Saving environment requires action

I cried when I read the portion of Scott Maxwell’s June 4 column about Florida’s official marine mammal population being decimated because, as Maxwell wrote, “…water pollution in the Indian River Lagoon had killed off much of the seagrass, contributing to the deaths of around 1,900 manatees over the past three years.” Earlier in the column he stated, “Yes, the state’s environmental protection agency is fighting an order to protect the environment.”

This is insane! I’ve felt angered about causes previously and always told myself, “I need to follow up on this.” Well, this time, I’m doing it. The phone number for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is 850-245-2118 and its address is 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, Tallahassee FL 32399. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office can be reached at 850-488-7146 and his office address is 400 S. Monroe St., Tallahassee FL 32399. Please, if you’re reading this, don’t let another day go by without letting our leaders know how you feel. These precious, harmless creatures should not continue to starve to death through no fault of their own.

Eileen Walker Ormond Beach

Trump, Musk: Was there a winner?

It’s apparent that the bromance is over between President Donald J. Trump and Elon Musk (“Trump and Musk break up as Washington holds its breath”). Musk spent June 5 throwing shade on Trump, all in efforts to incite the media; it is plainly juvenile. But in the meantime, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

JoAnn Lee Frank Clearwater

House budget bill favors wealthy

Here are the things I strongly object to in the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed in the U.S. House:

A provision of the bill states, “No court of the United States may enforce a contempt citation for failure to comply with an injunction or temporary restraining order if no security was given when the injunction or order was issued,” to be applied retroactively. If trillion-dollar bonds are required to contest trillion-dollar damages our government is causing, that destroys the protections our Constitution provides its citizens against the rule of tyrants.

The provision prohibiting states from regulating AI for the next 10 years is unconscionably ignorant and dangerous. Federal oversight and regulation can be slow, and the power of AI moves very fast. The states are much more responsive and agile in detecting dangers to the public.

The slashing of the benefits of medical care, food and other assistance to low-income families in this bill goes so far beyond even the most exaggerated claim of fraud, waste and abuse as to be cynically and sadistically abusive. In addition, this bill makes the trillions in tax reductions for the ultra-wealthy a permanent part of our tax code.

In a system ruled by the “noble wealthy,” where courts are a mere formality to dress injustice in a righteous cloak, dangers to the public are only tended when “inconvenient” to those above, and where the peasants have no right to fairness in how they are paid for their labor, this bill would make perfect sense. Let’s don’t continue down the path toward being that country.

John Heimburg Umatilla

Money going in wrong wallets

I saw the headline today that CEO compensation is up 10%. My retirement savings account is down almost 10% even though I rebalanced it to make it more conservative at the beginning of the year. But who gets most of the Trump tax cut that ups the deficit by $3 trillion? CEOs, of course. They deserve it — guess who put in $250 million into Trump’s inauguration fund?

The question is, will the people remember this the next election cycle? I hope so.

Ben Humphries Orlando

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