Letters to the Editor

Posted on 10 February 2011 by LeslieM

Hello from Cairo

Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from a letter sent to a local resident from someone living in Egypt. Letter submitted Feb. 3.
Hopefully, this tells you how safe I am and how calm it is here in Maadi. The ramifications for Egypt are immeasurable and unknown, but for now, we are staying put and planning for various contingencies. Over half our high school student body has left the country (many not by choice — forced evacuations by the company).  At this point, we have no plans to evacuate. I am prepared just in case because that is always a possibility.
Some of you have been able to know I’m okay. In case you haven’t, here are some key things those of us here want you to know:
• Most evacuations of Americans and others are not voluntary. The news speaks in broad statements that make it sound like all Americans are fleeing. Most American residents I know are staying if it is up to them.
• We are not experiencing any anti-American or anti-foreigner sentiment. The people here know us and are protecting us as if we were their family. Egyptians are amazing people, and I know some of that is coming through in the news. It means so much to them that we are staying. Many of us are getting to know our neighbors in ways we hadn’t before. The spirit of community, which was always present here, is even more so now.
• Although not everyone wants the change protestors are calling for, it is hard to put into words the energy among many of the people here now. They have always had national pride, but it is palpable now — pride in themselves for taking care of their neighborhoods, pride in the people for finally having and giving a voice en masse, etc. I know several men, women, teenagers and children who have gone to the demonstrations in Tahrir Square and report that it is the most amazing, positive, peaceful environment.
•  If you watch the news, please notice what you do NOT see: people burning Egyptian flags, people burning American flags. Yes, there are thugs and opportunists and casualties, but the people here do not want to destroy their country. We are all concerned for what comes next and what it means for Egypt, but for now I am cautiously optimistic — for my school and for this country that has been my home for the past 6 1/2 years.
Teresa

RE: These are the times that try men’s souls

Dear Editor:
Allow me to retort Jean Robb’s Letter to the Editor [Feb. 3 Observer]. What does $80,000 buy you?  In the case of the City of Deerfield Beach, it bought the following:
1. A new City Manager – a gent with the desire to fashion a more honest and transparent system of local government.
2. The death of the never-ending “no strings attached” financial handout. No longer is the taxpayer of Deerfield Beach the cash cow for various local and questionable 501c organizations.
3. Long overdue accountability.
4. The [possible] arrest and removal from office of Commissioner Sylvia Poitier.
5. A change of culture.
6. Ethics.
Compared to the $100,000 wasted on the TriData report (for which nothing significant was uncovered), the funds paid to Kessler International was money well spent. Maybe, back in the day, when you were mayor, it was okay to turn a blind eye to corrupt politicians. What was good in the ‘60s and ‘70s doesn’t play very well in 2011. Heck, with your recent talk from the commission podium discussing Poitier and her bean-picking history, you still appear to be following that utterly absurd and outdated game plan.
It’s obvious to me that you clearly fail to understand this new way of doing business — as witnessed by our most recent mayoral election, where you came in a very distant third place.
Finally, speaking about ethics, it is my understanding that various elected officials, both past and present, will be very hard-pressed explaining to the Florida Ethics Commission why they failed to report the receipt of approximately $10,000 worth of Mango Festival tickets. By the way, yet another thing we learned from the $80,000 audit.
Chaz Stevens
Former Commissioner Deerfield Beach Housing Authority
New York City, NY

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