existing tracks away from the St. Lucie River bridge in downtown Stuart. The property must also be able to support other development opportunities for Brightline.
In 2014, Florida East Coast Railway discussed moving liquefied natural gas on its network with the Federal Railroad Administration. On Sept. 24, 2014, AAF Holdings LLC filed an application with the Florida Development Finance Corp., for $1.75 billion in private activity bond financing for “All Aboard Florida.” About $440 million would be used to construct new track and rail between Cocoa and Orlando, the gateway to Tampa and the Panama Canal.
In November 2014, James Hertwig, former CEO of FECR, said he thought the laws would change where double-stacked 10,000-gallon liquefied natural gas international standards organization containers would run from South Florida to Jacksonville, creating a virtual rolling natural gas pipeline. However, the single-tracked St. Lucie River railroad bridge presented a problem. Constructing an LNG production facility in Stuart or north of Stuart could be a solution.
On Dec. 31, 2014, American LNG Marketing (Fortress affiliate) filed an application to export LNG produced at an under-13-acre site in the Hialeah Rail Yard from ports of Miami, Everglades, Palm Beach, Jacksonville and Canaveral, and filed an application Feb. 3, 2015, to export LNG from a 22-acre site in Titusville.
As noted by the FRA in a March 3, 2016, letter to FECR: “Any LNG transported along the proposed routes would eventually share the routes with high-performance passenger trains ... ” On March 13, 2017, FRA authorized FECR to haul containerized LNG. In 2022, American LNG exported 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas from Port Everglades. In July 2022, LNG was selling at $12.76 per 1,000 cubic feet. All aboard the LNG train.
Cecile Scofield, Palm City
School bus issues, costs? Use fixed routes
Reporter Colleen Wixon wrote in a front-page article: “School bus rides’ soaring costs increase concern for districts.”
During the 1950s and 1960s in Miami, no school buses existed and students rode fixed-route buses. They simply showed ID cards and paid a nickel each. That was 50 cents a week.
While Wixon did not mention discipline on school buses, stories about this have emerged. In Miami then, with adults riding the same buses commuting to work or shopping, discipline was good because they kept us youngsters somewhat behaved.
I was able to ride each way via a stop two to three blocks from home. My knowledge of the route allowed me on weekends to ride that bus to and from movie theaters in downtown Miami, paying full fare, of course.
St. Lucie County provides fixed routes that have low ridership. Are not savings at hand by doing away with school buses and providing more fixed routes for all and at good hours? It seems so.
The advantages are numerous but space here limits listing. The disadvantages are few and surmountable.
Richard C. Silvestri, Fort Pierce
Government handouts not free when it comes to Martin mass transportation
Eight years ago, when Martin County introduced MARTY, its transit bus system, no one was on the bus. At the time, it was too early to judge the endeavor. Most thought it should be given a chance, and in time, people would learn an efficient way of utilizing it.
Now, years later, the buses are still empty. No study or model can compare to real-life data. Why, then, are we still investing money into a failed venture? Worse, why are county officials calling it a success? I have read the financials, and there is something rotten in Denmark.
MARTY was not created from demand, but rather a requirement. State and federal programs dictate that your town must be progressive and have public transit to receive grants. The global push for reducing carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, along with the belief in dense urban boundaries and centralized communities, is trying to force Martin County to be something it is not.
Empty buses and vacant high-speed trains run through our town like a cinematic satire of denial and reckless spending — a tribute to the reverence of government waste. Big diesel engines run all day, needlessly burning fuel and polluting the air. We misuse tax dollars in the name of virtue. And we parade this irony like it is a badge of honor.
Will the county double down on the idea that we will grow into the need for mass transit or admit failure? Will we continue to toss money into a bottomless pit, like a ritual sacrifice at the altar of the state? Should they dismantle the entire system or downsize it into something less wasteful?
We should expect everything to stay the same if we remain dependent on the government dole. It is high time we realize that handouts are not free.
Nick Gulotta, Stuart
How much do out-of-town consultants care about our community?
Laurence Reisman had an excellent column with excellent research on TCPalm Oct. 31.
The Brackett family has given much back to the community. I can’t fathom why the Vero Beach City Council and Indian River County commissioners don’t listen to or consult with those that have lived, worked, invested and built their lives here.
Those folks have more concern for our community than those expensive consultants.
Bob Grice, Vero Beach
Close downtown Vero Beach blocks to spur commerce
My daughter suggested two or three blocks of the downtown Vero Beach area become a public space: no cars, just an open space with tables to sit and enjoy lunch and have conversations and shop, with benches to sit.
There should be a revival of buildings and evening music from all genres to make it inviting. A bakery open in the evening would feel the air of goodness. Europe is full of these public spaces and they are packed in evenings, afternoons and mornings with coffee junkies, pastry-bread buyers, date-night couples strolling, shoppers, diners and people just relaxing and enjoying time together.
