Letters to the editor: Friday, Aug. 26, 2016
Letters to the editor: Friday, Aug. 26, 2016
You are hiring
You are hiring a state representative for District 106. If you are hiring for your company or your family, or your community, what do you ask?
1. Does the candidate have a college degree? Is it relevant to what they are going to be doing?
2. How about volunteering and committing her time in service to this community? What community ties does she have? Does her community know her?
3. Ever done anything that would suggest she can do this job?
4. What shows that she can handle a tough job?
I believe I meet all of the above requirements, and then some:
1. Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University, with a graduate certificate in Florida city and county management. Candidate for master’s degree in public administration from the University of South Florida (graduation, December 2016): straight A’s.
2. Chair, East Collier Relay for Life, two years; Chair, Golden Apple Select Committee; Collier Senior Resources Board; Collier Public Safety Authority board; Leadership Collier Class of 2010; Health Service Committee, Lorenzo Walker and ITECH. See www.LavigneKirkpatrick.com.
3. Former director of nursing/Glenview at Pelican Bay. Former chair of the Florida Board of Nursing. Saved taxpayers more than $5.5 million while on the board in efficient budget management.
4. As a hospice nurse, I have visited homes to discuss with a patient and his family about that patient’s end of life and to help plan and guide that to a desired end. Tough job?
I am running to serve you. I ask for your vote Aug. 30.
Lavigne Ann Kirkpatrick, Naples
Candidate for state representative, District 106
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Temperament to lead
As respects the upcoming Collier County School Board election, I unequivocally endorse the candidacies of Stephanie Lucarelli and Erick Carter.
The ideological divide which challenges this community and this nation must be addressed by people of goodwill from “both sides of the aisle.”
Both of the aforementioned candidates are possessed of the temperament and experience to effectively address these challenges.
Edward Morton, Naples
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Youthful energy
Can’t pronounce Kezeske? That’s OK, just call him Ron. Ron Kezeske is campaigning for Collier County commissioner, District 3.
He is a young, energetic and knowledgeable individual. He knows his community and the issues that face Collier citizens. Continuous growth and development are changing the environment and the lifestyle of our community. The challenges of growth to our infrastructure, water, sewer, safety and emergency services will be future issues for our county budget.
Kezeske is a businessman and a fiscal conservative, but most of all he is interested in making sure every citizen in his district has a voice. As a commissioner, he will hold town hall meetings, making sure every citizen in his district is heard. He also feels it is the responsibility of the commissioner of the district to respond promptly to every citizen’s call.
Vote for Ron Kezeske for Collier County commissioner, District 3, in the Aug. 30 primary election.
He has the youthful energy we need.
Joan J. Curley, Naples
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Vested interest
As a teacher who worked with high-level, complex mathematics, I admire someone with strong analytical skills, logical and sequential reasoning ability, and the understanding of cause and effect.
For these processes to be effective, one must also have a strong command of the appropriate statistics for proper analysis.
Erick Carter has been a diligent and eager scholar of the operations and data of Collier County Public Schools, as evidenced by his strong performances in recent candidate forums.
His interest in school boards began early when he served as a liaison, and is now prepared to serve our Collier School Board. He has a vested interest in this community as a longtime resident, a business owner and parent of a middle schooler.
Carter is sincerely interested in supporting all aspects of education, including expanded vocational opportunities, strengthening the curriculum for college-bound students, and keeping extracurricular programs secure.
He is a real Republican, registering here in 1994 with no change in party affiliation and voting in each election. He has not made empty promises about issues that are controlled by state law, as some others have frivolously stated. I respect his motivations, abilities and command of the complexity and implications of the issues.
I ask that you join me in supporting Erick Carter in the Aug. 30 election.
Sharon Thoemke, Naples
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Hold them accountable
Because the Collier School Board election is looming, current board members Erika Donalds and Kelly Lichter, and their supporters, are on their best behavior.
In 2014, Donalds and Lichter marketed themselves as parent and teacher advocates, and that “image” secured them the votes to win that election. However, in recent guest commentaries -- in typical fashion -- one focused on herself and the other on holding schools accountable.
Instead, let’s hold them accountable. The School Board self-evaluations were extremely low as their colleagues identified a multitude of problems.
