Monday Letters: Views on primary voting, Hurricane Dorian coverage and more

Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, FL)

We shouldn't give more tax

money to the bureaucrats

Before local voters decide to give our politicians millions more in new tax dollars, we should be asking ourselves this question: "How did we even get into a predicament where we have so many crumbling schools in the Duval County Public Schools district?"

The same bureaucrats who cannot budget or operate a business now want voters to pay millions more by raising the sales tax to 7.5 percent; Florida has 67 counties and only a relative handful have sales tax rates that are higher than 7 percent.

Our consolidated city government was supposed to deliver savings; instead it delivered high crime and failing schools.

More government is not the answer, and more taxes equal more bloated bureaucracies, lavish pensions and crumbling infrastructure.

Let's convert all of our public schools into charter schools; the fact is charter schools have shown they can do a better job of educating while spending less money.

In fact, let's break up Jacksonville and create small cities within one county (which is pretty much the case throughout the rest of Florida). Let's make smaller governments that actually respond to their local taxpayers.

Let's end big government; it has never worked and it will never work.

Ross Keeler, Jacksonville Beach

Reader writes to defend his

expatriate friend living in Spain

Recently I wrote a letter to the Times-Union that shared some observations made by a friend who is an expatriate living in Spain. My letter led some other readers to write letters criticizing my dear friend in Spain, so I'm writing again to offer a brief defense of her.

First of all, my friend married a Spanish citizen, moved to Spain and established a business teaching English to Spanish businessmen and businesswomen; it became a very successful venture that made her family comfortable.

Second, my friend was not badmouthing America; she was simply expressing the prevailing viewpoint in Europe regarding the leadership of President Donald Trump -- and my friend is not alone.

My niece, married to a Welshman and living in England, has expressed a similar point of view; a 2017 Pew Research Center poll, for example, revealed that a clear majority of people in the United Kingdom had an unfavorable view of Trump.

Third, during my friend's recent short visit back in America, three mass shootings did take place in this country.

To the letter-writing critics of my friend in Spain, I offer these three words: the truth hurts.

Rick Mansfield, Ponte Vedra

Heavy coverage of Dorian

was necessary and justified

A recent letter writer complained that the "hype" about Hurricane Dorian was overblown, but I found the writer's rant to be insulting.

The science of predicting the path of a monster storm is at best unpredictable. But what if the local media had done less reporting on Dorian, and the hurricane had actually turned toward this area rather than fortunately moving away from us?

If that had happened, I believe the letter writer would have been complaining that the lack of constant media coverage kept us from being fully informed and prepared.

Unfortunately, many people refuse to take advice to prepare for bad storms; for proof just look at how one family -- with a small child -- found itself stranded in high water as Dorian was off our coast.

That's why some people need to have the reality of approaching severe weather constantly pounded into their brains in order to keep them safe. And that's why it's necessary to have heavy media coverage whenever a hurricane is taking place.

It's a sad day when we complain about something as important as news coverage of a potential life-altering event. If you don't believe me, just ask the people in the Bahamas!

Instead of complaining about what didn't happen during Hurricane Dorian, we should be thankful that we were spared from being affected by it.

Debra Clark, Jacksonville

Allow more young voters

to vote during primaries

Lately the eyes of the public have been focused on the young people of Duval County, specifically during the debate over the proposed sales tax referendum to improve our schools.

But we should also be focusing on how we can ensure that these young people are active members of our community.

That's why we should allow 17-year-olds whose 18th birthdays fall just after the Florida primary in March 2020 to be able to vote in that primary.

A bill to do just that is expected to be reintroduced for the 2020 session of the Florida Legislature.

Many states have already made this change: in 20 states 17-year-olds who will shortly turn 18 can vote in presidential primaries or congressional primaries.

Both red and blue states have made this change, so this is clearly an idea that has bipartisan appeal.

This change could help to make Florida's teens more interested in our democracy; it could also help to instill a sense of civic duty that makes a community thrive.

The young people of Florida are our state's future leaders and members of the community. We shouldn't disenfranchise a segment of Florida's young population just for having an 18th birthday that falls within a short window after the date of the state's March primary.

This proposal should be supported because it would be good for democracy -- and good for Florida.

Jack Rowan, Jacksonville

Rowan is a senior at Fletcher High School.

Electing a school superintendent

would be nothing out of the ordinary

A recent letter writer questioned whether it would be efficient to elect a school superintendent instead of appointing one.

The letter writer expressed concern that many voters would not be informed enough to select the most qualified candidate, and that a well-funded candidate would have the edge in a superintendent election.

Excuse me, but don't we have similar concerns during all of our elections, regardless of whether we're voting for a mayor, a governor or even a president?

I am very confident that the average voter would be able to make an informed vote in an election for a superintendent.

John Reinheimer, Fleming Island

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