Mosquitoes, launches and animal welfare in Letters to the Editor

Editor’s Note: We hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. The Question of the Week will return next Sunday.

Kudos for Brevard mosquito control

Last week at dusk, I was sitting with my beloved dog Kai enjoying a spectacular sunset and evening. It was relaxing and enjoyable in the Windover Farms area of south Titusville. As I was petting Kai dusk slowly turned to darkness and I realized there were times when I would not have been able to enjoy this. Why? On this day there was not a single mosquito that bothered us.  

I moved to Florida in 1968 after growing up in Pennsylvania. I was looking forward to this state’s reputed angling and was not disappointed in Florida’s fishing. However, I also found big distracters: in particular, mosquitos!!! 

 Later I had to move away due to my job but thankfully was able to  come back … and still found days where the irritating, high-pitched sounds would come into my ears mornings and evenings. 

We had a Brevard County mosquito control organization back then but it had mixed reviews. 

Currently Windover is still a very rural area; plenty of woods and lakes and wildlife — perfect breeding grounds for the nasty “skeeters.”

Even more ominous, our area had over 15 inches of rain from an unusual weather system three days earlier, a perfect scenario for a big mosquito invasion. 

I must believe we have some real heroes in the modern version of mosquito control. I could not believe sitting there and not being bothered by a single mosquito! Not one!

So whoever you heroes are, thank you for an amazing job!!

George Minto, Titusville

Flurry of launches from the Space Coast

Editor’s note: FLORIDA TODAY’S Space Team reported extensively about the flurry of launches. Here is but one of the many links ( https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2025/11/15/spacex-launch-doubleheader-kicks-off-weekend-with-two-starlink-missions-from-cape-canaveral-florida/87282478007/)

I am surprised the news media totally missed this technological feat. In just two days, four heavy rocket launches were carried out by three different commercial companies from Florida’s Space Coast. Two of these launches occurred at night, lighting up the sky with a spectacular show. The windows shook like crazy — one of our cats was terrified, while the other couldn’t have cared less. Impressively, three of the rockets returned and landed on ocean barges, to be reused. This is a technological achievement that has never been accomplished before and likely won’t be replicated anytime soon.

Blue Origin — Jeff Bezos’s hobby project — launched two satellites destined for a gravity-neutral point between the Earth and the Sun (for physics geeks, that’s Lagrange Point 2). Once Mars aligns properly, these satellites will continue their journey to orbit the Mars and study Mars’ atmosphere and magnetosphere.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) — ( Boeing and Lockheed Martin) ― launched a massive satellite designed to enhance internet service for companies that transmit data via space rather than land cables.

SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company, executed two launches just four hours apart. They deployed 58 mini-satellites that now provide Starlink internet access to millions.  While some view these satellites as space junk — given that over 7,500 are already in orbit —others see them as essential, offering reliable internet in remote areas for $99 a month. The Ukrainians rely on this service to communicate securely, avoiding Russian interference.

Angela Harris, Cape Canaveral

Where’s the help for the Shenzhou Craft?

Since we have multiple spacecrafts launching weekly, would one please save their fellow space travelers stuck in a dangerously damaged space vehicle

Judy McGee, Melbourne 

Umm … tariffs will do what?

I have significant doubts that prices will decrease. Historically, prices have not reverted to lower levels. The purpose of this post is to clarify the concept of tariffs. Essentially, a tariff is a tax borne by consumers.

When the president imposes a 50% tariff on Chinese goods, the importer must pay an additional 50% on those products. For instance, if Walmart imports shoes, the company will be required to pay a 50% surcharge. It is logical to assume that this price increase will be passed on to the consumer. Consequently, the $200 billion collected from tariffs thus far has been indirectly paid by consumers, not the individual countries.

In effect, this constitutes an additional tax on the sale of tariffed goods. I would appreciate an explanation of how this increases affordability or promotes America’s interests.

George White, Titusville

The end of solar energy

On the morning of Nov. 14, UCF officially announced layoffs at Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) in Cocoa.

On Oct. 1, 2025, the Department of Energy (DoE) cancelled several hundred alternative energy contracts.  (energy.gov/articles/energy-department-announces-termination-223-projects-saving-over-75-billion )

FSEC was a subcontractor on some of these contracts. As a result, FSEC’s anticipated budget for the next 2-3 years vanished overnight. UCF has decided to lay off 90% of the FSEC staff (about 60 of 65 employees) and shutter the facility in Cocoa.

This is the end of an era. Florida was an acknowledged leader in solar energy research and residential energy efficiency.  

Keith Sandberg, Melbourne

So, how’s the economy?

In the run-up to the 2024 election, Democrats argued Trump posed a clear and present danger to democracy. Trump and Republicans, on the other hand, argued the real danger was the economy. Trump argue the economy was a disaster and he promised to lower inflation and the cost of living on “Day 1.”

So, ultimately the election boiled down to eggs versus democracy. Unfortunately for America, the eggs won. So, how is Trump doing in his promise to improve the economy for average, working Americans?

​Well, unfortunately for Americans, Trump has reneged on his promise to fix the economy. Inflation, despite his promise, has gone up, not down. Since he took office, inflation has risen to 3%, as has the consumer price index. The cost of groceries is up 7%, with the price of beef up by over 16%.  And, thanks to Trump’s tariffs, the cost of coffee is up by 21%. Meanwhile, Trump is cancelling federal energy projects even as the cost of electricity has risen by 10%.  

​Unemployment has gone up to levels not seen since COVID. Likewise, private sector job growth is the lowest it has been since the Great Recession! Not surprisingly, Trump’s approval rating for his handling of the economy has dropped to only 39%.

​It would seem Trump’s promises to fix all our cost of living problems on Day 1 have been forgotten and I’m guessing he is hoping ‘you’ have forgotten too. Meanwhile, he is devoting all his attention to ‘more important things.’ For example, Trump is using the Department of Justice to prosecute anyone he believes has wronged him, converting Homeland Security and Immigration & Customs Enforcement into his own private Gestapo to attack anyone who ‘looks’ like an immigrant and spending $300 million on a gaudy, vulgar ballroom nobody wants.​

​But that’s OK, I am sure he will get around to lowering the price of eggs ― someday.

Paul Capaldo, Viera

Animal Welfare Act needs enforcement

Goldie was a golden retriever in an Iowa puppy mill who wasted away under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) watch. Inspectors saw her multiple times, severely emaciated and covered in sores, but never documented her condition as a violation or stepped in to help. She eventually died in misery. 

Goldie’s case is heartbreaking, but it is also part of a broader failure. USDA enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act has dropped by nearly 90% over the last decade. Facilities often go years without a single inspection, and the USDA often ignores violations or fails to take enforcement action even in the face of extreme cruelty. For example, in 2024, the USDA documented violations for more than 300 dog dealers yet took enforcement action against only three. Three! Most shocking: despite evidence of widespread suffering, the USDA has not removed a single dog from a licensed facility in more than five years. 

Goldie’s Act (H.R. 349) would fix these failures by requiring the USDA to document violations, confiscate suffering dogs, assess penalties for violations, and share information with local authorities. No dog should suffer as Goldie did, and no federal agency should be allowed to ignore the law. 

I urge Rep, Mike Haridopolos to cosponsor Goldie’s Act, and Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody to cosponsor Goldie’s Act when it’s introduced in the U.S. Senate, to restore compassion and accountability to USDA enforcement.

Cory Lineback, Indialantic