Our Town Page 8 C www.sunnewspapers.net The Sun ISunday, June 8,2014


IEWPOINT


Derek Dunn-Rankin Chairman
David Dunn-Rankin Publisher
Chris Porter Executive Editor


Brian Gleason Editorial page editor
Stephen Baumann Editorial writer


Email letters to letters@sun-herald.com


I OUR VIEW


 Locals raising

 funds for new

children's hospital

 OUR POSITION: Charlotte
County residents' support for
a new children's hospital in
Fort Myers is indicative of the
economic and quality of life
impact it will have on Southwest
Florida.
r. David Klein was
 giving his third media
 interview of the day, but
the topic was one he is happy
to discuss.
 Klein, Dr. Mark Asperilla and
a Punta Gorda couple known
for their philanthropy are the
leaders in a local fundraiser to
help build Golisano Children's
Hospital in Fort Myers. It may
seem somewhat odd for the
local medical community and
others to lend their names
and faces to a Lee County
project. But not so much when
you consider the impact this
new facility will have on all of
Southwest Florida.
 The new, seven-story,
128-bed hospital is a vision of
the wealthy Golisano family -
well-known for their support
of causes in Collier and Lee
counties. They are reported
to have donated millions of
their own fortune to build the
much-needed hospital.
 Recently, Erik and Diane
Hoffer, of Punta Gorda, made
their own pitch to help with the
construction of the Lee County
hospital. They are promising to
match up to $25,000 donated
by Charlotte County supporters
to build the facility. While the
kind gesture by the local couple
may seem like a drop in the
bucket considering the possible
$200 million cost of the hospi-
tal, their support and faith in
the project speak volumes.
 Klein made a point to say
the new hospital will have no
financial impact on Charlotte
County hospitals.
 "To me it is just an expansion
of services," Klein said. "I
would never be involved if this
was something I thought would
hurt our local hospitals."
 Klein said while there are
pediatric services in Charlotte
County, and a top-notch fa-
cility in All Childrens Hospital
in St. Petersburg, the new Lee
County unit is much needed.
 "We are 40 miles from the
planned facility in Fort Myers
but 100 miles from St. Peter,"
Klein pointed out. Sometimes
the difference in travel time
can save a life.
 Plus, the Golisano Children's
Hospital will offer specialists
to treat cardio, pulmonary
and other medical issues -
like cystic fibrosis, sickle cell
and pediatric cancer that
Charlotte County hospitals
may not have the facilities to
engage in a long-term treat-
ment plan.
 There are other benefits to
the Golisano facility becoming
a reality.
 The construction, which
could take two years or more,
will bring hundreds of con-
struction jobs to Southwest
Florida. And there will be
hundreds of employees -
mostly high-paying profession-
als --to swell our workforce.
Speculation is that at least 200
pediatric nurses alone will be
hired to staff the hospital.
 The Hoffers have been
involved in several Charlotte
County charities, but normally
prefer to keep a low profile.
They have embraced this
project, however, and their
offer to put up $25,000 in
matching funds should be
much appreciated.
 We applaud the leaders in
this fundraiser for looking at
the big picture of Southwest
Florida's needs.
 Anyone interested in making
a donation can contact Keith


Callaghan at 941-627-6979 or
email him at keith.callaghan@
leememorial.org


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LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR

 Another burden
 on taxpayers

Editor:
 The commissioners went
through a rather involved
process to select how to spend
the revenues generated by the
penny sales tax.
 At the last minute the
"state" walks in with a study
indicating that our 15-year-
old, $80 million justice center
will in just a few years be out
of room to house our clerk,
judges and states' attorneys.
In order to avert this potential
catastrophe we must expand
the JC with $36 million of
taxpayer money. Furthermore,
the state statute requires
that its citizens must provide
space for its constitutional
offices. This is the law our
commissioners are sworn to
uphold.
 It would appear that the
commission bought this
story; after all it came from
Tallahassee, Fla., it must be
true. Our commission decided
the taxpayers of Charlotte
County should foot this
egregious bill. They decided
the penny sales tax would do
the trick.
 In years past, I have sup-
ported the penny sales tax
as a fair revenue source to
fund projects for the needs of
local citizens. This use would
be a dire mistake I will not
support. I am appalled that
my commission would fall for
such an obvious scam from
the bureaucrats of this state
and county.
 Commissioners, have we
not met our constitutional
duty to provide the state with
office space, an $80 million
waterfront Taj Mahal? Are you
not suspect of this report?
Do you not feel the need to
challenge these findings? Just
burden the taxpayers again!
 Brian Brunderman
 Port Charlotte


 Commission is
 cavalier with money

Editor:
 I wish to comment on the
Sun's article of May 14 titled,
"County rolls dice on sales
tax."
 First of all, the staff writer
needs to do some homework,
as this sales tax is a 1 percent
tax and not a penny tax.
Secondly, I just love how the
commissioners are so cavalier
with our money that they are


so willing to "gamble" on such
an important issue. Just like
the MurdockVillage project
and the almost subversive
purchase of the IMPAC
property.
 We need to make our
voices heard. Vote "no" this
November.
 Colleen DuBrul
 Punta Gorda


 Finally may be
 'open for business'

