The top stories last week

Beam Furr, mayor, Broward County

Jan. 6 marked the anniversary of the tragic shooting at Fort-Lauderdale Hollywood Airport. In the past year, Broward County committed to making safety improvements to FLL. We have conducted extensive training drills to improve coordination between law enforcement and airport staff. The airport is now better prepared to communicate with the public in an emergency with a new warning and public address system. We have worked directly with employees, and are changing our training so that all staff is ready in an emergency. As we remember those we lost, we will continue to make FLL safer than ever in 2018.

Chip LaMarca, member, Broward County Commission

Recently, Broward County’s Fort Lauderdale International Airport opened Terminal 4, Concourse G East. The new portion of Terminal 4, Concourse G East now offers six beautiful new gates with great new amenities that the traveling public has come to enjoy, including new comfortable seating, modern restrooms and several new innovative concessions. The next phase of the Terminal 4 development will be the new International Baggage Claim Facility, which is expected to be completed in late January 2018. I am excited to watch the continued growth of one of our community’s greatest economic engines as FLL grows to be a top tier airport nationwide.

Ghenete Wright Muir, attorney. Realtor. LGBTQ advocate

As the ball dropped ringing in the new year, so did the temperature — brrrrr. Snowflakes fluttered around Tallahassee — the first measurable snowfall in our state capital in 28 years. How exciting! But no state is more excited than California with the legalization of recreational cannabis. California is slated to become the world’s largest market for legalized recreational marijuana. Meanwhile, Florida is mired in regulations for medical marijuana, ganja is still illegal under federal law, and so many people are still incarcerated for ganja-related “crimes.” Here’s hoping that California leads the way in mainstreaming and destigmatizing this powerful, healing gift of nature.

Gerry Litrento, senior executive vice president, BankUnited

This newspaper and others carried the photos of New Year’s Day babies. But, who said the joys of parenthood are priceless? The last estimate by the Department of Agriculture put the cost of raising a child to age 17 at $233,610. Note that this does not include college. For a middle income family, housing costs account for 20 percent of the expense, followed by food, child care and education. Take it from a banker, whether raising a family or pursuing another passion, it takes money. Make a New Year’s resolution to pay yourself first this year and build your savings.

Dwight Bullard, former member, Florida Senate, political director, the New Florida Majority

News of note was the video going viral of Donald Trump’s off-the-cuff remarks to a room full of Mar-a-Lago partygoers that the newly passed tax bill would make them richer. He has often been able to sidestep controversy by blaming others for misconstruing his words. In this case he has held countless rallies in the lead up to the bill’s passage throughout middle America, promising more money in their pockets and now is caught by a supporter giving his true feelings. This may be the straw that loses him the white working class support.

Nan Rich, member, Broward County Commission

Trump has decided to disband his frivolous panel studying the “voter fraud” that he claims cost him the popular vote. There was not, of course, any such fraud, as many national studies have noted. The panel was nothing more than a solution in search of a problem that didn’t exist and was dogged by lawsuits and admirably resisted by many states that accused it of overreach. Now that the panel is dissolved, perhaps we can move from the trumped up, bogus issue of voter fraud to the very real issue of voter suppression.

Marty Kiar, Broward County Property Appraiser

The 2018 property tax exemption filing period is in full swing. This week, our office mailed the Homestead Exemption Renewal/Change Order cards to all property owners receiving a homestead exemption. This card notifies property owners of the automatic renewal of their homestead exemption as well as allowing residents to advise our office of any changes to the ownership or use of the property. Qualifying property owners that do not currently have a 2018 homestead exemption can file online at www.bcpa.net; in our office at 115 S. Andrews Avenue, Room 111, Fort Lauderdale; or at a BCPA outreach event.

Frank Ortis, mayor, Pembroke Pines

The federal minimum wage in Florida rose this week by 15 cents from $8.10 to $8.25. This increase, the largest hourly increase since 2012, happened because voters passed a state constitutional amendment in 2004. Miami Beach, however, wants its workers to earn even more and wants the Florida Supreme Court to take on the battle. The question is whether local governments have the legal authority to set their own minimum wages. Most local businesses are against the increase. We’ll all be watching this one closely. There are negative and positive issues for both sides. Will there really be any winners?