TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK

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

Wael Barsoum, M.D., president and CTO, Healthcare Outcomes Performance Co. Although there are still limits on what fully vaccinated individuals can do, according to the CDC, fully vaccinated individuals should feel free to visit their unvaccinated family and friends. It is important to note that the visits should be limited to one unvaccinated household at a time. There is increasing evidence that suggests that fully vaccinated individuals are less likely to have asymptomatic infection, therefore, they are less likely to transmit the virus to others. Current CDC guidelines advise all individuals, including those that are fully vaccinated, to continue to avoid medium and large-sized in-person gatherings.

Michael De Lucca, president, Broward Regional Health Planning Council, Inc. According to a Smart Growth America report, the metro area of Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami ranked 13th among the nation’s most dangerous metropolitan areas for pedestrians. There were 1,675 pedestrian deaths across South Florida from 2010-19. The Pedestrian Death Index used in the report “measures how deadly it is for people to walk based on the number of people struck and killed by drivers while walking, controlling for the number of people and the share of people who walk to work as a proxy for overall walking in an area.”

Bobby DuBose, minority co-leader, Florida House of Representatives. In the Florida Legislature, we’ve been seeing solutions in search of nonexistent problems. From dangerous anti-protest legislation and a COVID liability shield that denies Floridians access to courts, to threats to Bright Futures and alarming changes to our elections process, Republican leadership is focusing all their time and energy on things that don’t help the majority of Floridians. Our highest priorities should be issues like fixing our broken unemployment system, providing aid to our neighbors struggling with massive debt from the pandemic, and improving our clearly inadequate health care system that leaves too many Floridians at risk. Florida deserves better.

Beam Furr, member, Broward County Commission. The Florida Legislature is considering a bill that would limit vote-bymail access and eliminate drop-off boxes, a move that would make voting less accessible. Instead of making it harder to vote, the Legislature should instead be focused on actual voter fraud, like former state Sen. Frank Artiles’ scheme to place a fake candidate on the ballot, which led to his arrest this week. This “dirty trick” is not just a campaign tactic — it was a crime that disenfranchised thousands of voters. It is hypocritical for the Legislature

to restrict vote-by-mail access and ignore actual fraud. We should deal with real problems, not imaginary ones.

Sheldon Harr, founding rabbi emeritus, Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El. Sunday, is the first of seven days of Passover. This holiday celebrates the concept freedom, based on the Biblical story of much of the Book of Exodus from the Hebrew Scriptures. Perhaps the most memorable part of Passover is the Seder — the festive meal that brings together family and friends. But not this year. Our virtual Seders are a noble attempt to mark the Seders of past years. Nonetheless, the theme of freedom remains and our voices, we trust, will be heard in heaven above.

Debbi Hixon, member, Broward County School Board. My heart breaks for the families of the people killed in the most recent mass shootings in Atlanta and Boulder. I know how unimaginable it is to have a loved one ripped from your life in a public tragedy. As a nation, we must come together to support these families and do something to stop these mass shootings. You can use your voice to demand our legislators work together to end gun violence in our country! We must also demand no notoriety for these shooters; no mention of their names, no photos of them and no discussion of their lives.

Peter Moore, president, Chen Moore and Associates. This past Tuesday, it was a little breezy in South Florida, but in Egypt, there were sandstorms hitting with 50 mph gusts. Why is that important? Because that day, the Ever Given, one of the world’s largest ships, lost power and became grounded at an angle, effectively blocking the Suez Canal. A very important trade route, this blockage impacts nearly 100 ships a day. This may have impacts to oil pricing in Europe and may delay semiconductor delivery in the United States. Next time someone brings up infrastructure, please don’t forget just how interconnected this world is.

Tim Ryan, member, Broward County Commission. Port Everglades celebrated the arrival of three new Super Post-Panamax gantry cranes this week, a significant event for one of our region’s most important economic engines. The cranes are the largest of their kind in the world, putting the port at a competitive advantage for the import and export of goods. Larger cranes mean the port can accept bigger ships with more cargo, increasing economic activity and, ultimately, creating more jobs for our county. The introduction of the new cranes is the culmination of years of planning and is an important part of the port’s ongoing 20-year expansion plan.