St. Lucie Buc-ee's, Indian River show bad growth; Vero Beach March Madness | Letters
- Some residents of Indian River and St. Lucie counties are concerned about overdevelopment and its impact on infrastructure and quality of life.
- Several residents wrote letters to the editor expressing their dissatisfaction with local and national political figures and policies.
- Another writer called out Congressman Brian Mast for not holding in-person town halls since 2017 and for his support of President Trump's policies.
- Other letters discussed topics such as wasteful spending by the Social Security Administration and the benefits of U.S. foreign aid.
Indian River, St. Lucie officials must be diligent not to destroy region
I hope Laurence Reisman sent a copy of his recent Sunday column about the Indrio Road corridor, Buc-ee's and growth to every city and county elected official in St. Lucie and Indian River counties.
I really question what elected officials think their jobs are. All of them should be doing everything they can to preserve and improve the quality of life within their governed areas. Letting development overwhelm the infrastructure is not a step in the right direction.
Adding subdivisions with cookie-cutter lots and homes will not support anything with the extra tax revenue they generate, but will stress every part of the infrastructure. All we need to do is look to our south and observe the mess the cities and counties are in because of poor planning and having an open door for destructive development.
During the season, Indian River County roads are maxed out, and adding to the problem will only reduce the quality of life.
I understand the city and county need funds to operate, but they must be smart about growing the income.
Charles Resta, Vero Beach
Losers already decided in Vero Beach March Madness
March Madness? No, the preliminaries have been ongoing for some time.
It's the total misreading of voter preferences on center city Vero Beach density management.
The total failure of the plan to install a concrete slab “bored” walk at Humiston Beach Park.
The total lack of definition of financial bounds and operational limits associated with the commercialization of Three Corners.
The fumbling and failures of the city finance group.
No overtime is needed to determine the losers in this high-stakes game. The city residents will pay for these administrative failures.
Ray Grochowski, Vero Beach
Mast faced enemies in battle, but scared to face own constituents
Brian Mast was re-elected to Congress by a comfortable margin in 2024. So why, just a few months later, are many of his constituents planning protests, demanding that he hold a local town hall?
He has been happy to answer, in person, sycophantic interviewers on Fox News, but not the voters of the 21st District.
Incredibly, Mast has not held a local town hall since 2017. Instead, on March 5, he sent out an email survey to constituents with the not-very-open-ended question: "What part of President Trump's agenda are you most excited to see implemented?"
Well, how about what local citizens do not want implemented? Will Mast speak up about those? Will he speak up against the administration’s callous plans to cut services to his fellow veterans?
Will he speak up about nonsensical trade wars with our allies, including our closest neighbor and friend, Canada?
Will he speak up against handing over the House of Representatives' constitutional power of the purse to an unelected, unconfirmed oligarch whose actions are risking the health, safety and well-being of his constituents?
Will he speak up against pardons given to individuals who committed violent acts against Capitol police on Jan. 6?
Will he speak up against bizarre and erratic policies that are increasing inflation, tanking the stock market and our savings?
Will he speak up against a budget plan that would, of necessity, require cuts in Social Security and Medicare benefits and services?
Will he speak up against "promises not kept" to bring down grocery prices?
Will he speak up against the administration’s reprehensible embrace of a murderous dictator in Russia?
Mast was once heralded as a war hero. Now he's a mute backbencher, bending a knee to Donald Trump and Elon Musk, scared to face his own constituents.
Ellis Bromberg, Port St. Lucie
Social Security Administration wasting our money
Department of Government Efficiency efforts have been reported since January.
The U.S. Agency for International Development, the first of many organizations, was exposed for unnecessary, wasteful use of tax dollars.
Now the sacred Social Security program has taken center stage in the news cycle. President Donald Trump even mentioned in his address to Congress payments made to multi-century-aged individuals.
The Social Security Act was signed by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935. The bill states:
"To provide for the general welfare by establishing a system of Federal old-age benefits, and by enabling the several states to make more adequate provision for aged persons, dependent and crippled children, maternal and child welfare, public health, and the administration of their unemployment compensation laws; to establish a Social Security Board; to raise revenue; and for other purposes."
Since then, Congress has expanded the program by increasing the base taxable amount, contributory percentage, additional recipients and programs, Medicare and more. With the discovery of persons who are centuries old in the database, anyone over 90 should be ineligible. How can someone collect on a program before it became law?
The Social Security inspector general reported improper payments equal to $71.8 billion were made from 2015 through 2022. This seems to support Elon Musk’s findings: 20 million dead people are marked “living” in the database. The Social Security Administration claims these individuals aren’t necessarily receiving benefits. However, logic leads to the belief that if individuals are in the database, benefits are provided.
All past and present Social Security Administrations increased the number of employees and expand operations. Their efforts may be legal based on congressional expansion of programs, but accounts must be validated to ensure living, qualified individuals are the only recipients. Just as voter rolls need to be scrubbed annually, Social Security accounts must be verified annually. Shame on Congress and the administrations blindly doling out tax dollars. Yes, even to illegal immigrants.