Moreover, a well-respected external evaluator, the 25-year-old Greater Naples Better Government Committee, concluded that Donalds didn’t live up to her campaign promises. These civic leaders gave Donalds a C+ rating and Lichter an incomplete for not showing up for her interview. By contrast, board member Roy Terry earned an A.
Observations of disruptive board meetings since November 2014 confirm the committee’s results. The scope of Donalds and Lichter’s disruptions do not fit in this letter, but they recently proposed rejecting $57 million in federal funds because they believe it may free them from having to obey federal and state laws and school district policies. It will not.
They proposed raising additional taxes instead, even though Collier taxpayers already paid for that $57 million. These two board members haven’t offered a single legitimate proposal to better the Collier school system.
If yet another like-minded candidate joins them on the board, our district will have difficulties being reaccredited next year.
To keep our school district from veering off course, cast your vote for Stephanie Lucarelli and Erick Carter.
Katalin Griffith, Naples
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Conservative values
I removed my boy from the traditional public school system in part because of the blatant unbalanced liberal viewpoint in his textbooks. The ideas behind the founding of this country were glossed over, while daily stories of slavery, Indian relocation, Mexican territory disputes and civil rights struggles dominated his curriculum. Individual achievement was ignored, and group success was applauded.
The candidates running in the current Collier School Board races all boast strong, traditional conservative values. At a recent forum, I offered a question that revealed who the two true conservatives were, and the two who are pretending: “Do you agree the current textbooks offer an unbalanced liberal point of view?”
Candidate Stephanie Lucarelli sees no liberal bias. Candidate Erick Carter also denied a bias, stating that textbooks are fair and balanced. Candidate Louise Penta agreed there was a bias, and said she would like to re-evaluate the current books. Candidate Erick Dixon also agreed there is a definite bias, even offering an example of a history textbook that excluded Pearl Harbor but focused on the atomic bomb.
I believe each candidate’s response to this question revealed their true position on the political scale. “Blame America First” is not a viewpoint I support.
For traditional American values on our School Board and in our textbooks, I am supporting conservative candidates Louise Penta and Lee Dixon.
Dave Horton, Naples
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Care about health care
Three days following foot and ankle surgery, I had a high fever and a painful cough. An ER chest X-ray showed pneumonia. Blood work revealed I was also in kidney failure, so I was immediately admitted to the hospital. During the course of treatment, I became much worse. After less than optimal care over a weekend, and my mother’s demands, a nurse finally realized the severity, and I was taken to ICU.
The ICU doctors suspected I had congestive heart failure of unknown origin. Upon discharge, the nurse couldn’t properly explain how to take eight new medications, but gave me pages of instructions with the promise that home health care would be in touch. Home health care never called and no one from the hospital ever checked.
This experience reminded me how lucky I am to have someone to advocate for me in serious medical situations. It saddens me to think that so many people, mostly the elderly, do not have the support I did.
Lavigne Kirkpatrick has more than 30 years of experience in nursing and health care management and was the chair of the Florida Board of Nursing. The board is responsible for the oversight of more than 550,000 nurses and, while chair, she managed a multimillion-dollar budget and saved the taxpayers more than $5.5 million.
Health care surrogacy and patient advocacy must be addressed this coming legislative session. Tallahassee needs a nurse to help heal a broken system. Please vote Kirkpatrick on Aug. 30 for state representative, District 106.
Emily Jeanne Thöemke, Naples
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Education even better
My daughter leaves for college in three years. She is in her room now, organizing her binders for AP world history, Cambridge AICE general paper, and digital art.
We didn’t have those amazing courses in my Massachusetts high school. When Collier School Board candidate Louise Penta asks voters whether kids today are getting as good an education as they got, my answer is no. It’s better!
After attending board meetings, attending many forums, speaking with teachers and researching the issues, I’m voting for Stephanie Lucarelli and Erick Carter, because they will listen to and represent all Collier families.
Carter used his education at Lorenzo Walker Technical College to grow a successful business in Naples. He’s a job creator and a terrific role model. He is a good listener, competitive and has a great sense of humor.
Lucarelli is raising four kids ranging from first grade to high school. After a dozen years of substitute teaching, school and district committee work, and parent leadership experience, she knows the strengths and weaknesses of our public schools. She responds to stakeholder concerns in a highly professional way.
Collier County high schools serve students ready for college courses and students who arrive with a fourth-grade education, speaking no English. Most in our community understand these challenges and support our schools.
