No Bobby Jones discount for property owner

I’ve supported the Bobby Jones Golf Course for the 30 years I’ve lived in Sarasota.

Through course flooding, restaurant vendor changes and decreasing traffic, local golfers tried to keep the course afloat. I was thrilled to hear that the course would be “saved” and improved upon.

As I own property within the city limits, I have paid taxes to help support the course since 2003 and have enjoyed the token discount that was offered.

I was very excited to hear that a 40% discount would be offered to those in the city to play on the new course. However, I was surprised to learn that it requires physical residence within the city limits.

Why aren’t my property tax payments taken into account?

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I’ve submitted several online forms from the Bobby Jones website asking that question but have received no response.

The new pricing model that is being employed will eliminate me and many other local golfers. Seasonal visitors may be able to justify paying the huge increase in green fees but most of us can’t.

A property tax-paying individual should have the same benefit given to a nontaxpayer who lives within city limits.

In other words, why should my tenant have the discount when I don’t qualify?

Michael Vercelli, Sarasota

Stories of people behind Season of Sharing

I so much enjoy this time of year when I get to read these articles about people who are helped by Season of Sharing.

How to help your neighbors in need: Support Season of Sharing

I know there are so many more in our area who need help but bringing it to light like this gives more evidence of those needs.

I just want to thank writer Saundra Amrhein for her wonderful articles.

She does a great job of capturing the personalities of the people she is interviewing – and she tells wonderful stories about their lives and what they are going through.

And thank you, Herald-Tribune, for publishing these articles.

Dianne Plough, Venice

Save your sympathy for crime victims

I was amused yet disgusted while reading the Page One story, “Behind Barbed Wire: Inmates beg for change in the living conditions at state facilities,” Dec. 18.

I don’t know anyone in prison, but I am pleased our law enforcement officers did their job in arresting the inmates. None of their victims received any mercy during or after the crimes.The inmates would not be behind barbed wire if they had not caused emotional, financial, mental and/or physical harm to their victims.

Charles Shinkle, Venice

With right VP, Trump scores easy victory

It is totally obvious that President Joe Biden, for many reasons, will not prevail in next year’s election.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump possesses the necessary support basis and political horses that are mandated to be the Republican nominee.

The key to an absolute winning trifecta is for Trump to select a vice presidential partner ASAP who exemplifies outstanding personal cognitive ability, personal fortitude and perpetual political savvy, all of which will reconnect the emergence of the prosperous qualities the American people so deservedly seek.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley fulfills all of these criteria.

A Trump/Haley team would totally solidify a cakewalk to victory in 2024.

Gary Swikle, Nokomis

Fed Reserve holds too much power

According to an Oct. 5 Forbes article, “There were about 605,000 announced layoffs” in the first nine months of this year.

That’s 605,000 hardworking Americans who had a torturous drive home wondering what they were going to tell their families.

We don’t know exactly how many of those are directly related to the 11 interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve since March 2022, but we do know the intent was to slow the economy to get inflation under control.

Unfortunately, the side effect is an increase in the unemployment rate.

It’s been that way since the 1960s. This cause-effect relationship is obvious to anyone who’s looked at a chart of the federal fund rate against the unemployment rate.

With respect to getting inflation under control, the only time prices go up is either when there’s not enough competition or when the government has restricted energy production.

Both of which are the responsibility of our elected representatives – not the Federal Reserve Board.  Interest rates should be determined by fierce competition between banks. Future historians will scratch their heads wondering why we ever let a 12-member committee of a private entity have such a grip on our economy.

Ben Furleigh, Port Charlotte

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Bobby Jones golf course whiffs with unfair discount policy