LOOKING AHEAD THIS WEEK
DEMING S FOR HOMELAND SECURITY, Dick Batch el or, president, Dick Batch el or Management Group: There have been recent news articles speculating as to who Joe Bid en, if elected, might appoint to his Cabinet. Let me suggest that Rep. Val Demings be highly considered to be named Secretary ofHomeland Security, a Cabinet post for which she is most qualified. From having been the police chief of Orlando to being intimately involved as a congresswoman in matters dealing with homeland security, she should, inmy opinion, be on top of the list of candidates for serious consideration.
REMEMBER THE HOMELESS, Mary Lee Downey, CEO and founder of the Community Hope Center: Oct .10 marked World Homeless Day. The purpose of this is to drawattention to the needs of people experiencing homelessness. On one night in January 2020, 2,007 peoplewere living on our streets or in shelters in Central Florida. These folks are still our neighbors, so howarewe as a community caring for them? The only thing that solves homelessness is housing. Affordable housing is built at the ballot box, and I urge you to consider our homeless neighbors when making your plans to vote in the upcoming election.
ELECTRIC GARBAGE TRUCKS, MuhammadMusri, president, Islamic Society of Central Florida: Electric cars are everywhere, but all trucks are still using fossil fuels polluting our air and contributing to climate change. Early next year, Ocala will be the first city in Florida to buy electric garbage trucks. With a grant fromthe EPA, the city will replace five of its 50 diesel trucks for electric ones. The trucks are expensive, about $525,000 each, but the savings on maintenance and fuel will pay off long-term. The best part is less noise and no tailpipe smoke. The only problem is the trucks aremade by the Chinese company BYD. Where are the American-made trucks?
JOBFAIRS, PamelaNabors, president/CEO, CareerSource Central Florida: It’s no secret that our region has taken a big economic hit. Tens of thousands of furloughed or laid-off hospitality and tourismworkers are finding themselves in need of new options. Those same employees have highly transferable skills in customer service, food service and facilities, which are in high demand at hospitals and long-term care facilities. Two upcoming virtual job fairs :“Make Caring Your Career ,” looking to transition hospitality workers into open positions in the health-care sector, is Oct. 22-23. Those interested should register at careersourcecentralflorida.com/career-seekers. Resume assistance and career-readiness workshops are also being offered through CareerSource Central Florida Oct. 19-21.
LE U GARDENS HOLIDAYS, Cole Ne Smith, executive director, Creative City Project: An immersive light experience comes to Leu Gardens this December. DazzlingNights is a new, annual holiday tradition. It brings the 50-acre gardens to light each night between Dec. 1and Jan. 3. You’ll experience massive light installations (a 65-foot light tunnel), interactive elements (pads that light up and make bell sounds when stepped on) and unique immersive experiences (the forested area of the gardens will feature fog and unique lighting effects to mimic the aurora borealis). For safety, tickets are sold with timed entry to ensure guests are distanced. Tickets are nowon sale at dazzlingorlando.com. VOTENOON3, Gloria Pickar, president,
League ofWomenVoters ofOrange County: Florida Constitutional Amendment 3 creates more problems than it fixes. Most voters favor open primaries, but may be fooled by this jungle primary model whereby the top two candidates progress to the general election. The 3.8 million independent voters who comprise 27% of the Florida electorate deserve to vote in all elections, but this solution disenfranchises minority candidates. People Over Profits reports that the top-two system can negatively impact minority voting strength, making it much harder for minority candidates to win. Aswe seek to resolve systemic racism, let’s not make itworse by implementing this voter suppression tactic.
NURSING-HOMEDEATHS, Rick Singh,
property appraiser, Orange County: A sobering and tragic report fromUSF recently revealed that more than 400 nursing-home residents died as a result ofHurricane Irma, which hit Florida in 2017. Most of the deaths, which occurred in the weeks and months after the storm, were related to nursing homes failing to properly prepare and the lack of generators and air conditioners for the facilities. At least 12 deaths have resulted in charges filed against employees of one nursing home in Broward County. While legislationwas passed to prevent future tragedies, many experts say it’s not enough. This should never happen again.
DISNEYLAND SLOW TO RE OPEN, Michael Zais, political blogger for thedrunkenrepublican.com: Despite representing one of the lone commonalities between Florida and California, Disney nowfinds itself at the epicenter of a major difference. Disney parks reopened in Florida in mid-July with extensive health and safety protocols. And there have been no known cases of COVID-19 linked to the parks. Conversely, Disneyland in the bright blue state of California has remained shut tight as a drum to this day. So, on the heels of theWorldHealth Organization nowadvocating against harsh and prolonged shutdowns, California Gov. GavinNewsom is sending a team to Disney World to get schooled on howto open safely. Better late than never.