09-02-2025
Wanted: Candidates for municipal election
Wanted: Candidates for municipal election | Voice of the People (Feb. 9, 2025)
Wanted: Candidates for Davenport Election
When the City of Davenport had an 'election' in 2023, no one in my community appeared to have known about it. As a result, the board got to appoint its third commissioner in just five years.
Did you know that the majority of our commissioners got onto the board originally by appointment, not by the votes of the people? Mayor Brynn Summerlin was appointed in 2018, Vice Mayor Jeremy Clark was appointed in 2020, and Donna Fellows-Coffey, daughter of local political careerist and former Commissioner Tom Fellows, was appointed in 2023. (In 2023, Summerlin was 'voted' into his mayorship because no one else ran, because nobody knew. Then, due to incumbent advantage, Clark won his last election by about 100 votes in 2024.)
In slightly over two months, it will be election day for Davenport. It would be nice if we actually had an election. (You know, with candidates. Plural.)
If you live within the city limits, please consider running for office. The democracy of our city of 20,000-plus and, of course, our larger democratic republic need you.
Darhlene Zeanwick, Davenport
(Editor's note: Qualifying for the Davenport municipal election ends Feb. 14. See when the qualifying periods are for each municipality here.)
Voice of the People (Feb. 2, 2025) Not listening to reason on Thompson Nursery Road
With state in dental health crisis, why stop fluoridation?
Access to affordable oral care is a challenge for many Floridians. In fact, 65 of 67 Florida counties are designated as Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas, affecting more than 7 million Floridians.
This means that for many, access to dental care is mainly through visits to the emergency room where they receive antibiotics and pain medicine but no treatment for the underlying cause. Florida hospitals charged almost half a billion dollars in 2021 for the treatment of preventable dental issues.
For children, failure to treat dental problems means frequent absences from school or poor performance due to chronic pain. There are also social and emotional consequences such as bullying, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem.
No wonder some have called the lack of access in our state a 'dental health crisis.' The issue of access to oral health care is vital when contemplating the current fluoride debate. Adding fluoride to the water supply up to the recommended level of 0.7 mg/L helps to level the playing field by mitigating disparities around access to affordable dental care.
Let's continue to reduce cavities for all Lakeland residents, especially children and low-income families, by continuing to fluoridate city water.
Robert Chapman, Lakeland
Voice of the People (Jan. 26, 2024) It's supposed to be 'protect' and serve
Jan. 6 pardons undermine justice system and rule of law
The Trump 'shock and awe' approach leaves many of us who don't agree with the policies with an overwhelming agenda of what to do next. So many things on which to make our voices heard. News that upsets us today is old news next month – unless we keep fighting it.
My priority today is the despicable pardon for the January 6 insurrectionists (Jan. 6 charges dismissed against Jonathan Pollock, Jan. 22.) This man assaulted police officers at the Capitol in defiance of our democratic institutions and the peaceful transfer of power. He is not being held accountable for his crimes.
That undermines our rule of law and our system of justice. Why are the Congressmen who feared for their lives at that moment now willing to let Trump reward his violent loyalists with a free pass?
Most Americans were infuriated by the events of Jan. 6. The pardons of the perpetrators should be equally infuriating.
Katherine Sutherland, Winter Haven
Voice of the People (Jan. 19, 2025) What can we expect under Trump's royal reign?
Hold Trump accountable for his promises
No one likes paying taxes, but the simple truth is there is no free lunch.
More than 20% of our federal budget is borrowed money. When our government borrows money, it competes with people like you and me for available funds in the debt market. The higher the demand, the higher the interest rates we will pay to buy a home, car, insurance or use our credit card.
Interest paid is money not available for other priorities. Many people are food insecure, often have health issues, some become homeless. It's inflationary, increases our burdens and weakens our team. It's cost shifting.
We are the sum of our parts. We want a winning, competitive team, and we are competing against the rest of the world to be a leading industrialized nation. Growing debt handicaps our team and our ability to maintain a healthy, educated lifestyle.
President Trump is our new president. He made many promises, people trusted and voted for him, and he is now walking back some of his promises.
We should be paying attention, (promise made — promise kept) holding his feet to the fire and asking the question: 'Will we be better off in four years, or have we been played?'
Robert Connors, Lakeland
Voice of the People (Jan. 12, 2025) Fluoride in water: Lakeland looking for the facts
Lessons learned from Trump
Anyone who thinks Americans, and the world, have not learned anything from Donald Trump, think again.
Most people did not know convicted felons were eligible to be president of the United States. Many never thought a man who was found liable for the defamation and sexual abuse of a woman could win a presidential election. Whoever believed a five-time draft-dodger could become the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces?
Most Americans supposed it took years, even decades, to get a case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court; however, Donald Trump proved that the wealthy and powerful have different access to the judicial system than 'regular' Americans.
Trump taught all Americans that 'liberty and justice for all' is an American myth. Trump taught us that people will make up reasons to ignore facts to achieve their desired outcome. Trump proved if you repeat lies often enough, and do not deviate an iota from your lies, your lies will become facts for a huge swath of the population that are incapable of critical thinking.
So, as America celebrates the re-election of Donald Trump, let us all thank him for the lessons he taught us, our children, the world, and future generations.
Michael Schwam, Lakeland
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