Letters to the Editor Archive

Known throughout the world for its sugar white sand, Navarre Beach is a jewel of the Emerald Coast.  It is one of only ten beaches in the nation to be protected as a National Seashore, and it is critical that we work together to preserve it.

We observed a group of individuals picking up trash along East Bay Boulevard Saturday, Nov. 14.  It was not obvious who they were or what organization they represented, but what a super job they did.  A special thank you to all of you that took on this task!  When we drove along the road today, there were numerous orange-colored plastic bags full of trash, secured and ready to be picked up.  The roadside looks great!

What follows is the result of an editorial in the Nov. 5, 2015 edition of the Navarre Press.

During the last Democratic candidate debate a question was asked to all candidates. The question was do all lives matter or do just black lives matter? I was astonished by the answer. All candidates except one answered black lives matter. The only candidate who responded all lives matter is no longer in the race.

Commissioners Don Salter, Bob Cole and new to this game Rob Williamson, have recently spoken against “We the People’s” vote for a courthouse location. Why do they continually waste the citizen’s time and taxpayer money when obviously they don’t want to follow “We the People’s” vote?  Evidently, the only time “We the People” show signs of intelligence, is when we vote them into office!

I thought the county commissioners were public servants for the people that elected them. Commissioner Rob Williamson always says, “At your service.” The majority of people voted NO concerning the sales tax for a new court house which indicates the court house is not a top priority. But now the commissioners want to raise the valorem taxes for the court house regardless of the voters’ wishes. Leadership failure is not having the skill sets to use management, judgment, experience and creativity to eliminate waste for efficiency so the easiest thing for the commissioners to do is raise taxes. Anyone with or without an education can say raise taxes for any situation.

We have a serious disconnect from our county commissioners in Santa Rosa and our local senators and representatives in Tallahassee.

The Tenth “Sunshine Week” ended about six months ago, on March 21.  This annual celebration of open government was created by the American Society of News Editors with a grant from the John L. and James S. Knight Foundation.  Now co-sponsored by ASNE and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Sunshine Week is intended to highlight the importance of open government around the country.  All indications pointed to the fact that this year’s Sunshine Week was one of the best yet.  In Washington, DC and throughout the country, people found new and innovative ways to make people think about transparency (my personal favorite was the brewing of “Sunshine Wheat” beer – the first beer of Sunshine Week).

I just returned from the Country on the Sound Concert (early I might add, after only being there for about 30-45 minutes) worst-organized concert ever.  First I had to walk 1/2 mile to get my ticket scrutinized and be reminded that there were to be no chairs, coolers, guns, grenades, alcohol or other foreign objects in the concert area. (This was strictly enforced by at least 25 of Santa Rosa’s finest). I would think that an outdoor concert would allow for such things as coolers and chairs.  If you wanted to disobey the law this would have been the night.

Dear Rep. Doug Broxson,