Editor:
 As a longtime resident of
Charlotte County and the
father of three grown children
living here, I am glad to see that
we have county commissioners
who are working together and
bringing jobs and economic
growth to our community. It
has been a long time coming.
 I, like so many parents, have
invested our hard-earned tax
dollars over the years in our
school system. Our investment
does not fully pay us back if
our children are unable to
find high wage jobs in our
community.
 Too often in the past, a
divided commission was
unable or unwilling to imple-
ment policies that our county
needed to advance economic
growth and job creation.
However, it is obvious that
the current board is challeng-
ing staff to formulate and
implement plans to move us
forward. A great example of
this changed attitude is the
revised Growth Management
Ordinance, which will bring a
common-sense approach and
community-based decision-
making to the process.
 With this change our county
may finally be able to live up
to its proclaimed rally of being
"open for business," and our
children may finally be able to
raise their families in the com-
munity where they grew up.
 Keep up the good work.
 Mike Grant
 Placida


 More great service
 from the VA system

Editor:
 I am quite saddened by all
of the negative and horrible
publicity that the VA system
has had during these past
weeks.
 My husband is a disabled
Army vet and is under the
VA system for care and has
been for over nine years
here in Port Charlotte and
for five years in northern
New Hampshire in the


White Mountains.
 My husband has received
the most wonderful care here
in Port Charlotte, as well as
Cape Coral and Bay Pines.
 His primary care doctor,
"D.B.," could not be more
attentive and caring as well
as his full team of nurses and
nurse practitioners.
 Each and every one at the
Port Charlotte VA clinic, start-
ing with the "front" check-in
people, etc., have shown their
utmost professionalism and
caring. We appreciate all the
kindness and concerns over
the years.
 Ben, Steve Iseberg
 South Gulf Cove

 Accusations
 against the paper

Editor:
 How can the Charlotte
Sun not report to the public
the findings of the $50,000
April 2012 Atkins Report on
the Sunshine Lake/Sunrise
Waterway that stated, "The
only possible explanation
that the authors can realis-
tically envision to account
for the phosphorus amount
in Sunshine Lake would be
there was widespread leakage
of phosphorus from the
collection and delivery system
of sewage treatment from
hundreds of homes." Were
you covering up for CCU's
faulty sewers?
 Even worse, the Sun
also failed to disclose that
the October 2012 FDEP
Lab Report on the algae
in Sunshine Lake/Sunrise
Waterway found Oscillatoria
bacteria. Several species of
Oscillatoria are known to be
toxic to humans, yet neither
FDEP nor the county did any
follow-up testing.
 The potential for dan-
gerous toxins was clear, yet
the Sun never demanded
more testing? This is serious
negligence on the Sun's part,
since you knowingly omitted
this information. You have
endangered the health of all
the residents surrounding
the lake and waterway. Many
residents have reported health
problems, thanks in part to
your paper's failure to protect
the people. Who is the Sun
protecting?
 If the Sun fails to report
such critically important facts
that affect our health, then
you fail in your duty to protect
the people. This makes us
wonder what else you've
omitted reporting to the
people of Port Charlotte.
 Shame on you for putting
profit above the health of the


people. How much advertise-
ment revenue do you receive
annually from the county?
 Marilyn Pazora
 Port Charlotte


 President is
 the real problem

Editor:
 If you apply for a position
that you know is experiencing
problems and during the
interview process you indicate
that fixing the problem is
within your ability and should
be part of your job descrip-
tion, then you are assuming
responsibility for addressing
and correcting the problems.
A responsible employer will
set goals and objectives, a
timeline for meeting those
goals and will spell out the
measurements that will be
used.
 Failure to meet the goals
and objectives in the time
specified results in either
the establishment of revised
expectations or in severing of
the relationship.
 In a well-run company,
there are no unknown prob-
lems, no unspecified tasks
and no surprises when things
aren't going according to plan.
 In the case of President
Obama, he knew there were
problems with the VA system
when he was a senator, he ap-
plied for the job of command-
er in chief, understanding the
issues. He appointed Gen.
Shenseki. One would assume
he gave him a job description
and expectations. He failed to
monitor Shenseki's progress
or he was complicit in ignor-
ing the lack of progress.
 In any case, Shenseki was
fired when Obama should
have been the one relieved
of his job. After all, he had
six years to fix the problem.
Shenseki isn't the problem,
Obama is the problem.
 Richard Rock
 Port Charlotte

 About the truth,
 not Hillary Clinton

Editor:
 OMG. I read with dismay
the letter from a resident who
believes Hillary is the best.
 Let me tell you she is not.
"What difference does it
make?" It makes a lot of differ-
ence to the families who lost
their cherished children. What
an insensitive remark that
people long term will not care
about Benghazi. So many of
us do care. We care about the
IRS scandal, Fast and Furious,
and the scandal with the VA.
And now we have the illegal
release of five from Gitmo.
 Our country is in jeopardy.
Please open your eyes and
smell the roses.
 Somehow this writer
seems to forget how many
Democratic presidents put
our military into several
different wars and how
many lives were lost. Thank
God for Fox News doing a
yeoman job by keeping us all
updated on the scandals that
have occurred in this current
administration.
 The president is losing
support from his own party. I
guess some are smarter than
previously thought. It amazes
me that those on the left
continue such hatred toward
those who want the lies to
stop. Yes, Virginia, have some
Kool-Aid, get over it.
 I can't wait for the 2016
elections. Congress and the
Senate will be run by the
Republicans, so then you all
can cry in your beer. It does
make a difference and it is not
about Hillary. It is about the
truth.
 Diane Vorbroker
 Punta Gorda


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The Sun /Sunday, June 8, 2014