Water protections
The safety of our local water supply will be affected for all time at an upcoming meeting of the Alachua County Commission.
A proposal to protect the quality and quantity of water across all Alachua County is being reviewed in public hearing Tuesday, Jan.23, at 5 p.m. at the county building, 12 SE 1st St. in downtown Gainesville.
Without this law, developers like Plum Creek/Weyerhaeuser can exploit weaker water protections in towns that have annexed large swaths of territory. The threat from such annexations is our water flows above and underground without regard to political borders on the surface.
The new law is thorough. Like our Comprehensive Plan, it allows growth. It does not allow the degradation of our long-term health and welfare. It can be found by browsing “Chapter 77 draft countywide wetland protection.”
Residents are encouraged to attend as a show of concern to our elected commissioners. They count votes.
Larry Keen, Gainesville
Better off
Nathan Crabbe’s Sunday column, “Waking up after our worst year,” made my fingers itch. It made me want to write a 1,000-page response.
Unemployment is down to 4.1 percent (the lowest rate in nearly 10 years), the stock market is up 25 percent, ISIS has suffered setbacks in the Mideast, constitutional judges have been approved, regulatory tyranny has been checked or at least slowed, and the economy is booming economy. Worst year — huh?
Indeed the hurricanes in Houston, Puerto Rico and Florida, and the fires in the West, were awful, but come on. Aren’t the vast majority of us better off than we were at the end of 2016?
Jim Clayton, Micanopy
Thank Obama
Edward B. Harmon’s Jan. 7 column extolling President Donald Trump’s accomplishments fails the smell test on several levels. In the first place, whether they are good or bad, his policies have not yet had a chance to really impact the economy. If we want to thank the president responsible for our good economy, our kudos should go to President Barack Obama.
Having one legislative victory in a year is not evidence of great political prowess, nor is Trump's reliance on executive orders proof that he is relying on the legislative process to make law.
His Cabinet is made up of people who hate the agency they run (Scott Pruitt), know nothing of what its mission is (Rick Perry, Betsy DeVos) or have admitted they are not qualified to run an agency (Ben Carson).
As a lifelong Democrat, I find myself missing the maturity and intellect of George W. Bush. I never saw that coming.
Alyson Chadwick, Gainesville
Lack of backbone
This is in response to the latest news that our leaders are going to instruct us how to respond in case we are attacked by North Korea and where we can take shelter. Step 1: Send these political cupcakes in Washington, D.C., home.
I am not interested in how to apply first aid to me or my neighbor. I prefer for that to be the issue for the other team.
You don’t argue with the bully on the playground. You belt him so hard that it takes his rear end three weeks to reunite with his head.
In the future, all politicians should have to undergo an MRI ensuring they have a spinal column before assuming office.
Johnny Tuttle, Gainesville
Justified closure
Weather defies prediction so the Thursday closing of school, in my opinion, was justified. We need to stand behind the decision makers that protect safety in the best interest of all.
Donna W. Garrett, Gainesville
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