Greed or strategy? Why did college name change? Letters, Sept. 15, 2022

Beware of motives behind community development district for Liberty Park

A word of caution about approving the request to create a community development district for Liberty Park in Indian River County, and why should it be rejected.

Motivation and benefits to whom? It sounds progressive but beware.

It is purely driven by developer strategy (greed) and during the development and build out period all the cost is pushed forward through borrowings by the developer to later be assigned to every purchaser of property by way of current and future assessments for all infrastructure.

The developer controls everything including government until the build out is complete. 

The purchasers’ real future cost is hidden in the detailed fine print of the Charter and Declaration (and even the Blue Sky statement), documents which are sometimes  withheld until the day of settlement when everyone is focused on their HUD statement. 

In fact as a 55-plus homebuyer in a community development district, I wasn’t supplied with community docs by the developer, until 15 days after settlement. These hidden future obligations and assessments make home (and business investment) very burdensome in later years. (Think like student loan burdens.)

The development and Community Municipal Executive Board are then turned over to residents where they have to support and maintain all current and future infrastructure , trying to increase inadequate reserves while also paying full taxes to city and/or county government who need to contribute back almost nothing.

The developer and county get a free ride and the homeowners suffer in the future with double taxation.

The state, county and city become heavily influenced by developer money and intense lobbying, while the majority of new developments are created with LLCs financially insulating the investors from risk and responsibility.

Be very cautious and reject these requests.

Terry McGinn, Sebastian 

What was the reason for the change from community to state college?

I’ve been away from Florida. On returning, I was surprised to find Indian River Community College is now a state college. I remember the community college as a vibrant and busy place. You could not fine a place to park. In fact, they built another parking lot across the street, that now sits empty.

Whoever was involved with the change from a community college to a state college owes the community an apology.

Terry McQuillen, Fort Pierce

Time for action on property insurance in Florida is long overdue

Talk about ridiculous: The Florida Legislature has decided to punish a ratings agency because it makes the state’s actions look bad.

The Joint Legislative Budget Commission is spending state money, $1.5 million, to figure out a way to get ratings for property insurers more to their liking. The current major ratings agency was castigated by the legislators for telling them that more insurance agencies could be downgraded because they could fail, leaving homeowners without payments should they experience a loss. The reason insurance companies are rated is to keep this from happening.

It is about time for the governor and Legislature to step up and do their job, one they have avoided for years. They have created a mess with poor directions and support to the insurance industry, and as you know our property insurance premiums are skyrocketing. Time for action is long overdue.

Joseph Vogel, Vero Beach

More:Don’t disregard the people’s vote; leaving Florida was hard and easy: Letters, Sept. 14, 2022

Second-wave feminist: Let’s spend less time arguing, more promoting policy

I’m a pro-choice, anti-racist, second-wave feminist who supports comprehensive immigration reform, banning assault weapons, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and codification of Roe.

I’m also old enough to remember the fuss made back in the day over whether to call women like me chairwoman or chairperson — and I always said, I don’t care what you call me as long as I’m in charge.

So I’m fed up to here with the constant nitpicking over which everyday words and phrases should not be used in everyday conversation lest we “trigger” someone else’s feelings. And if a lib like me feels that way, imagine the effect it has on a QAnon believer in a MAGA beanie who thinks the former guy walks on water. Or any of us who don’t live on the far left — which is most of us.

The point is: Let’s spend less time policing language and more time promoting policy.

Let’s show folks in the middle and along the edges how our ideas can benefit them.

Let’s find out what their objections are, and give them reasons to support our proposals instead of excuses to fight them.

Meantime, if you want my pronouns, try “it” and “its.”

Donna Dupuy, Stuart

How do we make America great again? Here are a few places to start …

The statement “Make America great again” and its acronym, MAGA, suggests that we were great at some point in the past and that we should try to get back to that time of greatness.

There appear to be two events that stand out as having significantly contributed to the decline of our democracy.

The first was in 1974 when President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon. Since then, presidents have not really been subject to the laws that apply to the rest of us. Former President Trump has simply taken violating the law to a new, previously unimagined level and I’m sure if he gets a chance, he will test those limits even further.

The second event was the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision. This ruling effectively allows businesses and corporations to donate unlimited amounts to political campaigns. Although unintended, “dark money” from unknown origins (even foreign countries) is now virtually impossible to stop. Money is absolutely necessary for a political victory. Without it, the most righteous candidate in the world has almost no chance of winning.

There is a reason why Trump lowered the taxes on businesses, why the NRA is so powerful in our politics and why the middle class has lost its political power. The Citizens United decision lies behind it all.

If we truly want to MAGA, we must repeal the Citizens United decision, enforce the laws for everyone equally and get rid of the politicians who break the laws or fail to speak out against those that do.

Then and only then will we be able to “Make America Great Again.”

James Broadhurst, Palm City