Having something like that here would be a focal point of the city.
Choosing vendors that appeal to everyone is important, too, such as coffee shops, bakeries, candy stores, clothing shops, newspaper stands, etc.
I have noticed that when I go downtown, everything closes so early. Having all vendors staying open until 10 p.m. would not only be nice, it would also drive sales taxes and more money to use on other projects.
Millie Hirsch, Vero Beach
DeSantis history shows he's best to represent us all?
Does Gov. Ron DeSantis really think he has the winning record to become our next president?
Not if there are enough sentient beings on this planet.
Someone who claims to care about people, but can't see his way clear to supporting reasonable gun-control laws? Someone who doesn't care how good an education students receive as long as they don't see a naked statue, even by a master like Michelangelo, or use a bathroom that doesn't "conform" to their birth gender? Someone who wastes taxpayers' money on senseless court battles and migrant flights ... and uses state planes to attend political fundraisers?
I ask you, is this the person you want in the White House calling the shots? If on some fluke he makes it there, you can be sure his focus will be on staying there. Not on the needs of the American people. Not on upholding the Constitution. Not on making the United States a safer and more prosperous country.
One doesn't have to quote ancient prophets or compare our world to prior failed civilizations to know we are in deep trouble. All I am asking is that people think about the future, theirs, their children's and the world's.
The primary election season will be here before you know it. So now is the time to think this through and voice your opposition to the right-wing extremist culture that threatens to destroy Florida and America.
I'm counting on you, and so are the rest of America's reasonable, conscientious and compassionate citizens.
Julie Eisdorfer, Vero Beach
Do we have enough? Americans manipulated by Big Advertising?
This newspaper has recently reported that the nation's economy "expanded at a robust annual rate of 4.9%," Americans spend $12 billion a year on pet food and demand for Carnival cruises are growing.
Airports and restaurants are crowded, gas prices are down and some people are spending millions and millions of dollars for Taylor Swift tickets, for one example. Car manufacturers have reported record profits.
And yet, a large percentage of Americans are dissatisfied with the economy. What's going on?
Yes, I know, there are many people struggling to make ends meet, but let's admit it, most people never had it so good.
Could it be possible that the mega-food corporations that raised prices during the COVID pandemic are now engaged in price gouging? What justification could there be that a pound of cereal costs more than a pound of steak? Gasoline prices for delivery costs?
Could it also be possible that we have been so brainwashed by the American advertising industry, representing both commerce and politics, that we feel that no matter what we have, it's not enough. Many Americans, it seems, have unrealistic expectations.
Shop wisely, think critically and resist being exploited.
Walter Fulton, Fort PIerce
Democrat will vote for Haley if she eliminates GOP cancer
Ok, all of you Republican women: You say you wish to have a Republican in the White House, someone who can beat Joe Biden. Then vote for your sister, a savvy woman with brains: Nikki Haley.
I believe Donald Trump for a second term would be a disaster. Frankly, I do not believe he can beat Joe Biden. As John Dean said to President Richard Nixon: “There is a cancer growing on the presidency.”
In my view, Donald Trump is the cancer growing in the Republican Party and needs to be removed from the running.
I am still a lifetime independent Democrat. However, this time I will vote for a smart woman, Nikki Haley, if she wins the nomination.
Dale Grabenbauer, Sebastian
For good of us all, Congress must handle border issues
Once again, our illegal immigration has reached an all-time monthly high.
According to the data released by Customs and Border Protection, this September recorded the highest number of encounters. There were in excess of 260,000 encounters for the month. That represents 8,000 per day.
Fiscal 2023 recorded more than 2.8 million. That averages out to 7,500 per day.
With that in mind, the total number of immigrants that have crossed the border since this administration has taken office is over 3.8 million. In addition to those, there are an estimated 1.5 million that got away.
It doesn’t take much common sense to know that the United States cannot begin to process let alone protect its citizens with immigration rates that high.
We have to ask ourselves, what were we thinking? The total number of immigrants that have been released into the United States is greater than the individual population of 24 of our states.
Besides the drugs and human trafficking, we have bolstered the net worth of the cartels to the point that they are now financially stronger than some countries. This simply means that they have the resources to influence politicians, governments and judges. Additionally, we now have allowed anyone to get into our country without knowing who they are and what they want.
Now that we are engaged in Ukraine and the Middle East, our focus has turned away from protecting our border; in fact it has been disappointing since this administration has taken office.
Please let Congress know that you are concerned. It is only a matter of time.
Richard Geisinger, Stuart
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Brightline bonanza? VB downtown, studies; school bus routes | Letters
