Leadership lacking
To the editor:
Unfortunately, the leadership of the City of Cape Coral has failed some of its residents on many fronts. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand the water shortage did not appear overnight, or now will be corrected overnight. Wells in many areas in the northeast and northwest have been going dry for years because of this poor leadership and management in not addressing these issues.
Allowing new construction in these areas further contributes to these low levels in the aquifers. Failing to address irrigation abuse after being reported several times to Code Compliance about those abusing these watering restrictions, falls on deaf ears. Excuses coming from that agency for these blatant violations that could have been seen by Helen Keller, contributes a lot to this water shortage.
If 90 percent of residents’ lawns are brown and 10 percent are a plush beautiful green, does that not throw up a red flag?
Partnering with violators/abusers, is the city of Cape Coral, which has failed miserably over the years in addressing this water shortage.
These water violations are not the only violations by some residents in those areas. Semi-trucks making their parking spots in medians, other vehicles and equipment adorning residential empty lots, front yards having several vehicles strewn in their grass, etc… I could go on, but again, this falls on deaf ears. It is hard to exonerate the City of Cape Coral leadership from accepting responsibility for the many ills we are now facing because of turning a blind eye in many instances.
Yet the state requires with each report of a violation that those reporting give their name, address, etc. What protections are provided to those reporting these violations from retribution/retaliation? Do those citizens reporting these code violations rely on the city of Cape Coral to protect them the same way that many have been protected by the city when their wells went dry. These issues would not be happening if the city of Cape Coral did not turn a blind eye to these violations over the years. These issues did not begin yesterday.
The hardest thing I have found in life to combat over the years is that of ignorance.
If these issues are going to be addressed and corrected, let the city of Cape Coral accept responsibility for its failures in the past and be vigilant in addressing these violations without excuses.
Jack Wagner
Cape Coral