Looking ahead to this week

Irela Bagué, president, Bagué Group

Climate change remains the most clear and present danger facing our national parks and public lands. No place feels it more than South Florida, ground zero for climate change as our coastal communities battle chronic flooding from King Tide events and extreme weather. It is blatantly disrespectful for the Department of Interior to roll back policies that mismanage national parks, lands, and waters. We must demand that our elected officials make science-based decisions, not allow a handful of political appointees to make misguided decisions fueled by the notion that these policies interfere with the president’s half-baked energy dominance agenda.

Dan Daley, commissioner, Coral Springs; president, Broward League of Cities

Broward’s landfills are rapidly reaching capacity and recycling rates have declined. The Broward League of Cities and its members want to better understand what changes need to be made to find long-term sustainable solutions to solid waste management. With that in mind, several elected officials will be touring the Reuter’s Recycling Facility to see how recycling operations are changing with the times. With elected officials serving the unique needs of the residents in their cities, and recognition of a countywide problem, it will be important for the cities and county to work collaboratively. We must partner to find a solution.

Michael De Lucca, president, Broward Regional Health Planning Council, Inc.

The newest social media challenge is not a trend that anyone should be participating in. This is referred to as the “Tide Pod Challenge,” where we are seeing teenagers ingesting laundry detergent pods voluntarily and filming themselves while doing this to share on social media platforms. The videos capture individuals foaming at the mouth and experiencing severe coughing episodes. This viral, alarming challenge has caused deaths and serious illnesses among those individuals involved. Pods should only be used for cleaning purposes as they contain dangerous chemicals that can lead to life threatening breathing complications. Let’s end this challenge today!

Scott J. Israel, sheriff, Broward County

On Monday, the Florida Hate Crime Coalition — an alliance of both disability rights and other civil rights groups, including the Broward Sheriff ’s Office — will hold a news conference to strongly voice its support for important legislation that would expand Florida’s hate crime laws. The legislation would add gender or gender identity to the list, expand the definition of disability to cover persons with physical disabilities, and cover mixed-motive hate crimes. We support this because hate and violence directed at any individual or group because of their uniqueness stands at odds with our core American ideals of tolerance, openness and inclusiveness.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Archdiocese of Miami

Did Sen. Dick Durbin intentionally try to sabotage a bipartisan fix for the Dreamers? By publicizing President Trump’s unfortunate and disappointing remarks about certain countries, some argue that he did just that. For too many in Congress, immigration is a “wedge issue” to be kept alive for partisan advantage. So, there could have been a cynical calculation that not fixing DACA now would help Democrats in the midterms. But lives and futures are at stake! We need some grown-ups in D.C. who are statesmen and not political hacks to provide humane and just solutions to admittedly complex issues.

Ghenete Wright Muir, attorney. Realtor. LGBTQ advocate

Wow! January is coming to an end. And here comes February — Black History Month. In recent years, there has been a movement to also celebrate “Black Futures Month.” In addition to acknowledging our struggles and achievements, we can learn more about concepts such as Afrofuturism. Ingrid LaFleur, founder of Afrotopia, defines Afrofuturism “as a way of imagining possible futures through a black cultural lens... a way to encourage experimentation, reimagine identities, and activate liberation.” Let’s ensure we are celebrating black history and future, as we work to integrate our stories into mainstream America — not for just a month, but 365/24-7.

Chip LaMarca, member, Broward County Commission

This past week, voters went to the polls to make their voices heard, but voter turnout was less than admirable. Turnout for the City of Fort Lauderdale primary election was 14.1 percent, or 17,000 of 120,455 registered voters. Surprisingly, some considered this an excellent turnout due to the dismal 7 percent to 9 percent turnout in recent years. Residents should understand the significance of voting in local elections. Your locally elected officials set policy and local budgets, which directly affect your everyday life. While there is no presidential election this year, Broward County residents are encouraged to head to the polls this year and cast your vote.

Dan Lindblade, president, Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce

Get ready for mudslinging as Commissioner Dean Trantalis and Vice Mayor Bruce Roberts square off for mayor of the City of Fort Lauderdale. Don’t believe everything you read or hear. Take time to get to know the candidates. The Chamber will have another forum prior to the election open to the public. Districts 2 and 4 will also have runoffs with Tim Smith vs. Steve Glassman and Ben Sorensen vs. Warren Sturman respectively. You are either at the table or on the table. Choose wisely.