THE TOP STORIES TO LOOK FOR IN 2017

Charles Caulkins, managing partner, Fisher & Phillips

As we start a new year, I hope the citizens of Broward County will continue to work together in a bipartisan fashion. With a new president and administration starting in a few weeks, there is a lot of attention and division of opinion. Let’s not let that distract us in Broward. We have many local challenges and opportunities including improving transportation, enhancing our airport and port, fostering a business climate so we have a competitive environment for the job creators, reducing the homeless, and promoting a quality of life that makes Broward the best place in Florida to live, work, visit and do business.

Paul Castronovo, host, Paul Castronovo Show

I gave up on the New Year’s resolution thing years ago — it never seemed to work. One year it was, “OK, I’m not going to drink for a month.” About a week into that, I realized that A) I love drinking B) I didn’t stop because I had a “problem” and C) I really missed it. So then there’s the whole, “It’s a new year and I’m going to start my annual weight loss regimen.” This one is comical. While I really need to lose weight, who am I trying to kid? The Dolphins are in the playoffs and I’m gonna not drink beer?

Andrew Duffell, president, Research Park at Florida Atlantic University

Higher education in our state will play an important role in 2017. Senate President Negron wants to increase funding to these vital institutions by $1 billion and that goal could meet resistance in the House of Representatives and in the form of lower-than-expected state revenues. If the president and the Speaker can arrive at a compromise higher education and our young people will be the winners for years to come. That will help feed the tech pipeline we’ve worked so hard to develop.

Kathleen Cannon, president, United Way of Broward County

Deaths from drug overdoses are a crisis in South Florida. Thousands of people have died due to heroin and opiate overdoses. It’s a disastrous epidemic. In South Florida, someone overdoses every 30 minutes. Fentanyl is a nonpharmaceutical opiate created in clandestine labs, and due to its high potency and cheaper prices it is cut into heroin and made into counterfeit pills. People are using without their knowledge and it can cause immediate death. Solutions are underway but we need help. Over a dozen community partners have come together and strategies are being deployed. Go to DrugFreeBroward.org and help save lives.

Chuck Shaw, chairman, Palm Beach County School Board

In the spirit of optimism I hope we see a robust economy with more people working, salaries increasing, tax relief, a shrinking national debt, and more opportunity for more people. The politicians will try new approaches and those who play the partisan game will be outsiders. I also hope we see an end to the overly partisan name calling and blame that is consuming any level of reason today. Enough is enough. The losers are losers and nothing is going to change them. Leadership is needed if Trump fails. If he is successful, I hope the cry babies actually step up and help.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Archdiocese of Miami

Immigration will define 2017. Will President Trump build a wall? And will the wall have some doors for legal immigration flows? Since 2001, Congress has failed to enact comprehensive immigration reform. Both sides recognize that the immigration system is broken. Those on the right want border control first. Those on the left want humane resolution of the plight of some 11 million irregular migrants. In response to the Dreamers and DACA, President-elect Trump promises to do something that would make everybody “happy and proud.” Both Bush and Obama failed to get Congress to move. Let’s see what Trump will do.

Ted Deutch, member, U.S. House of Representatives

I’m returning to Washington ready and motivated to focus on the issues important to South Florida. I’ll fight attempts to weaken Medicare and cut Social Security. I’ll work with my colleagues and our business community to spur job growth and innovation. I’ll continue my bipartisan efforts to act on climate change. I’ll stand strongly for full equality for the LGBT community, the protection of women’s reproductive rights, and the need to reform our criminal justice system. And we will work to strengthen our national security and enhance the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Katy Sorenson, president, Good Government Initiative, University of Miami

The dystopian story to emerge in 2017 is that more women will be at the mercy of their reproductive selves as they seek and are denied safe and legal abortion in states around the country. Through rules and laws designed to impede women’s access to abortion, women, especially those without resources, will meet obstacles too difficult to overcome. With Trump in the White House, and a majority of Republicans in the governors’ mansions and the legislatures, women’s fundamental rights to liberty and self-determination are at risk. The time for a new feminist movement is now.

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

As we look forward to the year ahead, let’s all hope that for once and for all the chaos at the North Broward Hospital District gets resolved. Perhaps the state’s attorney will finally act. Maybe a grand jury will be convened to give a full investigation. Or possibly the governor will finally break through the partisan politics that he created and get a handle on what is really going on. Don’t bet on that one. Whatever the case, the residents deserve answers and the district deserves competent management in the year ahead.

Tom Shea, president, Right Management

Expect the War for Talent to heat up in South Florida, as technology drives new challenges for companies with diverse workforces. Will firms learn to smoothly manage both “gig” and fulltime workers? Will U.S. policies keep doors open to international talent? Businesses will rely more on technology to help recruit and engage top talent. Longer term, watch for more news about technology’s influence. Think workforce mobility, retraining and automation — all pointing to a global push toward redefining work and purpose.

Irela Bagué, president, Bagué Group

Climate change will not stop no matter what we believe is causing it. As we approach the next legislative session coupled with a new federal administration, many coastal cities around the country are advocating for policy and funding to begin to adapt to the effects of extreme weather and rising seas. If we work proactively on solutions that include infrastructure improvements, energy efficiency and flood mitigation, we will undoubtedly boost the economy and create jobs. South Florida can be the global model for resiliency and the support of our state and federal governments should be right alongside us.

