Treasure Coast children’s center jeopardized by funding cuts
Why are we depending on federal funding to care for sexually and physically abused children in our community? Why aren’t we taking care of our own children? The Children’s Advocacy Center does not receive any funding from our counties or municipalities.
Act now. Contact your county commissioners, county administrators and legislators to fund the Children’s Advocacy Center.
Why? The GFNF4kids Children’s Advocacy Center provides all needed resources for sexually and physically abused children in St. Lucie, Indian River, Martin and Okeechobee counties. Prior to opening the CAC, children had to go to six or more locations to tell their stories and receive the necessary resources. Thus, children were further traumatized, often lost in the system and their perpetrators not prosecuted.
Our CAC, among others, received massive funding cuts from the Federal Victims of Crime Act the past two years, which have previously funded CACs. Our CAC has, through no fault of our own, had a $300,000 deficit the past two years. Research proves communities with CACs save the community $1,000 or more per child abuse case.
Since opening in 2022, our CAC has served more than 1,200 sexually and physically abused children. One case resulted in the mother receiving 21 life sentences plus 800 years. If you have been fortunate enough to grow up in a loving family, you have no idea of the amount of child abuse, the severity of abuse or the depravity of abuse.
Thanks to state Sen. Gayle Harrell and Rep. Dana Trabulsy, we received $1.3 million to create the CAC in July 2022. Sadly, we were one of only two Florida judicial circuits without a CAC. Most CACs in Florida have been around 20 to 30 years.
Debbie Butler, Port St. Lucie
Learn more from TCPalm journalists: Abused, neglected girls and boys find help, hope and justice at new Children’s Advocacy Center
Debbie Butler (left), President of the Children’s Advocacy Center, interacts with Autumn, their therapy dog and handler Wanda Eckhoff, at the end of the day on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, in St. Lucie West.
Columns express her feelings on elections, too
I want to commend the two columnists whose pieces you ran the other day ― Nate Monroe and Ray Marcano, who so eloquently expressed the thoughts and feelings I have had for a long time.
I believe history will not look favorably on these days and years ahead.
Judy Robb, Palm City
Attorney general nod: Republican House members owe Trump
I was watching a few news stations, and the main emphasis was on Donald Trump’s selections for his Cabinet and other positions.
Most of the conversations were about the congressman, or ex-congressman I guess, from Florida being appointed attorney general. They were not complimentary. How could Trump appoint such a person as AG, etc?
I was surprised no one on CNN, NBC or FOX indicated, or even realized, that Trump had just done the Republican House a tremendous favor. He just removed from the House a thorn in its side. The congressman resigned so he could prepare for the Senate interviews for AG.
That’s one less reactionary and problem for the Republican majority. Now they owe him.
Edward Marasi, Port St. Lucie
Harris’ indebted campaign shows how she’d run nation
Wow. Kamala Harris had more than a billion dollars and now she’s in debt for more than $20 million and has her hand out for more.
Much of the billion went to paying rich celebrities. Some reports indicate one was Oprah Winfrey, whose company took more than a million dollars for her to “show up.”
Many of those $5 and $10 donors who are having trouble feeding their families spent money to pay the rich and famous to show up on Kamala’s behalf. Let’s name names and amounts celebrities were paid to show up for Harris. It’s unbelievable.
Thank God she won’t get her hand near our treasury. Joe Biden did enough damage. No more. These are the people who have never run a successful business, just lived their lives off the taxpayers.
We’re supposed to “give” of our talents to our country, not “take” from her.
Joan Hall, Vero Beach
(Editor’s note: Subsequent other reports said Winfrey denied getting an appearance fee.)
Jacques column sows division; can’t compare Trump, Harris
I was insulted by Ingrid Jacques’ recent column on the election. Is she trying to deflect the bad behavior of our next president to level the blame for our country’s division?
Her implication that the Democratic Party will not “accept the results of this election and come to terms with Trump as president” are baseless. Joe Biden has already invited Trump to the White House, and Kamala Harris called the president-elect to concede the election and promised a smooth transition.
Trump never conceded his loss in the 2020 election, did not attend the inauguration and incited a riot on our Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Jacques mentions Hillary Clinton, saying she “raised the specter of the 2016 election as ‘illegitimate,’ making her look like a sore loser.” Who looked more like a sore lose than Trump when he lost to Biden?
Jacques even asks Harris and the rest of my party to cease pushing division and help progressives move on. Has she ever heard Trump speak? Trump’s fabrications put people’s lives in danger, including his own. Why is it OK for Trump to continually slander and lie, and his party doesn’t tell him to stop his rhetoric so we can all live compatibly in this already great United States?
Finally, here’s something for everyone to think about. We know that Trump does not follow the law and no one can seem to keep him reined in. Harris would follow the law, so our judicial and legislative arms could have controlled her actions. I hope there’s not too much damage done in Trump’s final term.
Carol Grube, Stuart
Trump win shows Americans for what they aren’t
It seems Democrats lost the presidential election because they did not move to the center.
Nonsense: Donald Trump and Republican success have been largely achieved by moving to the extreme right: anti-women, antisemitic, anti-Muslim, anti-gay, anti-real Christian values. Even calling veterans losers proved successful.
It’s no wonder Trump admires and followed a play book similar to Adolf Hitler’s. He realized what Americans are at the core. Christianity has hardly made a dent in America.
Anthony Frigo, Jensen Beach
Trump supporter ecstatic over election
MAGA 2024!
Let the whining begin from the liberal letter writers.
Me, I can’t stop smiling.
Anthony Napolitano, Jensen Beach
Taliban happy Harris not elected, so …
After the election, the Taliban congratulated the American people on “not electing a woman to be their leader.”
Think about that. The most oppressive regime on the planet approves of our president-elect.
Good job, America.Alyce Strong, Fort Pierce
Don’t coddle college-age children with election blather
There seem to be some college students who are reacting to the new president-elect with profound sadness.
One of the Ivy League colleges gave students a day off from studies. It provided Legos, coloring books, milk and cookies to their students who are so blue because they didn’t get their choice for the new president.
As a parent, I understand our children are basically on loan to us. Our job is to prepare them for the future so they can become autonomous. If I were currently paying those high tuitions for my children, I would want my money back.
Do we want our college-age children treated like toddlers? We need to prepare them for the real world.
My hope for the holiday season is that we can all find an adult way to discuss our differences.
There are many other enjoyable subjects to talk about around the Thanksgiving and holiday tables.
One thing I think we all can agree on, is we want to feel safe in our homeland.
Our new president-elect is known for his approach to peace through strength. Our adversaries fear him. And that’s a good thing. Some of those adversaries are already reaching out to him to get ceasefires in these endless wars.
Isn’t that a win-win for all of us Americans?
After all, we all bleed red, white and blue.
Janet Wenz, Palm City
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Letters: Trump win, Harris loss sparks mixed reactions; child abuse
