Opposing views on Biden, Sarasota’s rising site visitors congestion

Biden deserves blame he receives

The Dec. 28 letter titled “Biden deserves more credit” is typical of those who blame every failure by President Joe Biden on someone else.

Afghanistan “rapidly deteriorated” because Biden ignored his military advisors, abandoning Bagram and withdrawing all U.S. forces before evacuating U.S. citizens and the Afghan allies who cooperated with us.

It didn’t “happen” to him; he caused it.

The Delta and Omicron variants of COVID were anticipated; Biden was “blindsided” because he was asleep at the wheel. He promised to obtain massive supplies of rapid tests numerous times during the 2020 campaign – and also after taking office. Yet here we are with insufficient tests. Sadly, we will only get adequate testing supplies and life-saving therapeutics after the surge is predicted to be over.

Operation Warp Speed left a blueprint for how to address the pandemic emergency. It had an active public-private partnership, with the government pre-ordering huge supplies. But Biden ignored the blueprint, allowing the normal bureaucracy to operate. Perhaps if he had done his job, the current outbreak might have been blunted.

Roger Roess, Venice 

More:Herald-Tribune: How to send a letter to the editor

Manatee making poor land decisions

Why is Manatee County always interested in buying more swamp land from rich people who can’t do anything with it? Just look at the Neal Preserve.

Now the county commissioners want to buy Rattlesnake Key just because of a highly imaginative website display that has little chance of becoming reality. One hand washes the other.

 Robert Lee Tarnay, Palmetto

Another view on Mosaic

A recent letter writer defending the Mosaic Co.’s planned phosphate mine in DeSoto County (“Give Mosaic a break on proposed mine,” Dec. 27) is obviously ignorant of Mosaic’s history of spilling waste in this country.

Earth is not an infinite, resilient resource to be extracted to depletion. 

Former President Teddy Roosevelt said,” Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources and romance as a sacred heritage for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”

Save Florida from the ignorant, wealthy newcomers. 

Christine Cain, Sarasota 

Ridiculous traffic congestion

On Monday it took an hour to travel from Orange Avenue to Gulf Stream; Fruitville Road, starting at Orange, was terribly congested with total gridlock.

The roundabout at U.S. 41 backs up on Fruitville for who knows how many miles. And Fruitville has a number of stoplights, so when the roundabout is backed up, you sit through as many as three green lights on that access road. 

When you are on a roundabout you need to see who is coming from all angles, yet the city is paying money for artists to put huge sculptures in the middle, blocking a driver’s vision of oncoming traffic. When I talk to people from Europe who have dealt with roundabouts for years, they all shake their heads and say, “What were they thinking?”

Don Bruns, Sarasota

Biden is leading with clarity, reason

There may be some things we can disagree with President Joe Biden about, but we should all be grateful that he is handling this deadly virus with clarity and reason.

At a recent gathering in Dallas, the crowd booed when former President Donald Trump revealed that he had received a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Accompanying Trump at the rally was former Fox TV host Bill O’Reilly; he was also jeered when he said that he, too, had received a booster.

Meanwhile, a few days ago Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and defeated vice presidential candidate, said that she would get the COVID vaccine over her “dead body.” Our own Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo continue to be cagey about advocating for vaccination despite clear data that most people getting sick from COVID are unvaccinated.

As we wade through this busy holiday season and enter 2022, it’s indeed refreshing to have our presidential administration presenting clear, scientifically sound guidance to address the pandemic. This clarity stands in stark contrast to the misleading and confusing messages from the other side.

Francis Dance, Englewood

Too much coverage on luxury properties

I think it is offensive that so often the front page of the Herald-Tribune is full of coverage about luxury real estate and how much these properties sell for – and especially during these times. 

This is not the real world for so many people who are struggling, and I’m sure there are more important issues to report on instead of writing about this so often.

Harriet Joy Epstein, Sarasota