THE TOP STORIES LAST WEEK
INJUSTICE DICHOTOMY,
I recently heard an interview with Pope Francis in which His Holiness both denounced the “functional hypocrisy” of political systems and defended traditional structures that are the subject of worldwide protest. I listened to the audio excerpts with a mostly joyous heart. But I had also just re-read “The Sun Will Rise” — collected statements by South African political activists before being sentenced for protesting racial inequality and social injustice. The 19 insurgents each served hard labor for their brothers and sisters in the struggle. And Jesus — so the story goes — gave his life as a ransom for all. It’s a lot to contemplate.
DEAR GOV. DESANTIS,
You have a rare opportunity. With a swipe of your veto pen, you can send a resounding message of “not on my watch” to those who wish to undermine our state constitution for personal gain and save millions of taxpayer dollars. Senate Bill 410 was made blatantly unconstitutional by the addition of a complicated last-minute amendment which would negate voter-approved charter amendments in 13 counties, including Seminole. It would open the door to special interests wanting to destroy our rural boundary. Seminole County, the Florida Association of Counties and others will sue if this bill becomes law. Please, governor, veto this bad bill.
TEACHER RAISE NOT ENOUGH,
On June 24, Gov. Ron DeSantis approved raises for Florida’s perennially underpaid teachers. Because of the massive tax revenue shortfall and budget crunch our state is currently facing, DeSantis was given high praise for “prioritizing” educators. Absurd. These raises are much needed and well-deserved, but a small pay raise during an election year does not undo the damage caused by decades of Republican attacks on teachers and schools. DeSantis owes thanks to Rick Scott, who spent eight years undermining schools with such ruthless efficiency that even the slightest, still-insufficient improvement shown by his successor is heralded as a paradigm-shifting accomplishment.
NONPROFITS HURTING,
Giving plunged 6% in first quarter of 2020. This is signaling $25 billion in lost revenue for nonprofits according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. March giving was down 11%. The CARES Act did include a $300 tax deduction for everyone. What the federal government should do is pass a universal deduction for all giving. That would be the stimulus our nonprofit organizations need.
GREENBERG ACCUSATIONS,
As the child of a public-school teacher, I know how hard teachers work, how their summers are pretty much an extension of the school year, how they give so much of themselves — physically and emotionally — to other people’s children. So, when a local politician, Seminole Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, gets busted for allegedly creating fake social media accounts to spread false and horrible accusations against a teacher, I see red. Falsely accusing anyone is reprehensible. Falsely accusing a teacher of harming a child is not only an attack on their integrity and their livelihood, it’s an attack on their soul.
KNIGHT’S PUB CLOSURE,
The owner of a bar by UCF, the Knight’s Pub, has just had his bar’s liquor license suspended after allegations of ignoring CDCsuggested protocols for social distancing. DeSantis has been quoted saying that businesses will be getting a visit from the “grim reaper” if they continue to flout the guidelines but it begs the question, “Why this one bar?” Hundreds of local businesses have been ignoring the 50% cap on guests with nary a whisper. What was the tipping point? It’s just a random flex of power. Why not actually put some teeth in your policies, governor, rather than randomly flailing about?
DONNA’S LAW,
Donna’s Law became the law of the land in Florida. The new law eliminates the statute of limitations for sex crimes committed against minors (occurring after July 1). It’s named after Donna Hedrick, a courageous Orlando woman — raped as a teen 40 years ago — who I was honored to work with on behalf of survivors silenced by the state’s outrageous 72-hour reporting requirement. Although it should have happened long ago, at least going forward our state will finally close this shameful loophole that has enabled abusers to escape justice for their horrific sex crimes against children.
LOCAL RULE,
All of the bellyaching about Gov. DeSantis not ordering the wearing of masks statewide is much ado about nothing. Just as it is totally appropriate for the president to allow governors to call the shots for their own states vis-a-vis the coronavirus, so too is it appropriate for local municipalities to be afforded that autonomy by governors. It’s simply a microcosm of what’s being done nationally, which rejects the typically flawed one-size-fits-all approach. It’s completely prudent for Orange County to mandate mask-wearing, but other Florida counties with virtually no coronavirus cases should be empowered to make their own decisions.