The following Letter to the Editor was published in The Daily Sun on Oct 27, 2022.
Republican leaders in Florida sure hate “big government” …until they need help.
Thank goodness that “big government” will pay most of the cost of emergency aid to our state helping to recover from the overwhelming devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. You and I should not be punished for Gov. DeSantis’ negative view of government aid and his failure to acknowledge Florida’s climate crisis and the impact on our state’s precious environment.
We’ve known for some time that hotter oceans contribute to more powerful storms and that a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture creating more instability. Conservative politicians refuse to accept the scientific evidence that climate change is real and is happening now. All of us suffer from their refusal to acknowledge the truth.
It’s time that elected leaders make climate change a central focus and take action to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Democratic candidates for office will do just that.
It’s well past time to put them in charge of Florida.
Joe Pennisi, Englewood