Richard Barkett, CEO, Greater Fort Lauderdale REALTORS

The housing market will be strong. This maybe crazy but boosted by the Trump confidence pop and even with an interest uptick mortgage money will be plentiful. IRA’s are already increasing in value, and job creation efforts will take hold as unemployment has already reached new lows. Both of these trends will give consumers a boost in the real estate market. This could be short lived as robots steal millions of service jobs. The high-end market will have a revival as rich people who have been hoarding their cash will tiptoe back into the market. Enjoy the sunshine, but keep watching.

Bob Tucker, director, corporate affairs, ADT

It’s the economy, stupid! With economic corrections happening every seven or eight years, we are overdue for a bubble burst in 2017. When the stock market crashed in 2008, South Florida unemployment soared to double digits and billions in home value plunged. We recovered. In fact, Wells Fargo reported last week that Florida’s job market “is thriving in ways not seen since the height of the last business cycle.” Our state added 264,000 jobs this year, a 3.2 percent gain making it the country’s best employment story. But we can’t rest on our laurels. We need to gird our loins and prepare for another downward cycle in 2017. It will be painful. But that’s the way our economy rolls.

Hava Leipzig Holzhauer, regional director, Florida Anti-Defamation League

This coming year, I’d like to see fewer stories about communities having to come together in response to prejudice, bigotry, hate incidents and terror. Instead, I’d like to see more stories about people standing up for one another proactively; about bringing back empathy and understanding; about the digital superhighway being used for honest informing more than a tool for the prolific spreading of hate; about the return of truthful, balanced news; about pride in our country standing together proclaiming: “There is no them, only us.” In 2017, I hope we put our feet back on solid, smart, humble, thoughtful ground.

Scott J. Israel, sheriff, Broward County

Old wounds will heal and fractured relationships will mend throughout the country as more law enforcement agencies and the people they serve embrace community policing in 2017. Community policing has been a cornerstone here in Broward and has produced remarkable results wherever it has been implemented. By building bridges into and forging friendships with the diverse communities we serve, public safety services drastically improve and neighborhoods grow safer. Uniting for a common good and using what makes us unique as a launching pad for positive change, we are laying a foundation of trust and respect that can endure for generations.

Linda B. Carter, president, Community Foundation of Broward

With national belt-tightening a hot topic, South Florida may see profound expenditure cuts in areas from education and the arts to animal welfare and human services. As a result, local philanthropists will be the critical lynchpin to lead innovative and nimble responses to local issues. Margret Mead said it best, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” With the national level of charitable giving experiencing a 5 percent increase this past year, I’m encouraged.

Peter Moore, president, Chen Moore and Associates

The impacts of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act will be a huge story next year. This law funds repairs in Flint, Michigan, lays out drought relief in California and enhances the Endangered Species Act. At home, WIIN provides more than $1.5 billion in funding for Florida projects, including $976 million for Central Everglades Planning Project, $308 million for the Picayune Strand restoration project and $220 million for Port Everglades Dredging. Let’s make water great again!

Joshua Thifault, advancement director, Turning Point USA

How will the world’s landscape change as Republicans wield considerable power in 2017? From 2008 to today, every enemy of the United States has become stronger. Weakness is not a strategy. Bullies have run amok on the world’s playground, and America has been too scared to punch back. In 2017, this changes. How do we keep Russia in check, but partner with them to exterminate radical Islam? How can we continue trading with China, while brokering better deals? Trump and his team must answer these tough questions. It’s time to make America great again.

Walter G. “Skip” Campbell Jr., mayor, Coral Springs; former member, Florida Senate

As we move into 2017, we are going to have to see how the 2016 divisive elections, like our presidential election and U.K. decision to leave the EU will affect a growing inequality across the world. Donald Trump’s election brought out forgotten Americans to vote. These are individuals who lost jobs, houses and pensions due to our recent recession. They felt isolated and hopeless, but came out to cast their votes. While some have rebounded, many couldn’t hang on long enough for the rebound. 2017 must recognize these people, retrain them, house them, and provide health care.

Mike Ryan, mayor, Sunrise

Sea level rise, an infrastructure strained to support job retention and economic expansion and international uncertainty over growth, trade and protectionism. South Florida is uniquely impacted by these issues. Our ability to galvanize support for necessary changes and construct meaningful partnerships across political and geographic divides to protect the next generation will define 2017. Collective failures may make the 2018 elections the most important midterm election in recent history. Also, watch the Florida Constitution Revision Commission as it generates proposed constitutional amendments to potentially transform our social and political landscape, which may also motivate voter turnout in midterm 2018 elections.

Mitchell W. Berger, founder and cochair, Berger Singerman

As automation and technology replace work as we and our ancestors used to define it, what public policies are needed to keep up with the pace of change in the workplace, the home, and the social safety net as capital through ownership of technology needs less and less labor to operate businesses?

Frank Ortis, mayor, Pembroke Pines

I honestly don’t know what 2017 will bring for the world, our country and our community. None of us really do. However, I truly believe we can hope and we can take action to make whatever change is needed. On my desk now is information about the Kindness Initiative that we are launching throughout our cities and schools in 2017, and for that I am grateful. We all need a bit more kindness in our lives. Let us look at this new year’s challenges through kind eyes, bring out the best in humanity, and respect each other as a solution.

Tim Ryan, member, Broward County Commission

Transportation will continue to be a significant challenge in South Florida. The tri-county area is the nation’s eighth largest metropolitan area, and our roadways are clogged. With our population expected to continue growing, congestion will only get worse if we don’t enhance mass transit options and find a way to fund them. We’ll see some progress in 2017 with the arrival of passenger rail on the FEC Railroad corridor and the expected beginning of construction on The Wave Streetcar in Fort Lauderdale. But we still have a long way to go to address our transportation challenges.