Reader Mail: Hold Miami Leaders Accountable for Toxic Parks

Poison in the Parks

Deadly oversight: Your report on former toxic ash sites around Miami ("Toxic Tales," David Villano, September 26) makes it clear the city has ignored this problem for years. There are consequences: My neighbor in the Grove died of pancreatic cancer. She was a teacher at Carver Middle, one of the potentially toxic sites. RafT

Miami's Worst Dog Owner

Don't blame the dogs: The pit bulls themselves are not tormenting residents, as your article states ("In the Doghouse," Terrence McCoy, September 26). The dogs' owner is to blame. You have to question what's going on when people accumulate animals. You have to respect the concerns of neighbors. There are better alternatives to helping innocent dogs than hoarding them. respectyourneighbors

Sue the city: Neighbors near this house need to sue the city or animal control for not doing anything about this problem. Apparently they think it's more humane for the dogs to live in squalor than to be put down. It's disgusting. frankfudgeman

Canes Dominate

Living in the past: I'm all for nostalgia, but Uncle Luke's viewpoint in his column about the Hurricanes football team dominating this year ("Perfect Season," Luther Campbell, September 26) is comically irresponsible. It's a new era in college football when it's impossible to have a "mystique of having the most hated football team in America" without also having bowls, scholarships, and money pulled from the program. At a time when we are already walking on eggshells with the NCAA, winning is the only way to be more "badass." Coach Golden has been on the right track for far longer than the past eight months, setting his own blueprint to win, while UM President Donna Shalala (the coach's boss who is criticized in the article) has filled the role of his necessary "fuck the world, everyone's against us" character by being the only president not to back down to the NCAA investigators. cflan

Represent the U: This is a great column. Go, Canes! Uncle Luke is the man. UM should totally play his songs at home games. jdomar

Witch's Emporium

Satanism is different: I'm disappointed that your piece about a Hialeah-based witchcraft store ("Witches' Brew," Allie Conti, September 26) opens with a mention of Satanic bibles when this is not a focus of the store. The subject of Satanism comes up a disproportionate number of times in the story, which is inaccurate and misleading. Paganism and Satanism are very different philosophies. Paganism includes most nature-based faiths, many of them predating Abrahamic religion, whereas Satanism is a direct response to Christianity. As is written in Alice Hoffman's novel Practical Magic: "There's no devil in the Craft." For people who'd like a better understanding of pagan traditions, there are many meetup groups and websites, and the Witch's Garden has been a welcoming and wonderful place for the pagan community. siouxi_q

Highway Groper

Get your jurisdictions right: How could it take 30 minutes for an officer to show up to arrest a man blatantly attacking strangers on the Rickenbacker Causeway ("The Rickenbacker Causeway Creeper," Francisco Alvarado, September 26)? Is this another case of confusion by police agencies about which part of the causeway falls under county versus city jurisdiction? This same confusion has led to multiple delays regarding car crashes on the causeway. It should be investigated and fixed. cpchester

Know the law: Actually, a 30-minute response time is about normal. That's actually not bad as a wait time. Crimes don't get reported because Americans often have zero patience to file a report. This is clearly battery, but I'm afraid under our laws, it would be a misdemeanor. Sexual battery is a big-time felony that lands a person in prison for years. This guy is a complete jackass, but — I'm sorry — this is misdemeanor battery. People should stop complaining about the police and the laws that protect them. Why not build more and more jails and charge every scumbag like this with a felony? Then we can have even more prisons! jdomar

Tennis Showdown

Transparency, please: Your story about Miami Beach commissioners ignoring the bid process for maintaining its tennis courts ("Tennis Court Showdown," Michael E. Miller, September 26) makes it clear that much more wrongdoing is at work. The winning bidder's vice president, Jimmy Bollettieri, should post his receipts for clay material. The public wants to see them. I'm sure the police financial crime division would be interested in seeing receipts for that material. If he claims he spends that much money on maintenance, somebody must have stolen some material. Receipts for brooms, bags of clay, court lines, windscreens, nets, and center straps should all be made public. internetinternet

My Voice Nation Help

On Friday. October 4, 2013, an incident took place in a (flagship) school in Miami Dade which has completely destroyed my faith in the educational system. A child who is the son of a Principal (at a different school) and the nephew of another principal at the school which he is registered was caught in possession of narcotics inside the school. A second child was also involved in the transgression as well. However, due to the politics in Miami Dade schools the entire incident is in the process of being swept under the rug by the School Police and the Principals as well as the AP's. Ironically, this week is Drug Awareness week and the children in Miami Dade are being versed on he evilness of narcotics and their danger.  How hypocritical is it that the leaders of two different schools and law enforcement, (after the incident being witnessed by 100's of students and the entire school being searched) are attempting to hide this ugly affair and expecting the kids to take any of this message seriously? How is it that parents can be expected to have any confidence in the Administration of these schools or any other Miami Dade learning institution or law enforcement? In my opinion if this were to happen in an inner city or low income area school would they have given that child the same treatment? Doubtful... Parents should be outraged. Citizens should be outraged! Unfortunately the entire thing is being made to look like it was a non-meaningful incident. We are not fooling the kids who were present. We are not fooling the members of the staff who were present. This is the most vile and degrading act that can be perpetrated on the students and parents of the children at that school and beyond. Furthermore. this child has been a problem at this school since enrolling nearly two years ago. He has been suspended and given detention numerous times and the discipline has been ineffective. He was expelled from at least one other school and continues to defy all authority. Why not if the people in charge of his discipline are the ones protecting him from the real world and making him responsible for his actions? Would a child in a Homestead or Florida City or Opa Laka be protected this way? Once again doubtful.

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