LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK

AFFORDABLE HOUSING, Joel C. Hunter, chairman, Community Resource Network: Universal’s release of a more detailed vision for affordable housing, led by Central Florida’s esteemed Wendover Housing Partners, is more than a glimpse of sunshine in our state. It is a ray of hope for hardworking families. A hundred years ago, during the boon of the industrial revolution, industries took responsibility to provide housing needed by their workers. This project is a welcome expansion of that tradition. A local entertainment industry is choosing to be a part of the solution to our housing crisis with a well-designed community of homes. Universal and Wendover, may your example be multiplied by others!

LEGALIZE IT? YEAH, RIGHT, Ken LaRoe, Founder, Climate First Bank I/O:

Ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana have faced vexing bureaucratic setback after setback thanks to the Florida House, Senate and Supreme Court. How can democracy be expected to evolve with the will of the people when any sort of state constitutional amendment is kneecapped at every turn?

NO MORE MASKS, David Leavitt, former Seminole County Libertarian Party chairman, CEO of Refresh Computers: Shame on the medical professionals who spoke at the recent Seminole County Commission meeting in favor of mask mandates. They all proudly announced their credentials before speaking — none of which had a degree or experience in the psychological damage being caused in our society and in our children as a result of these mandates. All were invited to speak to present a one-sided county view of the facts. These “professionals” have to consider the psychological consequences, as does any county commissioner or anyone else responsible for continuing the mask mandates. Shame on all of them. Stop playing God.

DEMOCRATS IN DISARRAY, Jim Philips, retired longtime radio talk-show host:

Famed American humorist Will Rogers put it this way: “I belong to no organized political party. I am a Democrat.” Now comes word of another Democratic Party shake-up. The Dems’ leader in the Florida Senate is being replaced after a no-confidence vote. Florida Democrats have been hammered politically for the past 20 years at least. Quick quiz! Name the last Democrat elected governor of Florida. Yup, it’s been over two decades since Lawton Chiles presided over the Sunshine State. Florida Democrats are picked off so fast that it seems they’re becoming a political endangered species. Who knows why? Bad candidates? Poor messaging? Ho-hum organizational skills? How soon will Democrats regain power in Tallahassee? Well, remember that line about “circular firing squads.”

TRANSGENDER STUDENT ATHLETES,

Gloria Pickar, president, League of Women Voters of Orange County: Presumed dead, the Florida Legislature passed a bill barring transgender student athletes from participating in girls’ or women’s sports unless aligned with their gender on their birth certificates. At the 11th hour, this was passed by amending it into a completely unrelated school voucher funding bill. Some 30 states are considering similar legislation. This is unconstitutional; Title IX protects the rights of transgender student athletes. The NCAA favors a boycott of states that ban transgender athletes. Per the ACLU, discriminating against trans kids harms their health and social and emotional development. LGBTQ persons need inclusion, not exclusion.

MAIL IT IN, Joanie Schirm, GEC founding president; World Cup Orlando 1994 Committee chairman: Florida Gov. DeSantis and the GOP-led Legislature pretend we need restrictive measures to ease voting for all. Since 1998, Oregon has already proved how to make voting accessible and secure. Overwhelmingly passing by a citizens’ initiative ballot measure, Oregon became the first state to conduct its elections exclusively by mail. Since it passed, it has maintained a high level of support, with 81% of respondents in a University of Oregon poll favoring the vote-by-mail system. In 2000, it became the first state to conduct a presidential election entirely by mail (with prepaid postage). In 2020, 82% of registered voters participated via mail-in or readily available drop boxes.

PUT IT ON MY CARD, Jen Vargas, producer/host, FilmSlam: The CDC’s recent updates regarding public face-mask guidelines got me thinking: Aside from a vaccination card, how else could one prove they are fully vaccinated? With so many people freely posting their COVID-19 Vaccination Record Cards across online sites (and giving away all their personal health information), how else can the authenticity be verified? If we can’t trust half the country to get vaccinated to begin with, how would anyone be able to unequivocally verify these identification cards are real or potentially fake? I hope a better solution is coming, and soon.

SLACKERS, Michael Zais, political blogger for thedrunkenrepublican.com: Businesses across Central Florida, particularly those in the hospitality industry, are struggling to operate due to a lack of workers, and we have ourselves to blame. The seemingly endless enhanced unemployment benefits have provided a massive disincentive for many folks to return to work. While the enhanced benefits were prudent months ago, they’re killing businesses now. Yes, there is dignity in work, but when someone can sit home and watch Netflix all day for the same — or more — money than they’d receive from busting their hump in a restaurant for 40 hours, guess what many will choose? This was totally predictable.