Time to replace the gas tax

With the reinstatement of the Florida gas tax, it is time to look at how this tax over the years has become a burden to the people who can least afford it. Many people cannot afford to live near where they work. This is especially true in Palm Beach County where home prices have skyrocketed. So these people have the long commute while the more fortunate live close to their jobs or, more and more, are working from home.

The less fortunate tend to drive older cars which are less fuel efficient while the "better" have have fuel efficient cars or have even switched to electric vehicles, which pay no gas tax. Many people shop at Walmart, Target, Dollar General and several supermarkets, looking for the weekly special. Others, tend to shop online with apps. They use no gas. It's time to look for a more equitable manner to raise revenue.

Harvey Siegel, West Palm Beach

Curb property insurance abuses

The root cause of the homeowners insurance problem in Florida is human nature. The sooner this is understood and addressed, the sooner the problem goes away. Currently when a homeowner gets the idea to make an insurance claim for a roof, they know the policy says replacement cost less the deductible. The thought of getting a new roof for only the price of the deductible is just too tempting for most. So why not make a claim?

Talk to people in the business and they will tell you many claims for windstorm damage are due to the age of the roof or other factors, like human activity. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter if the damage is real or not, the lawsuits still follow. The solution is to take away the temptation by only paying the prorated or actual cash value of the roof. An exception may be considered for catastrophic events, like the entire roof blowing off.

Michael Kalisz, North Palm Beach

Home teardown nothing short of hedonistic

A six-year-old mansion is being torn down on Palm Beach in a clear demonstration of the excessive need of some wealthy Americans to satisfy their craving for selfish consumerism. I find this an insult to the people who lost homes during Hurricane Ian. I humbly suggest that the Palm Beach City Commission take steps to outlaw this hedonistic behavior. Are we expected to accept and condone this greed? Well, I do not.

Marie Tombari, Palm Beach Gardens

LGBTQ+ lawsuit undermines public education

Re the article about the parent suing the Palm Beach County School Board demanding the taking down of two LGBTQ+ flags because it offends his son and claims it violates his freedom of religion: Please tell me, what religion an LGBTQ+ flag is pushing. I realize the laws on this issue have never been made completely clear and, until they do, there is no rule. But, it seems to be that if this singular flag offends and violates religious beliefs, then the child should either go to private school or be home schooled. The needs of one should not override the needs of an entire classroom or an entire school.

Judi Stern Levine, Lake Worth