South 100 Florida

Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affecting you.

THE TOP STORIES LAST WEEK

Thomas Wenski, archbishop, Archdiocese of

Miami. January 22, 2020, marked a sad anniversary: the U.S. Supreme Court’s tragic decision legalizing the deliberate taking of unborn human life through elective abortion. Judicial sanction of the termination of life in the womb, seen by some as a “right,” is a “wrong” that for 47 years has coarsened hearts and darkened minds. After more than 60 million abortions, there is less regard for all human life as society discards those deemed inconvenient because of age, infirmity or any other reason. Yet Americans remain conflicted about abortion: this is what lies behind much of the divisiveness of today’s political discourse.

Tina Polsky, member, Florida House. January 22, 2020, marked the 47th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized and protected a woman’s right to privacy. While we celebrate this historic victory, we must stay vigilant as there is federal and state legislation being proposed to take away our rights. We also have federal and Supreme Court justices who are poised to reverse Roe v. Wade if given the opportunity. We must continue to fight to ensure that a women’s right to choose is not infringed upon and that women have access to safe and legal medical care.

Wael Barsoum, M.D., CEO, president, Cleve

land Clinic Florida. The U.S. Supreme Court this week denied a request for an expedited review of Texas v. U.S., a case challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, during its current term ending in June. While the future of the ACA remains uncertain, for now, more than 1.9 million Florida residents enrolled in the federal exchange for 2020 have access to more affordable healthcare services. I encourage participants to make use of the vital preventive services, including free vaccinations and screening services, such as mammograms and colonoscopies.

John “Jack” P. Seiler, former mayor, Fort

Lauderdale. The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump captured the country’s attention and dominated the news. Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff and six other impeachment managers carefully, thoroughly and methodically laid out the House of Representatives compelling case, including effectively using highlight reels featuring the President’s own words. The House’s developing and evolving position is that the President’s impeachable offenses extend beyond and past the July 2019 telephone call with Ukraine around which the impeachment case revolved, and the House remains hopeful that the Senate will call and allow witnesses, subpoena and introduce exhibits, and actively conduct an impeachment trial.

Richard Stark, member, Florida House of

Representatives. The Florida House of Representatives voted this week to eliminate the Constitutional Revision Commission which meets every 20 years. This is unique to Florida and a wonderful way to periodically amend the Constitution to enable it to remain current. It is often a messy process, but that does not mean we should eliminate it. With the meeting of this commission only once every 20 years, this affords us enough time to come up with methods to make the process better.

Howard Simon, retired executive director,

ACLU of Florida. Many are transfixed on the impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate. I hope Floridians are watching the performance of our two Senators. One has the sense to try to stay silent until the evidence and arguments have been presented. The other (Rick Scott) has already pronounced the solemn event a sham – echoing talking points expressing contempt for the process and the messengers. It is willful ignorance to ignore overwhelming facts. It would be more honest to acknowledge the wrongdoing, but claim it is not worthy of impeachment or isn’t the remedy when there is an election about 10 months away.

Robert Weinroth, member, Palm Beach

County Commission. With the memory of a recently dismissed Holocaust denying Boca Raton principal still fresh, it seems unimaginable that Jewish students at Boca Raton High School must face antiSemitism. What makes this even more painful is to be told, “hate crime” is not a classification in Palm Beach County’s student conduct code, so it’s unclear how the harasser would be punished if found guilty. FBI data shows a 37 percent increase in incidents reported to the agency from 2014 to 2018. Recurring anti-Semitic and Holocaust-related bullying incidents must be addressed by school administrators swiftly and effectively to stem this toxic environment.

Angelo Castillo, commissioner, Pembroke

Pines. Recent events in Broward should serve as a wake-up call to all cities underscoring the importance of having current reporting and adequate funding to ensure the reliability and safety of its water, sewer and drainage systems. Maintaining these systems is essential to protecting our water and keeping residents healthy and our environment safe. This week I asked Pembroke Pines to provide for additional reporting and safeguards regarding these essential city assets because an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure - and in the long run costs taxpayers less.