Re: Holiday Park to get fancy garage with vertiport by 2027, News article, Jan. 9
I may be old fashioned, but I think a city park should be 90% real park, without more and more private businesses operating in “our” public parks.
At the rate the city of Fort Lauderdale is going with the revamped Holiday Park, there will be little park left.
James Clements, Fort Lauderdale
Stop the fireworks
Kudos to those in Fort Lauderdale who sought to replace hazardous explosives with safe, humane, eco-friendly drone shows on the Fourth of July.
As someone who volunteers at an animal shelter and routinely witnesses the despondent, withdrawn eyes, quaking back legs and abject panic experienced by these incredibly fragile, abandoned souls, I can confirm that a fireworks display with its deafening explosions is the absolute last thing these sensitive, frightened, confused animals need.
Fireworks cause dogs and cats to flee their homes, injure themselves or become lost. Birds panic and crash into buildings, and forest animals sprint into busy roads. Toxic firework debris litters the ground and waterways with poisons, leading to internal injuries or death if consumed. These explosions can spark wildfires, permanently destroying habitats and disrupting ecological balance.
It’s time for cities to respect all living thing with this logical, economical choice. Fort Lauderdale can and should lead the way.
Blair Patrick Schuyler, Tampa
Sending the wrong message
No city should have fancy, expensive public buildings when it has hundreds or thousands of homeless people.
It sends the wrong message.
A rendering of a proposed new Fort Lauderdale City Hall proposed by a development team ranked as No. 1 by city commissioners. (PALMA/Courtesy)
The culture of city government in Fort Lauderdale is toxic. A new building won’t help that. The leadership of the city needs changing.
The mayor insists on spending far more for a tunnel than a bridge. We will end up with neither because Broward County is paying (for part of it) and refuses to spend so much.
I say no to the new City Hall. It’s embarrassing.
Mary Kay Kleinpeter-Zamora, Pembroke Pines
Leave the Fed alone
I don’t know much about the qualifications of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, but Donald Trump thought he was qualified: He appointed Powell in 2017.
What I do know is that the U.S. has the strongest economy in the world, and our economic success is partly the result of policies implemented by the Federal Reserve.
Ask any intelligent economist about our economy and its reliance on the Fed. All will say that the Fed is the gold standard that the world has envied for over 100 years.
Trump wants to tinker with this system for two reasons. One, midterm elections are approaching and he feels the economy is not working in his favor. Two, he believes he has unlimited power to do what he wants, regardless of whether it’s legal or in the national interest.
I can only hope that the Fed remains out of the reach of politicians. I don’t want anyone changing a system that has worked successfully for so long.
Jay Rechtman, Boynton Beach
Proud to be a RINO
The time has come for me to come clean and declare that I’m officially a RINO (“Republican in Name Only”).
For years, I was proud to be a member of the party of Lincoln. However, I can no longer support my party of choice. No, it’s not due to sleepless nights of soul-searching — it’s simply from watching the evening news.
Actions by the leadership in and out of the United States go against the basic tenets of the Republican Party. I keep waiting for a member to put forth a glimmer of hope for a bright future but all I see are subservient minions jockeying for political advantage.
There, I’ve said it. I feel a certain sense of relief — at least until the DOJ initiates an investigation of me.
Dale Geisler, Fort Lauderdale
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