Karen Hiltz, Sebastian
Rep. Mast shows he's no economics major
After reading these paragraphs from a letter Rep. Brian Mast sent me supporting Donald Trump’s idiotic trade policy, it's obvious economics is not the congressman’s strong suit.
"Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding the Trump Administration’s recent tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Your thoughts are important to me as I work to represent you effectively in Congress.
":As you may know, on February 1, 2025, President Trump announced a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, with energy imports from Canada subject to a 10% tariff. These tariffs are necessary to hold our partners accountable. For too long, Canada and Mexico have not been equal partners in advancing the safety and prosperity of North America. Canada, in particular, has failed to meet their 2% defense spending commitment under NATO while simultaneously stifling American workers. It's time for our neighbors to fulfill their responsibilities.
"These harsh, but necessary measures ensure trade supports American workers and industries. These tariffs will incentivize stronger cooperation from Canada and Mexico while reinforcing our commitment to American manufacturing and energy dominance."
John Brzostowski, Fort Pierce
Seeking more balance in letter writers' opinions
It was apparent from a recent letters package some people are overdosing on MSNBC.
The audacity of these attacks when the Democrats gave us (talk about “suckers,” as one writer called Trump supporters) a president sliding towards dementia, and a total lack of transparency about who was actually running the country, is stunning.
Donald Trump is not getting rid of Medicare and Medicaid: Read the Wall Street Journal if you don’t believe in the waste and fraud.
Does the writer who writes about “starving children in Africa” not realize there are starving children in our own country?
Trump is not just sitting in his office, signing everything shoved in front of him. He’s not the one who opened our southern borders so taxpayers must pay for food and housing for people who crossed illegally.
Trump did not cause our enemies to see weakness and vulnerability. He’s trying to do something so our children and grandchildren don’t inherit a debt that would sink our great country in due time.
As he said in his State of the Union Address, he could cure cancer and yet Democrats like the ones writing these letters wouldn’t give him a break.
I recently wrote one about the deplorable actions of Democrats at the State of the Union Address and called out names such as Debbie Wassermann Schultz, a Florida Democratic darling. Apparently, if you are a Republican, you are fair game. Not so much if you are a Democrat.
Let’s hope you begin printing a more fair and balanced selection of letters.
Patricia Perrone, Stuart
Rubio, Trump nearing end of the line?
You almost have to feel sorry for Marco Rubio, being belittled by Donald Trump in 2016 and his “Little Marco.” Rubio then rebuilt his reputation in the Senate with foreign policy, although choosing to bend the knee to Trump, who rewarded him with the secretary of state job.
Think Marco thought he could make a difference globally, and possibly even advise Trump on U.S. foreign policy?
Seated next to Mike Waltz, U.S. national security advisor, in Saudia Arabia and beginning to see what’s coming, then in Munich seated next to JD Vance across from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, JD was still trying to make points with the boss, confirming what’s coming: Rubio's conversion from a few years ago when he was so clear we should support Ukraine against the Russian aggressor.
There was Rubio listening to Elon Musk carry on at the Cabinet meeting and having to laugh at Donald Trump’s weak jokes. In the Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy, a president trying to save his country meeting with a president tearing ours apart, Rubio sat silently watching Vance make points with the boss by humiliating a foreign dignitary.
Poor Zelenskyy, he didn’t realize he was supposed to act like Trump’s Republicans (or what used to be Republicans) and grovel before the king.
Rubio knew exactly what Trump and Vance were doing.
Smart as Rubio may be, he didn’t connect the dots between Trump and Vladimir Putin?
Poor Rubio; he should have remembered the saying: “Fool me once ... ”
Will he be the first to hear: “You’re fired”? Where will he go in 2028? Talk shows?
Anne Brakman, Vero Beach
Foreign aid helps U.S. economy, Americans
Many different opinions on U.S. foreign aid have led to many misconceptions circulating in today’s economic atmosphere. Some individuals even believe foreign assistance makes up 25% of federal spending, when the truth is much worse. Federal spending on foreign aid only amounts to around 1%.
That’s it. Not 25% — 1%.
Not only does U.S. foreign aid play a significant role in improving the lives of millions in need worldwide, it also greatly contributes directly back to the United States and its economy. Foreign aid develops new markets and consumers in other countries who then purchase items and exports for the United States.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in the 1960s, the United States provided $1 billion in aid to Taiwan, and then in 2018, the United States exported $30.2 billion to Taiwan. The return on investment from foreign aid is quite significant and it would be counterproductive to U.S. foreign interests to hurt it.
Reducing foreign aid is detrimental to millions of lives trying to survive extreme poverty and hurts the U.S. economy.
Rodrigo Berlanga Rodriguez, Port St. Lucie