We need board members who will do due diligence, research the issues, listen to all constituents and respect the education profession.
I am grateful to our school staff for giving our kids a great start in life. Vote for Stephanie Lucarelli and Erick Carter by Aug. 30, then let’s get back to work for all our kids.
Anne Hartley, Naples
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Clerk wastes time, money
Recently, Collier County commissioners conducted a survey of its vendors with the goal of assessing and improving service delivery.
Vendors expressed:
• Anxiety of not getting paid by the clerk of courts for work satisfactorily performed;
• Concern about absurd and arbitrary payment and invoice processes;
• Fear about threatening and retaliatory practices from the clerk.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement rates are mandated by the state of Florida. Dwight Brock even questioned and delayed payments to FDLE. How absurd can it get?
This pervasive sentiment and dysfunction must end. Collier County vendors and taxpayers deserve better. Collier County needs a new clerk of courts.
Joanne Markiewicz, Bonita Springs
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Two to support
As Aug. 30 approaches, I am sure everyone is trying to decide who they should elect to the Collier County School Board.
In my mind, that decision is easy. Vote for Stephanie Lucarelli and Erick Carter.
First, they support accepting $59 million from the federal government, which is our money. Their opponents disagree. If this funding is rejected, the district will have to generate it locally, which could lead to higher taxes or cutting programs, both being unacceptable.
Secondly, Lucarelli is a former teacher and substitute teacher, and has served on several district committees. Carter is a local businessman, and a graduate of the Lorenzo Walker Technical College. Many jobs of the future will not require a college education, and we would be smart to focus more on that type of career readiness.
Thirdly, Lucarelli and Carter support Superintendent Kamela Patton. They believe she has done an excellent job. Their opponents were against extending the superintendent’s contract and I believe they would try to fire her. Our district needs stability.
In conclusion, I am supporting Lucarelli and Carter because I believe they are honest and responsible individuals who will work cooperatively and tirelessly for the betterment of the school district. My opinion is that their opponents have political agendas and, if elected, will try to implement them rather than make decisions based purely on what’s best for our kids. Therefore, I strongly urge you to vote for Erick Carter and Stephanie Lucarelli for Collier County School Board on Aug. 30.
William Reece, Naples
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A proven leader
I have had the pleasure of knowing Jim Carter for the past 12 years since I have been a resident of Pelican Marsh in North Naples.
He served our community very ably and with distinction as a board member and president of the Pelican Marsh Foundation.
In those capacities, he represented the residents of our community with professionalism and integrity and is, no doubt, greatly responsible for the wonderful quality of life that we enjoy in this community.
As his vast resume of experience in representing the residents of Collier County indicates, he is undoubtedly the best candidate in the current race for county commissioner and can be counted on to be responsive to the needs of our residents.
He is not a politician, but is a thoughtful and experienced administrator, planner and manager. His experience in the business world and previous roles in local government make him the ideal choice to serve the citizens of Collier County as District 2 commissioner.
In this election year in which there is a shortage of clear thinking and trustworthy candidates, I consider myself fortunate to have someone with the personal qualities and experience of Jim Carter to support.
Stephen M. Brazina, Naples
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Learning, not litigation
The U.S. Supreme Court first ruled in 1962 against official prayer in public education. At least a half dozen other rulings followed, maintaining the separation of church and state, while still allowing any student to pray during private time.
Yet at a Southwest Florida Citizens Alliance forum on May 24, School Board candidates Lee Dixon and Louise Penta called for allowing Bibles in classrooms, violating these rulings. (The remarks are about one hour into recording at https://vimeo.com/168065376?utm_source=email&utm_medium=vimeo- cliptranscode-201504&utm_campaign=29220)
In remarkable contradiction, they argue for more parental involvement in the schools but disregard the courts’ cherished gift that only parents may control their children’s religious education.
Moreover, they plead ignorance regarding the distinction between invocations at School Board versus government meetings. Two circuit courts of appeals — in 1999 the 6th and in 2011 the 3rd — ruled that prayers at board meetings are unconstitutional because of the presence of children, again protecting parental rights.
Does the Collier County school district really want to be the test case in the 11th Circuit Court in which Florida resides? School Board candidates Erick Carter and Stephanie Lucarelli will observe the law, opening doors to learning, rather than wasting public funds in litigation.
Michael Finkel, Naples