Letters to the editor for Aug. 7, 2018

Tuesday

An independent GRU Authority would have been a great idea years ago, before the onerous bio-mess contract was signed and even before the ill-advised $750 million GREC buyout. 

But as Ray Washington laid out in his elegant Aug. 5 column, GRU’s financial calamity is now unavoidable!  At this point an independent authority would only be a scapegoat and wouldn’t be able to right most of the wrongs already done. 

The Titanic has a gaping hole and water is rushing in.  Don’t bother rearranging the deck chairs.  Regrettably, there’s no hope for an independent authority unraveling the GRU mess.  It would only be a distraction. 

Alas, we should let the blame remain where it belongs and vote against the proposed GRU Authority. 

George Braun, Gainesville

Stop the increase

Good for City Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos for doing what the citizens of Gainesville want and rightfully changing his vote to veto the proposed rate increase of our electrical service provider, GRU. 

Image that — someone who actually listens to his constituents.  One thing for sure, I will not forget this vote Election Day.  Hayes-Santos will certainly have my vote in any future elections.  I may even volunteer for this campaign! 

So, Commissioner Hayes-Santos, on behalf of the customers of GRU and the hard-working people of Gainesville, I say "bravo." 

Marlo Scott, Gainesville

Tough but fair

Having known Craig DeThomasis for 15 years, I know he will be tough but fair as our county judge.  DeThomasis respects the law and the men and women who enforce it, and he respects the Constitution and the rights it guarantees to every individual. 

No other candidate has three decades of real courtroom experience.  DeThomasis will bring the wisdom and patience we need on the county bench, and he deserves Alachua County’s vote on Aug. 28. 

James H. Sullivan III, Gainesville

Disinformation factory

President Trump's government has become a powerful disinformation and distraction factory from which any distinction between facts, reality, lies and fantasy are erased. 

Under Trump's rules, language and policy are primarily designed for his personal aggrandizement.  He has repeatedly stated the news media is the "enemy of the people," a phrase that was used in 1930s Germany and by Josef Stalin’s Russia to attack news critics, often with beatings, imprisoning journalists or assassinations

Recently, Trump said, "Don't believe the crap you see from these people, the fake news … What you're seeing and what you're reading is not what’s happening." 

History tells us that one of the primary hallmarks of every authoritarian government is an attempt to exploit doubt, create scapegoats and discredit the independent media.  Trump's call for America to ignore anything except what he says is both astounding and frightening. 

Terry Brant, Melrose

Then and now

One of my ancestors, The Hon.  Samuel Mayall of Maine, was elected as a Democrat to the 33rd Congress of the United States (March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855).  However, Congressman Mayall stepped down from his position in 1855. 

In a speech that he gave on the floor of Congress in January 1855, Samuel Mayall, said, “The framers of our Constitution were aware that the institution [of slavery] was incompatible with the declaration of rights.  I am sorry to say there has been a change for the worse since their day.” 

An ardent abolitionist, Samuel Mayall was one of the founders of the Republican Part,y which was formed when anti-slavery leaders joined forces to oppose the extension of slavery into the territories.  Mayall became a delegate to the first Republican National Convention held in Philadelphia in 1856. 

I wonder how my ancestor would feel about the Republican Party of today? 

Mallory O’Connor, Gainesville

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Letters to the editor should be emailed to letters@gainesville.com.  Letters should be 150 words or less and include the writer’s full name, city of residence and contact information. 

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