Hit-and-run story makes police look really inept

You have got to be kidding me.

A serious crime is committed (hit and run) with substantial bodily injury and property damage. When reporting the accident, the injured party says the person responsible has fled the scene, and the dispatcher asks: Do you still want an officer to respond?

Really? That must have instilled great confidence that a professional investigation was under way.

The initial responding officer fails to collect and protect physical evidence. Fortunately, the family of the injured party does. That's the extent of it for 16 days, until a complaint is made to the mayor.

The next officer on the case is able to identify the owner of the other vehicle. That person does not cooperate. So that's the end of it. Really? You can't bring him in for questioning?

Put Tom Lyons on the case and he will get it done really.

John Corning, Venice

Frontier not profiting from 'bogus billing'

The implication in Tom Lyons June 12 column that Frontier Communications somehow profits from customer billing issues is untrue and unjustified.

As with any company, our customers are our lifeblood. Our intent, in every interaction, is to provide reliable communications services.

When we let a customer down, we are accountable and do our best to fix the problem as quickly as possible. We offer sincere apologies and remedy the issue, making the customer whole. Often this includes credits for the customer quite the opposite of benefiting from bogus billing.

Frontier has made solid improvements over the past year and we will continue to sharpen our service. We live in and support the communities we serve, and our only goal is to be better.

Melanie Williams, Senior Vice President-Operations, Florida, Frontier Communications

Gene therapy article strikes home for reader

Regarding the June 6 article on the gene therapy of Stefanie Joho:

This article is very close to my heart. My husband Steve was diagnosed with cancer in 2005 and has been a patient since 2009 of Dr. Richard Brown, an oncologist at Florida Cancer Specialists in Sarasota.

In November 2015, Steve's chemotherapy was no longer effective. We were fearful and feeling desperate. Ironically, Jimmy Carter's remarkable life-saving treatment with a new immunology drug Keytruda (Merck pharma) was in the forefront of the news.

At Steve's next appointment, we told Dr. Brown that we had learned through a friends son, a breast cancer researcher, that Merck wanted to test Keytruda on other cancers. Dr. Brown, always Steve's advocate, told us that the practice had already discussed Steve. He would contact Merck.

It was determined Steve was a candidate and would qualify for the trial. He enrolled immediately. The rest is history!

The drug "suppressed a mutation" in his DNA. It attacked the cancers growth. Steve is no longer in the trial. He continues to receive an infusion treatment every three weeks and so far, so good!

Happily, life goes on and we owe a debt of gratitude to all the selfless researchers who have opened a new frontier in cancer treatment. Dr. Brown revealed that more options will be coming as they make new discoveries.

Good luck and long life to Stefanie!

Donna Jablo, Lakewood Ranch

Atlanta Braves play with taxpayers' money

In their quest for a cushy deal on their spring training facility, the Atlanta Braves were rebuffedby Palm Beach County and twice by Collier County, but have been welcomed with open arms by the easy marks in Sarasota County.

The pending deal will be another screw job unleashed on taxpayers by politicians offering huge subsidies to billionaire owners and multimillionaire players.

According to reports in the Herald-Tribune and elsewhere, the amount of public taxpayer money potentially allocated is:

$20 million from the Florida Sports Foundation, which, thanks to the Legislature and governor, is taxpayer-supported and hands out grants to special-interest groups like the Braves.

$22 million from the county tourism tax, which is paid by guests who stay in hotels and motels and largely used to fund special-interest groups rather than go into general revenues to benefit overburdened taxpayers. According to the Herald-Tribune, the requested amount is below the amount that would require public-referendum approval.

$300,000 a year paid by North Port for maintenance.

Also, West Villages is donating land worth $7 million to $9 million and paying for improvements.

Now, as reported in the Herald-Tribune, the county administrator and financial management officer suggest that a millage increase may be in store.

They play and you pay.

William Allen, Longboat Key

More here:

Saturday's letters: Hit-and-run, Frontier, gene therapy, Braves - Sarasota Herald-Tribune