100 South Florida

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

The top stories last week Irela Bagué, president, Bagué Group

The jubilation exhibited by the Cuban exile community following the death of Fidel Castro should come as no surprise. Personally, I have heard the painful memories of my father’s story. He was 13 when Castro sent thousands of children to the U.S. in the early ‘60s. My father would not get to see his family again until adulthood, though I feel he was one of the lucky ones. He found freedom and opportunity in this great country. The unlucky ones are the people still stuck in Cuba, a country that lacks all the freedom we Americans often take for granted.

Howard Finkelstein, chief public defender, Broward County

The Sun Sentinel’s horrifying report on the treatment of the mentally ill in the Broward County Jail, including deaths by starvation while medical staff ignored life threatening mental illness, reveals not only bad medical care but a callous and deliberate indifference to persons suffering from mental illness. Too many times the arrest and prosecution of the mentally ill for minor offenses results in a death sentence. The sheriff must hold his staff and his medical provider accountable. And we the community must hold him accountable. These are our children, husbands, wives, sisters, brothers. They matter.

Adriana Fazzano Ficano, chief of staff, Broward College

Fidel Castro’s death evoked emotion in political refugees across South Florida. The dictator created hell on earth for families who now call South Florida home. Many breathed a sigh of relief at the thought of our planet being freed of one less tyrant. However, the struggle is not over. Castro’s influence lives on in the cruelty of other ruthless dictators like Nicolás Maduro, whose adherence to Castro’s failed ideology has led to a total economic disaster in the once prosperous Venezuela. Sadly, Cuba’s story is now all too familiar for Venezuelan families living in diaspora in South Florida.

Paul Castronovo, host, Paul & Young Ron Show

I was in Maine when I got the news that Castro was dead. I’m not Cuban, but grew up here and understand the vitriol the exiles felt toward him. That sure isn’t the case outside of Florida. My friend in Maine, a famous comedian, said to me, “what’s been going on down there?” I said, “Castro’s dead, the pots and pans are out!” He looked at me like I had three heads. “Is that a big deal?” It didn’t even make the local news up there and I didn’t bother trying to explain the pots and pans. Yeah, it’s a pretty big deal.

Clarence V. McKee, president, McKee Communications

Congratulations to new state House Speaker Richard Corcoran for taking on the Florida Education Association. Corcoran called it “downright evil” for its continued legal fight against Florida’s tax credit scholarship program that provides low income families corporate-funded vouchers to attend private schools. Adding a very refreshing and candid assessment of the group, he said the union was “attempting to destroy the lives of almost 100,000 children, mostly minority, and most of them poor” later saying to reporters the union actions were “disgusting” and “repugnant.” Such candor directed at the union controlled educational establishment is long overdue. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Earl Maucker, commissioner, Lighthouse Point; former editor, Sun Sentinel

With the death of Fidel Castro it would be refreshing to see political leaders like Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen step up and take the initiative for progressive change in Cuba. Think of the value these influential CubanAmericans could offer President-elect Trump. Sadly, that is not going to happen. While many of their constituents hunger for engagement between the two countries, Rubio and Ros-Lehtinen have their heads in the sand. New opportunities are inevitable. It’s time to seize them. Their determination to return to the failed policies of the past is disheartening.

Wael Barsoum, M.D., president, Cleveland Clinic Florida

More than 46 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s disease. The medical community, patients and caregivers are desperate for a glimmer of hope that effective treatment for this mindrobbing disease is on the horizon. Unfortunately, we may have to wait a bit longer. News emerged last week that solanezumab, a drug thought to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, failed in clinical trials. However, there is hope. Last Sunday, 60 Minutes profiled a Colombian community which included an overwhelming number of families carrying the Alzheimer’s gene. This community may hold the key that unlocks the mystery of Alzheimer’s disease. The world is waiting.

Burnadette NorrisWeeks, attorney, Austin Pamies Norris Weeks, LLC

President-elect Trump is the master distractor. Each time he makes a controversial decision or misstep, he also sends out a distracting tweet. Last week he announced Tom Price as the future HHS Director. Price is the most likely candidate to privatize the entire American health care system. Trump talks about draining the swamp but according to the Center for Responsive Politics, Price received approximately $600,000 in campaign funds from pharmaceutical companies and another 3.56 million from doctors, pharmacists and other health care professionals. On the same day, Trump sent out a nonsense tweet about flag burning that was widely covered in media. The tweet was Trump bait.

Frank Ortis, mayor, Pembroke Pines

Kudos to State Representative Richard Stark for being persistent and filing a stricter texting bill that would allow police to pull over motorists for texting while driving. Motorists can now only be cited for texting while driving if they have been pulled over for other traffic offenses, which is called a secondary offense. Texting while driving should be a primary offense. This is not an invasion of privacy as opponents have stated in the past. It’s a critical safety issue. This bill would also double fines for texting while driving in designated school zones or crossings. Let’s finally pass this.