Arts-hating DeSantis should study his own spending
The governor is so misinformed.
After vetoing millions of dollars in grants to the arts, in his usual inarticulate way of speaking he called the Fringe Festival a “sexual festival where they are doing all this stuff.” Later, he said, “I have to stand up for taxpayers and say, ‘You know what, this is an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars.” (“DeSantis: Arts grants vetoed over ‘sexual’ Fringe festivals,” June 28).
Bless his heart, the governor needs to be reminded once more of the inappropriate use of millions of taxpayer dollars for his expenditures that have been called unconstitutional, illegal and mean-spirited. He needs to be held to account.
Choice Edwards Clermont
Climate changes, but God is in control
Therapist and letter-writer Leigh Smith is “grieving the loss of planet Earth” (Letters, June 28). Not me. Scientists tell us that our planet came into being 5.5 billion years ago. I think God knew exactly what he was doing then and still knows now. Just look at everything he’s done. He created oil; he created the human race. He gave us the intellect to figure out how to use that oil to develop the fossil-fuel energy we need to further civilization.
I’m a believer that the climate changes. I’m also a believer that it’s all part of God’s divine plan. I believe that he told us to be good stewards of everything he’s given us, including our planet. I also believe that it will be around for a few more billion years after we’re gone. He also wants us to be good stewards of our money and not waste it on politically motivated exploits that will do nothing to lengthen the life of the planet. I’m doing my part by driving an electric car daily … but I’m not giving up my carbon-doughnut-spewing old sports car, because it’s not my belief that our planet is in serious jeopardy. With all due respect, I’m sticking with God as my therapist to help me cope with this politically manufactured crisis of the last few years. Others will certainly disagree, and that’s their right.
George W. Koehn Winter Park
Your parked car is not a doghouse
As the dog days of summer bring scorching temperatures, animal lovers should remember that hot dogs belong on the grill — not in parked cars.
While never a good idea, leaving your pet alone in a vehicle — even during a quick errand — is especially dangerous this time of year.
A parked car can become an oven under the sun, even in mild temperatures. When it’s a comfortable 70 degrees outside, the inside of a vehicle can climb to almost 90 degrees after only 10 minutes and creep into triple-digit temperatures after half an hour.
Research shows that cracking the windows doesn’t have a significant effect on how quickly the temperature rises.
Unlike humans, dogs cannot sweat and do not regulate temperatures as efficiently as we do, making them extra vulnerable to heat stroke, which can be fatal.
This summer, be a responsible pet owner with your own best friend. And if you see a distressed animal inside a parked car, call your local animal control or law enforcement immediately — you could save a life.
Robin Ganzert West Palm Beach
The writer is President of American Humane.
